I had the
misfortune of seeing Paul Verhoeven’s film adaptation before reading Robert
Heinlein’s Starship Troopers. I say misfortune as, in the context of the
novel Verhoeven’s perspective adds layers of meaning beyond the mere senseless
violence it appears as on the screen. A
critique of blindly following government command and the visceral aspects of
war Heinlein conspicuously skipped over, it’s impossible to fully appreciate
the film without having read the novel.
But such is not the case with John Scalzi’ Old Man’s War (2006). Though
Scalzi likewise uses Starship Troopers
as as a mold, the story he produces is an ideological fence-sitter that adds
little in the way of political commentary, and thus is best appreciated at the
screen level. Humor and the values of
friendship and marriage the ideas shining faintly through the stereotypes of
science fiction, the novel gets in a few passing shots at war, but at the same
time peace, resulting in an mainstream genre offering that’s easy on the eyes
but lets Heinlein off easy.
It’s the
future and mankind has populated the stars.
Earthlings not the only sentient beings inhabiting the universe, they
gain and lose interstellar ground as much as the next species in an eternal
fight for resources, fertile colonies, and lebensraum. Soldiers continually needed to replace those
lost on the front lines protecting humanity’s interests, the elderly on Earth,
once they reach 75, have the option to live on until death or to be recruited
with the promise of new bodies and new youth.
But a chance at a second life has a caveat: they must be willing to sign
away all rights to themselves and their former existence, and understand that
life on the front lines might bring their existence to an end faster than old
age might.
