2024/030: Old Man's War — John Scalzi

2024/030: Old Man's War — John Scalzi

The reason we use force when we deal with other intelligent alien species is that force is the easiest thing to use. It’s fast, it’s straightforward, and compared to the complexities of diplomacy, it’s simple. [p. 166]

Widower John Perry celebrates his 75th birthday by saying goodbye to Earth, his life and everything he's ever known. He enlists with the Colonial Defense Forces, who have technology which is rumoured to 'reverse ageing'. The downside is that, should you survive your two years' tour of duty (which may be extended to ten years), you can't ever return to Earth: instead, you will be given a new life in the colonies. Perry is fine with all that. He's still mourning his wife Kathy, and there's nothing left for him on Earth except old age and death.

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