Status
Available
Call number
Series
Publication
New York : Tor, c2007.
Description
Fiction. Science Fiction. HTML: 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�??as leaders of a new human colony, to be peopled by settlers from all the major human worlds, for a deep political purpose that will put Perry and Sagan back in the thick of interstellar politics, betrayal, and war. Old Man's War Series #1 Old Man's War #2 The Ghost Brigades #3 The Last Colony #4 Zoe's Tale #5 The Human Division #6 The End of All Things Short fiction: "After the Coup" Other Tor Books The Android's Dream Agent to the Stars Your Hate Mail Will Be Graded Fuzzy Nation Redshirts Lock In The Collapsing Empire (forthcoming) At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member bart154ce
This is a slightly different book to the first two in the trilogy, with the bang bang action of the first to giving way to political maneuvering and much more time is spent on the characters and the sometimes minute of their lives. This works well, because when it becomes obvious the Colonial Union
And can I just say how great it is to have John Perry back! He has got to be one of my favourite characters of the last few years reading, and his sarcastic one-upmanship with his assistant Savitri Guntupalli, is a joy to read.
John and Jane are also joined by their daughter, Zoe, who does her best to both mock & love her 90-year-old adopted dad. I can’t tell you just how much I am looking forward to meeting Zoe properly in her own book, Zoe’s Tale, which follows the events in The Last Colony from her teenage point-of-view.
While, there is less action in this book, it is certainly not missed, Scalzi once again, excels at writing characters and their interactions and that is what makes his books so much fun to read. And this one is no different. Excellent, excellent read.
Show More
are playing with there lives, you care even more new colonists.And can I just say how great it is to have John Perry back! He has got to be one of my favourite characters of the last few years reading, and his sarcastic one-upmanship with his assistant Savitri Guntupalli, is a joy to read.
John and Jane are also joined by their daughter, Zoe, who does her best to both mock & love her 90-year-old adopted dad. I can’t tell you just how much I am looking forward to meeting Zoe properly in her own book, Zoe’s Tale, which follows the events in The Last Colony from her teenage point-of-view.
While, there is less action in this book, it is certainly not missed, Scalzi once again, excels at writing characters and their interactions and that is what makes his books so much fun to read. And this one is no different. Excellent, excellent read.
Show Less
LibraryThing member ladycato
This series in incredibly consistent in its depth, tension, and delightful characters. I hesitate to go into detail and spoil the previous books, but Scalzi manages to create incredible layering with his plots. No one is good. No one is bad. Everything is convoluted and complicated, set against a
Scalzi does pull out something of a deus ex machina at the end, as his characters face impossible odds, but the book is so fantastic that I didn't mind all that much. The Old Man's War books are engaging and intelligent, without being overwhelming in terms of the science fiction. I look forward to reading the next volume in the coming months.
Show More
backdrop of interstellar politics: humanity's Colonial Union, which has effectively made enemies with over 400 alien species, and those 400 alien species who have formed a Conclave with the combined goal of preventing rampant colonization by all species, including humans.Scalzi does pull out something of a deus ex machina at the end, as his characters face impossible odds, but the book is so fantastic that I didn't mind all that much. The Old Man's War books are engaging and intelligent, without being overwhelming in terms of the science fiction. I look forward to reading the next volume in the coming months.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Becky_McKenna
Hate to do this, but I believe the Hubsters and I are through with this series. Old Man's War was original, funny, action packed and emotional, then things went downhill with book two and hit a new low with The Last Colony
We loved the world Scalzi initially built, but there is nothing exciting and
Politics are a necessary evil responsibility in real life and the last thing either of us want to do during our precious down time is listen to a fictional character discuss science fiction politics and bureaucratic backstabbing. Scalzi had an opportunity here to breathe new life into a series and it's a shame that didn't happen...at least not for us. The only time the book held our attention was when something exploded...which wasn't often enough. It was a sad, sad experience.
We won't be continuing the series.
