Teaser

The Forever War has come to an end, but those who fought it, there can be no peace. Stranded in a future that he barely recognises, William Mandella wants nothing more than to be free, even from those who claim to have his best interests in mind . . .

Review

It’s been almost eight years since I read The Forever War, one of the first books I ever reviewed on this here blog. That’s quite a long time between books, but nothing compared to the quarter of a century between publication of the two. The Forever War is one of the cornerstones of military SF, and told a complete story, so while there was no rush for a sequel, it’s obvious to see why there was demand. But how can you possibly live up to the reputation of such a legendary book?

For the most part, Forever Free does incredibly well. The original book ended with Mandella and his companions arriving in peacetime to find that humanity had evolved into Man, a hive mind of sorts that they barely recognised as human. The sequel picks up twenty-five years later, with the humans living on a reservation planet called MF. We spend a fair bit of time (and bear in mind that this is only a short novel) just existing with the characters, seeing how peacetime has changed them, and how they have adjusted to their new lives.

The original book’s approach to sexuality and gender norms was very much of its time, and a fair bit hasn’t aged all that well. Haldeman himself has said there are some aspects he’d do differently if he wrote the book today. However, and given that more time has passed since Forever Free was released into the world than passed between the two books, I think Forever Free does a brilliant job of addressing changing cultural practices without rendering any of the original book invalid. That’s a tricky line to walk, but Haldeman does so wonderfully. There aren’t so many action scenes, but this is a thoughtful, sombre, and thought-provoking look into that old adage ‘you can’t go home again.’

The turning point of the novel comes when Mandella and the other humans decide to steal a ship and make another jump into the future. This is where most of the action takes place, and shows that Haldeman still has the chops for writing a gripping adventure. There’s murder, mystery, and even a little bit of mayhem.

It’s the final act of the book that truly changes my perception of the book. I’m not going to spoil it for anyone, because it really has to be read blind to fully appreciate. But I do want to talk about it. If you want to know absolutely nothing, you can skip the next paragraph.

The climax of Forever Free feels as though it has jumped into the narrative from another book entirely. It hinges on ideas, concepts, and even characters, who have never been so much as hinted at in the rest of the book. And it flips everything on its head not once, but twice in just a few dozen pages. It takes a step away from the personal and into the cosmic. As a short story, I would have really enjoyed this section. The ideas are fascinating. But as the climax to a novel? It comes so far out of the left field as to be ridiculous. Not helped by the fact that it inexplicably takes place in Disneyland. Again, it’s not bad. It’s just so bafflingly out of place that I can’t tell if I like it or not.

You can read this bit everyone. The minimal spoilers are over. As is the review. All that’s left to say is that Forever Free is mostly a stronger book than its predecessor. The rough edges have been tidies up. It’s just that the ending won’t work for everyone. Still, I thoroughly recommend reading it.

Book Stats

• The Forever War #2
• Published in 1998
• 277 Pages