lack of female characters

Starship Troopers

Posted on October 10, 2013

Banned Book Month is over! Novel Ideas returns with the granddaddy of military science fiction, Starship Troopers by Robert Heinlein. Or possibly Bobby H. In this week’s episode we discuss the politics of authors as represented by their books, the lack of characterization in this book, the strange lack of war in a book about war, and how despite a paucity of women, this book still acknowledges women better than most classic sci fi. We also talk about the fun, if not so good, movie, colorful windbags, people and their similarity to potatoes, puppies, and other “P” words, and how we would react to giant spiders holding guns.

The music bump this week is “The Ballad of Rodger Young” by Frank Loesser, the sweetest sound in the galaxy.

Starship Troopers – The Fault In Our Starship Troopers

Recommendations:

This is definitely a Ben book rather than a Gabs book. Be warned, there are two chapters of actual war in this book about war, most of the rest is conversation.

Gabs: 7/10 for someone looking for science fiction, 4/10 for someone who doesn’t usually read that genre.

Ben: 9/10 for someone like me, which is to say someone with a prior interest in military minutiae and science fiction. Then again, this is one of my favorite books. Maybe closer to 7/10 for a generic sci fi fan.

This entry was posted in Episodes, Movies of books and tagged asides, author politics, Ben references, Bob Heinlein, Bobby H, brotherhood, colorful windbags, conservatism, consistency, crime and punishment, favorite books, giant spiders, government that works, harcore old guys, Hollywood whitewashing, interesting narration, lack of characterization, lack of female characters, listener suggestions, military philosophy, military SF, movies of books, nature of war, people aren't p---, Robert Heinlein, Starship Troopers, Starship Troopers remake, where's the war?.

2012-13 Year in Review

Posted on March 26, 2013

It’s time for our first year(ish) anniversary episode. We apologize for being a week late, but our recording from last week was corrupted somehow and we had to meet again and record the whole thing a second time. In this week’s episode, we cover our top and bottom five from the previous year, recount several old jokes, and even manage to make a couple of new ones. We plug a few of our favorite episodes and books, revisit old hatred, and are generally the same vainglorious, self-indulgent goofballs that by now you expect us to be.

The music bump is “It Was A Very Good Year” as arranged by Gordon Goodwin and performed by Take Six and Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band.

42 – 2012-13 Year in Review

A quick correction: North Dakota did not pass a “personhood” law, they merely okayed putting a “personhood” law up for referendum.

This entry was posted in Episodes and tagged bad Hollywood adaptations, best five, bitter chocolate, book selection, characterization both good and bad, Connie Willis rocks, favorite episodes, Fifty Shades of Hate, future plans, Giver a round of applause, good Hollywood adaptations, hilarious misspeaks, I still don't love the 80's, I watch the Watchmen, lack of female characters, more gushing, more like Watership Frown, not memorable, personhood, realistic child characters, research standards, sci fi generations, strange connections, technical difficulties, tight writing, universe building, worst five.