Old Man's War
by John Scalzi
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Book Reviews of Old Man's War
Book Review: Familiar, efficient and fast paced
Summary: 3 Stars
I have decidedly mixed feelings about John Scalzi's "Old Man's War." On the one hand, this is a well-written, fast-paced and enjoyable book. I cannot escape, however, the feeling of deja vu as I rifle through pages and pages of humans battling aliens and devising new strategies to deal with superior alien technologies or physical abilities. To paraphrase a character in a similar military SF story, it sure looks like another bug hunt to me.
Scalzi acknowledges Heinlein, so he knows full well that "Old Man's War" draws obvious comparisons to "Starship Troopers." It presents enough interesting twists to differentiate itself on the surface, but underneath, it's the same military archetype that exists across genres: Recruit joins military, trains, makes friends, becomes a hero, etc.
I kept waiting for this story to distinguish itself, to push beyond the battle motif, but it never quite does that. The wars appear to exist in the story simply for the sake of giving the main character, John Perry, something to do as a not-quite-octogenarian soldier. The military struggles are but a contrivance. The hostile universe explanation offered by one of the characters in the book isn't entirely satisfying. It amounts to the same as saying, "Well, it's a big bad universe full of bad people." While I can accept that on the surface as an excuse for enjoying a good action story, it leaves me wanting a bit more.
One engaging moment in the book with potential for someting deeper occurs when Perry voices insights about the motives of a particular alien race and suggests that the Colonial Defense Forces (CDF) doesn't fully understand its enemies. I expected this idea to become a kind of theme in the book, but it's never explored further. The reader is left only with a vested interest in John Perry and his development into a soldier whose wisdom allows him to distinguish himself, to gain rank, and, ultimately, to survive. What drives the final portion of the book and makes the story engaging is Perry's burgeoning relationship with a fellow soldier with whom Perry has a very special connection. Naturally, the relationship is a complicated one and is not entirely resolved by the end of the book, which leaves the door conveniently open for the sequel.
On the whole, this is an engaging page turner with a solid, well-realized and likable main character. If you're looking for a story with greater depth in terms of exploring humankind's place in a big and hostile universe, you'll want to look elsewhere. If an action-packed, military romp in space that could very well serve as a sequel to "Starship Troopers" is your cup of tea, "Old Man's War" more than delivers. I may tune in for the sequel to see how Perry's relationship works out because that's the aspect of the book I find most engaging.
Book Review: I think life changing begins to cover it.
Summary: 5 Stars
I've been reading SF since I was 9, in 1971. "A wrinkle in time" I'm pretty sure.
It got me hooked, and I started reading. I haven't quit since.
Depending when you asked me I would give you different answers as to what my favorite book was; sometimes it would be Lord of the Rings, often it would be The Incomplete Enchanter, sometimes the Federation Trilogy, sometimes one of the Pern books. there were some books that didn't last long in this position, like no more than a week for "Gord the Rogue"(sorry Gary. You profoundly changed my life in other ways), maybe a couple of weeks for the first Xanth book, 3 weeks or so for Dune, Rendezvous with Rama, Gateway, every Niven or Bujold book as I read it, etc, etc.
But, over the years, if I hadn't had a chance to read much or I was busy with other things, you could ask me and I would say "Starship Troopers".
Heinlein has always been my favorite author; he won that slot right after reading Citizen of the Galaxy for the first time, and Starship Troopers just cemented it in place. To the best of my knowledge, I've read everything he ever wrote as fiction; over the years in the inevitable late-night discussions where this sort of thing comes up, I've pointed out that RAH wrote a definitive book in every genre.
Starship Troopers changed the way I thought about...everything. The book made complete and total sense to me, I could understand and relate to everything in it. When I joined the Navy, I have to say it was in large part due to Starship Troopers and RAH himself. In management situations over the years, I've used thoughts shaped by the book to help resolve many a crisis situation. Growing up in a all white small town, you can imagine the revelation that finding the hero of my favorite book wasn't "white" caused.
I've probably read the book in excess of 50 times over the last 30 years.
A few years ago, I read a review that Cory Doctorow wrote on Old Man's war, comparing it to Starship Troopers and Forever War; I filed it away as something I should pick up.
I came across it at a book store last week, remembered the review and grabbed it.
wow.
Robert Heinlein's writing were colored by his timeline; the concepts are in part dated, the morality is not modern, and there are various aspects of it that tell you that the book was written a long time ago.
If RAH had been born in 1969 and wrote Starship Troopers sometime around the year 2000, I think the book would have been very similar to Old Man's war, but probably not as funny. I really can't give any higher praise to a book, or to an author.
I have no problems saying that, in my opinion, it's the 2nd best example of Military SF ever written.
Book Review: Science fiction from an older newbie's perspective.
Summary: 4 Stars
Perhaps my title requires some explanation. I am 66 years old (the older part of the title) and brand new to reading science fiction (the newbie portion of the title). As of today this book already has 286 reviews here on Amazon. I had decided not to write a review, until a friend - the same one who recommended that I read this book - pointed out that I do have something to add, a personal perspective concerning this book.
I enjoyed this book so much that I would really, really appreciate it if Amazon would allow me to color in half of that remaining star. This was a sure fire 4.5 star book for me. And that's saying something coming from a reader who is as persnickety as I am. I enjoyed the writing, I enjoyed the plot and I enjoyed the overall concept of the novel. I can fully imagine this story taking place in the future.
