After reading the combat sequence at the start I'm absolutely amazed at how the book lacks the heavy patina of zeerust you'd think a sci-fi book from 1959 would have. Though, I think that just gets to how influential this book's been on sci-fi. In that sequence I see the movie "adaptation," I see Halo, I see Aliens, I see all the depictions of future warfare we've had. I forgot just how big Starship Troopers was in this regard and it's a blast getting to experience it again.
So much inspiration for future sci fi. The Aliens drop ship + female pilot. Power armor like the fallout universe. The bugs themselves being the Zerg of Stracraft cannon. Well done Mr Heinlein.
Female pilot seems like a bit of 50s "wokeism" if you want to call it that: the idea that they have better reaction times and make better pilots then men, in an era where it would have been very difficult for a woman to become a pilot. The former is definitely not true -- though I don't know when this was first studied -- and the latter doesn't appear to be supported by evidence with the additional benefit of 60 years' worth of history.
After reading the combat sequence at the start I'm absolutely amazed at how the book lacks the heavy patina of zeerust you'd think a sci-fi book from 1959 would have. Though, I think that just gets to how influential this book's been on sci-fi. In that sequence I see the movie "adaptation," I see Halo, I see Aliens, I see all the depictions of future warfare we've had. I forgot just how big Starship Troopers was in this regard and it's a blast getting to experience it again.
So much inspiration for future sci fi. The Aliens drop ship + female pilot. Power armor like the fallout universe. The bugs themselves being the Zerg of Stracraft cannon. Well done Mr Heinlein.
Female pilot seems like a bit of 50s "wokeism" if you want to call it that: the idea that they have better reaction times and make better pilots then men, in an era where it would have been very difficult for a woman to become a pilot. The former is definitely not true -- though I don't know when this was first studied -- and the latter doesn't appear to be supported by evidence with the additional benefit of 60 years' worth of history.
I do agree with the other, more ethereal explanation. It's just good to hear a Woman's voice as you get pitched off to potentially die.