Sci-Fi Author Joe Haldeman On the Future of War

merbs writes: Joe Haldeman wrote what is hailed by many as the best military science fiction novel ever written, 1974's The Forever War. In this interview, Haldeman discusses what's changed since he wrote his book, what hasn't, and what the future of war will really look like. Vice reports: "...The Vietnam War may have ended decades ago, but our military adventuring hasn’t. Our moment can somehow feel simultaneously like a crossroads for the technological future of combat and another arbitrary point on its dully predictable, incessantly conflict-laden trajectory. We’re relying more on drones and proxy soldiers to fight our far-off wars, in theaters far from the conscionable grasp of homelands, we’re automating robotics for the battlefield, and we’re moving our tactics online—so it seems like an opportune time to check in with science fiction’s most prescient author of military fiction."

Comments

I've always said

[Ol Olsoc]

If we aren't killing people, what the hell is the point of war?

It sounds crass and nasty. But if we have manned engines of war fighting other unmanned enginnes of war, there is no point.

Because everyone else will catch up. It won't always be unmanned on people, all will eventually have dronish devices.

Be cheaper to run simulations and the best one wins.