Publication dateNovember 5, 1959Media typePrint (hardback & paperback)Pages263 (paperback edition)Starship Troopers is a novel by American writer. Written in a few weeks in reaction to the U.S., the story was first published as a two-part serial in as Starship Soldier, and published as a book by in December 1959.The story is set in a future society ruled by a human interstellar government dominated by a military elite, referred to as the.

The follows through his military service in the Mobile Infantry. Rico progresses from recruit to against the backdrop of an interstellar war between humans and an alien species known as 'Arachnids' or 'Bugs'. Interspersed with the primary plot are classroom scenes in which Rico and others discuss philosophical and moral issues, including aspects of, and; these discussions have been described as expounding Heinlein's own political views. Starship Troopers has been identified with a tradition of in U.S. Science fiction, and draws parallels between the conflict between humans and the Bugs, and the. A novel, Starship Troopers also critiques U.S.

Society of the 1950s, argues that a lack of discipline had led to a moral decline, and advocates and.Starship Troopers brought to an end. It became one of his best-selling books, and is considered his most widely known work. It won the in 1960, and praise from reviewers for its scenes of training and combat and its visualization of a future military. It also became enormously controversial because of the political views it seemed to support. Reviewers were strongly critical of the book's intentional glorification of the military, an aspect described as and likened to. The ideology of militarism and the fact that only military veterans had the right to vote in the novel's fictional society led to it being frequently described as. Others disagree, arguing that Heinlein was only exploring the idea of limiting the right to vote to a certain group of people.

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Heinlein's depiction of gender has also been questioned, while reviewers have said that the terms used to describe the aliens were akin to.Despite the controversy, Starship Troopers had wide both within and outside science fiction. Stated that 'the political strand in science fiction can be described as a dialogue with Heinlein'. Science fiction critic wrote that Starship Troopers is the 'ancestral text of U.S. Science fiction militarism' and that it shaped the debate about the role of the military in society for many years. The novel has been credited with popularizing the idea of, which has since become a recurring feature in science fiction books and films, as well as an object of scientific research. Heinlein's depiction of a futuristic military was also influential. Later science fiction books such as 's anti-war novel have been described as reactions to Starship Troopers.

The story has been adapted several times, including in a directed by that sought to satirize what the director saw as the fascist aspects of the novel. The cover of (November 1959), illustrating Starship SoldierRobert Heinlein was among the best-selling science fiction authors of the 1940s and 1950s, along with and; they were known as the 'big three' that dominated U.S. Science fiction. In contrast to the others, Heinlein firmly endorsed the anti-communist sentiment of the era in his writing. Heinlein served in the U.S. Navy for five years after graduating from the in 1929. His experience in the military profoundly influenced his fiction.

At some point between 1958 and 1959, Heinlein put aside the novel that would become and wrote Starship Troopers. His motivation arose partially from his anger at U.S. President 's, and the Soviet tests that occurred soon afterward. Writing in his 1980 volume, Heinlein would say that the publication of a newspaper advertisement placed by the on April 5, 1958, calling for a unilateral suspension of by the United States sparked his desire to write Starship Troopers. Heinlein and his wife created the ' in an attempt to create support for the U.S. Nuclear testing program.

Heinlein stated that he used the novel to clarify his military and political views.As was the case with many of Heinlein's books, Starship Troopers was completed in a few weeks. It was originally written as a for New York publishing house; Heinlein had previously had success with this format, having written several such novels published by Scribner. The manuscript was rejected, prompting Heinlein to end his association with the publisher completely, and resume writing books with adult themes. Scholars have suggested that Scribner's rejection was based on ideological objections to the content of the novel, particularly its treatment of military conflict.first published Starship Troopers in October and November 1959 as a two-part titled Starship Soldier. A senior editor at Putnam's, Peter Israel, purchased the manuscript and approved revisions that made it more marketable to adults. Asked whether it was aimed at children or adults, he said at a sales conference 'Let's let the readers decide who likes it.'

The novel was eventually published. Setting Set approximately 700 years from the present day, the human society in Starship Troopers is ruled by the, a form of dominated by a military elite. The society is depicted as affluent, and futuristic technology shown as coexisting with educational methods from the 20th century. The rights of a full citizen, to vote and hold public office, are not universally guaranteed, but must be earned through Federal Service. Those who do not perform this service, which usually takes the form of military service, retain the rights of free speech and assembly, but cannot vote or hold public office. People of either gender above the age of 18 are permitted to enlist.

