Wars are almost by definition times of the most extreme stress for the societies and individuals involved, and as such they are often used in literature to show a life stripped of routine, normality, and social convention, revealing the essence of the engaged characters and cultures. Robert Heinlein and Joe Haldeman are other science fiction writers who have used war as the central situation in some of their books for the above purpose.

Heinlein has used war in several of his fictions, including the well-known Starship Troopers, a novel originally written for young adults whose violence has led it to be marketed for adults. Starship Troopers shows how a young man is transformed from a pacifist into an effective warrior. Some of the techniques used to indoctrinate him are echoed in Hardfought, such as the molding of personality through control of information by leaders.

Whereas Starship...