A Son of the Rock

Tor, 2016, 505 p.

It seems this is one in a series of books collectively known as the Old Man’s War series, none of which I have read, so have come upon in the middle of the sequence. The Colonial Union, an organisation of the various human inhabited planets in space, has been caught with its pants down in regard to Earth, which it had kept uninformed of the true interstellar situation but used as a source of colonists and troops for its conflict with the various alien races of the immediate Universe. These have now formed the Conclave, an association of four hundred formerly warring races now united; a conflict which blows hot and cold. After the revelation of the true state of interstellar affairs, relations between Earth and the Colonial Union are now frosty at best and the Conclave is inviting Earth to join it, which would result in the Colonial Union becoming extremely vulnerable.

The Union’s military arm, the Colonial Defence Force, CDF, recruits people aged seventy, rejuvenates them, enhances them (in particular with a BrainPal in their heads, which allows voiceless communication,) and changes their blood for Smart-Blood having a boosted oxygen-carrying capacity. All of these result in the recruits turning green.

The book contains thirteen “Episodes,” which are more or less short stories or novellas and make it seem like a fix-up, plus two addended Extras set in the same milieu. The format leads to a degree of information being repeated in later Episodes. (The Human Division was originally published in e-serial form.) The Episodes feature a recurring cast of characters, CDF Lieutenant Harry Wilson, diplomats Ambassador Abumwe and assistant Hart Schmidt, a space-ship Captain, Coloma, and, a potential love interest for Wilson, Danielle Lowen daughter of a US government Secretary of State.

This last reveals Scalzi’s – actually rather touching – apparent belief that in this future of interstellar diplomacy and war (obviously not a near future,) the United States will still exist on Earth and still have much the same political system as it does in the twenty-first century. (Aw, bless.)

Abumwe’s deputation starts off being thought of as a diplomatic B-team but its successes mean she is given progressively more difficult tasks as the Episodes unfold.

Dialogue can tend to the joky which stands in contrast to the sometimes tragic or violent events which pepper the book.

This is pretty standard military SF type stuff. Diverting but no more.

Pedant’s corner:- “time interval later” count – substantial. Otherwise; questions in dialogue are frequently missing their final question mark. “‘It possible’” (‘It’s possible’,) species’ (singular, so species’s,) “that most if it exists” (most of it exists,) “sooner than later” (sooner rather than later,) “off of” (no ‘of’, just ‘off’.) “The glare of the lights in the airlock were enough to wash out the sky” (the glare of ….. was enough to,) “the screams of the people around him reached a crescendo” (no they didn’t; they crescendoed, to reach a climax.) Bonus points for ‘stanching’.