Publication
Burton, MI : Subterranean Press, 2007.
Description
Jane Sagan: Soldier. Killer. Lover. Dreamer. In John Scalzi's best-selling Old Man's War series of science-fiction novels, we see this warrior woman as the other characters see her: silent and strong, from the outside. But now The Sagan Diary shows us Sagan from another point of view - her own. As she prepares to leave military life and join her new husband and adopted daughter on a colony world, Sagan reflects on her life, in her own words - recalling friends, battles, and experiences; illustrating all the violence and wonder of her times; trying to fit "an entire life into this compressed space."For fans of Scalzi's works, it's an intimate and surprising glimpse into one of his most popular characters. As read by Stephanie Wolfe, it's unlike any other science-fiction story you'll hear this year.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member devilwrites
I didn't even know about this book until John Scalzi happened to mention it on his blog, and once I saw it on Subterranean's Website, I knew I must have it. It's an expensive book for as small as it is, but it's a must-have for any fan of the Old Man's War series, and given the fact it focuses
It's a short book, and it's not so much a complete story as it is a character study. This book MUST be read after The Ghost Brigades, because otherwise, some of the events recorded will make no sense. And I'll stress that the order is important, because this is a very beautiful, very different little book. Personal, private, and very unique. At one point, the narration reminded me of Le Guin's work, which really floored me. :)
This book ties up the events between The Ghost Brigades and The Last Colony. I don't know if it's necessary to read this BEFORE reading The Last Colony (which I haven't yet read, since I'm waiting on the paperback), I do think it reveals volumes about Jane Sagan's character, and that's what makes this book so poignant and beautiful. Scalzi really focuses on the intimate details of his world here, which is one of the reasons I read it immediately after The Ghost Brigades.
There's not much else I can really say about this book. The voice is startlingly different from his first two volumes, making Sagan's character unique in her own right. It's a must-have for fans of this series, so don't miss out.
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solely on Jane Sagan, it's not a book I could pass up.It's a short book, and it's not so much a complete story as it is a character study. This book MUST be read after The Ghost Brigades, because otherwise, some of the events recorded will make no sense. And I'll stress that the order is important, because this is a very beautiful, very different little book. Personal, private, and very unique. At one point, the narration reminded me of Le Guin's work, which really floored me. :)
This book ties up the events between The Ghost Brigades and The Last Colony. I don't know if it's necessary to read this BEFORE reading The Last Colony (which I haven't yet read, since I'm waiting on the paperback), I do think it reveals volumes about Jane Sagan's character, and that's what makes this book so poignant and beautiful. Scalzi really focuses on the intimate details of his world here, which is one of the reasons I read it immediately after The Ghost Brigades.
There's not much else I can really say about this book. The voice is startlingly different from his first two volumes, making Sagan's character unique in her own right. It's a must-have for fans of this series, so don't miss out.
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LibraryThing member sdobie
Entries from the diaries of Jane Sagan giving her viewpoint on some of the events of Old Man's War and The Ghost Brigades. This is not really a story, just a meditation on various aspects of life that are loosely linked together by the chronology of the Old Man's War series. I guess it is supposed
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to provide some deep insights, but to me it was just pretentious, dull meanderings that loses the entertaining aspects of the novels in the series. Show Less
LibraryThing member Cataloger623
If you knew you were an artifical human being bred for war and fell in love with a natural human being what would think? This novelette answer that question and in doing so makes the reader examine their own humanity.
LibraryThing member woodshopcowboy
A long-form science-fiction prose poem, meditating on life, language, love, friendship.
I do recommend reading Old Man's War, the novel which introduces Jane Sagan and some of the contextal gravitas hidden in this piece.
I do recommend reading Old Man's War, the novel which introduces Jane Sagan and some of the contextal gravitas hidden in this piece.
LibraryThing member jlynno84
I was shocked by how beautifully written this book is! The previous books by John Scalzi have been great science fiction, told in normal style for the genre. But The Sagan Diary is different, it is flowing prose, a mental love letter. It was the perfect compliment to the rest of the Old Man's
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stories, and I think my favorite. At just 100 pages it is a very quick read, but its delicious! Show Less
LibraryThing member fyrefly98
Summary: The members of the Colonial Defense Fleet Special Forces - or the Ghost Brigades, as they're colloquially known - are born into the bodies of adult genetically engineered super-soldiers, and never experience a moment of consciousness without their BrainPal software fully functional. Now
Review: I enjoyed this story quite a lot, although I think the reasons that I enjoyed it might be the reasons that a lot of people don't like it. Specifically: it is very, very different from the full-length novels in the Old Man's War series. It's not funny, it's not action-packed, and it's more philosophical musing than plot. For people looking for a short story in the vein of Scalzi's longer books, it's going to be a disappointment. (Although I'd point those people towards "After the Coup", which is set in the OMW universe and is very much in keeping with the tone of the first two books.)
