Armor

By: John Steakley

Narrated by: Tom Weiner

The planet is called Banshee. The air is unbreathable, the water poisonous. It is the home of the most implacable enemies that humanity, in all its interstellar expansion, has ever encountered.

Felix is a scout in A-team Two. Highly competent, he is the sole survivor of mission after mission. Yet he is a man consumed by fear and hatred. And he is protected not only by his custom-fitted body armor, the culmination of 10,000 years of the armorers' craft, but also by an odd being which seems to live with him, a cold killing machine he calls "the Engine."

©1984 John Steakley (P)2009 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Gripping, forceful, and compelling....A tour de force." ( Kliatt)

Psychology vs Ants - Ants win

I like military sci-fi. And I like thoughtful sci-fi. And I don't mind explorations of psychology in my fiction. So I figured, based on most of the reviews, that I would like the the secondary story of Jack Crowe that everyone said "interrupts" the main military story.

I did not... Felix's story which starts the book (just over half the book) is an interesting butt-kicking military sci-fi battle... then we get about 1/3 of the book wasted on some stupid barely-related "moral-fest" starring Jack Crowe.

Fortunately, the story does get back on track before the end, and it is wrapped up okay, but I wish the author hadn't wasted so much time going on and on and on about Jack Crowe's "badness and redemption" theme.

The narration is very good though.

Take the time - its a great ride

This is a different take on the military adventure and little to do with celebration of violence - an interesting a well structured tale with a couple of twists you don't see coming. Its a long tale and if you dip into it only occasionally you might lose the storyline but unlike some other reviewers I had no difficulty following the threads. In fact the separation of the two main storylines and the manner in which they come together are both intriguing and satisfying. The book also benefits from a title chosen as much for its context as its saleability. Themes explore more than one kind of 'armour' than the hardware which is the obvious reference, and the capabilities of that piece of equipment are coloured by more than a celebration of destructive potential. The characters are thoughfully drawn and shaded and I enjoyed this tale greatly. Its a piece with enough detail and consideration to warrant several listenings and I rate it fairly high on a scale of worthy action-adventure sci-fi tales. Clearly well worth the cost of the download, any hooray its NOT a trilogy! Enjoy.

Recommended for fans of military sci fi

Once upon a time I used to think I read star wars books and thought I was a sci fi fan. This was the first book that really launched me into the science fiction genre. I had no idea what I was missing. This book really is an excellent read and I suggest it to anyone. From here I went on to broaden my horizons and read the classics, and contemporary sci fi, but I still have a soft spot for this book.

Highly recommended for fans of military sci fi

powered armor infantry versus the evil bug aliens

I remember loving this book when I discovered it in the library as a teenager, and I still find it quite enjoyable 18 years later. The parts with Felix in armor are great; the other "half" of the story is entertaining enough to wade through to the good parts. It was memorable enough 18 years ago that I happened to be searching for it on Audible a day or so after it became available.

I'm sure hardly a review goes by without some comparison to Heinlen's Starship Troopers (the book, obviously, not the awful mess Hollywood made). I find the two books similar, even to having to wade through half the book to get to the good parts, but they are different enough to have them both be quite enjoyable. It's a sort of mini-genre of powered armor infantry versus the evil bug aliens. (Actually, I guess it's not so mini, anymore -- there are countless video games, like Halo, based on this genre.)

The narrator on this audio book is good too -- although his whiskey-and-cigarettes growl is great for Felix and the fighting men, it does get a little silly when he stretches it for the female voices.

Armor

Complex and detailed. Starts good and gets better. Lots of action and human interest.