Old Man’s War

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What to expect

The universe is a dangerous place in John Scalzi's Old Man's War, the first in The Old Man's War series.

At seventy-five 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.

Continue the gripping space war series with The Ghost Brigades.

Critics Review

Gripping and surpassingly original. It's Starship Troopers without the lectures . . . It's funny, it's sad, and it's true
Cory Doctorow
I enjoyed Old Man's War immensely. A space war story with fast action, vivid characters, moral complexity, and cool speculative physics, set in a future you almost want to live into, and a universe you sincerely hope you don't live in already
Ken MacLeod
John Scalzi is the most entertaining, accessible writer working in SF today
Joe Hill
Scalzi is one of the slickest writers that SF has ever produced
Wall Street Journal
Clever dialogue, fast-paced story and strong characters
The Times
It gladdens the reader's heart . . . great fun
Daily Telegraph
Top-notch. His combat scenes are blood roiling
Washington Post
Astonishingly proficient
Publishers Weekly (starred review)

User Reviews

Book 3.5
Narration 4.5
2.0
4.0
I thought it was solid, unspectacular, brain-off sci-fi. It was a bit like watching a generic man play an space alien war video game on Casual difficulty. I thought it was fun at first but quickly got boring. Wasn’t for me.
Addy 23/03/2025
5.0
5.0
The book and the narrator are fantastic. John Scalzi builds a complete and complex world that didn’t fit my expectations (so much the better, I seem to be in a storyline rut). William Dufris is a great voice actor, making the old and younger voices recognisable and believable, and with so many characters each are unique.

I look forward to the next book in the series
LyynJ 14/10/2024

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