Peace and War: "Forever Peace", "Forever Free", "Forever War" [Paperback]

This is a collection of three novels bound into a single volume. Unfortunately, whatever imbecile wrote the back cover "blurb" gave away virtually the entire ending to the first novel. And yes, even more besides. I really hope whoever was responsible lost their job over this.

So if you do wind up with this edition, STAY AWAY FROM THE BACK COVER!!!

Please understand that this is truly the only reason why I gave this collection a 1 star review: I just wanted my warning to leap out at people so that others could avoid my fate; the fate of a man who knew too much. Some things in this life you don't WANT to know. Like the ending of a novel BEFORE you read it.

Man, I really do hope that person lost their job...

As you can probably tell, I still get steamed just thinking about it. And all this is really quite a pity: the front-cover artwork is unusually powerful and evocative of the story itself. But that's just life I guess.

Incidentally, because I have seen some of my reviews crop up for editions other than the one I originally wrote them for, let me stress that I am saying all this about Peace And War: Forever Peace, Forever Free, Forever War: " Forever Peace " , " Forever Free " , " Forever War " (Gollancz S.F.).

Other than that, this is nice collected epic that includes three separate novels in a single volume. The style can perhaps best be described as intelligent space opera. Much of the technology to be found in this book is grounded in real science; particularly the use of sub-light space flight. This means that the time dilating effects of relativity come into play, which in turn becomes the basis for the most fundamental challenges faced by the characters on a psychological level. One never forgets that the first novel in the series - The Forever War - is a book that followed closely on the heels of the "new wave" of science fiction pioneered in the 1960's by authors such as J.C. Ballard.

The Forever War is also a novel that can very easily be interpreted as an allegory for the experience of many Viet Nam war soldiers; for the war they fought, and the experience of returning to to a society very different from the one they left. And indeed, in the author's note Haldeman provides, he himself accepts that this is part of the basis for the novel. However, The Forever War is also sufficiently grounded in universal human concerns that it works on a more timeless level as well.

If I wasn't judging the book by its cover, I'd give it 4 stars.

So yes; this is something that I would recommend reading. Just do yourself a favor and buy another edition.

Theo.

It is nice to get them all in one binding.
The stories are somewhat nostalgic, written in a time that seems "the good old days" for some, or something vague like the Crimean War for those who do not remember President Johnson. Our American Condition today is so very different. Yet there are points to ponder.

All three novels are worth reading and re-reading. Even though the end of "Forever Free" seems to be a weak gimmick. The very idea that God is not someone who would be a welcome guest at a home dinner is worth pondering.

I had purchased Forever War a while back on its own and later found this collection of "Forever" works. The stories are only loosely tied to each other but it was great to revisit some of the characters and themes from Forever War. I recommend it to all SciFi fans and it's a must for collectors of Haldeman's work.

› Go to Amazon.com to see all 5 reviews  3.8 out of 5 stars