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4.02 AVERAGE
4.02 AVERAGE
Collection of short stories following some additional characters in the series, building to the final book.
an excellent read. Enjoyable and fun. Scalzi's style has developed over time and I find his work something I turn to knowing that I will have a few days of good easy reading. Too many writers write like they are paid by the word, Scalzi seems to be paid by the idea.
Read him!
Read him!
I read this as it came out in serial form, then forgot to mark it here, so this review will be a little fuzzy.
Good characters, humor, and a fast-paced story, as always with Scalzi. Reading a part a week as they were published, the story did feel episodic, more so than the normal chapter divisions in one his other novels. Was this just my perception because I was reading them that way? Not sure.
This one branched out in the OMW universe, which was cool, and, as always, makes me look forward to more.
Good characters, humor, and a fast-paced story, as always with Scalzi. Reading a part a week as they were published, the story did feel episodic, more so than the normal chapter divisions in one his other novels. Was this just my perception because I was reading them that way? Not sure.
This one branched out in the OMW universe, which was cool, and, as always, makes me look forward to more.
I thought the weekly installments worked really well, but was a bit bummed to find out in the last chapter that nothing was really resolved. Still, looking forward to "Season 2".
We meet back up with Harry Wilson from the first book and follow his life in the Colonial Union diplomatic corps. A secret group is stealing ships from both the CU and Conclave in an attempt to spark a massive war between the two. Earth station is destroyed and cut off from space. Ends in a cliff hanger.
What it's about: The Colonial Union has lost Earth and must now rely more on diplomacy to survive, even as nefarious forces seek to bring about its destruction.
Notes:
Verdict: Disjointed but entertaining and pure Scalzi in its whimsical inventiveness, The Human Division is a portentous new chapter in the Old Man's War universe.
I give this: 4 out of 5 nanofiber crowns
Notes:
- This is the first of two serialised novels in the Old Man's War universe, and as such, can read somewhat episodically at times. The novel follows Harry Wilson, one of the original friends of the erstwhile protagonist John Perry. Wilson is more scientist than soldier, relying more on his wits than his modified green body to survive. And that, I think, makes him more interesting than Perry.
- Scalzi has great fun putting the characters into all sorts of weird situations showcasing the weird and wonderful in interspecies relations. Many chapters are almost self-contained in how they depict Wilson and his crew thinking on their feet to triage teetering diplomatic negotiations, often relying on serendipity and blind luck to save humanity's reputation.
- The self-contained nature of each chapter means that it doesn't read like a novel, but more like a series of interconnected chapters. Serialised fiction is not new, but Scalzi here has somewhat eschewed the end-of-chapter suspense hook that characterises much of such fiction in favor of making them stories on their own, but unified by an overarching strand that actually never really surfaces in this book (it will the next). It's a strange read, but not unpleasant. But in a world where information flows so freely, why indeed do books need to be self-contained anymore?
Verdict: Disjointed but entertaining and pure Scalzi in its whimsical inventiveness, The Human Division is a portentous new chapter in the Old Man's War universe.
I give this: 4 out of 5 nanofiber crowns
adventurous
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Scalzi's version of a novel made up of interconnected stories holds up pretty well. That said, it lacks the *kapow* factor (I know. I don't know what else to call it...) of his other Old Man's War novels (all of which I loved). This didn't suck me right into the story like the other books did - probably because it's a bunch of stories that each have a bunch of characters (some of whom we already know from the OMW universe - but some we don't, and those are hard to keep track of along with everyone else). In spite of a little disappointment, I'm so glad he decided to tell another story in that universe. I hope he does it again.
Some of the stories are better than others, but still a really great read.