Hi all, I am also a fan of SF. I admit to not having read many of the works you have mentioned above, but I would like to add my 2 cents about SF. IMHO, if you haven't read past the first few chapters you haven't given the book its due. As ronitr said the characters grow, become real, and as a reader you become invested in their lives. The book spans a 25 year time frame,and that's a long time to spend with characters. Throughout the book you meet others that become a living circle of friends that help them through many trials and tribulations. SF is about soldiers and I believe the authors strove for a sense of realism, having interviewed soldiers and done countless research into soldiers lives while on mission. As to what you might refer to grammar mistakes, if you are referring to speech of the characters, remember some are not native speakers themselves. The style the authors write in is not meant to be easy prose. It is meant to drive action and suspense with short sentences and military speak. Having been a literature major at university, I have high standards and did not have a problem with their style of writing or grammar usage. Open yourselves to the story, give it a chance and become a junkie like the rest of SF fans. There are chapters that will make you cry, shout for joy, or just shake with emotion. I encourage you to give it a chance. If its not for you, all is well and no hard feelings.