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

Science Fiction is Not Dead

I grew up in the 1950's in the hey day of Heinlein, Asimov, Norton, Dickson and other great hard Science Fiction writers. To a great extent the genre in trying to reinvent itself turned its back on the traditional Science Fiction Fan. John Scalzi's novels, like the juveniles of Charles Sheffield, have reinvigorated the old hard science fiction style. However, John Scalzi has gone Sheffield one better. Old Man's War, Ghost Brigade, etc have not only brought Heinleinian style Science Fiction back to life, but he has successfully put a modern spin on the style which gives a fresh perspective. Old Man's War is an amazing effort and like any good book it stands up to being read and re-read. The audio interpretation is very well done and the reader gets a 5 star rating to complement the story itself.

Unique and entertaining

I've enjoyed a lot of sci-fi genre books recently that were only a variation on one familiar theme or another. This one was completely new to me and what a read (listen!) I found it funny and thought provoking and completely entertaining! Highly recommended - as a matter of fact this is the first time I've been moved to write a review and my library includes about 75 audiobooks.

Pretty good fare

No spoilers in this review. I was a little apprehensive about this book, but I took the plunge anyway. All in all it's not too bad.

Here's a fair description of it: take one part Starship Troopers and mix with one part Tekeshi Kovacs (by Richard K Morgan). Shake well, making sure that the Kovacs isn't as grim and and bitter as the original.

It's not overly original, but certainly not overly derivative. This book relies on a few standard scifi conventions (quantum physics...mumblemumble...behold! Warp Drive!) that are standby devices, but the characters are well developed, the story entertaining enough and the produciton value high enough that it all works. It's exactly what it looks like: light, entertaining space battle fiction.

I thoroughly enjoyed it and plan to get the sequel as well.

Subtle and Subversive

I have a somewhat contradictory history with this book. When I first read this when it came out, I would have said it was a bit meandering but entertaining, a nice update to Starship Trooper. Three stars- like.

Then I reread it on Audible because it was on one of those get the first book of a series for $5 sales. By now there were four books. This time I found it really entertaining and started to get the feeling something more was going on that I saw at first blush. I read through the rest of the series and, yes, there is a sweeping narrative that is going on across all four books. So I went to four stars - worth a read even if you're not me.

Since then, I've made it a habit to pick up what Scalzi writes to see what his sarcastic self is going to say next. He's really good at sarcasm. He made me cry in public when I was grocery shopping and listening to Fuzzy Nation. I've never forgiven him for that. And don't get me started on that Wil Wheaton! Bastards!

ANYWAY: On June 5th comes out Redshirts which looks to be very interesting indeed, telling the story of the starship away team from the cannon fodder's point of view. So I thought it would be fun to go back and re-read Old Man's War.

This is one of the most subversive books I've ever read.

Wow! It quotes quite a few tropes from SST and other military science fiction but takes an entirely different tack on them. There is a whole section rebutting the SST classroom screed about might makes right that is so right on that I wanted to stand up and cheer -- don't tell me I'm wrong, show me.

A constantly recurring theme is the characters saying one thing while the entire background is completely contradictory to that. Its as if the characters are blissfully unaware of the irony of what they are saying. And it subtle like one of those optical illusions that you can easily just not see if you're not specifically looking for it.

So I'm going to put this at five stars-- a must read. If you want to understand military science, you must read this book (along with SST, The Forever War, and The Warrior, among others). For me, this book is a modern classic.

Get It!

A very entertaining story and expertly read. Listening to the "old folks" complaints as the get ready to start a new career is a real kick. A very different way of looking at the future.

Good Stuff

I really have not read much military sci-fi if this is what this can be characterized as being. I really enjoyed it, the characters were believable and I found the humor to be just enough without going overboard and the action was great.

Perfect in every way

Love this book and the narrator, wouldn't change a thing. Wish they would have made the tv series.

Wow that was some fun!!!!!!!!

Old Man's War realy blow me away. John Scalzi sure can tell a great story. The last time I laughed so hard while reading or lessoning to a book it was Lonesome Dove by the great Larry McMurtry. Way to go John, we thank you for a great
time...
Please keep it up...GABOCK

Great content and delivery

I have always been a fan of science fiction, but this audiobook's use of both the fantastic and the real was really compelling. In addition the performer was both clear and distinct in the many character's voices.

Great Story + Great Narrator = Outstanding

This is a brilliant story: it sets up an intriguing twist to the issue of elder care. And it does it in a way that makes heroes of them. This is my first run with author John Scalzi, but I have listened to William Dufris before via the Destroyermen series and very much enjoy his three-dimensional interpretations of characters he narrates.

So, since he was helming the narration and since one of the listeners I follow recommended this book, I thought it would be a good "risk" of a credit. Glad I did.

Not only does Mr. Dufris again deliver a great performance, but author John Scalzi delivers an outstanding storyline with great character development and lots of colorful dialog for Mr. Dufris to do the thing he does with them. Together they make a great team.