Those who leave before completing their service do not receive the vote. Important government jobs are reserved for federal service veterans. This structure arose ad hoc after the collapse of the '20th century Western democracies', driven in part by an inability to control crime and, particularly in North America, and a war between an alliance of the US, the UK and Russia against the 'Chinese Hegemony'.Two extraterrestrial civilizations are also depicted. The 'Pseudo-Arachnids' or ' are shown as communal beings originating from the planet of Klendathu. They have multiple castes; workers, soldiers, brains, and queens, similar to. The soldiers are the only ones who fight, and are unable to surrender in battle.

The 'Skinnies' are depicted as less communal than the Arachnids but more so than human beings. The events of the novel take place during an interstellar war between the Terran Federation and the Arachnids. At the beginning of the story, Earth is not at war, but war has been declared by the time Rico has completed his training. The Skinnies are initially allies of the Pseudo-Arachnids, but switch to being allies of the humans midway through the novel. Travel exists in this future: spacecraft operate under the 'Cherenkov drive', and can travel 'Sol to Capella, forty-six lightyears, in under six weeks'. Starship Troopers is narrated by the main protagonist Juan 'Johnny' Rico, a member of the 'Mobile Infantry'. It is one of the few Heinlein novels which intersperses his typical linear narrative structure with a series of flashbacks.

These flashbacks are frequently to Rico's History and Moral Philosophy course in school, in which the teacher discusses the history of the structure of their society. Rico is depicted as a man of, although there has been disagreement on this matter among fans. He is from a wealthy family, whose members had never served in the army.

Rico's ancestry is depicted to be a thing of no consequence; the society he lives in appears to have abandoned racial and gender-based prejudice. Robert Heinlein, pictured here in 1976Commentators have written that Starship Troopers is not driven by its plot, though it contains scenes of military combat. Instead, much of the novel is given over to a discussion of ideas. In particular, the discussion of political views is a recurring feature of what scholar Jeffrey Cass described as an 'ideologically intense' book.

A 1997 review in categorized it as a '. Critics have debated to what extent the novel promotes Heinlein's own political views. Some contend that the novel maintains a sense of irony that allows readers to draw their own conclusions; others argue that Heinlein is sermonizing throughout the book, and that its purpose is to expound Heinlein's militaristic philosophy.

Militarism Starship Troopers has been identified as being a part of a tradition in U.S. Science fiction that assumes that violent conflict and the militarization of society are inevitable and necessary. Although the Mobile Infantry, the unit to which Rico is assigned, is seen as a lowly post by the characters in the story, the novel itself suggests that it is the heart of the army and the most honorable unit in it.

In a commentary written in 1980, Heinlein agreed that Starship Troopers 'glorifies the military. Specifically the P.B.I., the, the mudfoot who places his frail body between his loved home and the war's desolation – but is rarely appreciated. He has the toughest job of all and should be honored.' The story is based on the idea of society as a struggle for survival based on military strength. It suggests that some conflicts must be resolved by force: one of the lessons Rico is repeatedly taught is that violence can be an effective method of settling conflict. These suggestions derive in part from Heinlein's view that in the 1950s the U.S. Government was being too conciliatory in its dealings with communist China and the Soviet Union.Heinlein draws an analogy between the human society in the novel, which is well-to-do but needs to be vigilant against the imperialist threat of the Arachnids, and U.S.

Society of the 1950s. Reviewers have suggested that the Arachnids are Heinlein's analogue for communists. Traits used to support this include the communal nature of the Arachnids, which makes them capable of a much higher degree of coordination than the humans. Bug society is once explicitly described as communist, and is moreover depicted as communist by nature; this has been read as implying that those with a different political ideology are analogous to alien beings. The related motifs of alien invasion, patriotism, and personal sacrifice during war, are present, as are other aspects of U.S. Popular culture of the 1950s.