But for exactly those reasons, I thought it was great. Scalzi takes this opportunity to show off his range, and Jane Sagan's voice suits her perfectly, yet is nothing at all like the voice of John Perry or Jared Dirac. It also takes a really hard look at a lot of the issues that separate regular humans from CDF, and CDF from Special Forces - issues that are hinted at but never really examined in the books in any depth... or at least not from the point of view of someone who has volunteered to give it all up, and is willing to think about her decision critically. The tone is meandering, yes, but beautifully and poignantly so, and I thought this made a perfect little intermezzo between books. 4.5 out of 5 stars.
Recommendation: Much like The Ghost Brigades, Scalzi doesn't waste a lot of time summarizing what's come before (i.e. who the "you" that Sagan keeps addressing in her diary is), so I don't think this is something that should be read by newcomers to the series. For those that have read the first two books, though, The Sagan Diary is a change of pace that provides a unique perspective on the events of the main series... although be advised that it is indeed a major change of pace.
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Jane Sagan, a Special Forces CO, has reached the end of her term of service to the CDF, and is choosing retirement over reenlistment, even though it means her consciousness will be transferred back to a regular human body. This "novelette" is her diary in the weeks before her transition, ruminating on what life is like as a Special Forces soldier, and what she risks losing - and gaining - in her upcoming transition.Review: I enjoyed this story quite a lot, although I think the reasons that I enjoyed it might be the reasons that a lot of people don't like it. Specifically: it is very, very different from the full-length novels in the Old Man's War series. It's not funny, it's not action-packed, and it's more philosophical musing than plot. For people looking for a short story in the vein of Scalzi's longer books, it's going to be a disappointment. (Although I'd point those people towards "After the Coup", which is set in the OMW universe and is very much in keeping with the tone of the first two books.)
But for exactly those reasons, I thought it was great. Scalzi takes this opportunity to show off his range, and Jane Sagan's voice suits her perfectly, yet is nothing at all like the voice of John Perry or Jared Dirac. It also takes a really hard look at a lot of the issues that separate regular humans from CDF, and CDF from Special Forces - issues that are hinted at but never really examined in the books in any depth... or at least not from the point of view of someone who has volunteered to give it all up, and is willing to think about her decision critically. The tone is meandering, yes, but beautifully and poignantly so, and I thought this made a perfect little intermezzo between books. 4.5 out of 5 stars.
Recommendation: Much like The Ghost Brigades, Scalzi doesn't waste a lot of time summarizing what's come before (i.e. who the "you" that Sagan keeps addressing in her diary is), so I don't think this is something that should be read by newcomers to the series. For those that have read the first two books, though, The Sagan Diary is a change of pace that provides a unique perspective on the events of the main series... although be advised that it is indeed a major change of pace.
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LibraryThing member RBeffa
I happened upon this small book at the library and grabbed it up. I had forgotten about this sidetrack from Scalzi's "Old Man's War" series and dove into it. It caught me off guard, but I got past that and realized that this was something rather unconventional. Almost a tour de force. It was
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interesting and not bad, but the downside for me is that I couldn't jibe this look inside the head supposed reflection by Jane Sagan with the special forces soldier from the earlier novels. But I give it props for something different. Show Less
LibraryThing member Guide2
More of a short collection of essay than a real story. Some interesting insight, but not that interesting overall.
LibraryThing member stefferoo
A good "background" novella that gives you a deeper understanding of Jane Sagan from the Old Man's War series. Despite the title, I do have to note that it doesn't actually read much like my idea of someone's diary. It's more like a collection of rambling, random disjointed thoughts thrown together
Nevertheless, it was a short read and I thought it was decent. In the interest of full disclosure, I probably wouldn't have bought this on my own, and only checked it out as it was a free gift from Audible, so that could have influenced my opinions.
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from the point of view of the character. It's a style that can really get on your nerves after a while, so I can sort of understand and sympathize with some of the tepid reviews.Nevertheless, it was a short read and I thought it was decent. In the interest of full disclosure, I probably wouldn't have bought this on my own, and only checked it out as it was a free gift from Audible, so that could have influenced my opinions.