The gist of the story is that John Perry has reached his 75th birthday and it is time for him to make good on his decision from ten years back to join the Colonial Defense Forces. When he does this John will be required to leave Earth and everything he knows and loves behind forever. John's wife Kathy died eight years earlier and now John has completed all the arrangements necessary to leave the world he knows and to go exploring. The carrot at the end of the stick of his two years of military service is that he will keep his "new" body and be given land on a colony protected by the CDF. The method of reaching his goal? Fighting aliens whenever and however he is told to. His training is outstanding because it will need to be. The Colonial Defense Force leaders don't exactly tell their new recruits the whole truth regarding their service, much less their average life expectancy.
I loved this story in part because it made me think about all of the "what if's" of a future world. Taking into account the fact that my own personal age is not that far away from being eligible to join up, this actually hit quite close to home. It was one of those books which makes you think about it even when you aren't reading. IF this were not science fiction, could I make the same decision John Perry made? IF this chance to be young again was presented to me, would I take it?
Admittedly I don't have any other writers or plots or alien worlds or futuristic concepts to compare this book to. I just know that I thoroughly enjoyed it and I will be getting "The Ghost Brigades" (book #2), and "The Last Colony" (book #3) in this series. I already have one other book by John Scalzi. You can bet I will be starting it very soon.
Book Review: Entertaining but overrated
Summary: 3 Stars
I'd have to give this one 3 stars. It's a very fast-paced page turner, and not overly long (possibly even too short given the scope of it). It's an entertaining book but there were certain things about it that made me wonder about all the 4- and 5-star reviews. I haven't read much Heinlein or Haldeman, so maybe part of the problem is that I don't have any warm and fuzzy memories of the types of books that this one is clearly an ode to. I just couldn't quite get into the tone of it- it's too serious for satire, but too over-the-top and comical (sometimes intentionally, sometimes not) to take seriously. Still, I'd recommend it to anyone looking for light and fun beach reading.
*** Spoilers ***
The inch-high aliens were the point where it really went too far for me. I mean, it's science fiction and all, but if I'm not reading pure fantasy or pure comedy then I have to be able to maintain SOME suspension of disbelief. This was so clearly not rooted in anything resembling reality that it just took the whole book down a notch for me.
The universe in general isn't believable at all, particularly the aliens. The different alien races almost seemed like the sorts of things a 5-year-old would make up. The political situation wasn't very credible either- all of these different races, at roughly the same level of technology, in a mad scramble to colonize as much of the galaxy as possible. I just can't buy it. Also, the idea that people living on Earth are kept in a self-imposed quarantine (while still being subject to the Colonial government) just doesn't make sense.
The jokey dialogue was mostly corny (sometimes to the point of being really irritating when it went on too long). It's actually refreshing to have characters that don't wallow in self-pity and are good at sucking it up and soldiering on when bad things happen, but it would be lot more entertaining (and less annoying) if they had a much better sense of humor. Jokey dialogue works better when it's funny.
Also, it was weird that he seemed to be drawn towards Jane, whereas I think most people in the same situation would be creeped out and disturbed by the experience of meeting their dead wife's clone (or whatever), with none of the memories or personality. It wasn't even something he had mixed feelings about.
Maybe I just had the wrong expectations going into it, or didn't have enough familiarity with the other books that inspired it, but I just can't see giving this one more than 3 stars and really don't get the 5-star ratings and awards.
Book Review: Pretty standard military sci-fi fare in spite of the hype
Summary: 3 Stars
After reading the cover of this book and some of the really favorable Amazon reviews, I thought this book was going to be a great novel in the tradition of Starship Troopers (and other great works by Heinlein). Alas, I was sadly disappointed. The influence of Heinlein to the storyline is quite obvious, but this book falls well short of the best works of the master. It is really a pretty standand military sci-fi novel in spite of the hype.
The plotline is relatively simple. Old men and women are given the chance to exchange their worn out bodies for young, strong genetically modified bodies so they can be foot soldiers in a series of intergalactic wars and skirmishes. Humanity is only one of many races that are competing for habitable planets and resources, and the fighting against alien races requires soldiers with a lifetime of experience in genetically modified superhuman bodies.
The book is broken up into three sections. In the first, the 75 year old protagonist has volunteered for military service, but he (and we) slowly learn what this really entails. This is the best part of the book and held my interest. What does this military service really mean? In the second section, the protagonist goes to basic training. This is the most Heinlein-like part of the book, but carries absolutely none of the timeless quality of Juan Rico going through basic. Scalzi tries to create the tough drill sergeant thing, but it turns out to be pretty shallow. The interaction between Rico and Sgt. Zim in Starship Troopers is still relevant today to young men and women joining the military. The third part of the book is a conventional military bug hunt and is not particularly imaginative or memorable.
Two additional things really bugged me about this novel. One of the central plot threads to the story is the fact that 75 year olds are taken into military service because their life experience is necessary/valuable to fight the wars. This life experience is never important in resolving any conflicts. The protagonist could have been a 17 year old, there was no problem that required a man or women's lifetime experience to resolve. Second, I didn't like the whole idea of genetically modified bodies. This plot line (at least the way it was developed b Scalzi) makes the soldier into superheros.
This is a short, easy to read military sci-fi tale and is certainly worth a look for anyone interested in this genre. Just don't expect something on the level of Starship Troopers because it isn't close.