Old Man's War Audiobook By John Scalzi cover art

Old Man's War

Old Man's War, Book 1

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Old Man's War

By: John Scalzi
Narrated by: William Dufris
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At 75 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.

©2007 Audio Renaissance (P)2007 Audio Renaissance Fantasy Humorous Military Science Fiction Space Opera

Critic reviews

"Clever dialogue, fast-paced story and strong characters." ( The Times)
"Though a lot of SF writers are more or less efficiently continuing the tradition of Robert A. Heinlein, Scalzi's astonishingly proficient first novel reads like an original work by the late grand master.... This virtuoso debut pays tribute to SF's past while showing that well-worn tropes still can have real zip when they're approached with ingenuity." ( Publishers Weekly)
"Solid...[Scalzi] sidesteps most of the cliches of military science fiction, delivers fast-paced scenes of combat and pays attention to the science underpinning his premise." ( San Francisco Chronicle)
"Thought-provoking!" ( Entertainment Weekly)
"Smartly conceived and thoroughly entertaining, Old Man's War is a splendid novel." ( Cleveland Plain Dealer)
"Gripping and surpassingly original. It's Starship Troopers without the lectures. It's The Forever War with better sex. It's funny, it's sad, and it's true." (Cory Doctorow)
Gripping Introduction • Nuanced Storytelling • Entertaining Plot • Comedic Elements • Interesting Premise
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I’m fairly new to sci-fi and have been able to figure out what type of sci-fi I enjoy or am interested in. This was originally not the type of sci-fi I thought I would enjoy but I have been most absolutely blown away by this book and William Dufris’s performance. I have listened to him before reading cryptonomicon, which was probably one of the best books I’ve ever ‘read’, so that’s why I decided to get this book. I now I have 13 years of John Scalzi to catch up on. Thank you universe!!

Awesome beyond words

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I use audio books to help me sleep by distracting from overthinking. This engrossed me.

Damn it kept me awake!

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A very entertaining book that in the end lacked a satisfying emotional arch. But a great start for a series.

Great, but lacked emotional depth

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If you like The Expanse or Columbus Day series you should like this.

Starts off a bit slow but towards the end you really buy into the characters and story line. Well worth the investment.

More comedy than The Expanse and at least has some sex in it which is more than I can say for some books. Excited to read the next one in the series.

Great start to a series

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The intro gripped me but then the story takes a moment to kick in but to be honest it is all very interesting and nuanced! Requiring just enough suspension of disbelief to not be annoying !

In its own « chill » way, it is a master piece!

Master piece ! You just have to be patient ! Very nuanced

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Something between Starship Troopers and Avatar. It was my kind of taste. Looking forward for the rest of serie.

Great book

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slow to get started , finally get interesting and then finishes to quickly. Not his best. go read Ref Shirts instead

Entertaining but not is best. Slow to get started

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Interesting premise that doesn't have legs. Really disappointing stuff from one of my favourite authors.

Couldn't finish it

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Just my personal opinion, I know many people love this book. I felt the story was something a teenager would write. Just going from planet to planet destroying aliens. No real emotion. Once, one character showed some emotion but that was forgotten by the time we destroy the next random group of aliens.

High school level writing

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There was a light commentary on pointlessness of war and it was quickly brushed away.
The side characters deaths are pointless as they are not really fleshed out to make me care in the slightless.
The main protagonist feels flat and is somehow good at everything and will survive anything universe will throw at him.
Apart from few things it's just a boring go there and shot things plot.

Nothing interesting really happened in the story.

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