• Old Man's War

  • Old Man's War, Book 1
  • By: John Scalzi
  • Narrated by: William Dufris
  • Length: 9 hrs and 55 mins
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (318 ratings)

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Old Man's War  By  cover art

Old Man's War

By: John Scalzi
Narrated by: William Dufris
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Publisher's summary

At 75 years old, John Perry is after a fresh start - so, naturally, he joins the army. Earth's military machine can transform elderly recruits, restoring their lost youth. But in return, its Colonial Defence Force demands two years of hazardous service in space. This is how Perry finds himself in a new body crafted from his original DNA. A genetically enhanced and upgraded new body, ready for battle. But upgrades alone won't keep Perry safe. He'll be fighting for his life on the front line as he defends humanity's colonies from hostile aliens. He'll pay the price for his choices, and he'll discover the universe is even more dangerous than he imagined.

©2007 Audio Renaissance (P)2017 Pan Macmillan Publishers Ltd

Critic reviews

"Clever dialogue, fast-paced story and strong characters." ( The Times)
"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)
"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)
"Thought-provoking!" ( Entertainment Weekly)
"Smartly conceived and thoroughly entertaining, Old Man's War is a splendid novel." ( Cleveland Plain Dealer)
"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)

What listeners say about Old Man's War

Average customer ratings
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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great book

Something between Starship Troopers and Avatar. It was my kind of taste. Looking forward for the rest of serie.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Awesome beyond words

I’m fairly new to sci-fi and have been able to figure out what type of sci-fi I enjoy or am interested in. This was originally not the type of sci-fi I thought I would enjoy but I have been most absolutely blown away by this book and William Dufris’s performance. I have listened to him before reading cryptonomicon, which was probably one of the best books I’ve ever ‘read’, so that’s why I decided to get this book. I now I have 13 years of John Scalzi to catch up on. Thank you universe!!

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great start to a series

If you like The Expanse or Columbus Day series you should like this.

Starts off a bit slow but towards the end you really buy into the characters and story line. Well worth the investment.

More comedy than The Expanse and at least has some sex in it which is more than I can say for some books. Excited to read the next one in the series.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Damn it kept me awake!

I use audio books to help me sleep by distracting from overthinking. This engrossed me.

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6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Great, but lacked emotional depth

A very entertaining book that in the end lacked a satisfying emotional arch. But a great start for a series.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Entertaining but not is best. Slow to get started

slow to get started , finally get interesting and then finishes to quickly. Not his best. go read Ref Shirts instead

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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Nothing interesting really happened in the story.

There was a light commentary on pointlessness of war and it was quickly brushed away.
The side characters deaths are pointless as they are not really fleshed out to make me care in the slightless.
The main protagonist feels flat and is somehow good at everything and will survive anything universe will throw at him.
Apart from few things it's just a boring go there and shot things plot.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars

More like “Old Man’s Novel”

I can’t believe this is from 2005 - it reads like it’s from 1965! Trite wish fulfilment tropes filtered though the stale lens of fragile American boomerisms

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1 person found this helpful