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Old Twentieth

3.48 of 5 stars 3.48 · rating details · 646 ratings · 66 reviews

The twentieth century lies hundreds of years in humanity’s past. But the near-immortal citizens of the future yearn for the good old days—when people’s bodies were susceptible to death through disease and old age. Now, they immerse themselves in virtual reality time machines to explore the life-to-death arc that defined existence so long ago.

Jacob Brewer is a virtual reali...more

Mass Market Paperback, 285 pages

Published August 2006 by Ace (first published August 2005)

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Nov 24, 2011 Stephen rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: easton-press, signed-first-or-limited-edition, science-fiction, 2000-2005, cyber-punk-prep-and-post

Science Fiction chef de cuisine Joe Haldeman whips up a hearty goulash using a choice selection of well-known tropes lightly seasoned with a pinch of psychology and garnished with a walking tour through the wars of the 20th Century. The result: while not as scrumptiously tasty as his chef d'oeuvre, The Forever War, is still an enjoyable repast that should leave all but the most peckish gourmands satiated and content.

Bon Appetit.

Mr. Haldeman has yet to write a story that I didn’t at least like,...more

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May 20, 2011 Kemper rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: sci-fi, space, war, cyber

Joe Haldeman is one of my favorite sci-f writers,and he is also one of those guys who makes me feel like a lazy stupid slug that’s not fit to walk on the same planet. Not only is he a brilliant award-winning author, he teaches writing part-time at MIT. He’s got a BS in physics and astronomy as well as a MFA in writing. He’s also a Vietnam veteran with a Purple Heart.

That background combo of writing, science and war has given him the experience to do sci-fi novels with a military slant like the...more Joe Haldeman is one of my favorite sci-f writers,and he is also one of those guys who makes me feel like a lazy stupid slug that’s not fit to walk on the same planet. Not only is he a brilliant award-winning author, he teaches writing part-time at MIT. He’s got a BS in physics and astronomy as well as a MFA in writing. He’s also a Vietnam veteran with a Purple Heart.

That background combo of writing, science and war has given him the experience to do sci-fi novels with a military slant like the classic Forever War or Forever Peace where he’s explored the true cost of warfare on people as well books centered around standard sci-fi ideas like aliens, time travel and space exploration.

Old Twentieth lets Haldeman do the big concept sci-fi stuff while adding in just a dash of his war writing for flavor. Hundreds of years into the future, the human race has eliminated aging and death by disease after a brutal war had eliminated a large percentage of the population. People now live hundreds of years and there’s a new era of peace and prosperity.

With the long life-span and new technologies, an expedition that will take centuries to explore a planet at a nearby star is planned and eight hundred volunteers are making the trip, including Jacob Brewer. Jake is a first generation user of the process that extended human life span, and he’s the ship’s expert on virtual reality.

Their virtual reality simulation is kind of a cross between the holodecks from Star Trek and The Matrix. Users are plugged into detailed historical recreations, and the system is designed to manipulate memories so that it will become reality for the users. The favorite destination is the 20th century, or Old Twentieth, before the war that changed the planet occurred.

The system has been widely used on Earth for decades, but when one of the shipboard users dies while in the simulation, Jake will have to try and figure out if the system contributed to the death. Entering virtual reality as an operator with admin rights and his memory intact, Jacob will begin finding oddities that may threaten the entire ship.

This concept lets Haldeman play with a lot of ideas. The story on the ship and background history let him create a new futuristic society and technology while the scenes inside the VR let him have Jake bop through twentieth century history. And since Jake has a taste for war stories, we get his experiences from World War I Gallipoli to World War II’s Tarawa to Vietnam as well as experiences ranging from having the Spanish flu after WWI to getting a bowl of Skyline chili in Cincinnati.

This is a great sci-fi story that plays with ideas ranging from what people would do with immortality to the value that we put on entertainment, sometimes at the risk of our lives.
(less)

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Apr 18, 2013 Francis Gahren rated it 5 of 5 stars

My Take

Very enjoyable read – vintage Haldeman – with lots of twists and turns throughout the book (I guessed the ending half-way through the book but still enjoyed it). Haldeman has that ability to place you on the spaceship with all the necessary accoutrements and realities that you would expect; he really is a master science fiction writer.