We loved the world Scalzi initially built, but there is nothing exciting and
Show More
new here. John Perry and his family are asked to lead a shipload of civilians and establish a new colony on an uninhabited planet. Sounds really cool, right? Think of the survival issues, the labor as they establish their community, the day to day problems that naturally occur when people get tired and frustrated with each other because they are working in close proximity. This is all happening on a planet far from Earth, at a time when Humanity knows multiple alien worlds exist (many of them hostile). We expected action and adventure, maybe a conflict over planet ownership, or a virus that led to a mini zombie epidemic. What did we get? One big conspiracy that was poorly executed and boiled down to boring politics. That's right. Politics.Politics are a necessary evil responsibility in real life and the last thing either of us want to do during our precious down time is listen to a fictional character discuss science fiction politics and bureaucratic backstabbing. Scalzi had an opportunity here to breathe new life into a series and it's a shame that didn't happen...at least not for us. The only time the book held our attention was when something exploded...which wasn't often enough. It was a sad, sad experience.
We won't be continuing the series.
Show Less
LibraryThing member shaunesay
While I came to be a John Scalzi fan through Red Shirts, his fantastically entertaining spoof of a Star Trek-esque show, comedy is only one of his many talents. Many of his stand alones are humorous, but also offering unexpected poignant moments, he can take a crazy idea and make it work.
He can
We navigate many social and moral situations with John Perry, an old man from Earth who embarked on a new military career when he thought he had nothing left to miss at home. He had no idea what he was in for. There are definite echoes of Joe Haldeman's Forever War in Perry's experiences, though he was given a completely new young body in the beginning, and is on at least his second new body by this third installment of the series. He thought he was out of the action, trying to live a quiet life with his wife, a retired special forces soldier, farming on a colony world. Usually his most challenging task is mediating between colonists, and it's a good life, but it's not to be. Perry and Jane are back in the thick of things between the Colonial Union and the Conclave in a dominance struggle, with all the complications and action that will bring.
During all of these battles and discussions and alien encounters, Scalzi is able to give his characters personalities we can relate to and care for, so it's not all dry Sci-Fi but also engaging on an emotional level. Perry is given many difficult decisions that don't have a clear answer, with many looking to him in leadership roles that he never really wanted. He's just a guy, trying to live a life, being the best person he can be, in extreme circumstances.
I'm enjoying the Old Man's War series in a completely different way than Scalzi's humorous stand alone novels, and it's a great example of the complexity and deep thought that he is so capable of conveying, examining difficult issues from all angles. If you're needing entertainment and laughs, check out Red Shirts. When you're ready for a more serious examination of intelligent inter and intra species relationships and military/government intrigue, then you're ready for Old Man's War.
He can
Show More
also be more serious and take an entire universe, complete with hundreds of species of aliens and extrapolate what relations between them could be, in addition to commentary on the complications within a single species, be it human or otherwise. That is the brilliance of the Old Man's War series. There are humorous exchanges between characters and the occasional funny situation but overall this series shows humans setting out into the universe and becoming one of it's larger powers, how it deals with other life forms, and how it deals with it's own.We navigate many social and moral situations with John Perry, an old man from Earth who embarked on a new military career when he thought he had nothing left to miss at home. He had no idea what he was in for. There are definite echoes of Joe Haldeman's Forever War in Perry's experiences, though he was given a completely new young body in the beginning, and is on at least his second new body by this third installment of the series. He thought he was out of the action, trying to live a quiet life with his wife, a retired special forces soldier, farming on a colony world. Usually his most challenging task is mediating between colonists, and it's a good life, but it's not to be. Perry and Jane are back in the thick of things between the Colonial Union and the Conclave in a dominance struggle, with all the complications and action that will bring.
During all of these battles and discussions and alien encounters, Scalzi is able to give his characters personalities we can relate to and care for, so it's not all dry Sci-Fi but also engaging on an emotional level. Perry is given many difficult decisions that don't have a clear answer, with many looking to him in leadership roles that he never really wanted. He's just a guy, trying to live a life, being the best person he can be, in extreme circumstances.
I'm enjoying the Old Man's War series in a completely different way than Scalzi's humorous stand alone novels, and it's a great example of the complexity and deep thought that he is so capable of conveying, examining difficult issues from all angles. If you're needing entertainment and laughs, check out Red Shirts. When you're ready for a more serious examination of intelligent inter and intra species relationships and military/government intrigue, then you're ready for Old Man's War.
Show Less
LibraryThing member saltmanz
The Last Colony picks up where Scalzi's previous books left off, finally tying together the lives of John Perry (from Old Man's War) and Jane Sagan and Zoe Boutin (from The Ghost Brigades). Given the ending of the latter, if you guessed that these three would finally settle down on some placid
For a while, anyway.
