I appreciate this was written and presented as a serial novel, but let's be honest, prepare yourself for a series of linked short stories.A return to the "Old Man's War! universe is still welcome and it makes for a very easy read for those of us who have arrived late. All the stories are good, nice pace changes and variations as you would expect from short stories, and I still can't wait for the next, inevitable, I hope, installment. I wanted to wait until The Human Division was published in one complete novel to read it because I dislike serialized fiction. So I waited. (And then I forgot, until right now. So I'm reading it now. Whoops.)If you like the Old Man's War series -- and I wouldn't really recommend this if you're unfamiliar with the series -- you already know what you're getting here. Light, very readable SF with touches of humor is really John Scalzi's thing, I think, so if you enjoy that you will continue to enjoy this. Plus, it's nice to find mil SF that is this readable, and I say that with all affection for the genre.The plot, which will make no sense unless you're up on the previous novels, is about the Colonial Union and Earth's various diplomatic attempts with each other as well as the CDF trying diplomacy with aliens at all instead of just shooting them. Harry from the first book is one of the main characters, which is nice. I was particularly fond of Abumwe and Sorvalh, though. Especially Sorvalh. And especially the epilogue with Sorvalh and the churros.I think the serialized nature hurts the overall structure of the book, though -- there are so many sidestories that are just too isolated from the rest of the chapters, even if they are mentioned later, and some of them feel like they really are doing nothing. But overall the book was generally enjoyable so, hey, four stars.
What do You think about The Human Division (2013)?
Great, except that the story does not finish and the next installment is nowhere near in sight.
—lal
John Scalzi has quickly become one of my favorite Sci-Fi writers.
—Gucci
It's the humor that has me reading everything he writes.
—dezza_ms
