Book info

• Title Old Man's War
• Author John Scalzi
• Year 2005
• Genre Science Fiction

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.

Thoughts

I really loved this. A sci-fi story set in the future, where humans are colonising planets across the universe and doing battle with alien races. I write that sentence and think this doesn’t usually sound like my kind of book, but it’s so inclusively written, I was with our hero for the entire journey.

I don’t want to say too much about the plot because it was such a great adventure reading it, I wouldn’t want to spoil that for anyone else - but reading along as the transition from human to battle-ready soldier, with all the futuristic high-tech stuff was brilliant. The characters are well done to be emotional but not over-the-top, pragmatic without being unfeeling. My kind of people.

I loved the descriptions of alien worlds, enough so that you get a clear picture in your mind, but not bogged down in unnecessary detail. Highly recommend this, even if you don’t usually go for sci-fi alien-land stuff. It’s a tiny bit gory in places, but other than that, a brilliant read.

Rating: 5 / 5