The third book in the series picks up a decade into their life as a family on the colony of Huckleberry. John Perry is back as the first-person narrator, though ten years of family life in an ordinary, non-military human body seems to have worn away his sarcastic edges some. Anyway, his family is chosen by the Colonial Defense Force to head a new colony, omniously dubbed "Roanoke", but as you can probably guess from the name, things don't go exactly as planned. Or, rather, things don't go exactly as the colonists planned—the CDF is playing a game with galactic alien powers, and Roanoke is just a pawn caught in the middle.
If you skim to the bottom of this review, you can see just from my rating that I thought this book was great. It continues the series nicely, I love the characters, the plot is gripping, full of unexpected twists and turns, I'm involved emotionally, and Scalzi makes the pages turn so quickly one begins to worry that they might literally catch fire.
But that's not to say the book doesn't have any issues. As alluded to above, Perry's narration doesn't have the same sarcastic edge that he showed in Old Man's War. Chalk that up to family life, maybe, but I missed Perry during The Ghost Brigades, and while he was great in this book, I felt I missed the "old" (ha!) Perry as well. The 10-year jump from the end of the previous installment was a little disappointing, too, since we never get to witness these three very different people settle in as a family. Heck, we only get the briefest glimpse of Perry's courtship of Sagan in OMW; Scalzi could easily write a trilogy dealing with that.
Perhaps the most frustrating part of the novel was seeing the Roanoke colony get jerked around left and right by the CDF. There's a lot of political intrigue and maneuvering involved, but since we only get Perry's POV, it's all invisible—behind-the-scenes. Until every fourth chapter or so we get a little infodump on what's "really" going on (which of course changes from dump to dump as lies get unravelled.)
I can't complain too much, though, because all of this leads up to a number of great Perry moments where he takes matters into his own hands and screw everyone else that's trying to take advantage of the colony, complete with a great ending that serves to nicely wrap up the trilogy. Well, John and Jane's story, anyway. Because there's a fourth book, you see, and...well, but now I'm getting ahead of myself.
Overall, if you enjoyed the first two books, you'll enjoy this one. Period. [4 out of 5 stars]
Show More
colony planet to live out the rest of their lives in peace, well...you'd be right.For a while, anyway.
The third book in the series picks up a decade into their life as a family on the colony of Huckleberry. John Perry is back as the first-person narrator, though ten years of family life in an ordinary, non-military human body seems to have worn away his sarcastic edges some. Anyway, his family is chosen by the Colonial Defense Force to head a new colony, omniously dubbed "Roanoke", but as you can probably guess from the name, things don't go exactly as planned. Or, rather, things don't go exactly as the colonists planned—the CDF is playing a game with galactic alien powers, and Roanoke is just a pawn caught in the middle.
If you skim to the bottom of this review, you can see just from my rating that I thought this book was great. It continues the series nicely, I love the characters, the plot is gripping, full of unexpected twists and turns, I'm involved emotionally, and Scalzi makes the pages turn so quickly one begins to worry that they might literally catch fire.
But that's not to say the book doesn't have any issues. As alluded to above, Perry's narration doesn't have the same sarcastic edge that he showed in Old Man's War. Chalk that up to family life, maybe, but I missed Perry during The Ghost Brigades, and while he was great in this book, I felt I missed the "old" (ha!) Perry as well. The 10-year jump from the end of the previous installment was a little disappointing, too, since we never get to witness these three very different people settle in as a family. Heck, we only get the briefest glimpse of Perry's courtship of Sagan in OMW; Scalzi could easily write a trilogy dealing with that.
Perhaps the most frustrating part of the novel was seeing the Roanoke colony get jerked around left and right by the CDF. There's a lot of political intrigue and maneuvering involved, but since we only get Perry's POV, it's all invisible—behind-the-scenes. Until every fourth chapter or so we get a little infodump on what's "really" going on (which of course changes from dump to dump as lies get unravelled.)
I can't complain too much, though, because all of this leads up to a number of great Perry moments where he takes matters into his own hands and screw everyone else that's trying to take advantage of the colony, complete with a great ending that serves to nicely wrap up the trilogy. Well, John and Jane's story, anyway. Because there's a fourth book, you see, and...well, but now I'm getting ahead of myself.
