Old Man's War
by John Scalzi
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Book Reviews of Old Man's War
Book Review: Team America Universe Police, II
Summary: 2 Stars
I bought this book due the preponderance of good reviews and Hugo nomination. I read it quickly - there's no question that this book is an "easy read" - but fairly early on it was clear to me that it's a comic book in prose. There are places for this kind of book (on airplanes, at the beach, etc.), but for this reason alone the book's not worth of the level of praise it's received here. But by the time I finished it I could only see it worthy of praise if it's a satire of American military conduct across the globe, and in that case half of the book should have been replaced by more amusing over-the-top antics. In that case maybe three stars.
Whatever the intention, it's clear that most people aren't taking it as a satire, hence the two stars (maybe even one). The main character is reprehensible, and the conduct of nearly every sentient being in the book is similarly reprehensible. The only character at all interested in negotiating is a blowhard buffoon who receives his "just desserts" by being torn to shreds by hostile aliens. (Of course, nearly all aliens are hostile.) Otherwise it's kill, kill, kill, with gaping plot holes to give you something to think about aside from the brutality. I was hoping from some redemption at the end (maybe the main character steps out of the shower, and it turns out the whole book had been a nightmare), but no dice - instead "the killing machines probably lived happily ever after".
Don't read this book. There's better satire (if that's what it is), and far, far better science fiction out there.
Book Review: Starship Troopers without the finesse (some spoilers)
Summary: 2 Stars
It's tough to call this book anything other than a clumsy rewrite of Starship Troopers. The story arc more than resembles Heinlein's book. The same themes are there. However, Heinlein had a voice. He had a message to put across (as distasteful as it may be to some). I just don't see it in Scalzi's book.
I equated this book to someone as driving from point A to point B along the most direct path. No scenic turns what-so-ever. It just seems that so many interesting ideas are simply ignored. A few examples:
1. The characters, being 75+ years old, bring almost zero of this experience into their narrative.
2. The CDF (military force) simply acts as a supplier of machinery and bodies.
3. The 'Ghost Brigades' turn out to be simply clones of 'dead people' DNA. The 'people' of the Ghost Brigades are only a few years old, children in adult bodies, and this is just ignored. No moral outrage, no shock, etc.
So many missed opportunities for some real plot development, so many turns left unexplored. Each character, when confronted with some surprise, takes it in perfect stride - no shock, no moral asides, nothing. I couldn't even read between the lines of the characters - they seem like wooden responders to whatever situation they are put in.
All that said, the book is not a total waste of time. The aliens races are somewhat developed, the battles are interesting, and it doesn't sink to the dreck of series novels. But on the whole, I just can't recommend the book.
Book Review: Superlative Military SciFi
Summary: 5 Stars
When John Perry turned 75 he joined the Colonial Defense Forces...the military organization that is tasked with protecting Humanity's colonies against alien incursion. The CDF only recruits those who have gained the experience that comes with being three quarters of a century. In return for their enlistment, the CDF bestows these elderly recruits with new, souped-up bodies. Stronger and faster is only the beginning. Increased resistance to detrimental environments (including the vacuum of space) and a heck of a computer plugged right into the brain are only a small portion of the gifts the CDF imparts to all its recruits.
John Perry's Earthbound life is over. Thrust into battle with aliens who can't be bargained with, Perry must use his new body to not only defend himself, but also to defend those he has come to care for as well.
Scalzi's Old Man's War is one of the finest science fiction novels I have read in a long time. The characterizations are strong; you really get to know who the characters are, both in their former lives on Earth, and in their new lives, enlisted in the CDF. The pacing of the story feels the way a story should...one idea into the next, into the next..... The plot itself is hole-less; never once did I notice any contradictions or other such vagaries within the story. And the real kicker is...this tale is Scalzi's first novel! Old Man's War is an outstanding first novel and goes well beyond merely being highly recommended. Pick this one up!!
Book Review: Military Sci-Fi with a few new ideas
Summary: 3 Stars
"Old Man's War" starts with a different take on the standard military sci-fi - the interstellar war is being fought by old people, 75 year-olds at the end of their life who sign up to - they hope - start over, young again. The book follows widower John Perry as he joins, trains with, and fights for the army.
Given the setup the tone is usually understandably humorous, and Scalzi's technique is fine. The book can't keep up its early solid pace, however; after Perry starts training, "Old Man's War" slips into generic territory and mostly stays there. The R. Lee Ermey-esque drill sergeant, the gun battles with humanoid aliens, the standard ethical questions; Scalzi plays them with a wink and a nod, but doesn't manage to make them interesting. The drill sergeant may mock the idea that's he's straight out of central casting, but, well, so would one that was out of central casting.
One later plot thread works better, starting when Perry runs into the special forces of the "Old Man's War" universe, "The Ghost Brigades." Any detail would spoil things, but the idea and its consequences are fascinating to the extent they are explored in the book. This is Perry's book, however, and the exploration of the Ghost Brigades is necessarily limited.
Old Man's War is still solid military sci-fi, and it's an enjoyable enough read, even if Scalzi's strengths are not in some of the more well-worn territory the book covers.
Book Review: Can't Help But Like It
Summary: 4 Stars
This has Starship Troopers and Heinlein written all over it but, similarities aside, it's still a very enjoyable book. How can you not like the idea of a 75 year old person getting a new/improved body with the *only* hitch being that they have to serve 10 years in the Colonial Defense Force (CDF)?
The book follows John Perry who does just that. We follow him from "draft day", to meeting new friends, to getting new a new body, "experimenting" with his new body, boot camp, and then combat and moving up through the ranks. We might has well have named him J. Rico but instead of just one enemy we have several different alien races, all of whom want to make humans part of their diet. And again, like Starship Troopers, we see him lose his old friends one by one. I didn't see as much political commentary as in Heinlein's works but there was more than a bit of the light-hearted fare.
The book was thoroughly enjoyable. My only gripe was that the main idea of having a 75 year old mind with 75 years worth of experiences in a 20-something year old super body wasn't really developed. It felt like it was just a hook to get someone to pick up the book but, accomplishing that, was pretty much dropped. After the first part of the book, I never got the sense that we were actually dealing with individuals with a lifetime of experience. But the book would have been good even without that hook.