Old Man's War (Old Man's War, #1) in MobileRead Book Challenges

Nov 16, 2017 MrsJoseph *grouchy* rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: need-to-review, flights-of-fantasy-group-reads, bookclub-reads, 2017-reading-challenges, 2017, sci-fi

http://bookslifewine.com/r-old-mans-war/

I've followed Scalzi's blog for years and I quite like the man. I think this is why I find it ironic that I've never read any of his work - until now. In the space of two months my bookclub has read two books by Scalzi...and I've enjoyed both.

I don't really read a lot of Sci-Fi but one of my favorite Sci-fi books is Starship Troopers by Heinlein. Starship Troopers is one of the only heavy Sci-Fi books I've truly enjoyed until reading Old Man's War. I real ...more

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Apr 28, 2024 Nyssa rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: speculative-fiction, science-fiction, action-adventure, military-war, space-opera, format-electronic, grg-flights-of-fantasy, series-book-1, grg-mobileread, format-audio

I am officially a fan of John Scalzi's work.

I wasn't sure what to expect from this story. From the title, I thought we might be reliving the memories of a general or immersed in a generational US vs. USSR-type cold war—but in space.

This was not that (except for the in-space part, of course.)

Instead, we meet John Perry, now age 75, who chooses to enlist in the Colonial Defense Force. Humor, heart, love, and loss are intertwined with storming planets and fighting aliens.

The ending of this insta ...more

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Jun 20, 2021 Bror (Abrar) rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, 2021-favorites

I might be a 85 years old at heart or there's a boomer in me that speaks the same language as the characters in this book.

John Perry had a very eventful 75th birthday, he visited his wife's grave and joined the military.

I had so much fun reading this and it's just flew by really fast, I loved everything about this novel, I laughed out loud at every joke, was interested in every detail, every technicality, every little thing explained and was feed to us, the characters are very relatable and as ...more

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Nov 16, 2010 Crusader rated it really liked it

Shelves: own, 2010-read, 2011-read

I found this a fun read. It kicks off with a very interesting concept and rolls with it. The humor in the book is great for any fans of games like Fallout and the like.

Some scenes are quite gruesome and the characters could have used some more work. This is a fun action-packed read for when you want some less serious sci-fi.

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Apr 26, 2019 MrsJoseph *grouchy* rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: audio, sci-fi, re-read, sci-fi-space-opera, 2019, 2019-reading-challenges

I really enjoyed this read. The audio was lots of fun. I'm thinking of trying book 2 in audio as well. ...more

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Apr 30, 2018 DoodlePanda rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: sci-fi-and-futuristic, in-space, robots-and-ai, aliens, action, audiobook

A very interesting read about interplanetary travel and war. When you reach 75 you get the opportunity to sign up to fight in the war against aliens, and being made young again. No one on Earth knows how this is done, and no one is allowed back to Earth once they have left. Still a lot of people sign up, not being able to resist the chance to be young again, and see other planets.
The people are written well, and the book has some funny comments.

I liked the first half the best, where the charact ...more

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May 12, 2018 Wanda rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2018, reviewed, science-fiction

John Scalzi’s flippant humor and thoroughly believable characters made this take on Heinlein’s
Starship Troopers downright fun to read. ...more

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Oct 10, 2012 Paul rated it liked it

Shelves: scifi, sword-and-laser, space-opera

I did two things on my seventy-fifth birthday. I visited my wife’s grave. Then I joined the army.

Isn’t that a great way to open a book? Intriguing, it draws you in. I guess there’s nothing in it that isn’t implied by the book’s title but still, I like it.

Old Man’s War is the story of John Perry who, as we’ve read, enlists on his 75th birthday. The army he enlists with is the Colonial Defence Force and involves him leaving earth, and his former life – he becomes legally dead, behind. The CDF recr I did two things on my seventy-fifth birthday. I visited my wife’s grave. Then I joined the army.

Isn’t that a great way to open a book? Intriguing, it draws you in. I guess there’s nothing in it that isn’t implied by the book’s title but still, I like it.

Old Man’s War is the story of John Perry who, as we’ve read, enlists on his 75th birthday. The army he enlists with is the Colonial Defence Force and involves him leaving earth, and his former life – he becomes legally dead, behind. The CDF recruits exclusively from 75-year-olds and there are rumours of rejuvenation technology, which is why so many enlist. The truth is slightly more disturbing.

The book follows John through the process step by step – leaving earth, initial induction, the treatment, military training, military campaigns. In fact for the first third of the book it’s pretty much one thing after another rather than a plot per se. Then there’s a section when we get to see John and the CDF battling various alien threats. This seemed mostly just to illustrate the variety of aliens and how they need to adapt tactics to fight them. The final section has something more of a plot.

I enjoyed this book, particulary parts 1 & 3. A common criticism and one I think I agree with is that you don’t really get a sense of an older person. Once we get to the training and the battles John is just a character we’re following and the fact that he has seven decades of experience doesn’t seem to play into it. I’d've thought at least in terms of the training we’d've see that oldies have less patience for their drill sergeant’s nonsense than your average 19-20-year-old.

I was also not a fan of the book’s treatment of the morals of war. The CDF seem to believe in Manifest Destiny and the one character who was given anything to say against this was also a character shown to be stupid by his actions. It’s true I suppose that there’s a constant tongue-in-cheek tone so how much we’re supposed to take any of this seriously is up for question. I’m told that this is dealt with again in the follow-up books. To be honest though I can’t see myself reading them. ...more

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Jul 30, 2024 Bjorn rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: usa

I'm told this is Scalzi's magnum opus, and yeah, I can see why. Consistently entertaining and thought-out, both embracing and questioning the usual rah-rah Heinleinisms, with a cast of aliens that crosses Adams with Lovecraft. I'm not sure I'll jump on the sequels anytime soon, but I am kind of curious to see where the story goes from here. ...more

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Jan 06, 2008 Zoe Rider rated it really liked it

Shelves: finished-2008

I enjoyed this more than I expected to. The characters are great (especially their banter--I laughed a lot reading this book) and the story is interesting. Looking forward to reading the sequels later this year.

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