Reviews Logo
SearchHomeContents PageSite Map
The Eternity Brigade
Stephen Goldin
ebook, 340K

The Eternity Brigade
Stephen Goldin
Born in Philadelphia, Stephen Goldin graduated from UCLA with a degree in Astronomy. He started writing shortly afterwards, covering various types of publications. He lives in San Leandro, California with his wife Mary Mason.

Stephen Goldin Home Page
ISFDB Bibliography
SF Site Review: Star Trek: Trek To Madworld

Past Feature Reviews
A review by Steve Lazarowitz

Advertisement
Many years ago, I read a book called The Eternity Brigade by Stephen Goldin. I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Goldin at the 58th World Science Fiction convention in Chicago many years ago, and was thrilled to learn a new version of The Eternity Brigade was available and being offered for sale in ebook format. Due to the vagaries of existence, I've only recently purchased the book, which is a somewhat updated version of Goldin's original concept. I'm pleased to say that after more than twenty years, The Eternity Brigade remains an entirely satisfying read.

Jerry Hawker, known to his friends as Hawk, is a soldier in the U.S. Army. He has just returned from the African Wars, but Hawker is one of those men who knows nothing but the army. So, when he's invited to join a program called Project Bank Note, he's not doing it for the money.

The experimental program involves freezing soldiers that have combat experience and thawing them out the next time they're needed. The eventual concept would be to have an entire army "on ice," ready to face whatever conflict arises, without having to feed, shelter and clothe them during years of peace.

Hawker befriends two other soldiers, Symington and Green, who join up with Project Bank Note, but none of them can be prepared for the future in which they awaken, or the subsequent futures, when they find themselves trapped in one of the most diabolical Catch-22 situations I've come across.

In its original incarnation, The Eternity Brigade was one of my favorite books, so it's hardly surprising how much I enjoyed this new version. As with a lot of science fiction, it would have been completely outdated by now, particularly with regards to how it portrayed computers and technology, so updating it was a good idea.

The nightmarish aspect of the original book is maintained, and some of my favorite scenes (including Hawker's first sexual encounter with an alien) are still present.

If you enjoyed the original, you'll definitely enjoy this trip down memory lane; if you haven't encountered it thus far, The Eternity Brigade is definitely one for the collection.

Copyright © 2004 Steve Lazarowitz

Steve Lazarowitz is a speculative fiction writer, an editor, a father, a husband, an animal lover and a heck of a nice guy (not necessarily in that order). Steve lives in Moonah, Tasmania with his family and four giant spiny leaf insects. You can check out his work at http://www.dream-sequence.net.


SearchContents PageSite MapContact UsCopyright

If you find any errors, typos or other stuff worth mentioning, please send it to editor@sfsite.com.
Copyright © 1996-2014 SF Site All Rights Reserved Worldwide Worldwide