Customer Reviews

A Matter for Men (The War Against the Chtorr, Book 1)

5 star:		(41)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

CONCEPT: Earth has been invaded by the Chtorr culture; a mix of especially nasty and powerful beings that make up this alien ecological chain. First, ¾ of the humans were wiped out by the plagues and now gigantic worm like creatures are further slaying people while they infest the American lands.

SCORING: Superb (A), Excellent (A-), Very good (B+), Good (B) Fairly Good (B-) Above Average (C+), Mediocre (C ), Barely Passable (C-) Pretty Bad (D+), Dismal (D), Waste of Time (D-), Into the Trash (F)

DIALOGUE: A STRUCTURE: A HISTORY SETTING: A- CHARACTERS: A MONSTERS/ALIEN DEVELOPMENTS: A DEEP THOUGHTS: A EVIL SETUP/ANTAGONISTS: A EMOTIONAL IMPACT: A SURPRISES: A- TECHNOLOGY: A- PACING: A LITTLE THINGS: A OVERALL STYLE: A FLOW OF WORDS: A CHOICE OF FOCUS: A TRANSITIONS/FLASHBACKS/POV: A COMPLEXITY OF WORDS/SYMBOLISM/THEMES: A

OVERALL GRADE: A

WHY IT WORKED FOR ME: First off, I was drawn in and I usually don't go for sci fi books. That simple. The means of describing such a disastrous infestation would turn most people off who don't want to read such a gloom and doom story. I have to admit that at times things seem bleak when they think of coexisting rather than eradicating the Chtorrans. But the story kept driving forward and you're compelled to follow with it. Great characters, great dialogues and great writing style (see below for the latter point). This story works best for people who appreciate investigate stories and aren't afraid to read about the tumultuous emotions raging in this novel. A lot of these people are on the edge or still carrying anger around. For me, that was pretty fascinating. Gerrold revealed it no only from a scientific viewpoint (as most sci fi authors do), but also from an emotional viewpoint. Flashbacks, for the most part, connected with the current story in scope or belief. Thus, it was an easy flow. The class taught by Whitlaw was totally new to me. Now that's the way a class should be taught; not with the drones we have now in the education system.

OVERALL STYLE: Loved the dialogue (see above). Also loved the metaphors and similes . . . " . . . her head blossomed in a sudden flower of red." Or "I turned in time to see the Chtorran falling forward through a shower of glass fragments. They glittered around it like tiny sparkling stars. In one smooth movement, it poured through the glass and flowed down off the stage and into the shrieking audience. It hit the front rows like an avalanche." His play with words are magnificent. I really could feel the story flow as I read it and it never ever . . . ever dragged.

This is very hard sci-fi. Do not pick up ths book without having many hours available to you to finish it. Once started, the book sucks you in gradually so that you say, "just one more chapter". When you finish the book at 5:50 am the next morning, you will be exhausted as if you had just run a 10K.

The above also applies to the three follow-on books.

I have read this book at least 5 times. Maybe 8. I lost count many years ago.

Gerrold's site, www.chtorr.com , claims that there will be a fifth book and a sixth book and a seventh book. I will believe it when I see it. I suspect that these books are so strenuous to write that the man might not have the strength to finish them anymore. There is a taunting preview of book 5 at http://www.chtorr.com/books-chtorr5/chtorr5.htm .

~A Matter for Men~ hits the ground running, and doesn't look back; I can't imagine anyone not being shocked by the end of the first chapter. Gerrold does an excellent job of depicting a world just barely surviving a series of plagues, only to be beset by attacks from the Chtorrans (think large pink worms that think *you're* lunch).

Jim McCarthy is an excellent protagonist, and he clearly develops over the course of the novel--while surviving numerous life-threatening encounters with the Chtorrans--becoming, to quote Coleridge, "a sadder and a wiser man" by the end.

The book did remind me of Heinlein's ~Starship Troopers~, although I think this book is an order of magnitude better: almost everything that happens in Gerrold's book is, if not likely, at least plausible. [The one notable exception would be the fate of Jim's friend Ted; I didn't quite understand the motivation for his actions late in the book.] In particular, the flashbacks and sidebars seem particularly well-placed and don't disrupt the narrative. [There are questions raised that aren't answered, but as there are six more books in the series (three of those not yet published), I suspect many of those questions will be answered later.]

Gerrold wrote this as the first book in a series of seven (so far, four have come out; fans have been waiting a decade for the fifth), and they're all out of print. Gerrold has said there are plans to bring the first four books back when the fifth comes out; I, and many others, eagerly await their re-release.

As a novel standing on its own, A Matter for Men succeeds. The setup of the alien infestation of Earth is quite skilled, and is written in great depth in a realistic manner. Gerrold's future Earth, decimated by plague and beseiged by alien ecology, is believable and interesting; in other hands, it could easily come across as silly or boring. Although our protagonist McCarthy is flawed, so what? The perfect hero gets boring after a while. Having said that, his whining and drama get a little tedious after a while.

The reason this is a tough review to write is the steady decline in quality of the next three books in the series. As is common in (endemic to?) SF novel series, each successive novel tends to become more turgid, slow and self-indulgent. The War Against the Chtorr is no exception. In fact, the remaining novels in this series (particularly Book 3) set new standards in tedium.

Were this novel standing on its own, I wouldn't hesitate to give it 4 stars. However, after you read it, you'll want to read the others, and you will likely be disappointed. I have to knock off one star for the annoyance you will endure if you do so. Be forewarned!

