Re: Starship Troopers

Tom Granvold writes,

>  >	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?
>  
>      It is hard to see why _Starship Troopers_ would be Heinlein's
most
>  "contraversial", especially when comparted to _Stranger in a Strange
Land_.

It depends on your point of view. In the 60's, when both book were
published,
_Stranger's_ free-love anti-religeon themes were almost mainstream. (Of
course, I'm oversimplifying a fairly complex book here.) 

>  As far as political goes, well at one place in ST he suggests that
the
>  only people who have been in the miltary can vote.  Of course this is
>  based on my reading the book over 20 years ago.

Right, only veterans can vote (tho' active duty military can't). The
book
also advocates capital punishment (hanging), corporal punishment
(flogging),
and has some generally unfavorable things to say about modern social
liberalism. His military views are also seriously out-of-step with
conventional wisdom -- and I mean that as a compliment!! 

When I was in the Army (not *too* long ago), _Starship Troopers_ used to
routinely show up on recommended military reading lists -- the only
sci-fi I
ever saw do so. Well worth the read.

Scott Field

BOOK REVIEW: A brief but informative essay that spares readers the
ordeal of
digesting an actual book.