GalCiv2-like book: Old Man's War

from GalCiv2 Forums
I’ve just finished the first of a 3 book series that reminded me strongly of GalCiv2’s universe: Old Man’s War, by John Scalzi.

In this book Humanity is in competition with innumerable alien races for very scarce habitable planets. The protagonist describes it as tens of billions of humans against trillions of aliens. Relations between the races are generally…unpleasant, and the book describes this situation from a ground-pounder’s point of view. It isn’t a ‘Isn’t War Great’ book full of stilted dialog and silly situations. There are a lot of unique an interesting ideas and concepts that are explored, not the least of which is that the protagonist joins the Army at the age of 75 (hence the title). It has even won a few SF awards.

Hydro
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30,219 views 25 replies
Reply #1 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Wow, you've definetly proved to be the coolest kid on the block with your groundbreaking post on a lame book. It's OK, though. On behalf of everyone, I forgive you for wasting our time. Anyone else is now welcome and should reply.

It has even won a few SF awards.


great, that's convincing.
Reply #2 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Thanks Hydro, it sounds like a good read. Joe Haldeman's The Forever War is also a good read from a grunt's viewpoint.

Maybe I can be the second coolest kid on the block, Serrian?   

P.S. Hydro, love your AAR's!!

Sins of a Solar Empire II
Reply #3 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Maybe I can be the second coolest kid on the block, Serrian?


I was about to promote you, but the naytch think got me. Sry.
Reply #4 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
If we are going to drift into sci-fi novels here lets all give a big thumbs up for Starship Troopers and Endor's Game. Both classics that should be read.
Reply #5 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Old Man's War is pretty good, I agree. As is the The Forever War (didn't like Forever Peace as much, however).

I would also recommend Vernor Vinge's Fire Upon the Deep as a good space opera. Charles Stross's Iron Sunrise and Singularity Sky are also good.

Dune is a classic, of course. Not sure that it really captures the feel of GalCiv2, though, except maybe for the intrigue.
Reply #6 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I actually picked up that book in the bookstore once, didnt by it cause of the cheesy cover.

Reply #7 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Yes, ThheGreatEmperor is correct, the picture on the cover is always a great way of determining if a book will be a good read or not.
/sarcasm metre explodes
Reply #8 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I have a rather vast collection of science fiction novels, and I have to say that the covers often have absolutely nothing to do with the story inside. This is less of a problem than it used to be. Why, just recently, a cover artist was lauded for actually reading the book before starting the cover art -- good on him!
Reply #9 from Stardock Forums Top

If we are going to drift into sci-fi novels here lets all give a big thumbs up for Starship Troopers and Endor's Game. Both classics that should be read.



Does Endor's Game have lots of ewoks?



sorry couldnt resist.

I have read Old Man's War and while it didn't give me much of a Gal Civ vibe I did enjoy it and am looking forward to the next one.
Reply #10 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
That's pretty funny Ineffible. Actually its about a group of young 'telepaths'(It seems thats an apt description) that are taken from their homes and trained to lead great fleets into battle. Strong narative, and likable characters. But Ewoks? Huh...That would be cool.
Reply #11 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
NaytchGC – why, thank you! They’re fun to write, but take a LOT of time. Sadly Real Life has intervened to remove most of my free time **sigh**.

I read Starship Troopers ages ago and Ender’s Game (with its many sequels). Loved them both – a lot. They’re all safely tucked away in my SF library. I have a few Virge, but not Fire on the Deep. I don’t have any Stross. I’ll put both on the list, although if they’re out of print I may have to scour used book stores.

Dune was good, but it lost momentum with the many (largely forgettable) sequels. I remember picking up the series in early junior high and being totally confused. Of course, I’d picked up Children of Dune first, so there was little wonder I was a bit lost.

As for covers, if you look at the covers of the SF classics they ALL had cheesy covers that generally involved slavering aliens, scantily clad buxom women, vaguely shaped futuristic space ships, beefy men with laser rifles, or all of the above. Scali’s book covers remind me strongly of covers on Heinlein, van Vogt, Norton, and Delany I have in my cache! So, his covers are kind of retro (and undoubtedly cheaper than custom art). If that isn’t enough I can dig up a cliché: don’t judge a book by its cover.

Hydro
Reply #12 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
"scantily clad buxom women"

Isn't that why we started buying them way back when? LOL
By the way, how do you get your little quotes in the grey boxes?
Reply #13 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I'm always on the look out for a good read, keep them coming, I'm adding them to my list to look out for.
Reply #14 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
As for covers, if you look at the covers of the SF classics they ALL had cheesy covers that generally involved slavering aliens, scantily clad buxom women, vaguely shaped futuristic space ships, beefy men with laser rifles, or all of the above. Scali’s book covers remind me strongly of covers on Heinlein, van Vogt, Norton, and Delany I have in my cache! So, his covers are kind of retro (and undoubtedly cheaper than custom art). If that isn’t enough I can dig up a cliché: don’t judge a book by its cover.


I think Michael Whelan was almost alone in knowing how to do it right.

drrider
Reply #15 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Thank you for agreeing psilontech.