Overall, if you enjoyed the first two books, you'll enjoy this one. Period. [4 out of 5 stars]
Show Less
LibraryThing member hopeevey
The Last Colony is the third book set in the universe created in Old Man's War and expanded on my Ghost Brigades. I think it's best read after reading the other two, although it's not required. You'll get enough background to follow the story, although it's also enough information to spoil some of
This volume isn't the kind of millitary story told in the first two books. Instead, it focuses more on family, really. While the circles of family and community have to navigate some treacherous, dangerous larger issues, at its heart, The Last Colony is about building and maintaining community. John Perry and Jane Sagan, now married and back in normal bodies (they had different bodies in the previous two books. Don't ask - just go read them) run a small colony, and care for their adopted daughter, Zoe. For various reasons, they're chosen to head a controversial new colony, to be called Roanoke.
Does that name set of alarm bells? Excellent.
As you can imagine, all sorts of mayham ensues from there.
There's only a little fighting, which is dramatic, gripping, and brutal. When Mr. Scalzi writes action, he means it. He also seems to have a keen insight into how a government buracracy does and doesn't work.
I quite enjoyed this novel, but I have two complaints. First, the deus ex machina got heavy handed. Second, the main characters tend to have a similar voice. This makes sense between John, Jane and Zoe - they're family. Jane and John chose each other, so it makes sense for them to have strong similarities. They've raised Zoe, so it makes sense for her to have a similar voice. I can see John's assistant also tending to have some similarities. But my credulity broke when the main rival to John and Jane's authority, when push came to shove, agreed with and backed them. It felt a lot more like Narrative Imperative than a natural outgrowth of the character as we'd seen him previously.
But even given those problems, I didn't care. The writing was so engrossing, I had my moments of, "I can't believe you did that!" then lost myself in the story again. Other than that odd similarity, the characters were believable, and very appealing. The writing was good enough to ease me past the deus ex machina. I finished the book quite satisifed with it, and looking forward to reading the rest of the series.
Show More
the plot twists in the previous two books. This volume isn't the kind of millitary story told in the first two books. Instead, it focuses more on family, really. While the circles of family and community have to navigate some treacherous, dangerous larger issues, at its heart, The Last Colony is about building and maintaining community. John Perry and Jane Sagan, now married and back in normal bodies (they had different bodies in the previous two books. Don't ask - just go read them) run a small colony, and care for their adopted daughter, Zoe. For various reasons, they're chosen to head a controversial new colony, to be called Roanoke.
Does that name set of alarm bells? Excellent.
As you can imagine, all sorts of mayham ensues from there.
There's only a little fighting, which is dramatic, gripping, and brutal. When Mr. Scalzi writes action, he means it. He also seems to have a keen insight into how a government buracracy does and doesn't work.
I quite enjoyed this novel, but I have two complaints. First, the deus ex machina got heavy handed. Second, the main characters tend to have a similar voice. This makes sense between John, Jane and Zoe - they're family. Jane and John chose each other, so it makes sense for them to have strong similarities. They've raised Zoe, so it makes sense for her to have a similar voice. I can see John's assistant also tending to have some similarities. But my credulity broke when the main rival to John and Jane's authority, when push came to shove, agreed with and backed them. It felt a lot more like Narrative Imperative than a natural outgrowth of the character as we'd seen him previously.
But even given those problems, I didn't care. The writing was so engrossing, I had my moments of, "I can't believe you did that!" then lost myself in the story again. Other than that odd similarity, the characters were believable, and very appealing. The writing was good enough to ease me past the deus ex machina. I finished the book quite satisifed with it, and looking forward to reading the rest of the series.
Show Less
LibraryThing member grizzly.anderson
The third book in Scalzi's Old Man's War series was, according to the afterword, supposed to be the last one. At least it is for the main characters Jane Sagan & John Perry, with Zoe now getting her own book.
Continuing the the story of John & Jane The Last Colonoy follows as they are wrangled into
By about 1/2 way through the knowledge of who is honorable and who isn't makes the ending all-but-inevitable, though the process of arriving is still entertaining. I was disappointed that the primitive but intelligent natives introduced about 1/4 of the way in turned out to be just filler material just as quickly dropped, and later discarded as merely a hypothetical situation. Perhaps they get a little more treatment in Zoe's Tale.
