Starship Troopers - Knowledge

727:. This typical narrative is that of a sloppy and unfit civilian being knocked into shape by tough officers, whose training is "calculated sadism" but is depicted as fundamentally being on the right side. The letter Rico receives from Dubois, partly responsible for Rico "crossing the hump" with his training, is shown as a turning point in his development. The classroom scenes embedded in the story serve to explain Rico's adventures, and highlight his reactions to events around. A notable example is the execution Rico is forced to witness after a deserter from his unit murders a young girl; Rico is uncertain of his own reaction until he remembers a lecture by Dubois in which the latter argues that "moral sense" derives entirely from the will to survive. The concept of the American frontier is also related to the coming-of-age theme. Young protagonists across Heinlein's novels attain manhood by confronting a hostile "wilderness" in space; coming-of-age in a military, alien context is a common theme in Heinlein's earlier works as well. Rico's coming-of-age has also been described as being related to his relationship with his father; the journey "outward" through the novel also contains a search for Rico's childhood and a reunion with his estranged parent. 963:

we see are tough, smart, competent, cleancut, clean-shaven, and noble." Panshin, a veteran of the peacetime military, argued that Heinlein glossed over the reality of military life, and that the Terran Federation-Arachnid conflict existed simply because, "Starship troopers are not half so glorious sitting on their butts polishing their weapons for the tenth time for lack of anything else to do." Literature scholar George Slusser, in describing the novel as "wrong-headed and retrogressive", argued that calling its ideology militarism or imperialism was inadequate, as these descriptions suggested an economic motive. Slusser instead says that Heinlein advocates for a complete "technological subjugation of nature", of which the Arachnids are a symbol, and that this subjugation itself is depicted as a sign of human advancement.

572:) on the Canadian prairie for his training under Sergeant Charles Zim. The training is extremely demanding. Rico receives combat training of all types, including simulated fights in armored suits. A fellow recruit is court-martialed, flogged, and dismissed for striking a drill instructor who was also his company commander. Rico himself is given five lashes for firing a rocket during a drill with armored suits and simulated nuclear weapons without ensuring that no friendlies were within the blast zone, which in combat would have resulted in the death of a fellow soldier. Another recruit, who murdered a baby girl after deserting the army, is hanged by his battalion after his arrest by civilian police. Disheartened, Rico thinks of resigning when he receives a letter from Jean Dubois, who taught Rico 561:), serving with the platoon known as "Rasczak's Roughnecks". The platoon carries out a raid against a planetary colony held by Skinnies. The raid is relatively brief: the platoon lands on the planet, destroys its targets, and retreats, suffering two casualties in the process. One of them, Dizzy Flores, is rescued by Rico but dies while returning to orbit. The narrative then flashes back to Rico's graduation from high school. Rico and his best friend Carl are considering joining the Federal Service after graduation; Rico is hesitant, partly due to his father's attitude towards the military. Rico makes his decision after discovering that his classmate Carmen Ibañez also intends to enlist. 688:

include the communal nature of the Arachnids, which makes them capable of a much higher degree of coordination than the humans. Bug society is once explicitly described as communist, and is moreover depicted as communist by nature; this has been read as implying that those with a different political ideology are analogous to alien beings. The related motifs of alien invasion, patriotism, and personal sacrifice during war, are present, as are other aspects of US popular culture of the 1950s. Commentators have argued that Heinlein's portrayal of aliens, as well as being a reference to 1950s communist countries, aims to "reinscribe the ideologies of America's mythic

719:, thus inviting the reader to learn it as well. This is especially true of the parts of his training that involve indoctrination, such as the claim by one of his instructors that rule by military veterans is the ideal form of government, because only they understand how to put collective well-being above the individual. The story traces Rico's transformation from a boy into a soldier, while exploring issues of identity and motivation, and traces his overall moral and social development, in a manner identified by commentators as similar to many stories about German soldiers in 771:", despite its social and political themes. The "moral decline" caused by this situation is depicted as having caused a global war between an alliance of the US, Britain, and Russia against the "Chinese Hegemony" in the year 1987. Despite the alliance between the US and Russia, this war has been described as demonstrating Heinlein's anti-communist beliefs, which saw "swarming hordes" of Chinese as a bigger threat. The novel draws some comparisons between the Chinese and the Arachnids, and suggests that the lessons of one war could be applied to the other. 1058:

within the book assume that the Federal Service is largely military. For instance, when Rico tells his father that he is interested in Federal Service, his father immediately explains his belief that Federal Service is a bad idea because there is no war in progress, indicating that he sees Federal Service as military in nature. Gifford states that although Heinlein's intentions may have been that Federal Service be 95 percent non-military, in relation to the actual contents of the book, Heinlein "is wrong on this point. Flatly so."

