Discover the magic of the internet at imgur, a community powered entertainment destination. John steakleys armor, daw is regarded, in many ways, as a companion to heinleins starship troopers. Starship troopers is a good book, but steakley s armor is a great book. 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. 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. Everything about steakleys book pays deliberate homage to heinleins. 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. The terran federation in starcraft is based on the earth military in starship troopers too, and the protoss are based off the skinnies.
The stark realities of john steakleys military sf novel armor tor. Aug 03, 2019 john steakleys armor, daw is regarded, in many ways, as a companion to heinleins starship troopers. Armor library edition by john steakley 9781433294822. Starship troopers is a military science fiction novel by american writer robert a.
Armor is not just a vaguely similar story that gets compared to starship troopers because of incidental similarities like powered armor and insectoid aliens. Oct 16, 2019 john steakley only published two relatively obscure novels in his life. He told us some of the powerarmor stories that were influential on his decision to do the book. Its been a while since we had some book talk and a previous commenter recommended this one with don having a positive experience, so. John steakley s armor, daw is regarded, in many ways, as a companion to heinleins starship troopers. Powered armors have jump jets installed into them to allow troopers to jump over obstacles and buildings with ease. 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.
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 just finished the first book, but i remember thinking to myself about a quarter of the way through, this is like. Part 1 the storys divided into pieces and begins with felix. Starship troopers had a direct influence on many later science fiction stories. Viewed as a response to starship troopers, armor fails. Well, recently i decided to go ahead a read armor, mainly because i found a. John steakley booklist john steakley message board. At first glance, steakley took the parts of starship troopers he liked the most, power armor and aliens that resemble insects, and an armored. Extremely descriptive book19834 written on the battle armor and how it functions. 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. 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. It has some superficial similarities with robert a. If you liked the battle scenes in the movie starship troopers 1997 you would probably like reading armor.
Already the news that columbia pictures is planning a new movie adaptation of starship troopers, the scifi war story published by robert a. 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. It is the forerunner of most if not all military scifi novels and i would recommend that anyone read it. When i found armor, i was initially skeptical that an unknown like john steakley could top the legend heinlein. If you liked starship troopers and never read armor then youre missing out. Find books like starship troopers from the worlds largest community of readers. Armor by john steakley meet your next favorite book. Armor is a military science fiction novel by john steakley. The second half starts off so quietly, its disconcerting. Starship troopers novel starship troopers wiki fandom. Starship troopers is a good book, but steakleys armor is a great book. 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. Dec 12, 2015 the book of starship troopers was inspiring and phenomenally good. 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.
At the beginning of armor, the main character is felix, a. Starship troopers i have read this book many times over. Not in an effort to steal, but as a compliment borrowing a scenario he loved and using it to explore a different idea. While the plot may seem similar lots of battles against bug like creatures the action is so riviting that youll have a hard time. See more ideas about starship troopers, in and out movie and how to make comics.
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. The stark realities of john steakleys military sf novel armor. The book is divided into three parts, the first following felix and the second jack crow. Steakley, in interviews, said that he wrote to address certain things that he felt were missing from starship troopers, namely action. Well, recently i decided to go ahead a read armor, mainly because i found a first printing paperback at a used book store. Starship troopers, forever war and armor form the core of military sf, and for good reason. 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. 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. 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. Starship troopers foam armor cosplay pepakura files theheroesworkshop.
In starship troopers, heinleins war begins when the arachnids invade buenos aires. I think the movie took more from this book than from heinleins story. The movie of starship troopers had nothing in common with the book except for the title and the heros last name. 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. Starship troopers is an exploration of citizenship, duty many have compared this book, often unfavorably, to starship troopers.
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. Everything about steakley s book pays deliberate homage to heinleins. While a completely different beast than heinleins book, i enjoyed the style and action. Good military sci fi books or series like starship troopers. Heinlein in 1959, has divided social media over whether. Jan 02, 2019 the stark realities of john steakleys military sf novel armor. He told us some of the power armor stories that were influential on his decision to do the book. The first, published in, was armor, and while taking clear inspiration. For fans of the book, starship troopers to discuss political concepts of crime, punishment and war. In the end, the stories intertwine seamlessly, ssteakley you surprised, amazed. Only this book has a soul, whereas the movie was all campy fun.
Starship troopers by robert heinlein is one of the classics of science fiction. Hes on a military starship orbiting a hostile planet called banshee and about to be dropped into combat along with 10,000 fellow warriors. 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. Jan 02, 2019 but the novel that stuck with me the most was his first work, armor 1984. 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. John steakley only published two relatively obscure novels in his life. If starship troopers is world war ii, then armor could easily be vietnam, iraq or afghanistan. While steakley clearly achieved his goal of making a starship troopers with better action scenes, this book really shines in its clairvoyance. I find this book just as relevant today if not more so asit was my first time reading it. Dec 11, 2015 john steakley only published two relatively obscure novels in his life. As i finished armor by john steakley this morning, i laughed from the depths of me. All of starcraft is based on starship troopers, in fact. Both are now concerned to be founding classics of military science fiction.
Armor is a 1984 science fiction novel by john steakley. John steakleys armor 1984, daw is regarded, in many ways, as a companion to heinleins starship troopers. The book of starship troopers was inspiring and phenomenally good. 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. Armor by john steakley features all of the elements that fans love about starship troopers. The firstperson narrative is about a young filipino soldier named juan johnnie rico and his exploits in the mobile infantry, a futuristic military unit. 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. But the novel that stuck with me the most was his first work, armor 1984. Armor sci fi literature class presentation youtube. May 07, 2020 john steakleys armor, daw is regarded, in many ways, as a companion to heinleins starship troopers.
Its the distant future, and humanity is embroiled in a bug war with the implacable, incomprehensible ants. 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. Goodreads members who liked starship troopers also liked. John steakley was best known for his science fiction writing. So i just finished reading heinleins starship troopers and i cant for the life of my find out whether there are any sequels. Good military sci fi books or series like starship. Robert heinleins starship troopers and john steakley s armor movies. 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. 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 science fiction novel by robert a.
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