There is only really one good science fiction book, The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy.
Reply #16 from Stardock Forums Top
LOL sorry MrJakJak I should have been far clearer... I love O.S. Card.. I have read the whole of Enderverse novels and his other older stuff... i.e. Treason and such
Reply #17 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
No need to apologize Ineffble, I thought it was pretty funny too. Speaking of books check out Elizabeth Moon. Which ever series has Once a Hero in the middle is pretty entertaining. Can't for the life of me recall what it is though. Sorry.
Reply #18 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Some inspiration for good scifi books can be found on the following websites:

- www.librarything.com

and

- www.locusmag.com/sfaward

BTW librarything.com advises the following books among others (http://www.librarything.com/suggester/7702) to readers who have read Old man's war:

"The Ghost brigades" also by Scalzi
"Spin" by Charles Wilson
"Field of dishonor" by David Weber
Reply #19 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
GJD - thanks for the tips!

There are too many choices and not enough time, so I browse through the various SF awards for good SF book candidates:

Arthur C Clark SF Award:
http://www.sfsite.com/lists/award-arthurcclarke01.htm

British Science Fiction Awards
http://www.bsfa.co.uk/index.cfm/section.awrdlist

Hugo Awards
http://www.worldcon.org/hy.html

Nebula SF Awards
http://www.dpsinfo.com/awardweb/nebulas/

If there are others out there I’d love to hear about it!

Hydro
Reply #20 from Stardock Forums Top
Some of my favorites:

David Weber - Honor Harrington Series - first few in the series are online for free at the baen.com free library.
His Armageddon Inheritance trilogy is somewhat GalCiv-ish, definitely worth a read.

Lois McMaster Bujold - Miles Vorkosigan Series - first one is also online free at the baen.com library I think

Reply #21 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
BTW librarything.com advises the following books among others (http://www.librarything.com/suggester/7702) to readers who have read Old man's war:

"The Ghost brigades" also by Scalzi
"Spin" by Charles Wilson
"Field of dishonor" by David Weber


Despite the expertise of librarything.com, DO NOT pick up "Field of dishonor" to read without starting earlier in the Honor Harrington series. You will be lost in the political intrigue, without getting much of the strategic/galactic war setting. The series begins with an "incident" (as in the shooting of Archduke Ferdinand was an "incident") before the war in "On Basilisk Station", but you would probably be OK if you started with the 2nd book, "For the Honor of the Queen", or in a pinch the 3rd book "A Short Victorious War" is the real start of the galactic war.

"Field of Dishonor" is about the 5th or 6th book, and is largely political intrigue (OK, there are some cool duels, and there is always at least ONE space battle).

A Warning: For anyone who has the mind set to enjoy GalCivII, and peruse these forums, David Weber's Honor Harrington series will become an obsession, AND SUCK UP YOUR GAME TIME! You have been warned.

Drrider
Reply #22 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Spin is actually by Robert Charles Wilson, and the most recent Hugo winner. While a very good novel, I'm not sure it really has a lot in common with GalCiv2 -- it's very far from being a space opera. Still, one of the better science fiction novels I've read in a while, and I read a *lot*.

I second the Lois McMaster Bujold suggestion, and kick myself for not thinking to mention it earlier. Unlike Spin, very much space opera, though no aliens... sort of. Some of the human offshoots are so odd that they may as well be aliens.
Reply #23 from Stardock Forums Top
Just picked up David Weber and Steve White's books, Crusade, In Death Ground...

So far pretty GalCiv like save for the FTL style.
Reply #24 from Stardock Forums Top

Warning: For anyone who has the mind set to enjoy GalCivII, and peruse these forums, David Weber's Honor Harrington series will become an obsession, AND SUCK UP YOUR GAME TIME! You have been warned.

Drrider



Seconded. Great series of books.
Reply #25 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Just picked up David Weber and Steve White's books, Crusade, In Death Ground...

So far pretty GalCiv like save for the FTL style.


Actually, the entire Weber / White collaborative series is based on the senarios (literally, straight out of the back of the rulebooks) of a space war game called Starfire. David Weber was the Re-Editor of the 2nd Edition (the edition that really cleaned up and reached playability) of those rules about 2 decades+ ago.

Incidentally, there are a couple of historical threads in that game melieu, well after the 3rd Interstellar War (Bug War), that would make a fine pair or trilogy of novels. In particular, there is a thread about a Battlestar-type (but more numerous) fleet of refugees from a VERY advanced but Very Regimented humanoid society. There are First Contact misunderstandings, and of course they are also being distantly pursued by their home Civ, to be 'brought back into the fold', ala Wells "1984".

If you look carefully, you can also see the bones of the Starfire game in the mechanics of the Honor Harrington universe, but DW has put many years of subsequent mulling into refining the explanations of how a 'sub-light tactics, FTL strategy' society may be rationalized.

OK, just thoroughly ID'd myself as geezer space gamer, but then I guess that puts me in company with...David Weber. Not a bad galaxy to hyper around in.

drrider