1512:, shared character names and some plot details with the novel. The film contained several elements that differed from the book, including a military that is completely integrated with respect to sex. It had the stated intention of treating its material in an ironic or sarcastic manner, to undermine the political ideology of the novel. The mechanized suits that featured prominently in the novel were absent from the film, due to budget constraints. 1561:, and the society in the film, which elevates violence over sensitivity. It received several negative critical reviews, reviewers suggesting that it was unsophisticated and targeted a juvenile audience, although some scholars and critics have also supported its description as satirical. The absence of the powered armor technology drew criticism from fans. The success of the film's endeavor to critique the ideology of the novel has been disputed. 464:; Heinlein had previously had success with this format, having written several such novels published by Scribner. The manuscript was rejected, prompting Heinlein to end his association with the publisher completely, and resume writing books with adult themes. Scholars have suggested that Scribner's rejection was based on ideological objections to the content of the novel, particularly its treatment of military conflict. 1179:

can be war. Feminist scholars have described this reaction as a "conventionally masculinist" one. Steffen Hantke has described the mechanized suits in the novel, which make the wearer resemble a "steel gorilla," as defining masculinity as "something intensely physical, based on animal power, instinct, and aggression". He calls this form of masculinity "all body, so to speak, and no brain". Thus, in Hantke's reading,

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Those who do not perform this service (of which only military service has been described) retain the rights of free speech and assembly, but can neither vote nor hold public office. Those of either sex, above the age of 18, are permitted to enlist; only those who complete their service receive the right to vote. Important government jobs are reserved for federal service veterans. This structure arose

696:, of aliens. Heinlein suggests that without territorial expansion involving violent conquest of other races, humans would be destroyed. Scholar Jamie King has stated that Heinlein does not address the question of what the military government and Federal Service would do in peacetime, and argues that Heinlein has set up a society designed to be continuously at war, and to keep expanding its territory. 756:, part of a trend in science fiction which examines technology and outer space in an innovative manner, but is reactionary with respect to human relationships. As with other books by Heinlein, traditional schools are denigrated, while learning "on the spot" is extolled: Rico is able to master the things required of him in military training without undue difficulty. 522:

the novel take place during an interstellar war between the Terran Federation and the Arachnids. At the opening of the story, Earth is not at war, yet such a declaration has come when Rico has completed his training. The "Skinnies" are initially allies of the Pseudo-Arachnids, but switch to alliance with humans, midway through the novel.

651:". Critics have debated to what extent the novel promotes Heinlein's own political views. Some contend that the novel maintains a sense of irony that allows readers to draw their own conclusions; others argue that Heinlein is sermonizing throughout the book, and that its purpose is to expound Heinlein's militaristic philosophy. 1166:"set the pattern for Heinlein's more ambitious paternalistic, xenophobic" stories. Robert Lowndes argues that the war between the Terrans and the Arachnids is not about a quest for racial purity, but rather an extension of Heinlein's belief that man is a wild animal. According to this theory, if man lacks a 1123:

arguments, "countering ingenuous half-truths with brilliant half-truths". Lowndes further argued that the Terran Federation could never be as idealistic as Heinlein portrays it to be because he never properly addressed "whether or not have at least as full a measure of civil redress against official

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and further claimed that 95 percent of "veterans" were not military personnel but members of the civil service. Heinlein's own description has been disputed, even among the book's defenders. Heinlein scholar James Gifford has argued that a number of quotes within the novel suggest that the characters

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on Earth. The warriors are the only ones who fight, and are unable to surrender in battle. It also is implied that the Bugs are technologically advanced, possessing such technologies as spaceships. The "Skinnies" are depicted as less communal than the Arachnids, yet more so than humans. The events of

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run by military veterans. The society is depicted as affluent, and futuristic technology shown as coexisting with educational methods from the 20th century. The rights of a full citizen, to vote and hold public office, are not universally guaranteed, and rather must be earned through Federal Service.

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The story is set in a future society ruled by a human interstellar government called the Terran Federation, dominated by a military elite. Under the Terran Federation, only veterans of Federal Service (including, but not limited to, military service) enjoy full citizenship, such as the right to vote.