Continuing the the story of John & Jane The Last Colonoy follows as they are wrangled into
Show More
becoming colonial administrators of the Colonial Union's latest colony world. A colony world that is under threat from a variety of alien civilizations that aren't exactly friendly with the CU. If course, it is more complicated than that, and the colonists find that they are just pawns in several different people's plots and schemes.By about 1/2 way through the knowledge of who is honorable and who isn't makes the ending all-but-inevitable, though the process of arriving is still entertaining. I was disappointed that the primitive but intelligent natives introduced about 1/4 of the way in turned out to be just filler material just as quickly dropped, and later discarded as merely a hypothetical situation. Perhaps they get a little more treatment in Zoe's Tale.
Show Less
LibraryThing member DLMorrese
I almost did not pick up the first book in this series, Old Man’s War, because I am not a big fan of military science fiction. The blurb on the book cover intrigued me, though, and I found both this book and the sequel, Ghost Brigade, enjoyable with much better characters with more admirable
He is in semi-retirement with his wife (a former Special Forces soldier and clone of his dead first wife on Earth) and his adopted daughter (who is revered by an alien species), when he is called on to lead a new colony being established on a distant planet. It soon becomes clear that they have been lied to. The planet they arrive at is not the one they were told they would be colonizing. In fact, they are told they must remain hidden, which means the crew of the ship that brought them there cannot leave, the ship will be destroyed, and they are not to use of anything that can transmit an electronic signal.
To say much more about this would involve spoilers, but it soon becomes clear to Perry that their government is misleading them. What he does not know at first is that the survival of humanity depends on him figuring out what he has not been told, taking a stand against established authority, and countering some of their incredibly poor decisions regarding an alien led federation of species known as the Conclave.
A few things about this book distinguish it from others in this subgenre and make it deserving of a five-star rating. The first is the characters. There is a clear distinction between the main characters in this book. None are cookie-cutter ‘good guys’ or ‘bad guys.’ Each has understandable motivations. Some are admirable, and you care about what they do and what happens to them. Those that aren’t, are at least believable.
The second thing is the story. John and his wife (as the main characters) recognize that what they have been told doesn’t quite make sense. There are gaps, possibly distortions, and they attempt to figure out what those are (i.e. they are not stupid and credulous). Through their actions, they question, they discover, and they act, not with mindless violence, but with thought and well consider planning. This is not a simplistic ‘action’ story.
The third thing about this book that I especially liked is the mood. This is a work of positive science fiction in that it is hopeful. Humanity, despite some shortcomings, can progress and advance. Our biggest challenge is not some alien presence that wants to eat or enslave us but ourselves and how we view our place in the universe. Prejudice and jingoism are greater threats than the other species sharing the stars and John Perry realizes this.
The only negative aspect to the book that I saw was that it introduces a sentient species native to the planet John and the colonists have been sent to but little is said about them or the humans’ interaction with them other than a brief and unpleasant encounter.
If you are looking for comic book heroes and action adventure, this is book is not for you, but if you appreciate a thoughtful story with admirable characters, I recommend this with one caveat - read Old Man’s War and Ghost Brigade first.
Show More
traits than you normally find in this particular subgenre of science fiction. The Last Colony, in my opinion, provides a satisfying conclusion to the tale of John Perry, the former genetically altered soldier.He is in semi-retirement with his wife (a former Special Forces soldier and clone of his dead first wife on Earth) and his adopted daughter (who is revered by an alien species), when he is called on to lead a new colony being established on a distant planet. It soon becomes clear that they have been lied to. The planet they arrive at is not the one they were told they would be colonizing. In fact, they are told they must remain hidden, which means the crew of the ship that brought them there cannot leave, the ship will be destroyed, and they are not to use of anything that can transmit an electronic signal.
To say much more about this would involve spoilers, but it soon becomes clear to Perry that their government is misleading them. What he does not know at first is that the survival of humanity depends on him figuring out what he has not been told, taking a stand against established authority, and countering some of their incredibly poor decisions regarding an alien led federation of species known as the Conclave.
A few things about this book distinguish it from others in this subgenre and make it deserving of a five-star rating. The first is the characters. There is a clear distinction between the main characters in this book. None are cookie-cutter ‘good guys’ or ‘bad guys.’ Each has understandable motivations. Some are admirable, and you care about what they do and what happens to them. Those that aren’t, are at least believable.
