  joe william haldeman (born june 9, 1943) is an american science fiction author. he is best known for his 1974 novel the forever war. that novel, and other of his works including the hemingway hoax (1991) and forever peace (1997), have won major science fiction awards including the hugo award and nebula award. for his career writing science fiction and/or fantasy he is a sfwa grand master and since 2012 a member of the science fiction hall of fame. many of haldeman's works, including his debut novel and the forever war (his second) were inspired by his experience serving in the vietnam war, where he was wounded in combat, and by his adjustment to civilian life after returning home. ==life == haldeman was born in oklahoma city, oklahoma. his family traveled and he lived in puerto rico, new orleans, washington, d.c., bethesda, maryland and anchorage, alaska as a child. haldeman married mary gay potter, known as "gay", in 1965. he received a bs degree in physics and astronomy from the university of maryland in 1967.according to the author's note (page 278) in the sf-novel the accidental time machine he was immediately drafted into the united states army, and served as a combat engineer in vietnam. he was wounded in combat and received a purple heart. his wartime experience was the inspiration for war year, his first novel; also later books such as the hemingway hoax and old twentieth which deal extensively with the experience of combat soldiers in vietnam and other wars. in 1975, he received an mfa degree in creative writing from the university of iowa writers' workshop. haldeman resides alternately in gainesville, florida and cambridge, massachusetts. since 1983, he has been an adjunct professor teaching writing{{cite web|last=haldeman|first=
1943_births 20th-century_American_novelists 21st-century_American_novelists American_male_novelists American_military_personnel_of_the_Vietnam_War American_science_fiction_writers Bethesda-Chevy_Chase_High_School_alumni Clarion_Workshop Hugo_Award_winning_writers Iowa_Writers\'_Workshop_alumni Living_people Massachusetts_Institute_of_Technology_faculty Military_science_fiction_writers Nebula_Award_winners People_from_Oklahoma_City,_Oklahoma Rhysling_Award_for_Best_Long_Poem_winners Rhysling_Award_for_Best_Short_Poem_winners SFWA_Grand_Masters Science_Fiction_Hall_of_Fame_inductees University_of_Maryland,_College_Park_alumni World_Fantasy_Award_winning_writers Writers_from_Gainesville,_Florida Writers_from_Oklahoma