The Forever War
The Forever War by Joe Haldemanby Joe Haldeman
Shares rank 56 of 179 science fiction novels by recommenders
Recommended as a science fiction novel that shows the futility of war, and readers who like Asimov tend to enjoy it too.
Recommended as a science fiction novel that shows the futility of war, and readers who like Asimov tend to enjoy it too.
8 people gave an opinion
- recommend it
- 8
- criticize it
- 0
- approval share
- 100%
Recommended in 6 of 13 months
- November 2025: not recommended
- December 2025: recommended
- January 2026: recommended
- February 2026: recommended
- March 2026: not recommended
- April 2026: recommended
- May 2026: not recommended
- June 2026: recommended
- July 2026: not recommended
- August 2026: recommended
- September 2026: not recommended
- October 2026: not recommended
- November 2026: not recommended (month in progress)
Why it doesn’t carry the badge
- 8 people recommend itNeeds 10 or more, not met.
- Nobody criticizes itNeeds 2 to 1 or better, met.
- Recommended in 6 of 13 monthsNeeds 4 or more, met.
The same three rules apply to every product, and the badge can’t be bought. How the badge works
What people say about it
The reasons people give, with the number of comments that give each one. Open a reason to read what they said.
Why people recommend it
Each mark is one comment
Loved by readers as a great book
“Really loved The Hyperion Cantos and The Forever War.”
Comment from 11 Jun 2026 in “U.S. kids no longer reading for pleasure” “Forever War was a great book”
Comment from 30 Aug 2026 in “Memo to Ridley Scott: no one needs more Alien: Covenant movies”
Other science fiction novels people recommend
The four most recommended other science fiction novels, with the same counts for each, so you can compare like for like. The tick on each bar marks the 2 to 1 line the badge needs.
| Product | Recommend | Criticize | Approval | Months | Owned | Badge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Project Hail Maryby Andy Weir | 117 | 24 | 83% | 12 | — | Approved |
| There Is No Antimemetics Divisionby qntm | 98 | 34 | 74% | 9 | 1.5 yrs6 owners | Approved |
| Blindsightby Peter Watts | 96 | 27 | 78% | 12 | — | Approved |
| Duneby Frank Herbert | 82 | 25 | 77% | 12 | — | Approved |
| The Forever Warby Joe HaldemanThis page | 8 | 0 | 100% | 6 | — | — |
What people said
6 of the 8 comments that mention it, newest first. Each links to the original comment.
“It needs space to breathe.”
“Forever War was a great book”
“Really loved The Hyperion Cantos and The Forever War.”
“They are different styles but definitely enjoyed by someone who also likes Asimov.”
“to me this book is the perfect demonstration of the ultimate futility of war”
“Also great on the same topic”
Counts come from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026. How we count. Report a mistake.