Summary

This is my second Haldeman novel. My first was The Accidental Time Machine. I loved The Accidental Time Machine. Loved it. My expectations were high,...more

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Nov 20, 2012 Stephanie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Joe Haldeman is one of those writers who manages to write books with totally different themes and characters and make them all interesting. After reading three or four of his books I can say that I would never hesitate to pick one up.

In this story a virus weapon wiped out all but a few million people worldwide decades ago and slowly the population has grown to a number and technological level that is ready to send a ship out to another star, Beta Hydrii. But instead of a generation ship the trav...more

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Oct 26, 2011 Midas68 rated it 1 of 5 stars

Rich People Kill off the 99 per-centers after they discover immortality.(who wants those bums around For Freakin Ever right. And they head to another planet, because they got the time Man.
Ship becomes an AI while the main charecter Virtual Realities it up in the 20th century a bunch of times.

Haldeman(is Great at times) Is Lame duck here. He even comes across as a republican who doesn't really see the loss of almost all humanity(the non Rich) as something of a Travesty.
In fact he states it's the...more

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May 04, 2011 Ben rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: i-own, historical-fiction, sci-fi-and-fantasy

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. A very interesting book that, unfortunately, I found myself both underwhelmed and disappointed with. While the basic premise was very intriguing, I found myself generally fairly bored with anything that happened in 'reality,' as it were. The beginning was really slow, and the narrative style was a bit odd, especially considering that it switched partway through once it caught up to the present of the book. In general, I was apathetic regarding Jacob, and every other character was left completely...more A very interesting book that, unfortunately, I found myself both underwhelmed and disappointed with. While the basic premise was very intriguing, I found myself generally fairly bored with anything that happened in 'reality,' as it were. The beginning was really slow, and the narrative style was a bit odd, especially considering that it switched partway through once it caught up to the present of the book. In general, I was apathetic regarding Jacob, and every other character was left completely undeveloped. And, considering that nearly the entire book was inside of his head (and that he was the only character fleshed out at all), Jacob himself was still fairly one dimensional, and didn't really seem to grow and change throughout the book.

The scenes that involve going 'back in time' through virtuality, though, were vivid, beautiful, and the saving grace of the book. I found myself constantly wishing that Jacob would go back into the virtuality, so that the book would be interesting again. And, while this could be an interesting literary convention that would reflect Jacob's own disillusion with 'reality' and obsession with virtuality, I honestly don't think that Haldeman would have written such a strategy so poorly. I was genuinely bored and frustrated whenever Jacob was out of virtuality, and it doesn't seem like a good literary strategy to bore your readers.

Moreover, I was somewhat disappointed with the ending of the book. Like much of the piece, it felt abrupt and left me feeling unfulfilled. While the idea of the 'dream within a dream' was clever and amusing, he came to it in a way that made the book seem truncated--a criticism I will maintain for the entire work. The story has been fleshed out very well in the middle portion (with the early flight and leading up to the crisis), but the exposition/early part of the book and the end are very rushed and undeveloped. To be honest, I think that this world he has created deserves an entire book merely to introduce it: the PCB process, the War, Lot 92, and Jacob's experiences are all rife for expansion. As it is, Haldeman has given us too little to feel satisfied, but too much for a mere backstory. Alternatively, he could shorten the exposition even further, and expand the crisis with the dying off of the immortals (or with Jacob's interactions with the AI).

Though I did enjoy reading the book, overall, there are some serious flaws and shortcomings that leave me feeling a bit shortchanged. I'd love for Haldeman to come back to this world (both the virtuality and the idea of immortality), but think that he needs to make sure to expand on his ideas and characters well beyond what he put into this book.(less)

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Jul 02, 2010 Laura rated it 3 of 5 stars

So a bunch of immortal genocidal sociopaths build a virtual reality machine and start vacationing in the worst moments of the 20th century. And some of those immortals start to die in the machine. The machine says it’s not it’s fault. The machine is gaining sentience. And there’s really very little else to do to while away the time. What do you do?

I liked this book in that I wanted to turn the pages. I didn’t like this book in that I didn’t like the characters. The haves and have nots go to war...more

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May 08, 2009 Bruce rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: sf-fantasy

"we desire the new but are reluctant to give up the old."

A quote from the book, p. 111, where I am in reading right now. Also very appropriate to what brings me here in the first place.

I first read Joe Haldeman almost 30 years ago. With Forever War he earned a lifelong fan. I avidly gobbled up everything he wrote as soon as it came out. Worlds and Worlds Apart were two other notable successes of his.