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LibraryThing member Disquiet
This book serves several purposes. It provides insight into the minds of the ubercharged military combatants who fill the pages of Scalzi's excellent novel Old Man's War, a lengthy riff on The Forever War and Starship Troopers. It answers the question as to whether for all the militance of that
In the end, it does make me wonder if Scalzi would have written a book this emotional about a male character, but so be it.
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book and its various other parallel texts, so much of which is about action, Scalzi has a take on interior life (the answer is yes — this book is all interior). It confirms for any naysayers that the resolutely blank prose of his later novel, Redshirts, is on purpose, because there is nothing blank about the Sagan Diary; Redshirts is blank to match the lack of interior lives of so many of its characters, a blankness that is a part of the story, and part of the culture (Star Trek) it is riffing on, while Sagan Diary is nothing but interior life.In the end, it does make me wonder if Scalzi would have written a book this emotional about a male character, but so be it.
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LibraryThing member dgmillo
Scalzi has three strengths: Fun, breezy plots. Witty Dialogue. Lovable characters. This story is missing the first two. There's very little plot. Very little actual dialogue. It's a series of introspective musings from the mind of Jane Sagan, one of the main characters of the Old Man's War
This book is aimed at the fan of Old Man's War who is really itching to get more into the mind and perspective of Jane Sagan. Personally, I think the trilogy (Old Man's War, The Ghost Brigades, The Last Colony) does a sufficient job of characterizing Jane and The Sagan Diary didn't really tell me anything new.
Much like reading anyone's diary, it is filled with meaning to the one who wrote it, but to anyone else? Not so much. If anything, it was a little uncomfortable reading the inner thoughts of such a private character. It felt a little like a violation.
Anyway, cool to see Scalzi try something different from his usual style. But unlike The God Engines, I don't think this experiment really worked.
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universe, on the eve of her death and rebirth. This book is aimed at the fan of Old Man's War who is really itching to get more into the mind and perspective of Jane Sagan. Personally, I think the trilogy (Old Man's War, The Ghost Brigades, The Last Colony) does a sufficient job of characterizing Jane and The Sagan Diary didn't really tell me anything new.
Much like reading anyone's diary, it is filled with meaning to the one who wrote it, but to anyone else? Not so much. If anything, it was a little uncomfortable reading the inner thoughts of such a private character. It felt a little like a violation.
Anyway, cool to see Scalzi try something different from his usual style. But unlike The God Engines, I don't think this experiment really worked.
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LibraryThing member jmkemp
An interesting addition to the Old Man's War universe, unlike the others I've read this one is about the internal emotional state of Jane Sagan, a special forces lt from the three books in the series.
LibraryThing member EmScape
This is not the strongest entry in the Old Man's War series, however it was conceived by Scalzi as an experiment in writing from the point of view of a female, and not just any female but a Special Forces (Ghost Brigades) soldier. Taking place over the course of the previous books in the series,
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Jane's internal monologue is an expression of her feelings for John Perry and her desires for their future. This wasn't as fun or exciting to read as the reader is already familiar with the events of the previous books and very little new information is introduced here. Show Less
LibraryThing member ragwaine
So this was definitely not was I expected at all. It was more like prose-poetry, but it wasn't a full novel so that's okay. I would suggest reading it without having read at least the first book of the series. The writing was really great, but there was no action, just feelings and philosophies
Not sure I would pay the full $20 price on the regular edition, but if you can find it cheap and like the Old Man's War books, would definitely suggest it.
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about Sagan's previously life as a trained killer and what her new life would be like settled down with Perry, in a new body that didn't have all the enhancements.Not sure I would pay the full $20 price on the regular edition, but if you can find it cheap and like the Old Man's War books, would definitely suggest it.
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LibraryThing member jercox
Backstory of some history from Jane Sagan's POV. Very different from the other books in the series, I did not find it added to my enjoyment of the series.
LibraryThing member zot79
An odd little collection of philosophical internal monologues from a futuristic special-ops soldier being decommissioned. I never really quite bought the voice, which seemed much too mature and educated for a piece of meat grown in a vat, trained to fight at an accelerated rate, turned out to
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battle, and alive for only a relatively few years. But props to John Scalzi for good writing and experimenting with the form. Show Less
Language
Original publication date
2007
Physical description
100 p.; 21 cm
ISBN
9781596061033