The Ghost Brigades
The Ghost Brigades are the Special Forces of the Colonial Defense Forces, elite troops created from the DNA of the dead and turned into the perfect soldiers for the CDF's toughest operations. They?re young, they?re fast and strong, and they?re totally without normal human qualms.
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.
Jared Dirac is the only human who can provide answers -- a superhuman hybrid, created from Boutin's DNA, Jared?s brain should be able to access Boutin's electronic memories. But when the memory transplant appears to fail, Jared is given to the Ghost Brigades.
At first, Jared is a perfect soldier, but as Boutin?s memories slowly surface, Jared begins to intuit the reason?s for Boutin?s betrayal. As Jared desperately hunts for his "father," he must also come to grips with his own choices. Time is running out: The alliance is preparing its offensive, and some of them plan worse things than humanity?s mere military defeat?
The Ghost Brigades Accessories
 Old Man's War
The Last Colony
Dauntless (The Lost Fleet, Book 1)
Fearless (The Lost Fleet, Book 2)
The Android's Dream
Courageous (The Lost Fleet, Book 3)
Valiant (The Lost Fleet, Book 4)
The Sagan Diary
The Accidental Time Machine
Zoe's Tale
The Ghost Brigades Reviews
Hamilton (who, btw, also writes great space operas and is one of my long favorites). I'd like to add my own 5 stars to this amazing series that started in Old Man's War. I thought it would be like the space operas of Peter F. I was wrong.
The characters come alive with their own philosophical dilemmas not far from what we might experience. I read each of the books in only short periods of time, neither getting confused nor getting tired (because I didn't need to access the deepest branches of my BrainPal often). While the writing style is relaxed and flows easily and beautifully. This is a great series, and John Scalzi is a great writer. It was profoundly more human - the plot is truly driven by the characters.
The twists and plots were not convoluted as to lose the reader, but are nonetheless as exciting and surprising. I have to say I didn't expect the story to work it's magic on me the way it had. I'll definitely miss John Perry and Jane Sagan, but I'll look forward to reading more about Zoe in the upcoming "Zoe's Tale". Yet despite that, the books provided a rich experience. They come highly recommended.
Make the leap. This one is significantly better. The first book in the series was pretty good.
SCALZI sort of tells you what it is about in OLD MANS WAR the first book, when a minor character dies at the beginning of the book before he can be given a new body and the techs say "Here is one for the ghost brigade." I remember that very well, becuz I wondered why Scalzi had them say that. This series is about the earth 200 years from now when we are colonizing, or trying to anyway, the universe and running up against other sentient beings who also want to colonize the same planets and/or eat us. it is good so get it, but read the first one OLD MANS WAR first. This is a real good sequel to OlD MANS WAR and just as interesting a read. Any way, it is just as good as the first one but very different except that it is detailed and imaginative.
A great read. I strongly recommend this book. Well written and fast paced. Very imaginative. I loaned it out and can't get it back as it is now making the rounds of all my friends. I kept being surprised by how the author solved the various situations as the plot developed.
Really interesting characters, I especially liked the captured alien scientist who turned out to have a great deal of "humanity". (Having said that, I am huge Connie Willis fan, so where exactly do I fit.). The Ghost Brigades is the first novel by John Scalzi I have read. Very impressive. I can only hope John Scalzi keeps it up, it is great to find a new author who you can look forward to.
Not that I am against fantasy novels,for example I am a big Tolkein and Rowling fan, but they are two different genres in my opinion, and for example Le Guin, while a great writer, was someone I could not find compelling. Actually there seems to be a trend back to a more "scientific" science fiction, but for a long time the line between sci-fi and fantasy became way too blurred for my taste. (I am downloading Old Man's War to my Kindle as I write this). First of all a new twist to the old concept of genetically engineered soldiers, also a lot of thought provoking situations and dialogue which address some fundamental questions about life and humanity. As someone who grew up on Heinlein, Clarke and Asimov, I have had a really hard time embracing some of the currently popular writers.
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