The second thing is the story. John and his wife (as the main characters) recognize that what they have been told doesn’t quite make sense. There are gaps, possibly distortions, and they attempt to figure out what those are (i.e. they are not stupid and credulous). Through their actions, they question, they discover, and they act, not with mindless violence, but with thought and well consider planning. This is not a simplistic ‘action’ story.
The third thing about this book that I especially liked is the mood. This is a work of positive science fiction in that it is hopeful. Humanity, despite some shortcomings, can progress and advance. Our biggest challenge is not some alien presence that wants to eat or enslave us but ourselves and how we view our place in the universe. Prejudice and jingoism are greater threats than the other species sharing the stars and John Perry realizes this.
The only negative aspect to the book that I saw was that it introduces a sentient species native to the planet John and the colonists have been sent to but little is said about them or the humans’ interaction with them other than a brief and unpleasant encounter.
If you are looking for comic book heroes and action adventure, this is book is not for you, but if you appreciate a thoughtful story with admirable characters, I recommend this with one caveat - read Old Man’s War and Ghost Brigade first.
Show Less
LibraryThing member TheDivineOomba
I read John Scalzi's blog, Whatever, and its very clear that this book is all Scalzi. The first thing that comes across is how much John loves and respects his wife and daughter. Where other authors will write a teenager as utterly clueless or miniature adults, Zoe is all teen.
The characters are
The characters are
Show More
quite real, but the plot is over the top and more convoluted than it needs to be. It makes sense, but I'd like to see a character rely on innate ability rather than an unexpected gift. The ending also felt rushed. Show Less
LibraryThing member bluesalamanders
Third book in the Old Man's War series. John and Jane are chosen to head up a colony on a new planet. Except things don't go exactly as expected and along with the normal hazards of colonizing a new planet (unfriendly lifeforms, inedible vegetation, etc), they suddenly discover that they've been
Excellent as usual from Scalzi.
Show More
made pawns in an intergalactic war.Excellent as usual from Scalzi.
Show Less
LibraryThing member kmartin802
I enjoyed this conclusion to the story of John Perry, Jane Sagan and Zoe Boutin. After some quiet time as colonists on Huckleberry political matters are disturbing them again. I like the interplay between John and his assistant Savitri. There were lots of humorous remarks. I like the relationship
Then John and Jane are chosen to be the leaders of a new colonial venture. Only the Colonial Union doesn't tell them that the Conclave (a group of over 400 alien races) has forbidden non-members to colonize new planets. Nor does the CU actually send them to the planet they think they are colonizing. After some adventures including discovering that they are not alone on the planet and the aliens are hostile and learning to survive without all their electronics, the CU comes back. Roanoke colonists are in danger and not only from the Conclave.
The story was exciting. My only complaint is that the story ended. I want to know more about these characters and what happens next.
Show More
between Zoe and John too. I like learning more about Jane as she learns to be a regular, unenhanced human and how she reacts when she is enhanced again against her will. Then John and Jane are chosen to be the leaders of a new colonial venture. Only the Colonial Union doesn't tell them that the Conclave (a group of over 400 alien races) has forbidden non-members to colonize new planets. Nor does the CU actually send them to the planet they think they are colonizing. After some adventures including discovering that they are not alone on the planet and the aliens are hostile and learning to survive without all their electronics, the CU comes back. Roanoke colonists are in danger and not only from the Conclave.
The story was exciting. My only complaint is that the story ended. I want to know more about these characters and what happens next.
Show Less
LibraryThing member SaintBrevity
Third in the Old Man's War universe, this book follows John and Jane as they are selected to lead a new colony for the Colonial Defense Force. Of course, things being what they are, not all is as it seems.
In many ways this is a lighter read than the previous novels in the series; other approaches
There's arguably none of that in this book, for which I roll my eyes to the skies and thank ceiling cat; I've read plenty of that crap already.
A nice close to the official series; John Scalzi plans on writing more in this universe, but not more in this series. I'll be picking them up.
In many ways this is a lighter read than the previous novels in the series; other approaches
Show More
to the "establishing a colony" scenario generally spend a chapter or two on the grinding struggle that is life on a farm, the characters' loss of will to keep doing this, and their subsequent revitalization and love of life, their spouse, their neighbors, plowing, farming in general, and the author's paycheck.There's arguably none of that in this book, for which I roll my eyes to the skies and thank ceiling cat; I've read plenty of that crap already.
A nice close to the official series; John Scalzi plans on writing more in this universe, but not more in this series. I'll be picking them up.
