Old Man's War by John Scalzi Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Old Man's War
Book Review: Dialogue is so bad, I couldn't finish the book!!
Summary: 1 Stars
In this story, everyone has a sarcastic or smart answer to EVERY question, statement or to anything boring thing that happens in the book. For some reason the author decided his characters, all of them, are people that have to say everything they think. It's so ridiculous, nobody talks like that. Th dialogue read like a play script. BAD, BAD, BAD. I had to stop at the point where this one character kept talking about how much he loved to eat and they all responded with some ridiculous remarks, over and over again, everytime he/they ate, it was the same thing. If you want a REAL novel, read Dan Simmons (The Crook Factory, Hyperion, Hard Case, etc.)!Book Review: Different take on the fountain of youth.
Summary: 4 Stars
Very interesting read. Enough so that I sought out and read the sequels. The universe created by the author held your attention and made logical sense. The characters are well developed and people about whom the reader will care. Well worth your time if you like science fiction of a military bent.Book Review: Don't bother to read the advances or reviews
Summary: 5 Stars
I've got to admit, after many years of reading and re-reading the masters...I'm jaded.
After reading John Scalzi's "Old Man's War" I've grabbed every one of his books in the series. I don't have to read the reviews, advances or fly-leaf in order to know that I have high quality reading in my hand. I've ripped through every book and am currently hammering through "Zoe's Tale," laughing all the way.
Scalzi writes with a magnificent blend of wit, humor, empathy, sarcasm, touching emotion, humanity, brash and descriptive violence, as well as deep and peaceful reflection. Like all good books, (and no movies) we get to climb around inside the characters' skulls. Figuring out just WHY they do, what they do.
And despite the currently impossible future setting, the characters, story line, strategic and tactical aspects all hold together.
If it says "John Scalzi" on the cover. don't bother to read the flyleaf or reviews. You're holding a book from one of the new masters. Feel secure. Take the plunge, and just enjoy a ride that will transport you from HERE to THERE. Right up until you turn the last page...and open the next book...
Book Review: Eminently Readable, Like Heinlein Was
Summary: 4 Stars
The first novel of John Scalzi, Old Man's War, is a good, solid, entertaining and thought-provoking science fiction story reminiscent of the old master Heinlein. There are space battles, many alien races, "enhanced" humans and many philosophical concepts all wrapped into this tight and readable package of a novel.
Sometimes the dialog is too long and tends to get off track. This happened a few times, and I simply got on with it by skimming forward a few pages. One thing I missed was more description of the aliens. Some have slasher arms, others thoraxes, some are spider-like, others are mammalian and less than an inch tall, so they can be stomped to death like cockroaches. I felt that the alien philosophies and technologies were so central to the story, it would have helped if Scalzi had described them better and left less to the imagination.
I don't usually say this, but this book could have been a hundred pages longer, filled with more description, and not suffered in terms of readability.
I am now looking forward to the other three books of the "Old Man" series which are already out and available.
Book Review: Enjoyable read
Summary: 5 Stars
I enjoyed the characters, the sense of teamwork, the introduction to new (to me) science fiction concepts, a new universe with continually new aliens and the happy ending.