Heinlein in 1959, has divided social media over whether. Jan 02, 2019 but the novel that stuck with me the most was his first work, armor 1984. At first glance, steakley took the parts of starship troopers he liked the most, power armor and aliens that resemble insects, and an armored. Sadly i cannot recommend that anyone listen to this audiobook version.
Not in an effort to steal, but as a compliment borrowing a scenario he loved and using it to explore a different idea. Armor by john steakley features all of the elements that fans love about starship troopers. The terran federation in starcraft is based on the earth military in starship troopers too, and the protoss are based off the skinnies. Well, recently i decided to go ahead a read armor, mainly because i found a first printing paperback at a used book store. Robert heinleins starship troopers and john steakley s armor movies. Starship troopers is a military science fiction novel by american writer robert a. He told us some of the powerarmor stories that were influential on his decision to do the book. Starship troopers foam armor cosplay pepakura files theheroesworkshop.
It is the forerunner of most if not all military scifi novels and i would recommend that anyone read it. John steakley booklist john steakley message board. Armor is not just a vaguely similar story that gets compared to starship troopers because of incidental similarities like powered armor and insectoid aliens. Hes on a military starship orbiting a hostile planet called banshee and about to be dropped into combat along with 10,000 fellow warriors. Jun 21, 2017 includes excerpt from the book itself. It has some superficial similarities with robert a. The firstperson narrative is about a young filipino soldier named juan johnnie rico and his exploits in the mobile infantry, a futuristic military unit. Starship troopers novel starship troopers wiki fandom. He told us some of the power armor stories that were influential on his decision to do the book.
The book is divided into three parts, the first following felix and the second jack crow. While a completely different beast than heinleins book, i enjoyed the style and action. The stark realities of john steakleys military sf novel armor tor. Everything about steakley s book pays deliberate homage to heinleins. May 07, 2020 john steakleys armor, daw is regarded, in many ways, as a companion to heinleins starship troopers. The military scifi classic in a striking new package felix is an earth soldier, encased in special body armor designed to withstand earths most implacable enemya. When i found armor, i was initially skeptical that an unknown like john steakley could top the legend heinlein.
Starship troopers t shirt men women kids sizes xs 5xl 100% cotton movie gift cult film scifi alien planet kill them all johnny rico lalandesign 4. Armor by john steakley meet your next favorite book. Starship troopers i have read this book many times over the past 40 years and i always wonder whether ill enjoy it as much as i have in the previous times ive picked it up. I think the movie took more from this book than from heinleins story. Dec 11, 2015 john steakley only published two relatively obscure novels in his life. Viewed as a response to starship troopers, armor fails. Armor library edition by john steakley 9781433294822. If starship troopers is world war ii, then armor could easily be vietnam, iraq or afghanistan. Both are now concerned to be founding classics of military science fiction. John steakley s 1984 novel armor 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. All of starcraft is based on starship troopers, in fact. Extremely descriptive book19834 written on the battle armor and how it functions. John steakley was best known for his science fiction writing.
Part 1 the storys divided into pieces and begins with felix. It features space marines who are clad in body armor that turns them into atomic powered battle fortresses and they are locked in battle with a nearly endless horde of alien creatures that look like monsters. Already the news that columbia pictures is planning a new movie adaptation of starship troopers, the scifi war story published by robert a. Starship troopers i have read this book many times over. Armor doesnt hide its connections to heinleins famous novel.
While the plot may seem similar lots of battles against bug like creatures the action is so riviting that youll have a hard time. Dec 12, 2015 the book of starship troopers was inspiring and phenomenally good. In an interview steakley has actually said that he was inspired by starship troopers when he wrote armor, and took many ideas for his book from heinleins. Starship troopers vintage movie book, 1999 circa, used whitewolfslimevibes. Felt like an extension of the starship troopers universe. John steakley s armor, daw is regarded, in many ways, as a companion to heinleins starship troopers. Starship troopers had a direct influence on many later science fiction stories. Good military sci fi books or series like starship. Steakley should have written a prequel to this and a sequel would have been appreciated, but both or either may well have taken from the central message. For fans of the book, starship troopers to discuss political concepts of crime, punishment and war. The movie of starship troopers had nothing in common with the book except for the title and the heros last name. Starship troopers by robert heinlein is one of the classics of science fiction. Apr 17, 2011 armor i was talking to a self professed science fiction nut who claimed armor by john steakley was much better than starship troopers by robert a.