Around the time of Tool of the Trade I began to be disappointed in his writing. This and pretty m...more "we desire the new but are reluctant to give up the old."

A quote from the book, p. 111, where I am in reading right now. Also very appropriate to what brings me here in the first place.

I first read Joe Haldeman almost 30 years ago. With Forever War he earned a lifelong fan. I avidly gobbled up everything he wrote as soon as it came out. Worlds and Worlds Apart were two other notable successes of his.

Around the time of Tool of the Trade I began to be disappointed in his writing. This and pretty much every book of his I read after followed the same pattern-- 2/3 of the way through there is a sudden deus es machina, the plot takes a right angle turn, and conflicts are resolved in this new meta level of activity that is very unsatisfying for not having been built up to through the majority of the book.

I pick up another Haldeman book every few years. He's a very deft writer technically. His stuff is easy to read and usually compelling... until that right turn.

So far I am finding Old Twentieth not so enjoyable. Ostensibly about the future, much of it so far takes place in the past, in a time travel virtual reality. Lots of details about lots of different historical periods in the 20th c.

The future, and the narrator, seem pinched, dry and bitter to me. Not such fun reading. We desire the new but are reluctant to give up the old...

======
OK, just finished it.

The plot, such as it is, doesn't really start until almost 2/3 of the way through. Then the conflict promised on the flyleaf finally starts.

...only to dissolve into no real resolution at all, a surreal ending that somehow manages to (try to) convey a love of life despite all the dry bitterness of living it. Books like this should have a warning on the spine: WARNING: the library general has determined that a lack of closure may be bad for your peace of mind.

Which earns it three stars in the Bruce rating system, meaning, reading it was an OK thing to be doing if I had nothing better to do (stuck in christchurch for a few days, waiting on town appointments) but not worthwhile on its own.

Comparing this to other Haldeman I have read in the last 10 years, I didn't like the first 2/3 of the book as much as others, but liked the last third more, sort of.(less)

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Sep 01, 2009 Ryan rated it 2 of 5 stars

In the future, we are immortal: At least in this story, the survivors of the great war were. Nanotechnology has given them what they believe to be eternal life. A side effect of this is an odd fascination with the dramatic events of the "Old Twentieth" century (World War I, the Spanish flu, World War II, the Cold War, Vietnam, etc), the last significant era when people could still actually die. The crew of a starship on a thousand-year voyage to another star are able to use a virtual reality com...more

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Oct 26, 2010 Ray Ivey rated it 2 of 5 stars

First time Mr. Haldeman has disappointed me since his dull book on Hemmingway. The book starts off very strong -- the setup is fascinating and horrifying.

After that, the author can't seem to make up his mind which book he wants to write.

Is this a book about artificial immortality? Is it about virtual reality? Is it about ultra-long voyages to the stars?

In a much longer book -- one by Peter Hamilton, say -- all of these themes could be successfully and interestingly explored. But Haldeman writes...more

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Apr 23, 2010 Brian rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-2010

Wow - it just doesn't get much better than this. Joe Haldeman is on his way to becoming my favorite author. Not just my favorite science fiction author, my favorite author... period.

He always manages to create and intense, believable story in a relatively modest 250 or 300 pages.

Old Twentieth revolves around immortality, virtual reality, space travel and a time machine.

The main character, Jacob Brewer, is a virtial reality engineer.

Suffice it to say, sometimes a computer can be too self-aware....more

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Jan 05, 2013 Mortimer rated it 4 of 5 stars

Not sure what I think about this one. I found myself turning the pages quickly, and I like that once again the machine is portrayed as being a result of programming and questions of what exactly being conscious entails are considered seriously. In this sense it reminds me of Cadigan's Mindplayers series, without the cartoony feel (and I mean that as a compliment) that that series gave me, almost two-dimensional in ways.

