Scan barcode
oliviakormos's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
joshhall13's review
5.0
Hated it. What is it about classic sci-fi? It's like trying to watch an old version of the first Star Trek, but in a world that Star Trek took itself seriously... Being tight on cash, I'm really, strongly disappointed that I spent good hard earned money on this audio book.
Also, the narrator needs to go back, and do it this time with actual emotion, different voices, and a non-monotonous reading pitch. He made it boring on top of a total shit plot.
10/7/14 **edit. Going back in! It WAS a Hugo Award winner after all.
What was I thinking? A beautifully written space war drama about social change over centuries, eugenics, lifting the constraints of the definition of "human." So much more in this novel too. I mean leaving the implication that Taurans are future humans, but not smacking you over the head with the point... this Viet Nam War Veteran author basically says we are all one, and the wars are pointless. Amwzing book.
Also, the narrator needs to go back, and do it this time with actual emotion, different voices, and a non-monotonous reading pitch. He made it boring on top of a total shit plot.
10/7/14 **edit. Going back in! It WAS a Hugo Award winner after all.
What was I thinking? A beautifully written space war drama about social change over centuries, eugenics, lifting the constraints of the definition of "human." So much more in this novel too. I mean leaving the implication that Taurans are future humans, but not smacking you over the head with the point... this Viet Nam War Veteran author basically says we are all one, and the wars are pointless. Amwzing book.
zare_i's review against another edition
4.0
I read and re-read the novel many times and when I saw this book I had to check it out.
Graphic novel follows the same story line and is very faithful to the novel itself. In terms of the graphical presentation it has that Jeremiah look-and-feel, grainy at some points almost pointillist drawing when it comes to people but clean for anything else (machinery, cities and nature). It is a very distinctive art specific for European, especially Belgian comic artists.
Story wise this is novel in graphic form (minus the episode on Marygay Poitter's farm but if I understand correctly this part was usually skipped and is available only in editions with original text). Story is one that never loses on importance and sounds true for every age. This is story of people drafted to fight in conflicts on the other end of the galaxy, conflicts they know nothing about how and why they started. People sentenced to literally leave everyone they know behind since due to laws of physics while they age in normal manner, everything they left behind ages much faster. Fighting in the war spanning thousands of years against the enemy they never have the chance to familiarize with and understand these soldiers will try the survive not only the enemy but also their own army - from incapable officers to technology developed for war that might be even more deadly to its users than enemy ever could be. Finale is truly heartbreaking but so familiar to anyone who has own experiences with conflict (either personally or through relatives and friends).
But even more important part of the story is the one about society itself. Fired up by media and politicians unable to handle the situation (so familiar these days) society wants action, action, action (again, sooo familiar these days) and is ready to send its own to fight in war but then, due to great distances and remoteness of the conflict, they forget them and very fast shun them (again that end is just remarkable). Picture of the modern society is portrayed very well and ever present themes are there - unemployment, violence, crime, social institutions that do not help people except through sheer power and enforcement, society open to everyone and closed to so many to the very extreme (enforcing no need to work (that ends with people going mad or barely surviving on rations provided), medical care that separates the population into very rich and forever living, those to be kept alive and those to be left to die depending on their "usefulness to society" (brrrr), universities that allow people to join them only if they are deemed worthy).
All of this causes our weary soldiers to re-enlist and go back to the front-line because they now share more with the enemy than with their own culture and people. They are looked at as relics and society hates them for a very single reason - they know they need them but how to accept this notion in this brave new world (again, something that is soooo familiar today).
It is obvious that all these themes are ageless and today, to be honest, they hit very close to home. Highly bureaucratized government machine paired with the science that becomes more of a politics driver than science is a truly terrifying picture. Remote warfare where society does not see the corpses and death so is willing to tolerate it (although publicly being quite opposed to it), forced eugenics and political decisions that end not in evolved and improved humanity but in split humanity is truly something to be worried about.
Excellent story and great visual presentation. I am more of a fan of written word but with this book you cannot lose - if you read the novel you will enjoy this comic, if you first read this graphic novel I hope you will also pick up the original novel (for those small details that might be lost in visual presentation and there are many).
Highly recommended to fans of military SF and SF in general.
Graphic novel follows the same story line and is very faithful to the novel itself. In terms of the graphical presentation it has that Jeremiah look-and-feel, grainy at some points almost pointillist drawing when it comes to people but clean for anything else (machinery, cities and nature). It is a very distinctive art specific for European, especially Belgian comic artists.