Starship troopers is an exploration of citizenship, duty many have compared this book, often unfavorably, to starship troopers. If you liked the battle scenes in the movie starship troopers 1997 you would probably like reading armor. Discover the magic of the internet at imgur, a community powered entertainment destination. I just finished the first book, but i remember thinking to myself about a quarter of the way through, this is like. In the end, the stories intertwine seamlessly, ssteakley you surprised, amazed. Sep 12, 2017 its been a while since we had some book talk and a previous commenter recommended this one with don having a positive experience, so. See more ideas about starship troopers, in and out movie and how to make comics. Starship troopers is a good book, but steakleys armor is a great book. The book of starship troopers was inspiring and phenomenally good. I find this book just as relevant today if not more so asit was my first time reading it. Surprising to read a early 80s scifi book where darpa and other agencies have brought some of these technologies of the book to the modern battlefield. A brisk novel, compatriots with cards enders game and steakleys armor, it explores science fiction in setting and device, but its philosophical musings stand out clear and concise in a muddled sea of bland and abstract essays on the human condition in recent and elder novels. Goodreads members who liked starship troopers also liked. According to juan rico, when one is suited up in the powered armor, they appear like a steel gorilla a troopers vital status can be read by pressing a button on the suit.
Steakley, in interviews, said that he wrote to address certain things that he felt were missing from starship troopers, namely action. The first, published in 1984, was armor, and while taking clear inspiration from robert heinleins starship troopers, it presupposed the space marine subgenre by a few years. Armor is a military science fiction novel by john steakley. Oct 16, 2019 john steakley only published two relatively obscure novels in his life. Starship troopers is a science fiction novel by robert a. Well, recently i decided to go ahead a read armor, mainly because i found a. Its been a while since we had some book talk and a previous commenter recommended this one with don having a positive experience, so. So i just finished reading heinleins starship troopers and i cant for the life of my find out whether there are any sequels. Starship troopers, forever war and armor form the core of military sf, and for good reason. At first i expected the book to be a meld of starship troopers and the forever war, but the introduction of steaklys second major character, jack crow, turned the story completely around and into a tale that transcends its dystopian future setting. Good military sci fi books or series like starship troopers.
While the plot may seem similar lots of battles against bug like creatures the action is so riviting that youll have a hard time putting this book down. The stark realities of john steakleys military sf novel armor. At the beginning of armor, the main character is felix, a. John steakleys armor, daw is regarded, in many ways, as a companion to heinleins starship troopers. As i finished armor by john steakley this morning, i laughed from the depths of me. John steakleys armor 1984, daw is regarded, in many ways, as a companion to heinleins starship troopers. Find books like starship troopers from the worlds largest community of readers. Theres an epic space opera backdrop, but the story takes place among the little people at ground level, for whom their own high command also seem distant and incomprehensible. Armor i was talking to a self professed science fiction nut who claimed armor by john steakley was much better than starship troopers by robert a. Armor sci fi literature class presentation youtube. John steakley only published two relatively obscure novels in his life. The second half starts off so quietly, its disconcerting. Only this book has a soul, whereas the movie was all campy fun.
If you liked starship troopers and never read armor then youre missing out. Jan 02, 2019 the stark realities of john steakleys military sf novel armor. In starship troopers, heinleins war begins when the arachnids invade buenos aires. But the novel that stuck with me the most was his first work, armor 1984.
Powered armors have jump jets installed into them to allow troopers to jump over obstacles and buildings with ease. The historians cant seem to settle whether to call this one the third space war or the fourth, or whether the first interstellar war fits it better. Heinleins starship troopers such as the military use of exoskeletons and insectlike alien enemies but concentrates more on the psychological effects of violence on human beings rather than on the political aspect of the military, which was the focus of heinleins novel. While steakley clearly achieved his goal of making a starship troopers with better action scenes, this book really shines in its clairvoyance. Armor could be considered a semireimagined starship troopers. Its the distant future, and humanity is embroiled in a bug war with the implacable, incomprehensible ants. Everything about steakleys book pays deliberate homage to heinleins. In interviews given at the time of publication, steakley is quoted as saying that he wrote the book to explore the combat elements of a starship trooperslike universe. They also paint an interesting picture about us attitudes towards the military and war, starship troopers is pervietnam, forever war is a direct response to vietnam and armor is after vietnam had sunk in and represents the long term effects of that war. The ants in armor by john steakley are actually a less conservative and more liberal look at the pseudoarachnids, and the entire starship troopers world. Starship troopers is a good book, but steakley s armor is a great book. Armor is a 1984 science fiction novel by john steakley. It features space marines who are clad in body armor that turns them into atomic powered battle fortresses and they are locked in battle with a nearly endless horde. The first, published in, was armor, and while taking clear inspiration.