Old Man’s War Series in Order: How to read John Scalzi’s books?

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The Old Man’s War is the name of the first published book by sci-fi author John Scalzi, and the name of the series of novels that take place in the same universe.

This is a Military science fiction story that begins with a 75-year-old soldier in the Colonial Defense Forces (CDF) named John Perry. Like his colleagues, Perry gets rejuvenated into a young and enhanced body before being sent to combat in the Galaxy. His chances of survival are low.

How to read the Old Man’s War Books in Order?

  1. Old Man’s War – Everybody knows that when you reach retirement age, you can join the CDF. They don’t want young people; they want people who carry the knowledge and skills of decades of living. You’ll be taken off Earth and never allowed to return. You’ll serve two years at the front. And if you survive, you’ll be given a generous homestead stake of your own, on one of our hard-won colony planets. John Perry is taking that deal.
  2. Questions for a Soldier – Short story set during Old Man’s War when John Perry does a “goodwill” tour of the colonies after the Battle of Coral.
  3. The Ghost Brigades – The universe is a dangerous place for humanity―and it’s about to become far more dangerous. Three races that humans have clashed with before have allied to halt our expansion into space. Their linchpin: the turncoat military scientist Charles Boutin, who knows the CDF’s biggest military secrets. To prevail, the CDF must find out why Boutin did what he did.
  1. The Sagan Diary – It’s a novelette from the point of view of one of the series’ characters, Lieutenant Jane Sagan. This book is a series of diary entries that gives her views on some of the events included in the series… and sheds new light into some previously unexplored corners.
  2. After the Coup – Short story. In a universe of harsh interstellar conflict, the practice of interspecies diplomacy-when possible-is important. So being a Colonial Union officer attached to an interplanetary diplomatic mission sometimes means taking a fall. Literally.

The next two novels tell a story from two different points of view. You can read them in the order you want. That said, Zoe’s Tale is considered by some as optional.

  1. The Last Colony – Retired from his fighting days, John Perry is now village ombudsman for a human colony on distant Huckleberry. With his wife, former Special Forces warrior Jane Sagan, he farms several acres, adjudicates local disputes, and enjoys watching his adopted daughter grow up. That is, until his and Jane’s past reaches out to bring them back into the game.
  2. Zoe’s Tale – This is the tale of Zoe Boutin Perry: A colonist stranded on a deadly pioneer world. Holy icon to a race of aliens. A player (and a pawn) in a interstellar chess match to save humanity, or to see it fall. Witness to history. Friend. Daughter. Human. Seventeen years old.
  1. The Human Division – Now the Colonial Union’s secrets are known to all, alien races have come on the scene and formed a new alliance―an alliance against the CU. And they’ve invited the people of Earth to join them. For a shaken and betrayed Earth, the choice isn’t obvious or easy.
  2. The End of All Things – In this collapsing universe, CDF Lieutenant Harry Wilson and the Colonial Union diplomats he works with race against the clock to discover who is behind attacks on the Union and on alien races, to seek peace with a suspicious, angry Earth, and keep humanity’s union intact…or else risk oblivion, and extinction-and the end of all things.

 

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One Comment

  1. Thank you so much for this effort. I stumbled ( as I normally do) onto John Scalzi’s The Dispatcher and read it through in 2 hours non stop. I wish he does a Valdez series, maybe there is one and I will find it soon. I came across the John Perry series and was wondering about the reading order and I found you. Thanks, Fabien.

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