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does not depict war as a noble pursuit, with the sides clearly defined as good and evil; instead, the novel explores the dehumanizing effect of war, influenced by the real world context of the Vietnam War. Haldeman received a letter from Heinlein, congratulating him on his Nebula Award, which "meant

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The fact that all pilots in the novel are women (in contrast to the infantry, which is entirely male) has been cited as evidence of progressive gender politics within the story, although the idea expressed by Rico that women are the motivation for men to fight in the military is a counter-example to

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have criticized the novel for being a hypothetical utopia, in the sense that while Heinlein's ideas sound plausible, they have never been put to the test. Moorcock wrote an essay entitled "Starship Stormtroopers" in which he attacked Heinlein and other writers over similar "Utopian fiction". Lowndes

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and compared it to a recruiting film, stating that it "purports to show the life of a typical soldier, with a soundtrack commentary by earnest sincere Private Jones who interprets what we see for us." Panshin stated that there was no "sustained human conflict" in the book: instead, "All the soldiers

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published in 2009 said that the novel provided "compelling images of a futuristic military" and that it raised important questions, even for those who disagree with its political ideology. However, it stated that the story was weak as a tale of an alien encounter, as it did not explore alien society

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in 1960. It has been acknowledged as one of the best-known and most influential works of science fiction. The novel is considered a landmark for the genre, having been described by a 1960 review as one of the ten best genre books of 1959, in a 2009 review as a key science fiction novel of the 1950s,

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Heinlein draws an analogy between the human society in the novel, which is well-to-do but needs to be vigilant against the imperialist threat of the Arachnids, and US society of the 1950s. Reviewers have suggested that the Arachnids are Heinlein's analogue for communists. Traits used to support this

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is not driven by its plot, though it contains scenes of military combat. Instead, much of the novel is given over to a discussion of ideas. In particular, the discussion of political views is a recurring feature of what scholar Jeffrey Cass described as an "ideologically intense" book. A 1997 review

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by reviewers for its scenes of training and combat and its visualization of a future military. It also became enormously controversial because of the political views it seemed to support. Reviewers were strongly critical of the book's intentional glorification of the military, an aspect described as

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vision. Moorcock stated that the lessons Rico learns in boot camp: "wars are inevitable, that the army is always right". In discussing the book's utility in classroom discussions of the form of government, Alan Myers stated that its depiction of the military was of an "unashamedly Earth-chauvinist

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idea of society as a struggle for survival based on military strength. It suggests that some conflicts must be resolved by force: one of the lessons Rico is repeatedly taught is that violence can be an effective method of settling conflict. These suggestions derive in part from Heinlein's view that

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Two extraterrestrial civilizations are depicted, respectively, as the "Pseudo-Arachnids" (or "Bugs"), and the "Skinnies". The "Bugs" are described as communal beings originating from the planet of Klendathu, and consist of multiple castes; workers, warriors, brains, and queens, similar to those of

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exemplified "macho male culture". The prosthetically enhanced soldiers in the novel, all of whom are men, have been described as an example of the "hyper-masculinity" brought on by the proximity of these men to technology. The story portrays the Arachnids as so alien that the only response to them

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depicts a world that is "hell for human beings", but nonetheless celebrates the ideology of its fictional society. The rulers are claimed to be the best in history, because they understand that human nature is to fight for power through the use of force. The suggestion of utopia is not explored in

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argues that the book does not actually advocate fascism because anybody capable of understanding the oath of Federal Service is able to enlist and thereby obtain political power. Macleod states that Heinlein's books are consistently liberal, but cover a spectrum from democratic to elitist forms of

898:' and get away with it." Others referred to it as very readable, and found the military scenes compelling. Heinlein's descriptions of training and boot camp in the novel, based on his own experiences in the military, have been described as being rendered with remarkable skill. A 1960 review in the 945:

is generally considered to promote militarism, the glorification of war and of the military. Scholar Bruce Franklin referred to it in 1980 as a "bugle-blowing, drum-beating glorification" of military service, and wrote that militarism and imperialism were the explicit message of the book. Science

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had been translated into eleven languages and was still selling strongly. Heinlein nevertheless complained that, despite this success, almost all the mail he received about it was negative and he only heard about it "when someone wants to chew me out". The novel is highly contentious. Controversy

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has been identified as being a part of a tradition in US science fiction that assumes that violent conflict and the militarization of society are inevitable and necessary. Although the Mobile Infantry, the unit to which Rico is assigned, is seen as a lowly post by the characters in the story, the

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Rico is commissioned a temporary third lieutenant for his final test: a posting to a combat unit. Under the tutelage of his company commander, Captain Blackstone, and with the aid of his platoon sergeant, his boot camp drill instructor Fleet Sergeant Zim, Rico commands a platoon during "Operation

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is narrated by the main protagonist Juan "Johnny" Rico, a member of the "Mobile Infantry". It is one of the few Heinlein novels which intersperses his typical linear narrative structure with a series of flashbacks. These flashbacks are frequently to Rico's "History and Moral Philosophy" course in

