''Forever Peace'' is a 1997 science fiction novel by

Joe Haldeman Joe William Haldeman (born June 9, 1943) is an American people, American science fiction author and former college professor. He is best known for his novel ''The Forever War'' (1974), which was inspired by his experiences as a combat soldier ...

. It won the

Nebula Award The Nebula Awards annually recognize the best works of science fiction or fantasy published in the United States. The awards are organized and awarded by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association (SFWA), a nonprofit association of pr ...

Hugo Award The Hugo Award is an annual literary award for the best science fiction or fantasy works and achievements of the previous year, given at the World Science Fiction Convention (Worldcon) and chosen by its members. The award is administered by th ...

and John W. Campbell Memorial Award in 1998.

Plot

Though its title is similar to ''

The Forever War ''The Forever War'' (1974) is a military science fiction novel by American author Joe Haldeman, telling the contemplative story about human soldiers fighting an interstellar war against an alien civilization known as the Taurans. It won the N ...

'', and both novels deal with soldiers in the future, ''Forever Peace'' is not a direct sequel and takes place on a different future of Earth in 2048. Using remotely controlled, nearly invincible robots called "soldierboys", the

Alliance An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or sovereign state, states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not an explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an a ...

military fights

third-world The term Third World arose during the Cold War to define countries that remained non-aligned with either NATO or the Warsaw Pact. The United States, Canada, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, the Southern Cone, NATO, Western European countries and oth ...

guerrillas in an endless series of economy-driven wars. As only first-world nations possess the nanoforge technology that can produce anything from basic materials, conflict is largely asymmetric. The novel is told partly in first-person narration by the main character, Julian Class, and partly by an anonymous third-person narrator, who comments on aspects of Julian's personality and background. The main protagonist, Julian Class, is a physicist and a mechanic who operates a soldierboy. Thanks to electronic "jacks" implanted in their skulls, mechanics are remotely linked to the machinery as well as to each other, being able to experience battle through the machines and read the thoughts of other mechanics who are simultaneously jacked in. After attempting suicide, Julian and his lover, Amelia "Blaze" Harding, are made aware of a problem with an automated particle physics project that could trigger a new

Big Bang The Big Bang is a physical theory that describes how the universe expanded from an initial state of high density and temperature. Various cosmological models based on the Big Bang concept explain a broad range of phenomena, including th ...

that would destroy the universe. The pair speculate that a given universe exists only until its first civilization attempts such a project. When Julian, Blaze, and another physicist submit their paper to a journal's review board, they find themselves the target of "The Hammer of God", a Christian cult bent on hastening an anticipated end of the universe. As the Hammer of God has a secret presence throughout the government, Julian and Blaze narrowly miss being assassinated. Marty Larrin, one of the inventors of jacking technology, recruits Julian and Blaze in an attempt to use the technology to end war; a little-known secret is that jacking with someone else for about two weeks will psychologically eliminate the ability to kill another human being. By "humanizing" the entire world, dangerous technology would not be a problem for human survival. They do so, stop the particle accelerator's construction, and the war is eventually ended.

Reception

* Hugo Award winner, 1998 * Nebula Award winner, 1998 * John W. Campbell Memorial Award winner, 1998 * Locus Award nominee, 1998

References

External links

Forever Peace
at Worlds Without End {{Authority control 1997 American novels 1997 science fiction novels American science fiction novels Fiction about brain–computer interface Hugo Award for Best Novel–winning works John W. Campbell Award for Best Science Fiction Novel–winning works Military science fiction novels Nebula Award for Best Novel–winning works Novels by Joe Haldeman Ace Books books