The conclusion to John Scalzi's trilogy begins with a bucolic moment. John Perry, the hero of Old Man's War, and former Special Forces warrior Jane Sagan have become the proprietors of a small farm on a distant colonial planet. Such tranquility is, of course, not the preferred tone of first-rate science fiction, so readers won't be surprised when trouble swoops down on this loving couple in their new assignment. At first, the new human colony that they will lead appears to be a utopian venture, but a hostile alien confederation shatters that dream. Strong characterization; engaging themes.
Publishers Weekly
Full of whodunit twists and explosive action, Scalzi's third SF novel lacks the galactic intensity of its two related predecessors, but makes up for it with entertaining storytelling on a very human scale. Several years after the events of The Ghost Brigades(2006), John Perry, the hero of Old Man's War(2005), and Jane Sagan are leading a normal life as administrator and constable on the colonial planet Huckleberry with their adopted daughter, Zoë, when they get conscripted to run a new colony, ominously named Roanoke. When the colonists are dropped onto a different planet than the one they expected, they find themselves caught in a confrontation between the human Colonial Union and the alien confederation called the Conclave. Hugo-finalist Scalzi avoids political allegory, promoting individual compassion and honesty and downplaying patriotic loyalty—except in the case of the inscrutable Obin, hive-mind aliens whose devotion to Zoë will remind fans of the benevolent role Captain Nemo plays in Verne's Mysterious Island. Some readers may find the deus ex machina element a tad heavy-handed, but it helps keep up the momentum. (May)
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From the Publisher
The Last Colony will kick your butt across the galaxy and make you care.” —Rick Kleffel, The Agony Column, on The Last Colony
“Scalzi's captivating blend of off-world adventure and political intrigue remains consistently engaging.” —Booklist on The Last Colony
"Full of whodunit twists and explosive action"—Publishers Weekly on The Last Colony
“The sequel to Old Man's War combines taut military action with keen insights into the moral issues revolving around developing technologies. Scalzi has a finely tuned sense of balance between personal drama and the 'big picture' ... Highly recommended.” —Library Journal, Starred Review on The Ghost Brigades
“A mix of Starship Troopers and Universal Soldier, Ghost evokes awakening, betrayal, and combat in the best military sci-fi tradition.” —Entertainment Weekly on The Ghost Brigades
“An impressive piece of work.” —Philadelphia Inquirer on The Ghost Brigades
“Fast and deep…I like the galaxy this author's playing in, the characters he limns, the situations he's playing with, and I'm glad there's at least one more volume on the way.” —San Diego Union-Tribune on The Ghost Brigades
“In Heinleinesque fashion, the book is loaded with scenes of comradeship, isolation, ruthlessness and the protocols, which govern the lives of active-duty soldiers. But this is where Scalzi, famous for his blog ‘The Whatever,' surpasses Heinlein. Scalzi weaves in subtle discussions of humanity's growing fear of aging and our simultaneous attraction and repulsion to the Frankenstein-like creatures we are able to create.” —San Antonio Express-News on The Ghost Brigades
“Scalzi is a natural heir to Heinlein, and his second book in this series is a good old-fashioned space opera, which takes time to question the nature of free will.” —St. Louis Press-Dispatch on The Ghost Brigades
“Astonishingly proficient.” —Publishers Weekly, Starred Review on Old Man's War
“Top-notch. His combat scenes are blood-roiling. His dialogue is suitably snappy and profane. And the moral and philosophical issues he raises... insert useful ethical burrs under the military saddle of the story.” —The Washington Post on Old Man's War
“Smartly conceived and thoroughly entertaining, Old Man's War is a splendid novel.” —Cleveland Plain-Dealer
“Gripping and surpassingly original. It's Starship Troopers without the lectures. It’s The Forever War with better sex. It’s funny, it’s sad, and it’s true.” —Cory Doctorow
“John Scalzi is a fresh and appealing new voice, and Old Man's War is classic SF seen from a modern perspective—a fast-paced tour of a daunting, hostile universe.” —Robert Charles Wilson
“Thought-provoking!” —Entertainment Weekly
“Solid…[Scalzi] sidesteps most of the cliches of military science fiction, delivers fast-paced scenes of combat and pays attention to the science underpinning his premise.” —San Francisco Chronicle
