 Steffen Hantke has described the mechanized suits in the novel, which make the wearer resemble a "steel gorilla," as defining masculinity as "something intensely physical, based on animal power, instinct, and aggression".He calls this form of masculinity "all body, so to speak, and no brain".Thus, in Hantke's reading, "Starship Troopers" expresses fears of how masculinity may be preserved in an environment of high technology.