Show Less
LibraryThing member santhony
The Last Colony is the final installment of Joe Scalzi’s science fiction trilogy, following Old Man’s War and The Ghost Brigades. Suffice it to say, if you enjoyed the first two installments, you won’t be disappointed. In a nutshell, after years of colonizing planets with Earth inhabitants,
I’ve read quite a bit of science fiction lately, and this novel is a jarring contrast to one I recently finished, River of Gods (Ian McDonald). Whereas the latter was, at times, difficult to follow and understand (I would term it literary, intelligent science fiction), Scalzi’s work is far more accessible to the average science fiction fan. After reading River of Gods and Saturn’s Children (Charles Stross), I needed a break and this novel was a perfect breather. It is easy to follow, well developed and enjoyable to read. Not groundbreaking or award winning in my opinion, but if a good science fiction story is what you’re looking for, and you’re not in the mood for deep, philosophical Philip Dick, Frank Herbert style sci-fi, you could do far worse than Scalzi’s trilogy. As with Old Man’s War, I felt that some of the dialogue was contrived, but not to the extent of detracting from the story.
Bottom line, if you’re looking for classic Isaac Asimov style science fiction, this is just the ticket. Conversely, other authors are pushing the boundary of science fiction into the literary realm. This is not one of those, deep philosophical, complex works.
Show More
the subsequent colonies have matured to the point that many wish to have their own colonies. In an effort to quell cries of favoritism, the Colonial Defense Force cobbles together a seed colony, consisting of colonists from many of the existing colonies. The colony will be led by John Perry and Jane Sagan, the main characters from the preceding two novels, who have subsequently retired from active duty with the CDF. Conflict with other intelligent life forms and intrigue within the Colonial Union ensues.I’ve read quite a bit of science fiction lately, and this novel is a jarring contrast to one I recently finished, River of Gods (Ian McDonald). Whereas the latter was, at times, difficult to follow and understand (I would term it literary, intelligent science fiction), Scalzi’s work is far more accessible to the average science fiction fan. After reading River of Gods and Saturn’s Children (Charles Stross), I needed a break and this novel was a perfect breather. It is easy to follow, well developed and enjoyable to read. Not groundbreaking or award winning in my opinion, but if a good science fiction story is what you’re looking for, and you’re not in the mood for deep, philosophical Philip Dick, Frank Herbert style sci-fi, you could do far worse than Scalzi’s trilogy. As with Old Man’s War, I felt that some of the dialogue was contrived, but not to the extent of detracting from the story.
Bottom line, if you’re looking for classic Isaac Asimov style science fiction, this is just the ticket. Conversely, other authors are pushing the boundary of science fiction into the literary realm. This is not one of those, deep philosophical, complex works.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Karlstar
This book reminds me more of a Niven/Pournelle book than Scalzi's previous 2 novels in this series. Unlike the first two, John Perry is not fighting for his life every moment of the book. Instead, he's helping to found a colony, then trying to prevent it from being destroyed. This book reminds me a
Show More
bit of 'Ender in Exile', though John Perry is no Ender Wiggin. Show Less
LibraryThing member betula.alba
Although parts of the novel (especially the report between Perry and his assistant Savitri) is thoroughly enjoyable, it feels like Scalzi is rushing to finish off the story of Perry and Sagan. The storyline is sometimes simplistic and "too easy" (as when the enemy Conclave faction leader
Show More
practically hands himself over on a platter to the besieged colonists) Show Less
LibraryThing member tpi
Fine, entertaining story. Continues a story from two earlier books about same characters and same world, but it isn’t necessary to have read the earlier books – I haven’t – yet.
Well described characters, interesting background, refreshing that most of the time you were rooting for alien
Well described characters, interesting background, refreshing that most of the time you were rooting for alien
Show More
empire against the human community. Show Less
LibraryThing member geordicalrissian
A very quick but entertaining read. I have not yet read The Ghost Brigades, but was able to jump right into this new adventure. The book was more of a mystery than sci-fi. I compare it to The Devil's Eye by Jack McDevitt. Very much less technical than Old Man's War. I would sum this one up as a
Show More
great weekend book. Show Less
LibraryThing member tundranocaps
Not a lot happens in this book, compared to the previous ones, but it is written quite superbly.There is a section where we get to see a discussion between two old friends, alien leaders. We've never met them before, and yet, by the end of the chapter, I really cared for them.Brilliant piece.
