Starship Troopers by Robert A. Heinlein – military science fiction. Originally published in 1959, my copy (shown) is the 1961 Signet edition.
Certainly not forgotten by the science fiction community, nevertheless not often read any more.
This one is considered a classic by the science fiction reading community, though those who have only seen the film, which frankly is not very good, may disagree. I decided to reread it after reading Jo Walton’s Brief History of the Hugo Awards. It’s one of several older SF novels I’m revisiting.
This novel follows a future world paratrooper from his entry into bootcamp though his first battles and onward as Earth fights alien races for dominance in space.
If this was published today, I doubt this would be as popular as it was in the Sixties, but at the time it was highly thought of and won a Hugo award. I enjoyed reading it again. Worth the time.
Tip the Wink 
I have never read this, but I would like to. I am sure the book is better than the movie but I liked the movie well enough. It has been a long time since I watched it.
Worth reading if you want to put a check mark by it on your classic SF list. I remembered it as being better than I found it this time around, but still enjoyed it.
I’ve read a bunch of the early Heinlein books that I hadn’t read over the last few years, but not this one. Walton’s book did make me put it on the list, but there are so many others that I forgot about it. The movie had no interest for me, but I do want to read this.
My copy is a little fragile so I got the ebook from the library. It’s not long and goes fast. I thought the movie was dreadful.
Hi
Alan Brown at Tor did a great post on this novel, and showed a lot of insight.
https://www.tor.com/2016/09/06/a-genre-cornerstone-starship-troopers-by-robert-a-heinlein/
His other posts there are great as well.
Happy Reading
Guy
Thanks, Guy. Good article.
I grew up reading Robert Heinlein’s “juvenile” SF novels. Then, in the 1960s, I read STARSHIP TROOPERS which seemed to my 12-year-old mind at the time a bold departure. Like you, I want to revisit some of the class SF that Walton mentions in her excellent book.
So we read this about the same. This isn’t a long book, you’ll read it in a day.
Rick – Thanks for the review. SF is not really my thing. But regulars at Patti’s FFB have contributed enough posts to make me think I have been missing something great. Heinlein might be a good author to start some serious exploration. And this one might be the book to jump into (that’s a paratrooper pun. Sorry. Couldn’t resist).
Paul Verhoeven, the director of STARSHIP TROOPERS the film (and ROBOCOP, TOTAL RECALL, HOLLOW MAN, FLESH + BLOOD…and BASIC INSTINCT and SHOWGIRLS) likes to make intentionally obnoxious films. Though some of the unfortunate overtones of STARSHIP TROOPERS play into his hands…Heinlein would completely tank a few years later with FARHAM’S FREEHOLD. Rallied with THE MOON IS A HARSH MISTRESS. Started to fall apart again afterward.