767:", arguing that people have only the rights that they are willing to fight and die for to protect. The novel appeals to scientific authority to justify this position; Dubois repeatedly states that his argument is mathematically demonstrable, statements which have led scholars to label the novel " 608:

for a second course of training, including further courses in "History and Moral Philosophy". En route from the Roughnecks to the school Rico encounters his father who has also enlisted and is now a corporal, and the two reconcile. He is also visited in school by Carmen, now an ensign and ship's

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Other writers defended Heinlein. George Price argued that " implies, first, that war is something endured, not enjoyed, and second, that war is so unpleasant, so desolate, that it must at all costs be kept away from one's home." Poul Anderson also defended some of the novel's positions, arguing

484:. A senior editor at Putnam's, Peter Israel, purchased the manuscript and approved revisions that made it more marketable to adults. Asked whether it was aimed at children or adults, he said at a sales conference "Let's let the readers decide who likes it." The novel was eventually published by 1183:

expresses fears of how masculinity may be preserved in an environment of high technology. This fear is exacerbated by the motifs of pregnancy and birth that Heinlein uses when describing how the soldiers in suits are dropped from spaceships piloted by women. Though Rico says he finds women

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in particular, had an enormous impact on political science fiction, to the extent that author Ken MacLeod has stated that "the political strand in can be described as a dialogue with Heinlein," although many participants in this dialogue disagree with Heinlein. Science fiction critic

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depth, as the lives of those outside the military are not shown in any detail. The novel suggests that the militarist philosophy espoused by many of the characters has a mathematical backing, though reviewers have commented that Heinlein does not present any basis for this.

306:. Others disagree, arguing that Heinlein was only exploring the idea of limiting the right to vote to a certain group of people. Heinlein's depiction of gender has also been questioned, while reviewers have said that the terms used to describe the aliens were akin to 1184:"marvelous", he shows no desire for sexual activity; the war seems to have subsumed sex in this respect. A 1979 summary argued that despite the gestures towards women's equality, women in the story were still objects, to be protected, and to fight wars over. 1362:

to Heinlein's prosthetic suits, stating that they both regulate but also enhance human agency. Suvin suggests parallels between the plots of the two novels, with human society in both stories at war against insect-like aliens, but states that the story of

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against the backdrop of an interstellar war between humans and an alien species known as "Arachnids" or "Bugs". Interspersed with the primary plot are classroom scenes in which Rico and others discuss philosophical and moral issues, including aspects of

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described the book in 1986 as the "ultimately convincing space-war epic", praising in particular the "precisely imagined" weapons and tactics, while a 1979 science fiction encyclopedia referred to it as the "slickest" of Heinlein's juvenile books.

1148:". Slusser argued that the term "Bugs" was an "abusive and biologically inaccurate" word that justified the violence against alien beings, a tendency which, according to Slusser, the book shared with other commercially successful science fiction. 1649:," also sometimes referred to as Arachnids. The show focuses mainly on the Roughnecks' missions, rather than addressing the larger war. Paul Verhoeven served as an executive producer. The show ran for one season from August 1999 to April 2000. 913:

Criticism of the style of the book has centered on its political aspects. Heinlein's discussions of his political beliefs were criticized as "didactic", and the novel was derided for "exposition inserted in large indigestible chunks". Author

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praised the "brilliantly written" passages describing infantry combat, and also called attention to the discussion of weapons and armor, which, according to other reviewers, demonstrated Heinlein's "undiminished talent for invention". Scholar

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also critiques US society of the 1950s, suggesting that it led young people to be spoiled and undisciplined. These beliefs are expressed through the classroom lectures of Dubois, Rico's teacher for History and Moral Philosophy. Dubois praises

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alerts civilians to the situation; Rico's mother is killed in the attack. Rico participates in the Battle of Klendathu, an attack on the Arachnid's home world, which turns into a disastrous defeat for the Terran Federation. Rico's ship, the

302:. The novel's militarism, and the fact that government service – most often military service – was a prerequisite to the right to vote in the novel's fictional society, led to it being frequently described as 806:

is not. This is a new and bitter and disillusioned Heinlein". Rating it 2.5 stars out of five for children, 4.5 stars for adults, and "?" for civilians, he believed that the novel would be "of exceptional interest to veterans with battle

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The film reignited the debate over the nature of the Terran society in Heinlein's world, and several critics accused Verhoeven of creating a fascist universe. Others, and Verhoeven himself, have stated that the film was intended to be

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as a means of addressing juvenile crimes. It has been suggested that Heinlein endorsed this view, although the fact that Dubois also compares raising children to training a puppy has been used to argue that Heinlein was making use of

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stated that it was "a book where civics infodumps and accounts of brutal boot-camp training far outweigh the thin and tensionless combat scenes". Scientist and author Brunner compared it to a "Victorian children's book", while the

