Simply my favourite book ever. Even though this is science fiction & I don't like science fiction this is an amazing book, telling the story of a future Earth at struggling to cope with an expensive war. It centre's around students conscripted to be soldiers travelling millions of light years away to fight an unknown enemy, but when they return to earth after just months away, due to the relativity of faster than light travel years have passed on Earth & everyone they knew & loved has long died. As well as having all the usual sci-fi stuff (aliens, space battles, space travel) is a great study of the pointlessness of war & what it means to be human. In light of the war in Iraq this is an incredibly relevant book that should be read by everyone.