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Old Man's War

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Old Man's War

Written by: John Scalzi
Narrated by: William Dufris
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About this listen

Perfect for an entry-level sci-fi listener and the ideal addition to a veteran fan’s collection, John Scalzi's Old Man’s War will take audiences on a heart-stopping adventure into the far corners of the universe.

John Perry did two things on his 75th birthday. First he visited his wife's grave. Then he joined the army.

The good news is that humanity finally made it into interstellar space. The bad news is that planets fit to live on are scarce—and alien races willing to fight us for them are common. So: we fight. To defend Earth, and to stake our own claim to planetary real estate. Far from Earth, the war has been going on for decades: brutal, bloody, unyielding.

Earth itself is a backwater. The bulk of humanity's resources are in the hands of the Colonial Defense Force. Everybody knows that when you reach retirement age, you can join the CDF. They don't want young people; they want people who carry the knowledge and skills of decades of living. You'll be taken off Earth and never allowed to return. You'll serve two years at the front. And if you survive, you'll be given a generous homestead stake of your own, on one of our hard-won colony planets.

John Perry is taking that deal. He has only the vaguest idea what to expect. Because the actual fight, light-years from home, is far, far harder than he can imagine—and what he will become is far stranger.

John Scalzi's Old Man's War is a stunning novel of the long war for human survival—in a universe replete with hostility

©2005 John Scalzi (P)2007 Audio Renaissance, a division of Holtzbrinck Publishers LLC
Adventure Military Science Fiction Space Opera Space Fiction War Solar System 21st Century Interstellar
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What the critics say

  • Hugo Award nominee, Best Novel, 2006

"Scalzi's imagined interstellar arena is coherently and compellingly delineated." (The Washington Post)

“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 (starred review)

“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

“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

What listeners say about Old Man's War

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

heartfelt. funny. sad. oh ya, sci fi too.

it's got it all, loss, love, rebirth, humor and of couse; cool battles. i loved it for it's honesty.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Just as good as the physical version.

it was just as good as reading the physical version the very first time. Well done, Excellent work. It was like I was there in each scene and each chapter

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Unique

It is rare that a book, well a fantasy touches on aging and convey what it means.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

top notch

absolutely loved this story. i found it to be witty, fast paced, intelligent, and surprising heart warming. the characters were believable and relatable. i loved the old farts. the narration was amazing. the change in voice for each character was brilliant. can't wait for the next book.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

pretty standard scifi

decent if not predictable story
fun easy listen
narrator did a good job with character voices
biggest complaint is everytime the narrator did dialogue the "he said, she said, they said" was jarring to me. he did a great job with voices I think he could have simply done the dialogue and left out the (blank) said words.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great book series.

Must read for any fan of science fiction. It has a very strong Heinlein feeling to it. It somehow manages to be unique and original in many aspects despite being familiar, and in a genre that you thought you have read EVERYTHING in. I heard theres a possibility of one more book in the series coming in 2023 hopefully it isnt just a rumour

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

good premise, well narrated, ending meh

liked the premise and beginning of the book. dialogue was done well. narration brought life to the story. latter part of book too military focussed for my liking.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Star Ship Troopers, but cleverer

A great and fun listen involving lots of moving pieces without being overwhelmed. An oddly believable story. Would make a great flick, like most of Scalzi’s writing.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

As some one new to space military novel...

The performance of the voice actor was of the high level of quality I expect, the story how ever I some times found a little disconnected and John Perry's military prowess comes just a little too easily. I think I would find it more enjoyable to see him struggle more and make a few more mistakes. Other wise a good novel.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Not what you'd expect

don't usually write reviews, if you enjoy sci-fi and deus ex machina doesn't get in the way of good story this is the book for you.

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