338:, which has since become a recurring feature in science fiction books and films, as well as an object of scientific research. Heinlein's depiction of a futuristic military was also influential. Later science fiction books, such as 893:

was "military SF done extremely well". She went on to argue that "Heinlein was absolutely at his peak when he wrote this in 1959. He had so much technical stylistic mastery of the craft of writing science fiction that he could

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In addition to his political views, Heinlein's ideas about a futuristic military as depicted in the novel were deeply influential among films, books, and television shows in later years. Roger Beaumont has suggested that

934:, remarked in 1960 that Heinlein had "forgotten to insert a story". A 1979 summary said that though Heinlein's vision might verge on fascism, his tightly controlled narrative made his ideology seem "vibrantly appealing". 1232:

included concepts in military engineering which have since been widely used in other fiction, and which have occasionally been paralleled by scientific research. The novel has been cited as the source of the idea of

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and liberalism that would be expected in a fascist society. Others have responded by saying Showalter's argument is based on a literal reading of the novel, and that the story glorifies militarism to a large extent.

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One of his comrades in the Roughnecks suggests that Rico go to officer training school and try to become an officer. Rico ends up going to see Jelal, and finds that Jelal already had the paperwork ready. Rico enters

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Some of Heinlein's other works have also been described as racist, though Franklin argues that this was not unique to Heinlein, and that he was less racist than the US government of the time. Heinlein's early novel

1465:: the story is told from the point of view of diplomats seeking to prevent war, rather than soldiers fighting it, and the conflict is the result of the two species being extremely similar, rather than different. 4658: 1025:

has referred to the setting of the book as "unremittingly grim fascism". He has stated that the novel made an analogy between its military conflict and those of the US after World War II, and that it justified

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injustice as we have today". Farmer agreed, arguing that a "world ruled by veterans would be as mismanaged, graft-ridden, and insane as one ruled by men who had never gotten near the odor of blood and guts".

1729:. The web-based interactive game, in which players battled each other in overhead space combat, allowed players to assume either Klendathu or Federation roles, was developed alongside the film adaptation. 1412:, including its setting. Commentators have described it as a reaction to Heinlein's novel, a suggestion Haldeman denies; the two novels are very different in terms of their attitude towards the military. 333:

is the "ancestral text of US science fiction militarism" and that it shaped the debate about the role of the military in society for many years. The novel has been credited with popularizing the idea of

997:"Heinlein has recognized the problem of selective versus nonselective franchise, and his proposed solution does merit discussion." Complaints were made against Heinlein for the lack of conscription in 541:. He is from a wealthy family, whose members had never served in the military. Rico's ancestry is depicted as inconsequential, society having finally abandoned racial and gender-based prejudice. 4538: 5032: 1523:

paramilitary. Verhoeven stated in 1997 that the first scene of the film – an advertisement for the Mobile Infantry – was adapted shot-for-shot from a scene in

792:. The novel has been described as marking Heinlein's transition from writing juvenile fiction to a "more mature phase" as an author. Reviewing the book with others written for children, 5904: 6068: 1047:

Some reviewers have suggested that Heinlein was simply discussing the merits of a selective versus a nonselective franchise. Heinlein made a similar claim, over two decades after

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history". The concept of the frontier includes a social-Darwinist argument of constantly fighting for survival, even at the expense of indigenous people or, in the case of

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Rico's choice is taken poorly by his parents, and he leaves with a sense of estrangement. He is assigned to the Mobile Infantry, and moves to Camp Arthur Currie (named for

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The setting of the book is presented by Heinlein as utopian; its leaders are shown as good and wise, and the population as free and prosperous. Slusser wrote in 1987 that

5532: 5444: 4772: 5448: 2405: 831:, and its implication that militarism is superior to traditional democracy. Heinlein's peers were among those who argued over the book; a comparison between a quote in 7483: 4650: 4400: 4612: 3956: 6345: 715:" story for Rico, as he matures through his tenure in the infantry. His training, both at boot camp and at officer candidate school, involves learning the value of 7513: 4811: 2280: 1515:

The film utilized fascist imagery throughout, including portraying the Terran Federation's personnel wearing uniforms strongly reminiscent of those worn by the

397:; they were known as the "big three" that dominated US science fiction. In contrast to the others, Heinlein firmly endorsed the anti-communist sentiment of the 405:

in 1929. His experience in the military profoundly influenced his fiction. At some point between 1958 and 1959, Heinlein put aside the novel that would become

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beyond the will to survive, and he was confronted by another species with a similar lack of morality, then the only possible moral result would be warfare.

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led by Lieutenant Rasczak and Sergeant Jelal. The unit carries out several raids, and Rico is promoted to corporal by Jelal after Rasczak dies in combat.

