Old Man's War - John Scalzi

Old Man's War

By John Scalzi

  • Release Date: 2007-04-01
  • Genre: Science Fiction
Score: 4.5
4.5
From 1,832 Ratings

Description

Perfect for an entry-level sci-fi reader 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 aliens willing to fight for them are common. The universe, it turns out, is a hostile place.

So: we fight. To defend Earth (a target for our new enemies, should we let them get close enough) and to stake our own claim to planetary real estate. Far from Earth, the war has gone 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, which shields the home planet from too much knowledge of the situation. What's known to everybody is 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 your time 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.

Old Man's War Series
#1 Old Man’s War
#2 The Ghost Brigades
#3 The Last Colony
#4 Zoe’s Tale
#5 The Human Division
#6 The End of All Things
Short fiction: “After the Coup”

Other Tor Books
The Android’s Dream
Agent to the Stars
Your Hate Mail Will Be Graded
Fuzzy Nation
Redshirts
Lock In
The Collapsing Empire

At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

Reviews

  • Read it in 5 days. Great book.

    5
    By bassfacebass
    A+
  • Great detail

    5
    By Fergalicios
    It was such a good concept, from start to finish i was just fascinated and just wanted to keep reading. I would say what I liked most is the detail, the author gave a good depiction of the action and the environment. It gave me great images for this story .
  • Can’t finish.

    1
    By Lollapolost
    Too Silly.
  • Great new concepts

    5
    By LionelJ
    I love picking up a new book where new thinking has taken place. A world of tech enhanced humans was a fascinating idea. Good plot. Moved fast.
  • Enjoyable read

    4
    By Fatman0001
    This was an enjoyable short read. A sci-tech story with enough battles to keep one engaged.
  • So FLIPPING good!

    5
    By Bored23432
    I finished this so quickly because it’s a great story! The humor is fantastic, the action is just right, and so is the sci-fi. Add to all of that the romance at the end and the metaphysical questions and dreams it evinces, and this story is gold. Already bought the next one. Going to read it now…
  • Hooked

    5
    By Maedge90
    From start to finish. I haven’t laughed or absorbed a book in such detail in a long while.
  • Excellent Read

    5
    By Darsidious
    From the start this book grabs hold and bring you along for a great ride. Would recommend this book to anyone interested in this genre.
  • I love it

    5
    By Natmilr
    This is a great book! I couldn’t stop reading this book!
  • Keeps you entertained

    4
    By DanJBarn
    Scalzi isn’t breaking any new ground here, but it’s a page turner that moves quickly, makes for easy reading, and will keep you entertained. I finished quickly and enjoyed it but I would have liked a bit more character development and world building.