The Forever War

TitleThe Forever War
Year for Search1974
AuthorsHaldeman, Joe [Joseph William](b. 1943)
PublisherSt. Martin's Press
Place PublishedNew York
KeywordsMale author, US author
Annotation

Most of the novel is a war novel set in space, but there are sections that show the effects of the war on Earth. Elements of both eutopia and dystopia. Poverty and unemployment. Homosexuality encouraged as a means of birth control. People are highly educated. Most crime down. Strict limits on private property. Huge cities. Seas are farmed so that everyone is fed. At 70 people are rated for medical coverage; zero rating means no coverage. Sequels include “A Separate War.” Far Horizons. Ed. Robert Silverberg (New York: Avon Eos, 1999), 55-87 with an author’s note on 53-54; and Forever Free. New York: Ace Books, 1999; U.K. ed. London: Millennium, 1997; rpt. from the U.K. ed. in his Peace and War [Cover adds The Omnibus Edition] (London: Gollancz, 2006), 232-427. A graphic novel edition was published London: Titan Comics, 2018. His Forever Peace. New York: Ace Books, 1997; U.K. ed. London: Millennium, 1999; rpt. in his Peace and War [Cover adds The Omnibus Edition] (London: Gollancz, 2006), 428-697 is considered a companion piece.

Additional Publishers

U.K. ed. London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1975. U.S. ed. rpt. New York: Ballantine Books, 1976; London: Gollancz, 2001; and London: Gollancz, 2006 with an “Introduction” by Peter F. Hamilton (ix-xi). An “Author’s Note” (unpaged in 2001 and vii-viii in 2006) says this is “the definitive edition” and explains the history of the various versions. Rpt. from the U.K. ed. in his Peace and War [Cover adds The Omnibus Edition] (London: Gollancz, 2006), 1-231. Parts originally published in Analog Science Fiction--Science Fact as follows: “Here” 89.4 (June 1972): 8-59; “We Are Very Happy Here” 92.3 (November 1973): 104-147; “A Mind of His Own.” 92.6 (February 1974): 80-96; “The Mazel Tov.” 94.1 (September 1974): 77-92; “Truth To Tell” 94.2 (October 1974): 12-24; and “The Best of All Possible Worlds” 94.3 (November 1974): 137-49. “You Can Never Go Back” was originally intended to be the middle part of the series but was rejected. It was published in Amazing Science Fiction 49.3 (November 1975): 6-61 and included in later versions of the book.

Info Notes

Haldeman adapted the novel it as a play, which was first performed October 18, 1983 by the Organic Theatre Co. in Chicago.

Holding Institutions

MoU-St, NLS

Author Note

(b. 1943)

Full Text

1974 Haldeman, Joe [Joseph] W[illiam] (b. 1943). The Forever War. New York: St. Martin’s Press. U.K. ed. London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1975. U.S. ed. rpt. New York: Ballantine Books, 1976; London: Gollancz, 2001; and London: Gollancz, 2006 with an “Introduction” by Peter F. Hamilton (ix-xi). An “Author’s Note” (unpaged in 2001 and vii-viii in 2006) says this is “the definitive edition” and explains the history of the various versions. Rpt. from the U.K. ed. in his Peace and War [Cover adds The Omnibus Edition] (London: Gollancz, 2006), 1-231. Parts originally published in Analog Science Fiction--Science Fact as follows: “Here” 89.4 (June 1972): 8-59; “We Are Very Happy Here” 92.3 (November 1973): 104-147; “A Mind of His Own.” 92.6 (February 1974): 80-96; “The Mazel Tov.” 94.1 (September 1974): 77-92; “Truth To Tell” 94.2 (October 1974): 12-24; and “The Best of All Possible Worlds” 94.3 (November 1974): 137-49. “You Can Never Go Back” was originally intended to be the middle part of the series but was rejected. It was published in Amazing Science Fiction 49.3 (November 1975): 6-61 and included in later versions of the book. Various versions of a graphic novel The Forever War involving Haldeman and his wife Gay Haldeman with art by Marvano (Mark van Oppen (b. 1953) have been published beginning with a Dutch edition in 1988, followed by German and French ones with the English edition translated by Haldeman from the French edition Chareloi, Belgium: Editions Dupuis, 1988. The English edition was published in 3 vols. 1 = Private Mandella; 2 = Lieutenant Mandella (2020-2203); 3 = Major Mandella (2203-3177). New York: Nantier Beall Minoustchine, 1990-1991. A new edition of the English edition was published as a comic and then London: Titan Comics, 2017 which reprints the six issues of a comics version, with the covers of the comics included.

Most of the novel is a war novel set in space, but there are sections that show the effects of the war on Earth. Elements of both eutopia and dystopia. Poverty and unemployment. Homosexuality encouraged as a means of birth control. People are highly educated. Most crime down. Strict limits on private property. Huge cities. Seas are farmed so that everyone is fed. At 70 people are rated for medical coverage; zero rating means no coverage. Sequels include “A Separate War.” Far Horizons. Ed. Robert Silverberg (New York: Avon Eos, 1999), 55-87 with an author’s note on 53-54; and Forever Free. New York: Ace Books, 1999; U.K. ed. London: Millennium, 1997; rpt. from the U.K. ed. in his Peace and War [Cover adds The Omnibus Edition] (London: Gollancz, 2006), 232-427. A graphic novel edition was published London: Titan Comics, 2018. His Forever Peace. New York: Ace Books, 1997; U.K. ed. London: Millennium, 1999; rpt. in his Peace and War [Cover adds The Omnibus Edition] (London: Gollancz, 2006), 428-697 is considered a companion piece.