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Old Man's War

Military Science Fiction Adventure

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About this listen

The universe is a dangerous place in John Scalzi's Old Man's War, the first in The Old Man's War series.

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.

Continue the gripping space war series with The Ghost Brigades.

 Fantasy Fiction Hard Science Fiction Humorous Military Science Fiction Space Opera Comedy War

Critic reviews

Gripping and surpassingly original. It's Starship Troopers without the lectures . . . It's funny, it's sad, and it's true
I enjoyed Old Man's War immensely. A space war story with fast action, vivid characters, moral complexity, and cool speculative physics, set in a future you almost want to live into, and a universe you sincerely hope you don't live in already
John Scalzi is the most entertaining, accessible writer working in SF today
Scalzi is one of the slickest writers that SF has ever produced
Clever dialogue, fast-paced story and strong characters
It gladdens the reader's heart . . . great fun
Top-notch. His combat scenes are blood roiling
Astonishingly proficient
All stars
Most relevant
Having read 3 chapters, but struggling to find the time to read the rest, I hesitantly signed up to audible so I could listen to this on my daily commute. All I can say is the story was great as expected, but the narration that I was worried about doesn't disappoint either.

Great Naration

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The fact that I'm a 57 year old with a body that slowed down and doesnt move in the way it did when I was 20 helped me relate to the basic tenet of the book. The story ticked along at pace and ended too soon.

Wow, blew me away.

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Good for night reading. Simple story like some classics. It’s quite campy but enjoyable. But not exactly wow.

Entertaining soft sci-fi

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fantastic book and incredible engrossing story. I highly recommend for those who enjoy sci-fi.

Fantastic

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Thoroughly enjoyable brain candy. Having listened to Scalzi's "Agent to the Stars" previously I knew I liked his sense of humour. That said, I feel this novel far surpasses that one. The narration by William Dufris is flawless and his portrayal of John Perry superb. I'm glad I've already got the next two books already in my library.

Sci-Fi humour at its best

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