Old Man's War: John Scalzi

Old Man's War by John Scalzi was published in 2005, and I am just now reading it. I wish I had done so sooner. Of course, now I have several more books in the Old Man's War series to read... so maybe it is just as well I waited.

This book is military science fiction. That may have been related to why I put off reading it for so long. The book was not what I expected. Which probably says a lot about my lack of experience with reading in the sci-fi genre.

The set up for the book: John Perry is seventy-five years old and he is leaving the planet Earth behind to fight for the Colonial Defense Forces on other planets. And how can he do that at his age? Because the CDF will reverse the flow of aging. No one on Earth knows how this is done, but the volunteers are willing to risk military service and its dangers for a chance at a new life.

Several of the science fiction books I have read in January and February deal with colonization of other planets as a remedy for existing problems on Earth. Each handles it in different ways. In this case, the development of the military to protect colonists is explored, including themes related to senseless violence and the mindset of the military. I do not see that the military is glorified; neither is it vilified. Moral dilemmas are examined. I like that the book does not seem to preach or offer answers. It poses questions and allows the reader to chew on the issues while enjoying a good story.

I also appreciate the characterizations in this book, especially the main character who tells the story. He is a pretty normal guy, intelligent, thoughtful. This makes him easy to relate to, to sympathize with.

I found the themes relating to age most interesting. Being at an age when I can sympathize with a decision to extend one’s life or at least experience the end of one’s life in better condition... it hit closer to home.

Scalzi was clearly influenced by and paying tribute to Robert A. Heinlein, as he indicates in the acknowledgments section at the end of the book. Many reviews note a similarity to Starship Troopers by Heinlein. I have not read that book (but have seen the movie, which I understand is not all that close to the book). I now have added Starship Troopers to my want list.


This is my first e-book of 2013 and only the 3rd book I have read on an e-reader. The book is still in print in a mass market paperback edition and a trade paper edition. And of course as an e-book.

A list of Scalzi's publications at his website, Whatever.

I read this book as a part of the 2013 Sci-Fi Experience at Stainless Steel Droppings. The event began in January and runs through February. The Review Site can be found here; check out other bloggers reviews and related posts.

The Caves of Steel: Isaac Asimov

This is the second book by Isaac Asimov that I have read this month, and I am hooked on his writing. I am not new to Asimov, but it has been a while, and my tastes have changed. I found that his story telling abilities still keep me interested. His characters are a little less compelling, but are fleshed out as the stories proceeds.

Summary from the back of the paperback edition:

A millennium into the future two advancements have altered the course of human history: the colonization of the galaxy and the creation of the positronic brain. Isaac Asimov's Robot novels chronicle the unlikely partnership between a New York City detective and a humanoid robot who must learn to work together.

The novel blends science fiction and mystery. This was the goal of the author as stated in the introduction in my edition of the book: "I sat down to write a story that would be a classic mystery and that would not cheat the reader — and yet would be a true science-fiction story."

Our hero is New York City police detective Elijah Baley. His boss, the Commissioner of Police, has instructed him to go to Spacetown to investigate a murder, a very unexpected request.


I was captivated by the descriptions of the world Asimov has invented. The introduction to Spacetown is especially well done. I liked the chapter titles, such as "Introduction to a Family." There the reader learns not only Baley's family life, but also living conditions in the City.

This novel presents a picture of a very overpopulated earth where the basics of life are regulated to be able to support the huge population. The relationship between the earthlings and the Spacers was not immediately clear and Asimov reveals this gradually throughout the book.

As the investigation moves along, Baley makes a couple of false guesses about the identity of the culprit, and each time we learn more about the overall situation in his job and family life and the prevailing culture on earth. As new facts are revealed to him, he fights against the logical conclusions because it challenges his view of life on earth.

The story raises philosophical issues: How the regular residents of earth react to the perceived superiority of the Spacers, and why they are fearful of robots. A big issue is robots taking over jobs of humans, and in today's world, that is still a concern.

