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

Fantastic!

I can't wait to read/listen to the rest of this series. I was so awesome!

Good military tale in classic space opera setting

For those who loved the Forever War, or Starship Troopers, or even Startide Rising, this is a must book. While the space opera setting is standard, almost to the point of distraction, and the military memes have all been seen before, Scalzi's core twist, of old people fighting a war, freshens them up just enough to keep things going, especially when confronted with child warriors. Good science fiction makes you think and relate to current times without rubbing your nose in it. Scalzi makes it fun and a great read.

Enjoyed!

I really enjoy this author. He has a wonderful sense of humor, but also gives you subjects to think about.

great book. great performance

that story bringing me to tears every time. I read it for the 6th time now and it just magical and bringing depth to life most valuable and interesting questions. a must-read

Best Book Ever

this book is as if Clint Eastwood was reborn and sent in space to kill aliens. I can't get enough of this book!

entertaining for long drives

well rounded characters that draw you into the story, already bought book two in the series

Engaging.

Easy to read. Compelling and touching. Enough tech to be interesting and a moving ending.

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A few mispronounced words and drift of voice.

Distractions for a moment only as the plot is very engaging.

Enjoyable read

Fun to see the author's vision of the future before we all had smartphones in our pockets. Great ride from the start to finish. Listened to it on my way to the airport, in the airport, on the plane, and finished on the ride to my hotel.

Delightful

my kind of sci-fi! great ideas, convincing, wellwritten/read. looking very much forward to the movie!