LibraryThing member newskepticx
I distinctly remember reading this, but not when?
LibraryThing member felius
I enjoyed this, and read it almost in one sitting. I enjoyed the previous books in this series more, however. There's nothing bad about this one, and if you liked the previous books you'll like this too.
LibraryThing member AwesomeAud
The third book set in this universe. John Perry is a former soldier who has been given a normal cloned body upon his discharge. He is married to Jane, also a former soldier in the Ghost Brigades, now also in a normal cloned body. They have been asked to head up a new colony, whose very existence
Show More
could spell destruction for the human race. Show Less
LibraryThing member DanThompson
This is the third book in the Old Man’s War series, and it unites the storylines of the first two books. John Perry has been returned to human form, and Jane Sagan has been made human as well. They married and settled down on a world named Huckleberry, adopting Zoe, the orphaned daughter of a
Everything was going fine, and then the Colonial Union asked them for a little favor.
So John, Jane, Zoe, and the rest of their household are off to form a new colony on Roanoke, except this is no ordinary colony. It’s a mix-mash of divergent cultures and almost seems designed to fail. And then they get the rug pulled out from under them when it turns out the Colonial Union has been… shall we say, less than truthful. From there it’s an engaging story of setting up a colony under less than ideal circumstances, hiding from aliens, and discovering the truth about what’s really going on.
This was probably my favorite of the series so far. It was all fresh material, and there were lots of problems to be solved, both practical and political. John, Jane, and Zoe all did humanity proud, even if it wasn’t always what the Colonial Union wanted. They also peeled the lid off of a static situation, and I’ll be interested to see where the story goes from here.
So, if you faltered during the Ghost Brigades, pick this one up and keep on marching.
Show More
brilliant traitor.Everything was going fine, and then the Colonial Union asked them for a little favor.
So John, Jane, Zoe, and the rest of their household are off to form a new colony on Roanoke, except this is no ordinary colony. It’s a mix-mash of divergent cultures and almost seems designed to fail. And then they get the rug pulled out from under them when it turns out the Colonial Union has been… shall we say, less than truthful. From there it’s an engaging story of setting up a colony under less than ideal circumstances, hiding from aliens, and discovering the truth about what’s really going on.
This was probably my favorite of the series so far. It was all fresh material, and there were lots of problems to be solved, both practical and political. John, Jane, and Zoe all did humanity proud, even if it wasn’t always what the Colonial Union wanted. They also peeled the lid off of a static situation, and I’ll be interested to see where the story goes from here.
So, if you faltered during the Ghost Brigades, pick this one up and keep on marching.
Show Less
LibraryThing member revslick
Scalzi's third novel in the SF/politico series that started with Old Man's War, which is the best one. The plot is pretty tight with some interesting twists except for a native skirmish, which I think was thrown in for fun. I can picture Harrison Ford or Bruce Willis easily playing the part of John
Show More
Perry. Show Less
LibraryThing member Shrike58
In this novel Scalzi wraps up the tale of John Perry and Jane Sagan, as they are called upon to lead a colony into harm's way in circumstrances that turn into one double cross after another, to wind up with an ending that I didn't see coming. One is reluctant to say more, so as to not give anything
Show More
away. I will say this: While Scalzi might be regarded as something of a second coming of Bob Heinlein, much of the plot of this story turns on a modern sense of having a low respect for authority that St. Robert is not usually credited with. If I have any particular gripe with this novel it's that there are some big loose ends left in regards to the environment of the planet Roanoke; those who have read the book will know exactly what I'm talking about. Having initially given this book five stars, a little more thought made me knock it down to four. The series as a whole I do give five stars to. Show Less
LibraryThing member pixiestyx77
Definitely my favorite of the series so far. I enjoyed John and Jane interacting with civilians, it was a nice change from the first two books.
Awards
Hugo Award (Nominee — Novel — 2008)
Locus Award (Nominee — Science Fiction Novel — 2008)
Romantic Times Reviewers' Choice Award (Winner — Science Fiction — 2007)
SF Site Reader's Choice (2007)
Seiun Award (Nominee — 2010)
Language
Original publication date
2007-04
Physical description
320 p.; 22 cm
ISBN
0765316978 / 9780765316974
Other editions
The Last Colony (Old Man's War) by John Scalzi (Paperback)