Old Man's WarOld Man's War
Score Modern
What it's about
On his 75th birthday, John Perry visits his wife's grave and joins the army. The Colonial Defense Forces recruit only senior citizens, who sign up hoping they'll be made young again to fight humanity's wars among the stars. They are, in a way Perry never imagined, and then they're sent into a galaxy full of aliens who want the same planets we do.
Why it's worth reading
It was Scalzi's first novel, a Hugo finalist and a modern classic of military science fiction. It's fast and funny, with real emotion underneath.
You'll love it if you liked
Starship Troopers
Leviathan Wakes
The Forever WarGood to know
It's the first of a series but stands alone. Expect battle violence and lots of witty banter.
By the numbers
- Readers85 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics58 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller46 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #25 of the 313 science fiction books we rank
- #143 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #278 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Epic, Adventurous, Dark
More by John Scalzi
Starter Villain
The Collapsing Empire
The Kaiju Preservation Society
RedshirtsIf you like this, read next
A Game of Thrones
The Fifth Season
Dungeon Crawler Carl
Gideon the Ninth
Red Rising
OutlanderExplore the best-of lists
All 36 best-of lists →
Quick answers
Is Old Man's War worth reading?
Yes. It was Scalzi's first novel, a Hugo finalist and a modern classic of military science fiction. It ranks #278 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 82.0 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Old Man's War about?
On his 75th birthday, John Perry visits his wife's grave and joins the army. The Colonial Defense Forces recruit only senior citizens, who sign up hoping they'll be made young again to fight humanity's wars among the stars. They are, in a way Perry never imagined, and then they're sent into a galaxy full of aliens who want the same planets we do.
How long does it take to read Old Man's War?
About 8 hours (320 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Old Man's War?
If you liked it, try Starship Troopers by Robert A. Heinlein, Leviathan Wakes by James S. A. Corey or The Forever War by Joe Haldeman.