The Hoplite

"The Hoplite" by Richard Sheridan is a science fiction story set in a futuristic military world, where a soldier named Jord struggles with his place in a cold, mechanized society. Jord, known as a hoplite, fights in a war where people are more like parts of machines than real humans. The story shows his life, including quick meetings with women and the tough reality of fighting, where soldiers lose their emotions. As Jord keeps battling, he thinks about what life means when you don't have close relationships or a clear purpose, highlighting the big difference between the unfeeling machines and real human feelings.