Originally published back in 1959, and winner of the Hugo Award for Best Novel in 1960, Starship Troopers is a classic sci-fi novel that has been considered controversial from the day it was first published. It bears little resemblance to the 1997 movie with the same name and there are many different takes on why it is controversial. Set 700 years in the future, it's a coming of age story for Johnny Rico, who joins the military upon reaching his 18th birthday. Boot camp is no picnic and I frankly love the writing about Johnny's experiences after signing up. He goes through hell, even earning himself a few lashes for disobeying an order, but in the end he learns to respect and trust those around him. Unlike the YA coming of age stories of today, the adult leaders are not portrayed as morons, and they seem to be people worthy of their rank. A quality that definitely gets passed down to Johnny as he struggles to find his own path in life.

Aside from a book about the military being pro violence, (lol, who'd have guessed?) the most controversy is generated by the long winded lectures that condemn the forms of government that came before it, including US democracy. In Johnny's future, you must serve two years in the military to earn the right to vote, and the justification given is that a person must learn to put the group ahead of their individual needs in order to be qualified to vote. Looking around at the state of affairs here in 2025, I think Starship Troopers gets more right than it gets wrong, and frankly I find that it remains a great story that is worthy of your time.

The new audiobook version is narrated by R. C. Bray and that is why I picked it up. He's the perfect narrator for this one and listening was an excellent experience. I highly recommend it. On the bounce, soldier!