Commentators have argued that Heinlein's portrayal of aliens, as well as being a reference to people in communist countries, invokes the trope of a return to the. The concept of the frontier includes a social-Darwinist argument of constantly fighting for survival, even at the expense of indigenous people or, in the case of Starship Troopers, of aliens. Heinlein suggests that without territorial expansion involving violent conquest of other races, humans would be destroyed. Scholar Jamie King has stated that Heinlein does not address the question of what the military government and Federal Service would do in peacetime, and argues that Heinlein has set up a society designed to be continuously at war, and to keep expanding its territory. Coming of age Starship Troopers has been referred to as a or ' story for Rico, as he matures through his tenure in the infantry. His training, both at boot camp and at officer candidate school, involves learning the value of, thus inviting the reader to learn it as well. This is especially true of the parts of his training that involve indoctrination, such as the claim by one of his instructors that rule by military veterans is the ideal form of government, because only they understand how to put collective well-being above the individual.

The story traces Rico's transformation from a boy into a soldier, while exploring issues of identity and motivation, and traces his overall moral and social development, in a manner identified by commentators as similar to many stories about German soldiers in. Rico's transformation has been likened to the common narrative within stories with military themes by scholar. This typical narrative is that of a sloppy and unfit civilian being knocked into shape by tough officers, whose training is 'calculated sadism' but is depicted as fundamentally being on the right side. The letter Rico receives from Dubois, partly responsible for Rico 'crossing the hump' with his training, is shown as a turning point in his development. The classroom scenes embedded in the story serve to explain Rico's adventures, and highlight his reactions to events around. A notable example is the execution Rico is forced to witness after a deserter from his unit murders a young girl; Rico is uncertain of his own reaction until he remembers a lecture by Dubois in which the latter argues that 'moral sense' derives entirely from the will to survive.

The concept of the American frontier is also related to the coming-of-age theme. Young protagonists across Heinlein's novels attain manhood by confronting a hostile 'wilderness' in space; coming-of-age in a military, alien context is a common theme in Heinlein's earlier works as well. Rico's coming-of-age has also been described as being related to his relationship with his father; the journey 'outward' through the novel also contains a search for Rico's childhood and a reunion with his estranged parent. Moral decline Starship Troopers also critiques U.S. Society of the 1950s, suggesting that it had led young people to be spoiled and undisciplined. These beliefs are expressed through the classroom lectures of Dubois, Rico's teacher for History and Moral Philosophy. Dubois praises and other types of as a means of addressing juvenile crimes.

It has been suggested that Heinlein endorsed this view, although the fact that Dubois also compares raising children to training a puppy has been used to argue that Heinlein was making use of. The story is strongly in favor of corporal punishment and, as a means of correcting, part of a trend in science fiction which examines technology and outer space in an innovative manner, but is reactionary with respect to human relationships. As with other books by Heinlein, traditional schools are denigrated, while learning 'on the spot' is extolled: Rico is able to master the things required of him in military training without undue difficulty.Dubois also ridicules the idea of, such as ', arguing that people only have the rights that they are willing to fight and die for to protect. The novel appeals to scientific authority to justify this position; Dubois repeatedly states that his argument is mathematically demonstrable, statements which have led scholars to label the novel 'hard science fiction', despite its social and political themes. The 'moral decline' caused by this situation is depicted as having caused a global war between an alliance of the U.S., Britain, and Russia against the 'Chinese Hegemony' in the year 1987.

Despite the alliance between the U.S. And Russia, this war has been described as demonstrating Heinlein's anti-communist beliefs, which saw 'swarming hordes' of Chinese as a bigger threat.

The novel draws some comparisons between the Chinese and the Arachnids, and suggests that the lessons of one war could be applied to the other. Reception To Heinlein's surprise, Starship Troopers won the in 1960.

It has been acknowledged as one of the best-known and most influential works of science fiction. The novel is considered a landmark for the genre, having been described by a 1960 review as one of the ten best genre books of 1959, in a 2009 review as a key science fiction novel of the 1950s, and as the best-known example of. It was also a personal landmark for Heinlein; it was one of his best-selling books, and is his best-known novel. The novel has been described as marking Heinlein's transition from writing juvenile fiction to a 'more mature phase' as an author. Reviewing the book with others written for children, of wrote in 1960 that 'Heinlein has penned a juvenile that really is not. This is a new and bitter and disillusioned Heinlein'.