Story wise this is novel in graphic form (minus the episode on Marygay Poitter's farm but if I understand correctly this part was usually skipped and is available only in editions with original text). Story is one that never loses on importance and sounds true for every age. This is story of people drafted to fight in conflicts on the other end of the galaxy, conflicts they know nothing about how and why they started. People sentenced to literally leave everyone they know behind since due to laws of physics while they age in normal manner, everything they left behind ages much faster. Fighting in the war spanning thousands of years against the enemy they never have the chance to familiarize with and understand these soldiers will try the survive not only the enemy but also their own army - from incapable officers to technology developed for war that might be even more deadly to its users than enemy ever could be. Finale is truly heartbreaking but so familiar to anyone who has own experiences with conflict (either personally or through relatives and friends).
But even more important part of the story is the one about society itself. Fired up by media and politicians unable to handle the situation (so familiar these days) society wants action, action, action (again, sooo familiar these days) and is ready to send its own to fight in war but then, due to great distances and remoteness of the conflict, they forget them and very fast shun them (again that end is just remarkable). Picture of the modern society is portrayed very well and ever present themes are there - unemployment, violence, crime, social institutions that do not help people except through sheer power and enforcement, society open to everyone and closed to so many to the very extreme (enforcing no need to work (that ends with people going mad or barely surviving on rations provided), medical care that separates the population into very rich and forever living, those to be kept alive and those to be left to die depending on their "usefulness to society" (brrrr), universities that allow people to join them only if they are deemed worthy).
All of this causes our weary soldiers to re-enlist and go back to the front-line because they now share more with the enemy than with their own culture and people. They are looked at as relics and society hates them for a very single reason - they know they need them but how to accept this notion in this brave new world (again, something that is soooo familiar today).
It is obvious that all these themes are ageless and today, to be honest, they hit very close to home. Highly bureaucratized government machine paired with the science that becomes more of a politics driver than science is a truly terrifying picture. Remote warfare where society does not see the corpses and death so is willing to tolerate it (although publicly being quite opposed to it), forced eugenics and political decisions that end not in evolved and improved humanity but in split humanity is truly something to be worried about.
Excellent story and great visual presentation. I am more of a fan of written word but with this book you cannot lose - if you read the novel you will enjoy this comic, if you first read this graphic novel I hope you will also pick up the original novel (for those small details that might be lost in visual presentation and there are many).
Highly recommended to fans of military SF and SF in general.
joshgauthier's review against another edition
4.0
I have not read the original novel this comic was adapted from. With that in mind, this is a weighty graphic novel that manages to convey an interesting and detailed story--dealing with a range of characters as well as larger ideas about humanity, advancement, and the cost of way. It's a generally successful adaptation of a military space drama and--though it didn't blow me away--it's a solid read for a graphic novel and feels like it is probably a successful adaptation of the source material.
bastibe's review against another edition
5.0
A graphic novel adaptation of one of the best sci-fi books ever. Contrary to popular beliefs, this does not cover all three books (Forever {War, Peace, Free}), but only the first, Forever War. And that is a good thing, since Forever War is a beautiful, well-rounded book, that doesn't need a sequel.
It reads like a heavily abridged version of the original book, but somehow manages to remain faithful in tone and impact. At first I was worried that it might spoil my memory of the book with its visuals, but quite on the contrary, the art style matched my vision of The Forever War perfectly. A beautiful companion to a true classic of sci-fi.
It reads like a heavily abridged version of the original book, but somehow manages to remain faithful in tone and impact. At first I was worried that it might spoil my memory of the book with its visuals, but quite on the contrary, the art style matched my vision of The Forever War perfectly. A beautiful companion to a true classic of sci-fi.
spejamchr's review
4.0
Fun book. The characters were okay. Not great, but fine for me. The story was fine, too. The sci-fi time-dilation and changing societies are what kept me hooked.
macthebrazen's review
5.0
The biography of the author at the end may have bumped it up to 5 stars for me. It put it into context for me, allowing me to understand some about how he was really struggling with some of the concepts brought out in the book, such as war, doubt, and love.
philomath_in_phila's review
3.0
I have been reading this for 2 weeks and I'm only 53% done. I just can't get into it. I'm moving onto something I enjoy.
kxu65's review against another edition
5.0
Just what the people needed, coming out of Vietnam when the book was first published!
hylian_pirate's review against another edition
2.0
I struggled to finish this. I only pushed myself knowing there must be a twist in the end. It did, and it was even more underwhelming. The only good things the book has, are some interesting concepts of how Earth would be 500 years from now (interesting but also a bit far-fetched). The plot itself and the whole war was extremely boring. I didn't like any character and the writing was all over the place.