This review at SF Reviews.net describes it well:

The Caves of Steel goes beyond the boundaries imposed by genre convention. More than merely an entertaining whodunnit, this novel is ultimately about humanity's need to overcome the fears and prejudices which senselessly prevent our own betterment as a species. For 1953, it was a revolutionary idea. Today, it might seem old hat, but, if ongoing racial strife is any indication, it's an idea we still sorely need.

I read this book as a part of the 2013 Sci-Fi Experience at Stainless Steel Droppings.

Check out the Review Site for the Sci-Fi Experience here to see other blogger's reviews and related posts.

I am also submitting this post for The Vintage Science Fiction Month not-a-challenge at the Little Red Reviewer. For that event participants will be "talking about time travel, laser guns, early robotics, first contact, swords and sorcery, predictions for humanity and the authors who came up with it all. Haphazardly, the defining year for 'vintage' is 1979."

Both Margot at Conversations of a Mystery Novelist... and Sergio at Tipping my Fedora recommended this novel to me. I am grateful to both of them. Margot has an In the Spotlight post on this novel, which goes into much more detail.

The End of Eternity: Isaac Asimov

I have a theory that all novels have an element of mystery to them. I don't read enough of any other genre except mystery, crime fiction, and thrillers to really test this out. But when I did read mainstream fiction and science fiction or fantasy in the past, I remember that the "mystery" elements were the ones I enjoyed. What is the problem or issue of the book? How will it be solved? What is the author going to do with this story? What will happen with the main character or the relationships?

And, coincidentally, this evaluation of The End of Eternity at NPR Books says that this book by Isaac Asimov comes close to being a mystery or thriller.

Eternity also works as a futuristic thriller and is particularly effective as a straight-up mystery novel. The last 30 pages of the book move with terrific velocity through a series of startling revelations. Asimov snaps together a dozen story elements cleverly obscured throughout the other chapters.

The End of Eternity was written in 1955, and is one of Asimov's lesser known science fiction novels. The edition I read was a reprint edition published in 2011 by Orb books. It had not been in my reading plans at all. I had picked out other books for the 2013 Sci-Fi Experience at Stainless Steel Droppings.. But my husband saw the book in Carl V.'s list of best books and films for 2012. He bought it and I decided it would be perfect for a science fiction read for this month.

This description from a review at SF Signal provides a good introduction without revealing plot details:

Andrew Harlan is an Eternal, those who live outside time, Observe and create Reality Changes which positively affect the greatest number of people throughout history. Only two periods are unaffected by them – the prehistoric age, before time travel was invented, and the far, FAR-flung future. Harlan’s skill as an Observer in the 482nd attracts the attention of Computer Twissell, who arranges for him to become a Technician (someone who actually performs the change) and teach his hobby of primitive history to a student.

I enjoyed this book very much. There is a love story which is uneven; women did not figure in the book hardly at all, which I usually find a negative. But I was not reading this book for a love story, and I thought that portion of the story worked well in the context of the overall story.

As usual with books I like a lot, it is hard to define why. Within a couple of chapters I was hooked. I liked the way the time travel issues were just handled. I am not really concerned with whether the science behind the story makes sense. There was not a lot of character development; the story was more plot and idea driven. But I found the characters to be believable and the plot entertaining and thought-provoking throughout.


Check out the Review Site for the Sci-Fi Experience here to see other blogger's reviews and related posts.



I am also submitting this post for The Vintage Science Fiction Month not-a-challenge at the Little Red Reviewer. For that event participants will be "talking about time travel, laser guns, early robotics, first contact, swords and sorcery, predictions for humanity and the authors who came up with it all. Haphazardly, the defining year for 'vintage' is 1979.".

Red Planet: Robert A. Heinlein

This is not the first book by Robert Heinlein that I read, but it has been a long, long time. It has been a few years since I have read any sci fi novels, and the ones I read most recently were published in the 1970's and 1980's.

Red Planet, first published in 1949, is about the adventure of a young boy (in his early teens?) living on Mars who leaves his boarding school to return to his parents. Many of the books Heinlein wrote in this period (through the 1950's) are described as juveniles and were originally aimed at teenagers. However, I agree with this assessment on the first page of the edition I read by the Chicago Tribune: "Readers young and old will enjoy this fast moving adventure novel."
 
