Book Review: Old Man's War

Old Man's War by John Scalzi

Rating: 5/5
Recommended: Highly. All SF/F fans should read this book.

Old Man's War is one of those books that I heard about and mentally shoved on my "must-read" list. Despite being only 311 pages, the book manages to talk about and deal with a lot of issues. The basic premise is that humans have colonized other planets and run into other species, which has lead to wars. So the Colonial Defense Force has decided that the most efficient way to fight the war is to recruit 75 year old men and women from industrialized countries on Earth.

John Scalzi won the John W. Campbell award for best new writer on the back of Old Man's War, and deservedly so. There's biotech and physics advances that are explained realistically and in enough detail that unless you're a total science ignoramus (so why are you reading SF again?) you should be able to get it. The way he explains them is humorous, and fits perfectly into the narrative without breaking its stride. Mostly, what struck me about this book was how realistic it was. How the various situations and problems were handled. The description of people, from the 75-year-olds to other folks in the army. Like I said -- it's only 311 pages, and it deals with issues of war and morality pretty well. I think it's one of the best short books I've ever read.