Once a Hero
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by Claire Sims
____I would recommend the science fiction Once a Hero by Elizabeth Moon for most
readers. An important feature is the fact that the main character is female and she
is in the military. There are not many science fiction novels that have this combination.
The novel is an easy read so it is good travel or vacation reading. There are a couple
of other reasons why this book is recommended as well.
____One reason people would enjoy reading this novel is that it explores how a person's
past affects their present and future. The main character, Esmay Suiza, has a troubled
past and one of the subplots is the way she comes to term with it. This coming to
know herself is something many readers will like. It also makes the character easy
to identify with for many women. The novel does tackle some topics that science fiction
has not touched upon very deeply yet. Once a Hero is not a coming of age story, more
of a coming to know yourself story.
____The novel is also a story of first contact. Suiza comes from a culture that is
very different than the culture of the military. The book is about how she realizes
this and starts to learn how to function within her new, chosen society. She has
many misconceptions and misunderstandings that would be interesting for readers interested
in anthropology or sociology. Since it is light reading, it does not deal with this
too much but it is an interesting facet of the novel.
____However, I would not recommend it for readers who like lots of philosophical
discussions or ideas. This novel does not work on that level. I would suggest Isaac
Asimov, Arthur C. Clarke, Frank Herbert, or Robert Heinlein for those readers.
____If a reader does not read science fiction, I would hesitate to have her start
with this novel. While it is an easy read and reasonably well written story, there
are many much better stories available for her entry into the written world of science
fiction. I would have them start with one of the short story magazines most likely.