What did I like about Red Planet?

I liked the story of a young man who is willing to challenge the officials in his school in order to protect his family and his way of life. The setting and the culture of earthlings living on Mars is portrayed very well as the plot unfolds, as opposed to a lot of exposition setting up the story. And the descriptions of the various types of Martian creatures that the earthlings co-exist with are vivid and interesting.
 
The protagonist, Jim Marlowe, journeys with his friend, Frank, and Willis, his "pet", across Mars. Willis is a Martian creature, a "bouncer" who looks like a hairy basketball, but a bit smaller, who at various times has different appendages that appear when needed.

I noted that Jim is the intuitive, impetuous one. Frank has more common sense, and is more practical. But they are both loyal and have integrity, which a lot of the adults around them don't have. Interestingly, when Jim's father and his friend Doctor MacRae become involved, Jim's father is the more practical one and MacRae is the more impetuous one. 

What I disliked:
I did not notice how male-centered (and chauvinistic) the story was until I got to a part where Jim's sister volunteers to help and is refused. That did not bother me a lot, because of the time the book was written. I am used to reading vintage mysteries where there may be racial slurs and women are not always depicted well.

More about the book...
After reading the book, I discovered that there are two versions. The original printed version was modified significantly by Heinlein because the publisher demanded the changes.

Per Wikipedia:
The version published in 1949 featured a number of changes forced on Heinlein by Scribner's, since it was published as part of the Heinlein juveniles. After Heinlein's death, the book was reissued by Del Rey Books as the author originally intended.

This article at The Heinlein Society website describes the differences in detail.

I do not know if I am glad or sad that I read the version as it was originally published, but from reading the article at The Heinlein Society I can see that the excised portions would improve the experience of the book for me. Some of the changes would not make much difference. Others affect how a character was portrayed and enhance relationships. I will go back and try to find a later printing but I probably won't read it for a while.

I read this book as a part of the 2013 Sci-Fi Experience at Stainless Steel Droppings. The event starts in January and runs through February. During the two months of that experience I want to read some vintage sci fi, some current sci fi, and work in at least one  book that combines mystery and science fiction. The Review Site can be found here; check out other bloggers reviews and related posts.

The 2013 Sci-Fi Experience: Coming Soon

For a couple of months, I have been making plans to read science fiction in 2013. And now the time is almost upon us. I am participating in the 2013 Sci-Fi Experience at Stainless Steel Droppings. The event starts in January and runs through February.

Carl V. at Stainless Steel Droppings encourages readers to spend time together to:
a) Continue their love affair with science fiction
b) Return to science fiction after an absence, or
c) Experience for the first time just how exhilarating science fiction can be.

Per Carl V.:
The “rules” of the experience are simple: there are none. Remember, this isn’t a challenge. If you would like to join us in discussing any science fiction reading or television viewing or movie watching you do over the time period, please do.

Check here for more information. There is a review site here.

This event is perfect for me. My son has been encouraging me to move outside of the mystery genre for some of my reading... especially into the area of science fiction and fantasy. I have noted several books in both those areas recently that I am interested in.

I am in the middle group (return to science fiction after an absence). I read a lot of science fiction in my late teens and twenties. I read Harlan Ellison, Theodore Sturgeon, Arthur C. Clarke, John Brunner, even Edgar Rice Burroughs. But for quite a while, I have stuck almost exclusively to the mystery genre, with some non-fiction thrown in along the way. More recently (2006, 2007) I have sampled the Dream Park series by Larry Niven and Steven Barnes and the Well of Souls series by Jack Chalker.

Currently I have these books in mind to read early in 2013:
Red Planet by Robert Heinlein
Old Man's War by John Scalzi

I would love to re-read Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency; I am not sure if I read The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy or not. Certainly have watched the TV series.

If things work out, I plan to watch (and report on) Serenity and at least some episodes of the Firefly series. We have viewed both of those multiple times and enjoy them every time. And / or maybe a Star Trek movie.