Rating it 2.5 stars out of five for children, 4.5 stars for adults, and '?' For civilians, he believed that the novel would be 'of exceptional interest to veterans with battle experience. But youngsters will find it melancholy and verbose'. Conversely, Michael Moorcock described it as Heinlein's last 'straight' science fiction, before he turned to more serious writing such as Stranger in a Strange Land.By 1980, twenty years after its release, Starship Troopers had been translated into eleven languages and was still selling strongly. Heinlein nevertheless complained that, despite this success, almost all the mail he received about it was negative and he only heard about it 'when someone wants to chew me out'. The novel is highly contentious.

Controversy surrounded its praise of the military and approval of violence, to the extent that it has frequently been described as, and its implication that militarism is superior to traditional democracy. An example of powered armor, a concept popularized by Starship TroopersHeinlein's books, and Starship Troopers in particular, had an enormous impact on political science fiction, to the extent that author has stated that 'the political strand in science fiction can be described as a dialogue with Heinlein,' although many participants in this dialogue disagree with Heinlein. Science fiction critic states that Starship Troopers is the 'ancestral text of U.S.

' and that it shaped the debate about the role of the military in society for many years.As well as his political views, Heinlein's ideas about a futuristic military as depicted in the novel were deeply influential among films, books, and television shows in later years. Roger Beaumont has suggested that Starship Troopers may some day be considered a manual for extraterrestrial warfare. Suvin refers to Juan Rico as the 'archetypal Space Soldier'.

Starship Troopers included concepts in military engineering which have since been widely used in other fiction, and which have occasionally been paralleled by scientific research. The novel has been cited as the source of the idea of, which Heinlein describes in great detail. Such suits became a staple of military science fiction. Franchises that have employed this technology include,. During the shooting of the classic science fiction film, director required the actors playing to read Starship Troopers to understand their part, and also cited it as an influence for the space drop, terms like 'bug hunt', and the cargo-loader exoskeleton.Starship Troopers had a direct influence on many later science fiction stories. 's 1984 novel was, according to the author, born out of frustration with the small amount of actual combat in Starship Troopers and because he wanted this aspect developed further.

The 1988 has plot elements similar to Heinlein's novel, depicting humanity arrayed against an alien military. Scholars have identified elements of Heinlein's influence in, by, as well. Hantke, in particular, compares the battle room in Ender's Game to Heinlein's prosthetic suits, stating that they both regulate but also enhance human agency. Suvin suggests parallels between the plots of the two novels, with human society in both stories at war against insect-like aliens, but states that the story of takes a very different direction, as Ender regrets his genocidal actions and dedicates his efforts to protecting his erstwhile targets.Conversely, 's 1974 anti-war, - and -winning science fiction novel is popularly thought to be a direct reply to Starship Troopers, and though Haldeman has stated that it is actually a result of his personal experiences in the, he has admitted to being influenced by Starship Troopers. Haldeman said that he disagreed with Starship Troopers because it 'glorifies war', but added that 'it's a very well-crafted novel, and I believe Heinlein was honest with it'. The Forever War contains several parallels to Starship Troopers, including its setting.

Commentators have described it as a reaction to Heinlein's novel, a suggestion Haldeman denies; the two novels are very different in terms of their attitude towards the military. The Forever War does not depict war as a noble pursuit, with the sides clearly defined as good and evil; instead, the novel explores the dehumanizing effect of war, influenced by the real world context of the Vietnam War. Haldeman received a letter from Heinlein, congratulating him on his Nebula Award, which 'meant more than the award itself'. According to author, Heinlein approached Haldeman at the awards banquet and said the book 'may be the best future war story I've ever read!'

's 1965 novel has also been described as a reaction to Starship Troopers, while 's 1961 novel has been called 'an obvious rejoinder' to Starship Troopers., written by Eleanor Arnason in 1993, also depicts a war between two highly aggressive species, of which humans are one. The story deliberately inverts several aspects of Starship Troopers; the story is told from the point of view of diplomats seeking to prevent war, rather than soldiers fighting it; and the conflict is the result of the two species being extremely similar, rather than different. Adaptations 1997 film. Main article:The film rights to the novel were licensed in the 1990s, several years after Heinlein's death. The project was originally entitled Bug Hunt at Outpost Nine, and had been in production before the producers bought the rights to Starship Troopers.

