Old Man's War and Raven Still Being Terrified of Space Travel

Now I am a horror fan down to my very bones. But if you follow my Instagram page you will know I come from a family that has the perfect trifecta: My mother likes Fantasy, My father likes Science Fiction, and I like Horror. So I was raised with a lot of sci-fi stories and movies as well as fantasy. Despite my continual ideas of the abject horror of space I still loved a good science fiction story, for many years just read to me by my father. One of the stories that has always remained with me was Old Man's War by John Scalzi.

Growing up my father mostly spoke about the classic sci-fi authors, but there was one author I always remembered as my dad would get so excited when a new book would be released. I always remembered at Christmas time how excited my dad would be to get a new copy of the latest John Scalzi book. So in high school when I asked my dad for book recommendations for a school project there was no hesitation when he recommended Old Man's War. So with no questions asked I began a journey through a book that would carry me through my Junior year of high school.

If you are a fan of space exploration and politics (and can enjoy politics of made-up scenarios) then this book will be just your speed. This book is the first in a series that sets up an elaborate future where a company controls space colonization efforts. American citizens are given the choice that after they turn 75 years old they can join the Colonial Defense Force (CDF). Upon joining they are given a new genetically enhanced body designed to be super soldiers. Their minds are transferred and their new bodies are somewhat alien-like, but most of them adjust pretty quickly upon learning all the strange abilities and strengths they have now.

They serve in the CDF for a few contracted years and afterwards, they are able to retire again in a body that is a little less of a weapon but essentially gives them a new life. During their service, they have to defend the colonies of Earth all across the galaxy. The country that colonizes ends up being India and there is a back story to why this is the case. However, this series's universe feels much smaller and more crowded than ever imagined. Alien species from all over are all fighting for limited resources and space in this world. Some are much more hostile to humans and without the CDF there is very little protection for those trying to find space in the universe. All other intelligent life in the universe are all fighting for wherever there is space for them.

The story is told in First person by a man named John Perry. On his 75th Birthday, he joins the CDF. We as the reader are taken on the strange process of both them being put into their new bodies and the long path of service in the CDF. Perry, being our source for all information, turns out to be an interesting character who at his core is driven by love.

Now I am picky about sci-fi. I always want to see the human aspect and I want to be able to fight what needs to be fought. I can't stand a sci-fi story where everything is doomed and we have to slowly watch everything fall apart until some highly improbable breakthrough happens that saves the select group of lucky bastards. I also don't like sci-fi that is too cold and too inhumane. I want to know someone and how their life changes by sci-fi elements. Scalzi strikes the perfect balance for me of all the things I want in sci-fi. There is heart to our characters, there is humor, and there is heartbreak. One of the first things we learn about Perry is that his wife had passed away before her 75th birthday meaning she did not get to join the CDF with him.

Our characters despite becoming super genetically enhanced soldiers, are completely subject to human whims and flaws. We get to hear all the stories of these seniors getting new young bodies and all the weird things they immediately decide to do (to the point that some must get yet another new body). The human aspect of dealing with a somewhat alien body and having to leave Earth behind to go participate in intergalactic wars is what kept me going through this work. When I say that love is at the center of this story I do mean it in a few different ways (but I'm not going to spoil this for you, It's a review, not a summary).

Now I'm going to say this, I am not a space travel person. Space travel to me is purely horror, the idea of a possibly infinite darkness disrupted only by celestial bodies of rock or other concentrated materials is horrific to me. So normally the more you talk about space travel in an uncontained manner the more anxious I get with the story. Yet even this story about an army force traveling from planet to planet is balanced in a way that does not bring out the fear in me. I also enjoy a subtle acknowledgment from the characters that the way they first encounter space travel defies physics and then move on with their merry lives (I love that style of quiet acknowledgment of the weird and then moving on).

This is the type of book I would recommend to both die-hard sci-fi fans as well as those still exploring the genre. There is a dry humor that balances out the whole story and this whole story has a lot of heart to it, while still being an action-packed story of survival and dealing with a strange world.

Overall Rating: 4/5 Stars. I do enjoy a lot about this book and its pacing is pretty great. I'm not much of a sci-fi person, but this still kept me engaged. I think this book, and overall series works for both casual readers of sci-fi and devoted fans. The science is explained when needed and other times it goes over the character's heads the same way it would go over ours. I think its a strong start to a series and a story that pulls on the heart strings and still takes you on a thrill ride.

-Sincerely Raven