Re: Starship Troopers

On Fri, 8 Nov 1996, <cthulhu@csd.uwm.edu> wrote:
>	Just what is this "political context."	I have not read ST yet
> (I've got a copy, I just need to set aside the time to read it.)  The
> blurb on the	backcover says that it's considered Heinlien's most
> "contraversial" novel.  Why, is that?

The political context of the novel is interesting, because it makes the
point that the Universe is a hostile place to live, regardless of how
peaceful others might want it to be.  It stresses that you have to fight
for your freedom if you want to keep it, and if you don't fight then
someone (or something) will take it away from you.  Remember, this book
was targeted at 14-18 year old boys, and this was thought to be a strong
message to give to politically naive schoolkids.

It was controversial when it was first published because it postulated
a world government, with the U.S.A. and the U.S.S.R. joining forces at
some point in the future.  This is a fairly common convention in a lot
of
modern science-fiction, but during the Cold War the very idea of joining
forces with "those evil commies" was thought to be treasonous by some of
the more vituperative guardians of The American Way.

Hmmm...I seem to be slipping back into American politics.  Sorry, Alan!

Rick Rutherford       rickr@digex.net	    The above opinions are mine.
"It seems to me that the nearer painting approaches sculpture the better
it is, and that sculpture is the worse the nearer it approaches
painting."
					     -- Michelangelo