The Forever War by Joe Haldeman (264 pages) - White Ranch Park West Lot

Based in part on the author’s experiences in Vietnam, The Forever War is regarded as one of the greatest military science fiction novels ever written, capturing the alienation that servicemen and women experience even now upon returning home from battle. It shines a light not only on the culture of the 1970s in which it was written, but also on our potential future. “To say that The Forever War is the best science fiction war novel ever written is to damn it with faint praise. It is . . . as fine and woundingly genuine a war story as any I’ve read” (William Gibson).

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23681449-the-forever-war

I missed the discussion when the Science Fiction Book Club read this last year.

Although written in 1974, copies are sometimes available at libraries (especially eBook versions). Used print copies can be found on eBay.

The plan is to meet at 6:00am at the west trailhead lot and we can break into two groups. We're going to try this in lieu of limiting the group size, due to most folks preferring to interact without the reading/ book discussion element.

The folks who want to discuss the book can hang back with me, and we'll start with a more traditional book club discussion, just outdoors. Might pick a trail, might just find a nice spot to sit and discuss the book. If we hike it will be under 5 miles at a 2mph pace. We'll start wherever we're going at 6:15am and we'll end/ turn back when the book discussion comes to an end.

The folks who are not really into books are welcome to form a separate hiking cluster. I won't be coordinating that, but can give you ideas on different trails that may be of interest. My focus being the book discussion part of things.

Sunrise is 5:54am

Park Map is at: https://www.jeffco.us/DocumentCenter/View/9387/White-Ranch-Park-Map

You'll want normal hiking stuff, hat, sunglasses, water. Folks with me shouldn't need to bring chairs, there's the picnic area or we can walk.

I prefer to discuss/ explore without pets or children.