Old Man’s War by John Scalzi

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


As military sci-fi goes, this is pretty good. Not my absolute favorite, and exhibiting neither of the primary virtues of the genre (fun & philosophy) to the highest possible degree, it nevertheless gets the job done. Definitely worth reading.

There’s an interesting scene where what’s going on is immensely horrifying, but none of the characters involved, nor the narrator, nor the author (seemingly), realize how horrifying it is. Maybe I think too much. This is the same scene where, if you pry at it intellectually — really get in there with the philosophical chisel — and dig a bit, you’ll find what I think is the only really convincing non-religious proof of the existence of the human soul.

Since it might be considered a spoiler, I won’t say what it is, but for any of you who are philosophically inclined I’d be interested to know if you pick up on it.

Oh, and this: That sci-fi and fantasy are the only two literary genres that make use of capricious gods anymore. They used to be a staple, back in ancient art, and I think the chill and frisson of finding oneself in the hands of an unknowable, omnipotent entity is one of the more delicious things in art. Probably, we don’t do it anymore because we don’t believe that we’re in such hands. But, of course, we are, and the Consu in this book are a good stand-in for them.



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Zoe’s Tale by John Scalzi

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I’m not convinced by the teen voice. I’m not convinced by the Consu’s religion (they were better in Old Man’s War when we knew less about them). I’m not convinced — at all — by the astropolitics, spycraft or military tactics.

But I forgive it all because I am in love with the Obin.

And it’s not that I want to be Zoe to some bunch of Obin. I want, myself, to be an Obin.

The Consu are correct that the Obin are an almost perfect species. But they’re not correct about why.



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