Alternate Realities: A Scifi Book Club discussion

I though this was a great take on military scifi. Using regenerated old people as soldiers is fantastic. Old people not getting technology is kind of cliched, but it provided comic relief with the vulgar nick name.

What did everyone else think?

I thought it was a fun read. There was enough humour and action to keep me reading. It did feel a little familiar to me - obviously, Starship Troopers, but perhaps also The Forever War and I think there was some other stuff that I've read a long time ago. It was fun.

Vlad wrote: "Scalzi has openly admitted to ripping off Heinlein, especially Starship Troopers, in writing Old Man's War. And obviously, Scalzi also ripped off The Forever War. From what I have heard, his book..."

Well, I found Starship Troopers really boring and quit reading it, so I liked it better than that. I think I probably read The Forever War 30 years ago, so I can't fairly compare them to each other. I do know that I really enjoyed The Forever War and it's stayed with me. I don't know that Old Man's War will have the same longevity.

I didn't have any trouble getting into this book. I think I liked the main character enough that it gripped me right away.

What stood out to me was how it balanced the benefits of using the old/wise with the benefits of using the very young. Wisdom is incredibly valuable, but sometimes it does cause a rigidity in thinking that is hard to overcome.