449:" in an attempt to create support for the US nuclear testing program. Heinlein stated that he used the novel to clarify his military and political views. 4688: 764: 1068:, stating that the society depicted in it did not contain many elements of fascism. He argues that the novel does not include outright opposition to 7518: 7493: 7478: 6240: 4526: 1634: 1626: 620:, with his father as his platoon sergeant. The platoon has been renamed "Rico's Roughnecks", and is about to participate in an attack on Klendathu. 509:, particularly in North America, and a war between an alliance of the United States, the United Kingdom and Russia, against the "Chinese Hegemony". 6290: 885:

has received varied responses, with the scenes of military training and combat receiving praise. In a 2009 retrospective, science-fiction writer

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that "the noblest fate that a man can endure is to place his own mortal body between his loved home and war's desolation" and the anti-war poem "

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novel itself suggests that it is the heart of the army and the most honorable unit in it. In a commentary written in 1980, Heinlein agreed that

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in 1993, also depicts a war between two highly aggressive species, of which humans are one. The story deliberately inverts several aspects of

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The "Bug War" has changed from minor incidents to a full-scale war during Rico's training. An Arachnid attack that annihilates the city of

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to understand their parts, and also cited it as an influence for the space drop, terms like "bug hunt", and the cargo-loader exoskeleton.

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takes a very different direction, as Ender regrets his genocidal actions and dedicates his efforts to protecting his erstwhile targets.

1545:). According to Verhoeven, the references to Nazism reflected his own experience in the Nazi-occupied Netherlands during World War II. 6213: 4867: 4842: 3565: 1584: 155: 38: 4431: 7488: 6304: 6258: 5401: 5374: 5335: 5237: 5208: 5078: 4246: 4123: 3861: 3652: 3537: 3392: 3109: 2468: 2356: 2006: 1713: 1002: 4079: 3746: 3483: 3429: 1496:

The film rights to the novel were licensed in the 1990s, several years after Heinlein's death. The project was originally entitled

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stated that the novel could almost be described as propaganda, and was terrifying as a result, particularly in its belief that the

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in any detail, but presented the Arachnids as nameless and faceless creatures that wished to destroy humanity. Boucher, founder of

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Hantke, Steffen (November 1998). "Surgical Strikes and Prosthetic Warriors: The Soldier's Body in Contemporary Science Fiction".

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Royalty," a raid to capture members of the Arachnid brain caste and queens. Rico then returns to the officer school to graduate.

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may some day be considered a manual for extraterrestrial warfare. Suvin refers to Juan Rico as the "archetypal Space Soldier".

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Crim, Brian E. (Summer 2010). "The Intergalactic Final Solution: Nazism and Genocide in Paul Verhoeven's Starship Troopers".

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Goss, Jasper (July 1998). "Reviewed Work(s): Starship Troopers by Robert A. Heinlein; Starship Troopers by PaulVerhoeven".

7463: 6197: 6166: 5580: 4604: 1572: 1488: 1421:, Heinlein approached Haldeman at the awards banquet and said the book "may be the best future war story I've ever read!" 4975: 4581: 4374:

Robley, Les Paul (November 1997). "Interstellar Exterminators. Ornery insects threaten the galaxy in Starship Troopers".

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also criticizes the US society of the 1950s, arguing that a lack of discipline had led to a moral decline, and advocates

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because it "glorifies war", but added that "it's a very well-crafted novel, and I believe Heinlein was honest with it".

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surrounded its praise of the military and approval of violence, to the extent that it has frequently been described as

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Strzelczyk, Florentine (January 2008). "Our Future – Our Past: Fascism, Postmodernism, and Starship Troopers (1997)".

1578: 1558: 402: 5009: 4803: 1348:, depicting humanity arrayed against an alien military. Scholars have identified elements of Heinlein's influence in 684:

in the 1950s the US government was being too conciliatory in its dealings with communist China and the Soviet Union.

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in the Mobile Infantry, which gives Rico the motivation not to resign. After further training at another camp near

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school, in which the teacher discusses the history of the structure of their society. Rico is depicted as a man of

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after the collapse of the "20th century Western democracies", driven in part by an inability to control crime and

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Suvin, Darko (2006). "Of Starship Troopers and Refuseniks: War and Militarism in U.S. Science Fiction, Part 2".

723:. Rico's transformation has been likened to the common narrative within stories with military themes by scholar 7324: 7143: 6966: 6567: 6181: 6096: 6061: 5920: 5877: 5393: 5276:

Hollinger, Veronica (2003). "Feminist theory and science fiction". In James, Edward; Mendlesohn, Farah (eds.).

