Author: Joe Haldeman
Gollancz, £7.99
JOE HALDEMAN represents that rare breed of science fiction writer that thrived when man was just getting to grips with the ever-expanding concept of technology. With man on the moon and the works of people like H.G. Wells and Robert Heinlein coming to blossom, the age was ripe for the imagination of what lay beyond the stars and what it bode for man.
Joe Haldeman took the world by storm with his book Forever War, and was later followed by the continuation, Forever Free, and finally, a prologue style piece, Forever Peace. The first person narrative approach Haldeman takes, along with the usage of terms that would be more common in a particle physics lab, but with explanations you could expect in a primary school classroom, all make Haldeman’s work easy to understand and envisage, making clear exactly why he won the Hugo Award, the Nebula Award, and the John W. Campbell Memorial Award for these three pieces of work.
Haldeman’s projection of the evolution of mankind, from a current turmoil ridden democracy to a terrifying tyranny and military state, to a congregate communal mind, are all exciting and captivating and the projection of a character one can relate to very easily through these time phases helps bring the whole project into blazing colour.
All in all, this is definitely a recommended read. Even if you aren’t a science fiction fan, the political and philosophical approaches taken in this book are sure to whet your interests.
Rating: 9/10
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