The Sagan Diary

By: John Scalzi

Narrated by: Stephanie Wolfe, John Scalzi

Length: 1 hr and 34 mins

Publisher's summary

Jane Sagan: Soldier. Killer. Lover. Dreamer.

In John Scalzi's best-selling Old Man's War series of science-fiction novels, we see this warrior woman as the other characters see her: silent and strong, from the outside. But now The Sagan Diary shows us Sagan from another point of view - her own. As she prepares to leave military life and join her new husband and adopted daughter on a colony world, Sagan reflects on her life, in her own words - recalling friends, battles, and experiences; illustrating all the violence and wonder of her times; trying to fit "an entire life into this compressed space".

For fans of Scalzi's works, it's an intimate and surprising glimpse into one of his most popular characters. As read by Stephanie Wolfe, it's unlike any other science-fiction story you'll hear this year.

©2006 John Scalzi (P)2008 Audible, Inc.

It's OK, but it felt more like required reading

It felt scattered and disconnected for much of the time. It felt like both the author and the actor hadn't gotten their bearings until half-way, and by the time it was coherent we were on the way out.

It's still nice to have some time in Sagan's head in that second half, but I feel like I paid for it.

beautiful book but way too short

very beautiful book. I loved it because it gave us Jane's perspective on things and it was an interesting idea. just honestly full price for something this small is kind of annoying when I used my last credit and a pack of three lol. but I do love the author and I love the series. if the proceeds were going to the public library fund, I would actually rate this a lot higher. if that were the case which it should be the case because it came into existence because of that, then I would definitely give this five stars.

All Jane, All The Time

Very different than what I was expecting! The interview at the beginning let me know it was a departure from the rest of the series, but this is very different. It was nice to see a different view on the mind of Jane.

Unexpected but Excellent

Any additional comments?

I've seen a lot of negative reviews on this piece, and I'd like to respond to them in a way that will help a prospective reader decide whether to purchase this short.

This is not full of thrilling action. It is full of philosophy and thought-provoking questions. A lot of reviews have said that it's not like a normal John Scalzi book, and I would like to suggest that they may have missed all the philosophy and thought-provoking questions that exist in between the action sequences in a normal John Scalzi book.

I'd also like to point out, before any reader of other reviews feels too sorry for the reviewers complaining that they paid for this and it wasn't what they wanted - they could have returned it, so if they didn't that's on them. Also, Scalzi says very clearly at the beginning that this was an experiment for him, and that it's different, so if they thought it was going to be the same old Scazi after that, that's also on them.

This story explores the mind and thoughts of someone with a unique perspective on life, and I think it does it very well. The narrator captures the emotions with skill. However, it's less a story than a mental journey. If you're looking for a plot-driven tale with battles and conquest, this isn't your best bet. If you're interested in a character-driven set piece that reads like a diary entry, then this may do for you.

I would like to point out that Audible has identified it as entry 4.5 of the Old Man's War series, but that's inaccurate. It's really entry 2.5, as it immediately predates the events of The Last Colony.

Just okay

It gives a bit more insight into the mind of Jane, but feels like it's trying too hard to be poetic.

A Diary Point-of-view!

Yes, again, I struggled at first. Then Jane was sharing; and I was again ready to read the whole thing and to feel for Jane.

Missing something….

While I did enjoy the insight of the details with the Administrator, the rest was rather slow and hard to stay interested in. I have totally loved the previous books, and look forward to the following ones. But, this one didn’t really do it for me. The narrator was so emotionless and dry that I kept having to rewind and re-listen to parts to catch what was said.

Brilliant

Absolutely brilliant! The innermost feelings and thoughts of a main character laid bare. You feel and live with the character so that she becomes a real being, three-dimensional and alive. Again, Brilliant!

Not what I expected

I have always enjoyed Scalzi's work. This is not one of his usual efforts. In the introduction he explains how this piece came about. I think he did a good job of meeting his goal, but it wasn't quite what I wanted. And at the end, I really don't think I learned anything important about Jane Sagan. I'm glad I listened to it, but I'm also glad it was short.

In Honor Of The Other Books In The Series...

I am really only rating this book as '3 Stars' out of honor for the other books in the series, which were VERY good in my opinion... If I'd listened to this book as a "Stand Alone" I probably wouldn't have even bothered to rate it, but since I enjoyed the other books in the series, I guess I have to give it at least a 'three' for filling in a little background on one of the main characters... Having said that, it's not a book I'd listen to again just for the enjoyment, and to be honest, I struggled to finish it.

As I said in my review of the first book in the series ("Old Man's War"), "The Sagan Diary" seems to be some sort of "Side-Step" to the main series, and in my opinion didn't really add anything important to the "actual" series. It was written as a "prize" for the highest bidder when one of the other books in the series was auctioned to benefit a library... I'm sure it's a masterpiece of prose, but I like "Sci-Fi" and action, not a deep treatise that I now remember only as "how do I feel about feeling when not born to feel?" (Those aren't exact words, but it's the "feeling" *I* got from reading it ;)

The narration by Stephanie Wolfe was very well done, and I truly think her performance was just about the only thing that actually kept me paying attention to the story overall.