Old Man's War
Loading…

Old Man's War

by John Scalzi

1202 learnersReview
When 75-year-old John Perry loses his beloved wife Kathy, he trades his grief and failing body for a shot at a new life—by enlisting in the Colonial Defense Force (CDF). Leaving Earth behind (and legally declared dead), he joins thousands of other elderly recruits, all chasing the CDF’s promise of reversing aging. But the transformation is far more radical than he expects: his consciousness is transferred into a genetically engineered super soldier body, green-skinned, cat-eyed, and built for interstellar combat. Thrown into brutal training and relentless battles against hostile alien species, Perry forms tight bonds with a ragtag group of fellow recruits—only to watch many of them fall in battle. When he survives a devastating ambush, he encounters Jane Sagan, a mysterious special ops soldier with Kathy’s face, revealed to be a 'ghost soldier' grown from his late wife’s DNA. As Perry fights to defend human colonies, he grapples with moral questions about war, identity, and whether he can find new purpose beyond grief—all while clinging to a promise of a quiet future with Jane, far from the stars.

Understand the Book

Choose how you want to explore this book.

ReadReadFree6 min readPodcastPodcastFree20 min · Book discussionInfographicInfographicFreeVisual overviewBook CardsBook CardsFree25 cards

Explore with AI

Ask about the book's ideas and how they relate to your life.

Share Your View

Enlist at 75? Would you?

Favorite story highlight?

Ghost soldiers: ethical?