Study War No More

An anthology of ten sci-fi perspectives on the idiocy of war, mass regimentation, and so forth? Well, it's not a bad idea, but the net effect is a mite sanctimonious. There's a pretty good early Damon Knight about an alien peace invasion and a razor-edged George Alec Effinger exploring that cozy metaphor - "theater of operations." Poul Anderson's fine "A Man to My Wounding" examines a new and horrible wrinkle in pre-emptive assassination strategies. Other good bets: Haldeman's own snappy account of a do-it-yourself venture in nuclear deterrence; Asimov's glib but provocative essay on the benefits of more rather than less computerized governmental tab-keeping; William Nabors' delightful fable of a Field Marshal succumbing to an unorthodox strain of VD developed by - you guessed it - the "Fuck for Peace" movement. Fairly good anthology, though the supposed connecting theme doesn't really do much for the individual stories. (Kirkus Reviews)