Old Man's War by John Scalzi (
ISFDB,
Wikipedia,
SFE), a frequent nominee for assorted prizes and also the inventor of
Schadenfreude Pie, is the 1st novel in his Old Man's War series of military science fiction space operas set in a world at war with aliens, using assorted technology to physically enhance the humans within, this one setting up the premise that the military doesn't want young people, but instead prefers seasoned and skillful types who've lived a lifetime already, starring one man who takes the deal, finding the experience to not quite be what he expected, free for a limited time courtesy of publisher Tor Books.
This is their featured Tor.com eBook of the Month Club selection for June and was a finalist for the 2006 Hugo for Best Novel and placed 2nd on the Locus Award list for Best First Novel.
Currently free through 11:59 PM Eastern Time on June 21st directly @
the publisher's special promo page (DRM-free ePub & Mobi bundle officially available only to Canada & the US due to geo-restrictions; requires newsletter signup with valid email address), and you can follow along with the Tor.com book club discussion via their
dedicated blog tag here.
Description
No joining the army or going into interstellar space until you’re at LEAST 75 years old.
Responsible for protecting humanity, the Colonial Defense Force doesn’t want young people; they want people who carry the knowledge and skills of decades of living. You’ll be taken off Earth, never to return. You’ll serve two years in combat. And if you survive, you’ll be given a homestead of your own on a hard-won planet light-years from home.
John Perry is taking that deal. He thinks he knows what to expect. But the actual fight is far, far harder than he can imagine—and what he will become is far stranger.