Old Man's War: Volume 1

John Scalzi

Aug 2007 · Old Man's War Book 1 · Macmillan Audio · Narrated by William Dufris

About this audiobook

Perfect for an entry-level sci-fi reader 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

Ratings and reviews

a bit vulgar but that's how any human would describe these events. characters are in and out. but this is a story through the eyes of John Perry. I'll invokes plenty of emotional responses some wry humour that old men tend to lean on (he reminded me of my grandfather) and a decent progression make this a good buy. 4/5 stars my dude. good job.

This was my first book by this author. Not really a fan. There were a couple interesting concepts, but not a lot of character development, most of the technology just wasn't presented in a way that was believable, and the language was ridiculous. Also, for an audio book. the constant "John said," "Harry said," "Maggie said," etc. got very tiresome very quickly. This was my first attempt at an audio book as well, so maybe it' something I need to adjust to, but it just didn't flow well. Gotta try new things once in a while, and I'll try another audio book, but John Scalzi won't be on my list to give a second shot anytime soon.

Perhaps one of my top five Sci-Fi books of all time. It is well written and I have read it so many times it is that good. I am not sure what the previous gentlemen is talking about but everything in this book is amazing. I have the ebook copy and I just listened to the sample which sounded great. I think I am going to get it!

About the author

John Scalzi is one of the most popular SF authors of his generation. His debut Old Man's War won him the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer. His New York Times bestsellers include The Last Colony, Fuzzy Nation,and Redshirts (which won the 2013 Hugo Award for Best Novel), and 2020's The Last Emperox. Material from his blog, Whatever, has also earned him two other Hugo Awards. Scalzi also serves as critic-at-large for the Los Angeles Times. He lives in Ohio with his wife and daughter.

William Dufris has been nominated six times as a finalist for the APA's prestigious Audie Awards. He garnered eighteen Golden Earphones Awards through AudioFile magazine, which honored him as one of "The Best Voices At The End Of The Century." Of his work, AudioFile magazine said, "William Dufris commands a dazzling array of voices that bring to life the dozens of audiobooks he's narrated." His other narrations include Newt Gingrich and William R. Forstchen, Ph.D.'s Days of Infamy and Pearl Harbor, Tom Perrota's Nine Inches, and John Scalzi's The Human Division.