I read a lot, and so don't have a lot of time to repeat books (too much new to read!) However, I've read this one at least a dozen times, and it is always just as good.

I force this book (and the others in the series...FINISH THE NEXT ONE, DAVID!) on all my friends at some point in their lives. Almost all of them have agreed with me about how good it is. I have four or five copies of these books around, just to be sure I never lose them when loaning them out.

One thing I will have to sheepishly admit is that I read this book long before I touched any Heinlein...and when I picked up my first Heinlein novel, Starship Troopers, I was floored to realize that Gerrold's style is very similar, and, well, Solomon Short has been around for a long time. Doesn't make it any less great, and it suddenly makes the dedication to Robert and Ginny Heinlein make a *lot* of sense!

The characters are complex, the hero isn't perfect, the science is very strong, the plot is interesting (it's a page-turner in several spots), and the overall sense of story from the four books together makes for some interesting speculations. I am sure David knows where it's all heading, but I hope he hurries up and lets the rest of us in on it...I waited years for the fourth book, and it was worth it. I'm sure that the wait for the fifth will be as worth it, but dang it, I'm getting impatient!

Just original. The book has been compared to Heinlen's Starship Troopers but it is a step beyond. Starship Troopers is a great, original thought read. A Matter For Men gets you into the story with many underlying currents that bother you during the entire series. Even in the 4th book in the series, you know that you have not been exposed yet to the true underlying theme. Yes, the Earth is being "terra-formed". I almost get the feeling that is just the apparent thing that is happening. I am eagerly awaiting the 5th, 6th and 7th books that I doubt will finish the series. See http://www.chtorr.com for more details about the new books.

Highly recommended for serious sci-fi readers. Warning: start this book early in the day so that you wont have to finish it at 4 am the morning.

Wow. Weirdest thing I've ever read. I dropped right off the mainstream-elegant-feminine-fantasy platform into some strange, neo-retro masculine dimension. Can *definitely* tell this was written by a man, and that this adolescent *female* reader was not the target age group... though I doubt this was aimed for commercial success... more like the 30ish, chubby, comic/video game/computer MALE geek... no wonder I feel like I landed on the moon. Highly intrigueing... enthralling. Couldn't put it down; and when I did, my dad picked it up off my bedroom floor and idly started reading it... then *he* couldn't put it down... I think that pretty much speaks for itself. The only thing my limited reading experiences could compare it to are Starship Troopers or Midshipman's Hope. I'd recommend it... if you trust *my* opinion.

McCarthy keep down ... and shut up.
That's the first intro we get to Special Forces soldier James McCarthy who may just be the savior of the human race ... we'll see when David Gerrold finishes this series.
I first encountered Gerold's A Matter For Men when it was serialized in StarLog magazine in early 1983. It was a good read with a not to heavy handed exploration of Vietnam, nationalism and what happens when pacifism takes root in a nation.
James McCarthy is a young, outspoken, even lost, individual who bumbles his way through a war against an invading organism. In the first book it's giant pink worms that tear into folk like Jaws the shark. It evolves from there as McCarthy and his squad leader Duke fight and learn about the worms. The problem is that humanity has been decimated by its own foolishness and some sort of unknown plague ... there's not much left to face the Chtorr -- named for its goulish cry just before it tears into something -- when Earth has to fight off the giant pink worms.
This is the first book in what is now a four book series. The author has promised at least two more books, but the last one came out in 1992. He's a little behind.
I keep coming back to this series for two reasons: I like the civics teacher named Whitlaw who dominates the first book through McCarthy's memories, and I like the mode training in the third book A Rage for Revenge.
Throughout the series, Gerrold keeps the plot moving, maybe not at the same clip as this book, but each one breaks new ground. These books are worth the investment in time to read them.

The War against the Chtorr series of books was first published in the mid eighties. At a later point, the incomplete series was rereleased with a few changes. I first read the first three novels in a single hardback collection that I borrowed from a friend's house, and loved it. At the time, I was unaware that David Gerrold had also written "the Trouble with Tribbles." I later bought what paperbacks(the first 4 novels) were available. This set has been with me through multiple moves, and is the last book I will read this millenium. This series has not become dated--in fact, many of the thoughts remain refreshingly new. David has created a very complete world that is easy to enjoy. The characterizations are complex, the plot engaging, and along with the intense descriptions combine to present a seamless experience. However, the series remains unfinished, so ultimately, you must resolve the fate of the world yourself.

I saw these books on the bookstand, but the BEMs on the cover put me off (Bug-eyed monsters to you uninitiates.) A trusted friend told me these books were the best SF ever and I scoffed. Then "Hmmm," I said. Now, I've read them all twice and am waiting dry-tongued and itching-eyed for the next... and I've never waited so long with no let-up in my addictive book craving. Mr. Gerrold knows more about just about everything that I know about than I ever will and he stuffs it in his series and makes me gobble it up with the hair on my neck standing straight up. The next of the series was promised by the publisher for 1990, sort of hinting it was the final volume. David, take a lesson from Robert Jordon who's only 80% the writer you are. Don't wrap it up. I'm a typical guy, judging from the other reviews, and I'll read 5 or 6 more in this series if you'll provide them and keep up the quality. These books are a psychological, sociological, ecological education by way of twisted gut reactions and bleary-eyed mornings from reading all night. Come on, DG, stop acting rich and get to it.