"Starship Troopers" by Robert A. Heinlein

Till the very end of the book, I didn't know if this was fascist propaganda or satire. The author depicts the main ideas in a favourable light, yet he also creates a world where these ideas fail—i.e., humans are losing the war. There are some elements of 1984, such as the weird alliances the humans make with "skinnies" (an alien race).

However, I'm not exactly sure why "Starship Troopers" is considered sci-fi. Yes, it is set in the future, but all the ideas could as well be represented in a WWI-era society. There's little sci-fi except that it's in space and has giant bugs.

Overall, I liked the world the author built, though. If it were a clear fascist satire (like the movie is), I think I'd like it way more. I'm still on the fence even after reading numerous author's interviews.