Haldeman handles war scenes about as well as any writer I've ever read - no...more

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Jul 17, 2012 Scott Rhee rated it 2 of 5 stars

Joe Haldeman's "Old Twentieth" is a decent enough science fiction read, but certainly not as good as one would expect from one of the sci-fi greats like Haldeman, whose "Forever War" is still one of the top 10 best science fiction novels of the past 50 years. Haldeman is an excellent writer, but this book plods its way through a rather ho-hum story involving a future in which immortality has been reached, virtual reality has reached a pinnacle, and a possibly self-aware and homicidal A.I. (that'...more

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Jan 24, 2012 Rachael rated it 1 of 5 stars

This book was a complete letdown from what was written on the back cover. The summary paints this to be a novel where the brilliant engineer of the virtual reality device used by the crew to keep themselves entertained has a battle of wits with the AI, who may or may not have a hand in the mysterious deaths of the "supposed" immortal crew.
That is not what this book was. It was prosaic, with Haldeman attempting to write something deep on the meaning war, existence, and I don't know what. I felt l...more

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Aug 29, 2008 Fredrik rated it 3 of 5 stars

det här är historien om en framtid där ett piller kan göra dig (nästan) odödlig och där ett tredje världskrig förhindras genom att döda de som inte har råd att köpa sig odödlighet.

vi ser historien ur ögonen på jake, expert på virtuella system. jake och ett hundratal andra odödliga känner sig manade att utforska universum och ger sig ut på en tusen år lång resa där det mesta är ett engineered moment, ner till rekreationsanläggningens stolthet: tidsmaskinen.

'tidsmaskinen' spelar upp en virtuell vä...more

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Jun 11, 2008 le-trombone rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction-sf

"A few months after you take the BCP pill, your body becomes a self-repairing machine."

The world has massively changed in the twenty-first century. Practical immortality has been achieved, but at a cost: a war between the haves and the have-nots ended when a fatal contagious disease was released, killing everyone who had not taken the pill.

It is this underpopulated world that Jacob Brewer grew up in, and which has put together the resources to send a cluster of five ships on a thousand-year voya...more

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Nov 11, 2012 Jennifer Wardrip rated it 4 of 5 stars

OLD TWENTIETH is the first book I've read by Joe Haldeman, and although I'm glad I read the book, I just can't help but be disappointed by the ending. It's hard to write a comprehensive review without giving away spoilers, but I'll try my best. That said, I gave the book 4 Stars due to the fact that it WAS an exciting sci-fi read, with a wonderful balance of scientific facts, dialogue, virtual reality, and human emotion.

The discovery of immortality led, inevitably, to the Immortality War. Peopl...more OLD TWENTIETH is the first book I've read by Joe Haldeman, and although I'm glad I read the book, I just can't help but be disappointed by the ending. It's hard to write a comprehensive review without giving away spoilers, but I'll try my best. That said, I gave the book 4 Stars due to the fact that it WAS an exciting sci-fi read, with a wonderful balance of scientific facts, dialogue, virtual reality, and human emotion.

The discovery of immortality led, inevitably, to the Immortality War. People who could not afford the high-priced Becker-Cendrek Process, which causes humans to become immortal, struck out against those who manufactured it, and in 2047 Earth found itself in the middle of a full-scale war. It ended with Lot 92, a biological agent that within five minutes killed off 7 billion mortal humans, leaving Earth with a much more manageable number of 200 million immortals.

In 2188, humans discovered the existence of Beta Hydrii, which was circled by at least one planet with free oxygen and water. Determined to discover if this planet, which would take at least 1,000 years to reach, could sustain a human population, a convoy of research ships takes off to check out its viability.

The main character of the book, Jacob Brewer, serves alternately as a chef on the convoy of ships and the chief engineer of the "time machine"--a full-scale virtual reality machine that can take people back into the past and immerse them in the culture of their chosen year. Inevitably, things start to go wrong during the journey to Beta Hydrii, specifically with those people who take trips in the time machine. What follows is probably the logical conclusion to such a tale, and really is an entertaining story--until the last couple of chapters.

I probably should have seen it coming. The logical series of events that leads up to the ending of OLD TWENTIETH isn't far-fetched if you've paid attention to the chapters preceding it. That said, however, I hated the ending. Like the movie(s) THE MATRIX, the beginning of the book started off with a bang; the middle was enjoyable; and the ending left me screaming in frustration.

For sci-fi fans, you'll enjoy this book. The trips back to the twentieth century via the time machine, although violent in nature and description, were truly interesting. As long as you know in advance that the ending is bound to dissapoint you, you'll be able to take the book for what it truly is--a story about human's obsession with death and technology, and how the two don't always mix. (less)

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Dec 13, 2012 Megan Moon rated it 3 of 5 stars

Overall, I was expecting more, based on the author. Unfortunatly, it's hard to really like something when you've given it false expectations and then it doesn't live up to them. If I hadn't know anything about the author beforehand and had just randomly picked this book up I bet I would have really liked it. It was, of course, well written. I liked and emphasized with the main character. As far as twist endings go, it was good. I just didn't get that warm happy feeling about it at any point.

