Old Man's War

By: John Scalzi

Narrated by: William Dufris

Length: 9 hrs and 55 mins

Publisher's summary

Perfect for an entry-level sci-fi listener and the ideal addition to a veteran fan’s collection, John Scalzi's Old Man’s War will take audiences on a heart-stopping adventure into the far corners of the universe.

John Perry did two things on his 75th birthday. First he visited his wife's grave. Then he joined the army.

The good news is that humanity finally made it into interstellar space. The bad news is that planets fit to live on are scarce—and alien races willing to fight us for them are common. So: we fight. To defend Earth, and to stake our own claim to planetary real estate. Far from Earth, the war has been going on for decades: brutal, bloody, unyielding.

Earth itself is a backwater. The bulk of humanity's resources are in the hands of the Colonial Defense Force. Everybody knows that when you reach retirement age, you can join the CDF. They don't want young people; they want people who carry the knowledge and skills of decades of living. You'll be taken off Earth and never allowed to return. You'll serve two years at the front. And if you survive, you'll be given a generous homestead stake of your own, on one of our hard-won colony planets.

John Perry is taking that deal. He has only the vaguest idea what to expect. Because the actual fight, light-years from home, is far, far harder than he can imagine—and what he will become is far stranger.

John Scalzi's Old Man's War is a stunning novel of the long war for human survival—in a universe replete with hostility

©2005 John Scalzi (P)2007 Audio Renaissance, a division of Holtzbrinck Publishers LLC

Critic reviews

• Hugo Award nominee, Best Novel, 2006

"Scalzi's imagined interstellar arena is coherently and compellingly delineated." (The Washington Post)

“Though a lot of SF writers are more or less efficiently continuing the tradition of Robert A. Heinlein, Scalzi's astonishingly proficient first novel reads like an original work by the late grand master...This virtuoso debut pays tribute to SF's past while showing that well-worn tropes still can have real zip when they're approached with ingenuity.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Solid…[Scalzi] sidesteps most of the cliches of military science fiction, delivers fast-paced scenes of combat and pays attention to the science underpinning his premise.” —San Francisco Chronicle

“Gripping and surpassingly original. It's Starship Troopers without the lectures. It's The Forever War with better sex. It's funny, it's sad, and it's true.” —Cory Doctorow

Enjoyable...turned me on to a new author/series

This was a solid story in itself and definitely opened me up to a new series by an author who appears to have a good following. I enjoyed the premise of the story and the adventure they went on. Not too much science detail given the setting and storyline but that’s ok as it lets us enjoy the characters and the plight they are on rather than hope the narrator makes the science sound interesting enough. The narrator did a decent job. Wasn’t distracting in a negative way and was solid throughout. I would recommend this to anyone struggling to find that next book to listen to as I was.

A new favorite

A refreshingly unique story that perfectly blends the best in science fiction with a wonderful plot and deep character development. One of the best stories I've come across in a very long time. Heartwarming, exciting, and tragic; a true emotional rollercoaster. I can't recommend it highly enough.

fantastic

fabulous interpersonal dialogue, mind expanding storyline, sci-fi classic, something for everyone who loves adventure and relationships

great listen

scalzi is becoming one of my favorite authors. enough action to keep me on the edge of my seat. enough humor to make me laugh out loud

Excellent space war

A very exciting military science fiction novel. Good characterizations, fast pacing. Deliberately reminiscent of Heinlein's Starship Troopers. I am definitely looking forward to the rest of the series.

One of My Favorite SF Books, and Well Read

William Dufris does a fantastic job giving a voice to the characters.

The first time I read this book in print was my first real journey into science fiction through a book. it was phenomenal! The imaginative elements, and the fantastic twists are delightful!

Going through this book again through Audible has shown me that I didn't remember it through rose-colored lenses. It is still fantastic and an all-time favorite.

Excellent Story and Narration

I am not a science fiction fan per se. Just wanted a good story that would entertain me for a few hours. This hit the mark perfectly. Great science fiction, great plot, good character development. Basically this will be a fun science fiction / action movie in your head. The alien races are entertaining and horrifying at the same time. Narrator was fantastic with characters and plot points. Look forward to the next book in the series.

Hasn’t This Been Done Before…?

This book is basically the “popcorn version” of the Forever War by Joe Haldeman. What makes it entertaining is Scalzi’s sense of humor and character development. Although, some of the characters seem a little one dimensional. Also, I would be remiss without mentioning the sexual parts of the book. Even though they do seem to belong in that section and they still were cringe worthy and had me rolling my eyes. They don’t last long though.

not what you might expect

It boils down to a love story of sorts which one might appreciate if the reader is married. I suspect the nexus of enjoyment may lay somewhere between senior citizens and mature 20 amd 30 year olds. The narration is good and the story is more character focus with a bit of antagonistic forces to keep the story moving but just barely and there is where I found the story's lost potential.

Strong book with many awards for a reason

All the awards this book has won are well deserved. The narration was excellently performed. Enjoyed this book very much.