5198: 4376: 1662: 1646: 1479: 1217: 1053: 947: 789: 605: 425: 353: 195: 95: 31: 5548: 4680: 1038:". Suvin compares Heinlein's suggestion that "all wars arise from population pressure" to the Nazi concept of 526:

travel exists in this future: spacecraft use the "Cherenkov drive", and can travel "Sol to Capella, forty-six

815:

described it as Heinlein's last "straight" science fiction, before he turned to more serious writing such as

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stated that "the political strand in can be described as a dialogue with Heinlein". Science fiction critic

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Authors and commentators have stated that the manner in which the extraterrestrial beings are portrayed in

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than fascist, and that this trend is also present in Heinlein's other popular books of the period, such as

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pilot officer in the Navy, and the two discuss their friend Carl, who had been killed earlier in the war.

485: 235: 227: 219: 109: 752:. The story is strongly in favor of corporal punishment and capital punishment, as a means of correcting 7360: 7184: 7107: 7012: 6686: 6572: 6433: 5730: 3798: 3762: 3668: 3632: 3581: 3499: 3445: 1642: 1443: 1141: 648: 99: 6733: 5845: 856: 389:

Robert Heinlein was among the best-selling science fiction authors of the 1940s and 1950s, along with

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Crim, Brian E. (2009). ""A World That Works": Fascism and Media Globalization in Starship Troopers".

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in US science fiction, and draws parallels between the conflict between humans and the Bugs, and the

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The novel ends with him holding the rank of second lieutenant, in command of his old platoon in the

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Cass, Jeffrey (April 1999). "SS Troopers: Cybernostalgia and Paul Verhoeven's Fascist Flirtation".

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Learning from Other Worlds: Estrangement, Cognition, and the Politics of Science Fiction and Utopia

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was called a "racist paean" to a white resistance movement against an Asian horde derived from the

1021:, it had the effect of giving Heinlein a reputation as a "fanatical warmongering fascist". Scholar 753: 744: 558: 477: 335: 272: 6120: 1022: 7260: 7215: 6662: 6584: 6560: 6513: 6480: 6450: 6402: 6151: 5781: 5757: 5722: 5666: 5639: 5556: 5488: 5306:

Macleod, Ken (2003). "Politics and science fiction". In James, Edward; Mendlesohn, Farah (eds.).

5194: 5182: 5138: 5109: 4302: 4272: 4003: 3245: 2665: 2522: 2234: 2103: 1892: 1601: 1392:, and though Haldeman has stated that it is actually a result of his personal experiences in the 1323: 1031: 760: 577: 286: 276: 199: 67: 3877:

Merrick, Helen (2003). "Gender in science fiction". In James, Edward; Mendlesohn, Farah (eds.).

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Robert A. Heinlein in Dialogue with His Century, Volume 2, 1948–1988: The Man Who Learned Better

1310:

was, according to the author, born out of frustration with the small amount of actual combat in

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being on the latter end of the spectrum. It has been argued that Heinlein's militarism is more

251:, and war; these discussions have been described as expounding Heinlein's own political views. 7296: 7284: 7253: 6859: 6817: 6769: 6709: 6681: 6612: 6445: 6084: 6010: 5714: 5674: 5397: 5370: 5341: 5331: 5264: 5233: 5214: 5204: 5159: 5074: 4863: 4838: 4462: 4198: 4144: 4119: 3882: 3857: 3533: 3105: 2561: 2557: 2464: 2352: 2002: 1855: 1680: 1672: 1593: 1438: 724: 523: 442: 416: 162: 150: 5366: 4923: 4892: 7419: 7336: 7243: 7155: 7148: 6924: 6912: 6840: 6764: 6757: 6421: 6056: 5989: 5829: 5452: 5294: 5130: 3995: 2657: 2541: 2514: 2095: 1524: 1355: 1272: 1115: 1061: 973: 812: 680: 643: 497: 401:

era in his writing. Heinlein served in the US Navy for five years after graduating from the

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descent, through his military service in the Mobile Infantry. He progresses from recruit to

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Beaumont, Roger (April 1975). "Military Fiction and Role: Some Problems and Perspectives".

596:, is destroyed, and his unit is decimated; he is reassigned to the Roughnecks on board the 53: 7238: 7053: 7048: 6883: 6800: 6776: 5682: 4919: 4888: 1785: 1509: 1458: 1418: 1384: 1220:" and that it shaped the debate about the role of the military in society for many years. 860: 689: 361: 344: 307: 6907: 5386:"Of Starship Troopers and Refuseniks: War and Militarism in U.S. Science Fiction, Part 1" 5033:"Actor Casper Van Dien Discusses Starship Troopers Going Virtual With New Movie And Game" 4250: 3400: 1637:. It follows the exploits of the Mobile Infantry squad, "Razak's Roughnecks", during the 1350: 1044:

or "living space" for a superior society that was used to justify territorial expansion.

