STUDY WAR NO MORE: A Selection of Alternatives
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An anthology of ten sci-fi perspectives on the idiocy of war, mass regimentation, and so forth? Well, it's not a bad idea, but the net effect is a mite sanctimonious. There's a pretty good early Damon Knight about an alien peace invasion and a razor-edged George Alec Effinger exploring that cozy metaphor--""theater of operations."" Poul Anderson's fine ""A Man to My Wounding"" examines a new and horrible wrinkle in pre-emptive assassination strategies. Other good bets: Haldeman's own snappy account of a do-it-yourself venture in nuclear deterrence; Asimov's glib but provocative essay on the benefits of more rather than less computerized governmental tab-keeping; William Nabors' delightful fable of a Field Marshal succumbing to an unorthodox strain of VD developed by--you guessed it--the ""Fuck for Peace"" movement. Fairly good anthology, though the supposed connecting theme doesn't really do much for the individual stories.