I just finished John Scalzi's The Ghost Brigades, sequel to Old Man's War. I read it in an afternoon this past weekend. I liked it, but it wasn't as pleasing to me as Old Man's War.
Scalzi's first book, Old Man's War, was a homage to Robert Heinlein's novels, and as such had a female supporting character who was stronger and more competent than the male lead. Many if not most Heinlein novels follow this pattern: an undistinguished man inexplicably becomes the object of affection of an omnicompetent woman. Eventually he proves himself worthy of the love of the uber-girl, and there's a happy ending.
So in Old Man's War, there's a woman with greater-than-human physical and mental capabilities, and while she appears in Ghost Brigades, her eminent superiority is downplayed. So The Ghost Brigades is a good book, but it doesn't quite light my fire like Old Man's War.
Scalzi's latest book, The Last Colony, isn't available in paperback just yet, and since I'm a cheap bastard I haven't read it.
Many if not most Heinlein novels follow this pattern: an undistinguished man inexplicably becomes the object of affection of an omnicompetent woman.
Hmmm - I'd say some, not many or most follow that theme. The Future History and Juvenile novels were a mixture of male driven storylines and only Podkayne of Mars had a leading female protagonist. It certainly wasn't the case with Starship Troopers (the last of his Juveniles and very male centered) or especially (and another troublemaking stories of his for him) Farnham's Freehold. Incidentally and unintentionally, it has more relevance now then when it was written in the early 60's, giving some insight on his views towards what we might today call Islmofascism.
I would agree that many, if not most of his later in life stories post-1970 did follow your outlined theme, with the notable exception of Friday, which had no male interest as counter balance for his uber-woman character.
Lingster
-
The Juveniles
|
Super Administrator
|
2007-06-13 11:59:05
See, the Juveniles were the ones I think most follow the pattern. Have Spacesuit - Will Travel, for example, features Kip, a young male of uncertain ability who eventually proves his worth to Peewee, a young girl of extraordinary ability. There's a similar arc, middling boy transformed into man of substance worthy of initially far superior woman, in at least Citizen of the Galaxy and Tunnel in the Sky.
, sequel to Old Man's War