17: 4710: 4083: 3957:"18 suits of power armor from science fiction you don't want to meet on the battlefield" 1633:

An animated TV series was also released is based both on the novel and 1997 film called

584:, Rico graduates with 187 others, of the 2,009 who had begun training in that regiment. 7412: 7388: 7208: 7172: 6931: 6900: 6596: 6457: 6426: 6390: 5869: 5540: 5324: 5319: 1614: 1589: 1505: 1315: 1266: 1083: 1035: 989:

was an "unsubtle but powerful black-and-white paean to combat life", and an example of

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and because he wanted this aspect developed further. The "Mobile Suits" from the 1979

1192: 7452: 7424: 7353: 7348: 7341: 7329: 7265: 7131: 7124: 7089: 7072: 7017: 6948: 6864: 6852: 6805: 6674: 6669: 6650: 6641: 6636: 6485: 6015: 5789: 5698: 5355: 5152: 5142: 5005: 4949: 4492: 4044: 3849: 2669: 2542: 2526: 2107: 1998: 1925: 1747:, a game for PCs, in 2012. Offworld Industries developed and published the 2023 game 1718: 1700: 1658: 1306: 1301: 1283: 1278: 1254: 1234: 1174:

this. A 1996 science fiction encyclopedia said that like much of Heinlein's fiction,

1167: 895: 852: 793: 712: 708: 679:... he has the toughest job of all and should be honored." The story is based on the 565: 429:, Heinlein would say that the publication of a newspaper advertisement placed by the 264: 4432:"The Grisly, Goofy Starship Troopers Played Dumb To Make Hollywood Look Even Dumber" 1790: 1508:(who found the book too boring to finish), and released in 1997. The screenplay, by 976:

had to be an ingredient of any civilization. This was described as a highly unusual

7400: 7272: 7196: 7179: 7112: 7077: 7060: 7036: 7024: 7007: 6978: 6876: 6793: 6781: 6745: 6631: 6624: 6525: 6497: 6462: 6438: 6414: 6409: 6030: 5955: 5773: 4045:"Exoskeletons in Neurological Diseases – Current and Potential Future Applications" 1696: 1538: 1520: 1379: 1371: 1364: 1287: 1159: 1154: 868: 840: 740: 588: 390: 364:

that sought to satirize what the director saw as the fascist aspects of the novel.

339: 244: 4401:"A Defense of Starship Troopers the Novel (and Why the Film is not Misunderstood)" 3343: 1140:

aspects, arguing that the nicknames "Bugs" and "Skinnies" carry racial overtones.

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of the film that he claims will be more faithful to the source material. In 2016

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Set approximately 700 years in the future, the book depicts an Earth ruled by a

423:, and the Soviet tests that occurred soon afterward. Writing in his 1980 volume 326: 322: 231: 5430: 1553:, and to critique fascism. The film has also been described as criticizing the 7436: 7301: 6936: 6888: 6812: 6354: 5837: 4979: 3532:. Carbondale, Illinois: Southern Illinois University Press. pp. 210–220. 2549: 1610: 1375: 1260: 1069: 1040: 716: 527: 372: 256: 5218: 7313: 7277: 6716: 6323: 5311: 4860:

The Anime Encyclopedia, 3rd Revised Edition: A Century of Japanese Animation

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Samuelson, David N. (1979). "Starship Troopers". In Magill, Frank N. (ed.).

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called it "a book-length recruiting poster". In 1968 science fiction critic

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Works originally published in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction

5345: 628: 5134: 5001: 2518: 6990: 3100:. Carbondale, Illinois, US: Southern Illinois University Press. pp. 1704: 1688: 1554: 1242: 990: 398: 260: 240: 5113: 4945: 2238: 169: 7317: 6104: 5268: 5186: 4605:"Paul Verhoeven: The "Starship Troopers" Hollywood Flashback Interview" 4007: 3277: 2661: 2276: 2099: 1851: 1500:, and had been in production before the producers bought the rights to 1014: 959: 828: 518: 303: 5285:

King, Jamie (1998). "Bug Planet: Frontier myth in Starship Troopers".

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Cameron, James (2001). "Mothers With Guns". In Sammon, Paul M. (ed.).

6943: 5457: 4169: 3599: 3597: 2767: 2765: 1606: 1332: 1137: 977: 811:... but youngsters will find it melancholy and verbose". Conversely, 4111:

Anime Classics Zettai!: 100 Must-See Japanese Animation Masterpieces

3999: 5280:. New York City, US: Cambridge University Press. pp. 125–136. 2161: 2159: 2157: 2155: 2153: 2151: 2062: 2060: 1739:

which used material from the novel, film, and animated TV series.

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featuring a number of scenarios as written in the novel. In 1998,

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