When you think of science fiction in popular culture, a few major juggernauts spring to mind. There’s the stubborn and enduring Star Trek, a beloved mainstay of nerd culture since 1966. There’s George Lucas’ Star Wars, equal parts Arthurian fantasy, neo-Western, and political drama. There’s Frank Herbert’s Dune, a foundational text for the genre that’s recently exploded into the mainstream in a way it never has as a result of Denis Villeneuve’s cinematic adaptation. But further down the list, maybe not third or fourth or even seventh, is Starship Troopers.
Despite the fact that Robert Heinlein’s groundbreaking 1959 novel remains extremely controversial, it’s still one of the most influential works in the genre — its buglike alien Arachnids have influenced many depictions of inhuman extraterrestrials, and the introduction of weaponized technological exoskeletons gifted the concept of “mech-suits” to the world. But for as influential as the book is, Paul Verhoeven’s 1997 film adaptation might be even more so, especially in the world of video games — at least, according to the developers at Auroch Digital, the team responsible for Starship Troopers: Ultimate Bug War.
