Status Updates From Old Man's War (Old Man's Wa...

I have greatly underestimated this book

I’m starting to realize the tactful writing of the night and day difference between the unbearable comedy first half and the brutality of the second half.

Could he please, PLEASE stop talking about his dick??? Who wrote this, George R.R. Martin????

I’m holding out that this book gets better, the dialogue is like pulling teeth in the way it tries to be funny and “intelligent”

I loved Part I. Part II is completely joyless and flies in the face of all of my morals. I guess that’s the point.

He was assigned to Jane’s special forces platoon just before the battle

John is being assigned as Lieutenant on Sparrowhawk. Same ship Jane is on as Special Forces. Going back to Coral to locate skip drive tech from alien race

Why are you green

Already hooked in the first 5 pages, such an interesting concept and already so much thought about how we view end of life and being mortal

WOOOOW

Twisty

This book is definitely military fiction with a sci-fi veneer rather than a sci-fi book with military characters.

A sci-fi haiku in the wild! Fantastic.

Done with part 1.

10/10 for high-concept start

So I finished. The ending leaves a little bit of mystery there’s some connection between Jane (John’s dead wife turned elite solider) and John even though Jane isn’t his wife but someone else now (it’s weird). They end up completing an important mission and John gets awarded. He has some more years left of his service so he will retire soon. It has a very calm ending. like a calm before the storm vibes

So basically after a while end up trying to take back a planet named coral and end up losing like really bad, they ask a enemy alien species for help which they agree to but they have to survive duels and every duel they win is one question they can ask. This alien race has a religious belief of reincarnation through battle is holy so basically peace to them is satanic. also John’s dead wife is back???

ALAN IS DEAD, I called it, so tldr: I’m come to understand that the novel's central ideas is that in the universe, violence often becomes the most practical solution to conflict. Throughout these chapters, you see why peaceful coexistence is so difficult. Different species have different cultures, values, and ways of thinking, making mutual understanding nearly impossible which makes sense 🤯

Basic training on Beta Pixis 3 is brutal. John had to manage a platoon through drills and high stakes war games, I still don’t think they’re actually ready for actual cosmic warfare in the fleet. But he graduated so 🤷🏾‍♂️, also ngl his friend Alan is going to die I’m calling it.

So far so good, for context/tldr: past retirement age humans on earth get offered to be turned young again and serve in a military for human colonization.

Right now they’re getting used to their new green body’s, cat eyes, and superhuman abilities! They then meet Master Sergeant Antonio Ruiz. Who basically is whipping them into shape into becoming the elite space soldiers!

This book had a very fun concept but not an engaging story for me

Comecei despretenciosamente por descobrir que o audiobook é narrado pelo Mauro Ramos (ícone!), e estou AMANDO.

Interesting

On chapter one and I like it so far it’s cool that age don’t matter for the outer space wars

- وقتی کسی رو که دوست داری از دست می‌دی چه حسی داره؟
- تو هم می‌میری. بعد منتظر می‌مونی تا بدنت بفهمه که مردی. آخر سر یادت می‌ره و مشغول زندگی می‌شی. ولی زندگی متفاوتی رو ادامه می‌دی.

بخشی از وجودمون که ماها رو انسان می‌کنه اهمیت‌مون پیش آدم‌های دیگه‌ست و اهمیت آدم‌های دیگه واسه‌ی ما. دلم تنگ شده که واسه‌ی کسی مهم باشم. اون بخش از انسانیت دلتنگم می‌کنه.

مثل یه هیولای جهنمی این شهر رو له کردم. دارم کم‌کم به این فکر می‌کنم نکنه واقعا هم هیولا باشم. از چیزی که به‌ش تبدیل شدم می‌ترسم. من هیولام. تو هیولایی . همه‌مون یه مشت هیولای وحشی حرومزاده‌ایم و اصلا نمی‌فهمیم این کارهامون غیرانسانیه.

هیچ ترسی از عواقب نداریم. من همین الان یه چیز زنده و متفکر رو برداشتم و کوبیدم به ساختمون! اصلا ناراحتم نکرد. همین نکته که ناراحت نشدم من رو ناراحت می‌کنه، الن. حتما باید این کارهای ما عواقبی داشته باشه. باید حداقل بفهمیم چه وحشت‌افکنی‌ای می‌کنیم؛ حالا چه دلایل‌مون خوب باشه، چه بد. من اصلا وحشتی از کارهام ندارم. از همین می‌ترسم. از معنای این کارهام می‌ترسم... ادامه دارد

- ای بابا، الن… سه ساعته دارم یه مشت موجود هوشمند رو طوری زیر پا له می‌کنم انگار سوسکند… این مرگمه! با پاهام دارم مردم رو می‌کشم. این… خیلی مسخره‌ست، الن. این مردم اندازه‌شون سه سانتی‌متره. انگار گالیور داره لیلی‌پوتی‌ها رو به فنا می‌ده.
- ما که جنگ‌هامون رو انتخاب نمی‌کنیم.
- الان چه حسی به این جنگ داری؟
- یک‌کم اذیتم می‌کنه. جنگ نابرابریه؛ فقط داریم مردم رو به کشتن می‌دیم.

سربازها اساسا طوری هستند که می‌شود مثل پیچ و مهره عوض‌شان کرد. با این همه، در سطح جوخه و رسته تو جایگزین یک رفیق می‌شوی، جایگزین یک هم‌قطار، جایگزین کسی که همراه با آن‌ها جنگیده و پیروز شده و مرده. این فکر که تو، هر خری که هستی، می‌توانی جای هم‌پیاله و رفیق مرده‌شان را بگیری تا حدی توهین به کسانی است که او را می‌شناخته‌اند.