'starship troopers' by robert a heinlein.

[Ken Gargett]

anyone who has done the dreaded flight from australia to europe will know how long it is.

watched a movie (transformers 3 - shame they could not transform it into a good movie), read a book and managed to cull some 3,500 emails from the sytstem (being away so much of late, they had built up a bit - got off the plane and another 170 arrived - never-ending!).

the book was 'starship troopers' by robert a heinlein. i had never read any of his before but it had been recommended. i was assured it was different to the film. and was it ever.

i quite enjoyed the film, even if it is a bit silly and catoonish.

be interested if anyone else has read it and what you thought. amazing to think it was written back in 1959.

for those thast have not, i think that there are a great many members who'd love it. it is basically the story of a young recruit who signs up and goes through basic training and then on into a war. really well done. be especially interested to hear from anyone who has read it and also has the experience of doing just that - and yes, i know that the war is against the bug planet but that is really just a backdrop to the story of the recruit. could be against anyone.

certainly a good read.

now on james ellroy's, 'cold six thousand'.

[bassman]

One of the better songs by Yes, too.

[Montaigut]

for those thast have not, i think that there are a great many members who'd love it. it is basically the story of a young recruit who signs up and goes through basic training and then on into a war. really well done. be especially interested to hear from anyone who has read it and also has the experience of doing just that - and yes, i know that the war is against the bug planet but that is really just a backdrop to the story of the recruit. could be against anyone.

I read the book a long time ago and then re-read it again a few years ago. It is indeed a very good read on many levels.

I thought the war story was really a backdrop for Heinlein to expand on his views of suffrage and civic virtue in society through the experiences and personal growth of the Juan Rico.

[Plato]

I read the book a long time ago and then re-read it again a few years ago. It is indeed a very good read on many levels.

I thought the war story was really a backdrop for Heinlein to expand on his views of suffrage and civic virtue in society through the experiences and personal growth of the Juan Rico.

Ken,

I am not usually one to read science fiction, but at my friends request I read it earlier this year.

It really is an excellent book. The movie is a simple pop-corn sci-fi action flick with no real depth. But the book is very deep, and loaded with political philosophy. The idea that you can only have citizenship after having completed military service is though provoking to say the least. It was a quick read too. I believe I finished it in a couple of days.

Cheers Ken!

Mike C

[Orion21]

At 263 pages it is a pretty thin read, but I just ordered it from Amazon Ken. Looking forward to reading it.

[Onsto]

anyone who has done the dreaded flight from australia to europe will know how long it is.

watched a movie (transformers 3 - shame they could not transform it into a good movie), read a book and managed to cull some 3,500 emails from the sytstem (being away so much of late, they had built up a bit - got off the plane and another 170 arrived - never-ending!).

the book was 'starship troopers' by robert a heinlein. i had never read any of his before but it had been recommended. i was assured it was different to the film. and was it ever.

i quite enjoyed the film, even if it is a bit silly and catoonish.

be interested if anyone else has read it and what you thought. amazing to think it was written back in 1959.

for those thast have not, i think that there are a great many members who'd love it. it is basically the story of a young recruit who signs up and goes through basic training and then on into a war. really well done. be especially interested to hear from anyone who has read it and also has the experience of doing just that - and yes, i know that the war is against the bug planet but that is really just a backdrop to the story of the recruit. could be against anyone.

certainly a good read.

now on james ellroy's, 'cold six thousand'.

A friend of mine gave me a copy when I was at RMA Sandhurst - it was an interesting juxtaposition to say the least, effectively reading an interpretation of experiences as I was experiencing (many of) them. The thing I loved were the references, particularly Rudyard Kipling's poem 'The 'Eathen', which I acquired a full copy of and used as 'morale juice' when I was feeling low...

[Fuzz]

Starship Troopers is indeed and good read. If you ever get the chance, pick up another of his books, "Friday".

[hoyopr]

I've read a lot of Heinleins books, would recommend, Stranger In A Strange Land, Time Enough For Love and Friday as mentioed..

[Ken Gargett]

A friend of mine gave me a copy when I was at RMA Sandhurst - it was an interesting juxtaposition to say the least, effectively reading an interpretation of experiences as I was experiencing (many of) them. The thing I loved were the references, particularly Rudyard Kipling's poem 'The 'Eathen', which I acquired a full copy of and used as 'morale juice' when I was feeling low...

i remember sandhurst well. when i lived in the UK, we played hockey against them. they were extremely fit but our mob knew the shortcuts. think we still got thumped. i remember that it snowed during the game. as a goalie, that was not fun. least the rest of them could run around.

when then headed back to some wonderful old hall where, and no idea how it started, there was a food fight to rival 'animal house'. great fun, thjough we heard later thatt eh snadhurst authorities had taken it all rather badly and i believe that a few of their players were in some serious trouble for it. pity, they were good blokes, though i could not understand why so many were so desparate to get across to ireland before the troubles wound down.

and fuzz, i have 'stranger in a strange land' lined up to follow and will keep an eye for friday.

[rusty]

I've read a lot of Heinleins books, would recommend, Stranger In A Strange Land, Time Enough For Love and Friday as mentioed..

all great books, Heinlien is one of the scifi greats, way ahead of his time

[Scdalak]

Assuming this is the same Novel made into the Horrendous 1997 Movie Starring Denise Richards boobs and the overly flamboyant Neil Patrick Harris ? Wouldnt be the first time Hollywood butcherd an excellent novel.

[Ken Gargett]

Assuming this is the same Novel made into the Horrendous 1997 Movie Starring Denise Richards boobs and the overly flamboyant Neil Patrick Harris ? Wouldnt be the first time Hollywood butcherd an excellent novel.

think demi moore and 'striptease'.

actually, in the starship book, the denise richards character is non-existent.

[sepp]

Have read everything Heinein ever wrote I would also recommend The Moon is a Harsh Mistress. Great Stuff all of it!