The film was directed by (who found the book too boring to finish), and released in 1997. The screenplay, by, shared character names and some plot details with the novel. The film contained several elements that differed from the book, including a military that is completely integrated with respect to sex. It had the stated intention of treating its material in an ironic or sarcastic manner, to undermine the political ideology of the novel. The mechanized suits that featured prominently in the novel were absent from the film, due to budget constraints.The film utilized fascist imagery throughout, including portraying the Terran Federation's personnel wearing uniforms strongly reminiscent of those worn by the, the paramilitary. Verhoeven stated in 1997 that the first scene of the film—an advertisement for the Mobile Infantry—was adapted shot-for-shot from a scene in 's (1935), specifically an outdoor rally for the. Other references to Nazism include the -style architecture and the propagandistic dialogue (' Violence is the supreme authority!'

According to Verhoeven, the references to Nazism reflected his own experience in the Nazi-occupied Netherlands during World War II.The film reignited the debate over the nature of the Terran society in Heinlein's world, and several critics accused Verhoeven of creating a fascist universe. Others, and Verhoeven himself, have stated that the film was intended to be, and to critique fascism. The film has also been described as criticizing the of U.S. Foreign policy, the, and the society in the film, which elevates violence over sensitivity. It received several negative critical reviews, reviewers suggesting that it was unsophisticated and targeted a juvenile audience, although some scholars and critics have also supported its description as satirical. The absence of the powered armor technology drew criticism from fans. The success of the film's endeavor to critique the ideology of the novel has been disputed.Four sequels, (2004), (2008), (2012) and (2017) were released as straight-to-DVD films respectively.

In December 2011, producer of films such as and, announced plans for a of the film that he claims will be more faithful to the source material. In 2016 and were reported to be writing the film.

Commentators have suggested that a reboot would be as controversial as the original book. Other media , and holds the license to produce based on Starship Troopers, written by authors including,. From October to December 1988, and produced a six-episode Japanese locally titled with mobile infantry power armor designs by, based on Starship Troopers.

Published in 1976, a map-and-counter featuring a number of scenarios as written in the novel. In 1998, released.

The web-based interactive game, in which players battled each other in overhead space combat, allowed players to assume either Klendathu or Federation roles, was developed alongside the film adaptation. Was released by Mongoose Publishing in 2005, a which used material from the novel, film, and animated TV series. Released Starship Troopers: Invasion Mobile Infantry, a game for PCs, in 2012. References Notes. Keith; Thomas, Anne-Marie (2009).: John Wiley & Sons.

CS1 maint: ref=harv. Cass, Jeffrey (April 1999). 'SS Troopers: Cybernostalgia and Paul Verhoeven's Fascist Flirtation'. Studies in Popular Culture. 21 (3): 51–63.

CS1 maint: ref=harv. Crim, Brian E. (Summer 2010).

'The Intergalactic Final Solution: Nazism and Genocide in Paul Verhoeven's Starship Troopers'. Shofar: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Jewish Studies.

28 (4): 104–115. CS1 maint: ref=harv. Franklin, Howard Bruce (1980)., New York, US: Oxford University Press.

CS1 maint: ref=harv. Hantke, Steffen (November 1998). 'Surgical Strikes and Prosthetic Warriors: The Soldier's Body in Contemporary Science Fiction'. Science Fiction Studies. 25 (3): 495–509. CS1 maint: ref=harv.

(2003). New York City, New York, US: Baen. CS1 maint: ref=harv. Heinlein, Robert A. (1987)., New York: Ace Books. CS1 maint: ref=harv.

Hollinger, Veronica (2003). 'Feminist theory and science fiction'. In James, Edward; Mendlesohn, Farah (eds.).

The Cambridge Companion to Science Fiction., US: Cambridge University Press. CS1 maint: ref=harv.

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30 (10): 1017–1026. CS1 maint: ref=harv. Macleod, Ken (2003). 'Politics and science fiction'.

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In Hassler, Donald M.; Wilcox, Clyde (eds.). New Boundaries in Political Science Fiction., US: University of South Carolina Press. CS1 maint: ref=harv External links Wikiquote has quotations related to:. title listing at the. Hotel dusk room 215 cheats.

at. Starship Soldier and on the.