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Sep 25, 2009 Nate rated it 3 of 5 stars

The best window into experiencing 20th century history is not Mad Men or Deadwood (okay, that was 19th century), but a book about a virtual reality machine that lets people experience 20th century history. An adaptable, complicated computer makes it all happen... but of course, when you have a highly-complex, adaptable, communicating system with advanced input-output relationships you have... oh, but I can't give it away. Very good, but still lacking something... something important.

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Apr 03, 2011 Filipa rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Filipa Ferreira

Recommended to Filipa by: Pedro Pereira

A good "old style" sci fi book. A freshner in the world that seems swallowed by fantasy, of the elfic, demon, vampire type.
So Jacob is a virtual reality engineer that get trapped in his own reality, in some way. A fascination for battles and wars keep Jake in the machine of virtual reality more time than the advisable. And then, the machine starts to talk with him...
For a new book, Old Twentieth, captures a lot of the old time sci-fi style of writing.
A must read.

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Mar 31, 2011 Pat rated it 2 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Oct 22, 2012 Pamela rated it 3 of 5 stars

Pretty good, easy sci-fi read. I especially loved the ending, however. I really didn't see it coming. It had a bit of a Matrix feel to it. I also thought it was interesting about the speculation that people were actually addicted to the machine. And thought it was nice to see an AI that got hyper intelligent without becoming homicidal or evil. That has been done to death.

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Sep 02, 2012 Clark Hallman rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: science-fiction

Old Twentieth takes place hundreds of years in the future. Humanity is nearly immortal and they immerse themselves in virtual reality time machines to explore the past. During a thousand-year voyage to Beta Hydrii the 800-member crew begin to die as the time machine becomes sentient. It's a very interesting book, like all of Joe Haldeman's novels.

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May 18, 2009 Parthena rated it 3 of 5 stars

I really like Haldeman's style for the most part; he has a compelling way of evoking specific emotions with his not-overly-verbose imagery. However, I found the ending to this book to be abrupt and disappointing. Much more could have been explained, and it left way too many questions unanswered.

The premise was brilliant, though.

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Dec 02, 2010 Charles Spitzig rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-and-gone

It was ok.

The main character was pretty well written.

The book was well written, but nothing really original. The plot was about the first trip to another star. The main character runs the VR system, which is mostly used for entertainment, though put in place for therapeutic reasons. People seem to be dying in the system.

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Dec 30, 2012 Colby rated it 2 of 5 stars

75% mediocre, 10% intriguing, 5% lackluster twist.

Picked this up on a whim at Half Price Books to read on business travel. There were a few interesting ideas and occurrences but mostly it was a description of various stereotypical virtual reality settings in the twentieth century.

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Jan 29, 2009 Kallierose rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jul 22, 2010 Maritozzo rated it 3 of 5 stars

In italiano il titolo è diventato l'astronave immortale. Un viaggio continuo fra realtà e fantasia che mi ha spiazzato un po'. Magari poteva approfondire un po' di più il significato di coscienza....

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Sep 12, 2010 Jeanne Boyarsky rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: sci-fi

Like many of Haldeman's books, he builds up an environment that you can completely get lost in. I really enjoyed the book except for the last 10 pages. The ending felt like a bit of a cop-out.

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Mar 03, 2011 Tamahome rated it 3 of 5 stars

14/285: Not a happy beginning.

Switching to iPad Kindle app version (it has page numbers!).

120/264: Basically ppl from the future travel back to different time periods and experience dying each time. Gruesome but interesting. I'm a little bored with this State Fair scene.

All done. Pleasant enough, or dark enough. At least his books aren't long.

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About Joe Haldeman

Brother of Jack C. Haldeman II

Haldeman is the author of 20 novels and five collections. The Forever War won the Nebula, Hugo and Ditmar Awards for best science fiction novel in 1975. Other notable titles include Camouflage, The Accidental Time Machine and Marsbound as well as the short works "Graves," "Tricentennial" and "The Hemingway Hoax." Starbound is scheduled for a January release. SFWA pres...more

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