As a massive Heinlein fan I’ll say Starship Troopers because I think that’s a fascinating discussion about what you owe your country or the price of citizenship. Since Heinlein is my favorite author I’ll pick another one as well.. A Scanner Darkly by Philip K Dick. I know he had drug issues and this book is an interesting look at the cycle of drugs and addiction and the ending was tragic but also very realistic. I like that the movie included his tribute at the end.
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My two favorites are Starship Troopers as you said, and Ender's Game. Starship Troopers helped me while I was serving in the Army, and Ender's Game was my introduction to Sci-Fi when I was in grade school.
I was Air Force. I liked the Starship Troopers movie and then I read the book and was surprised they didn’t follow it better. Enders Game was really good. Was the movie any good?
The movie is only half the book because half of the book is about Ender and where all the action and explosions take place, while the other half is about his two older siblings who eventually take over the world with memes and sockpuppets of all things.
There are some minor differences such as the class being older. Ender is 6 at the start of the novel. He's 16 in the movie. Bean has no special importance despite what later novels would retcon in. The aliens don't get referred to as "Buggers" for fairly obvious reasons.
The major events are all in place, however and play out as they do in the book. It's worth watching at least once.
The movie's a surprisingly faithful adaptation. I really loved the book (though the sequels get a bit out of hand) and found the movie thoroughly enjoyable.
I did not see the movie so I can't give an opinion. However, with Hollywood's tendencies, I doubt it was.
When I first read Starship Troopers it was because I enjoyed the movies and the old CGI Saturday morning cartoon(if anyone remembers that from way back when). I enjoyed the first chapter and the last, but everything in between just had me impatient to get back to a story.
Years later I reread it and it was only then that I was able to appreciate the philosophy it offers. It gave me a new understanding of and appreciation for what we put our military troops through. For the longest time I held a misconception that boot camp involved being mean to the new soldiers simply for the sake of being mean, but this book dispelled that notion entirely. Looking back I feel foolish for ever holding that belief.
I was in the Air Force but never had to see combat but that drill sergeant in the book kind of reminded me of mine from boot camp