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Title: Heinlein Redux
Review: While diverting enough, A Hymn Before Battle is basically a recycled Starship Troopers in the very familiar BEM sub-genre of science fiction, aimed a bit more at adults but exceedingly derivative. The hero is an Irish Woody Allen on steroids, a peerless soldier/technogeek of exceeding ugliness married to a woman apparently a cross between Catherine Zeta-Jones and Demi Moore. Every trite military stereotype is here: clueless brass, gruff sergeants with hearts of gold, second loots from sniveling to super, a sniper babe, and terminal acronymania. The first half of the book is the traditional gathering of the fabled warriors sort of thing and setting up the overall conflict; it moves like a snail in January molasses. The second half is much better, and the climactic battle scenes are truly super. Not a writer to make you forget Turtledove, Drake, Flint, Stirling--or Heinlein or E.E. "Doc" Smith, for that matter.
