I_Fart_Glitter

No spoilers please, but does Old Man’s War get better?

https://lemmy.world/post/15546722

No spoilers please, but does Old Man’s War get better? - Lemmy.World

I’ve been really enjoying John Scalzi’s catalog- Started with Starter Villain (delightful!), The Kaiju Preservation Society (Sweet…), Lock In + Head On (fun who-done-its), The Android’s Dream (clever, enjoyable read), Agent to the Stars (funny, creative, pretty good). I’m half way through the first book of Old Man’s War and it’s depressing AF. I don’t see how it’s going to get any more light hearted, given the subject matter. All the aliens are enemies, more battle scenes than anything else, graphic descriptions of war injuries and deaths… I’m not really compelled to keep going. Can anyone vouch for it being worth it to continue?

May 18, 2024 at 8:10pmWeb
Show threadhondaguy97386May 18, 2024
Worth continuing? Absolutely. Getting more lighthearted and fun? Not really. Old Man’s War wasn’t really meant as a lighthearted romp.
Show threadpyrflieMay 19, 2024
Yeah, it’s more of a Cyberpunk war doc. If you aren’t depressed at the end it hasn’t done it’s job.
Show threadI_Fart_GlitterMay 20, 2024
That tracks. As someone who takes many steps every day to stave off crushing depression, I try to keep to more fanciful/hopeful fare for my leisure reading. Thanks for your input!
Show threadNouveau_BurnswickMay 20, 2024
The Bobiverse books are in a similar vein, and much more light hearted.
Show threadGreyEyedGhostMay 19, 2024
I’d say each book ends on a slightly happier note, but I would never call them light-hearted. The humor tends to the grim, and the outcomes are never wonderful.
Show threadlordnikonMay 18, 2024
it is really good and has a great pay off. So much so that it turned me from not knowing him at all to getting what ever he writes without question or even reading the synopsis, but if you are looking for light hearted story this is not the series for you at this time.
Show threadI_Fart_GlitterMay 20, 2024

So much so that it turned me from not knowing him at all to getting what ever he writes without question or even reading the synopsis

I felt this way about Starter Villain! I’m curious how you felt about that one, given how different it is from Old Man’s War.

Show threadlordnikonMay 20, 2024
it was good I would put it on the same level as Agent to the Stars or Fuzzy Nation. plain old goofy fun.
Show threadZagamTheVileMay 18, 2024
Fuzzy Nation is fun too. Do Little Fuzzy right after. OMW isn’t the same kind of series. It’s not meant to be as funny. Just basic sci-fi. I enjoyed it though.
Show threadZagamTheVileMay 18, 2024
Also, if you haven’t yet, check out the Bobiverse books by D. E. Taylor. If you dug Scalzi’s “fun” books, they’ll probably be right up your alley.
Show threadhondaguy97386May 18, 2024
Very good suggestion.
Show threadI_Fart_GlitterMay 20, 2024
Thank you!! I just ordered Fuzzy Nation and We Are Legion (We Are Bob).
Show threadZagamTheVileMay 20, 2024
If you think about it, let me know what you thought of Bob.
Show threadI_Fart_GlitterMay 25, 2024

I really like it so far! Very clever idea for the story line. I appreciate that we are made aware of violence that advances the plot without being given a graphic description of every injury.

Thanks for the rec! I’ll keep you posted!

Show threadwrekoneMay 20, 2024
I did too!
Show threadHuff_ChuggemsMay 18, 2024
It is a heavy read for sure. But I think it’s well worth it. I really enjoyed the sequels as well.
Show threadpr06lefsMay 19, 2024
It is military sci-fi. I liked the series, but then I liked it from the beginning and didn’t need to push through any of it. Sounds like maybe the subject matter isn’t really your bag, that’s ok.
Show threadTryingSomethingNewMay 19, 2024
Like others have said, it’s an entirely different type of beast. It’s not your traditional “snarky but likable protagonist almost designed to be read by Wil Wheaton in the inevitable audiobook“. But it is very good military sci-fi.