Reading order · 6 books · 2005 to 2015 · Set in space
Old Man's War Books in Order
In Old Man’s War, the Colonial Defense Forces recruit seventy-five-year-olds from Earth, give them new young bodies and send them to fight alien species across the stars. Funny, fast and thoughtful military science fiction.
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Series facts
- Books
- 6
- Published
- 2005 to 2015
- First book
- Old Man's War
- Latest
- The End of All Things (2015)
- Setting
- Set in space
The reading order
Every Old Man's War book in publication order. Choose a title for its cast and summary.
6 books · Set in space
- 1Old Man's War2005With John PerryOn his seventy-fifth birthday, John Perry joins the Colonial Defense Forces, which gives him a young, enhanced body and sends him off to fight in a hostile universe.Buy on Amazon
- 2The Ghost Brigades2006With Jane Sagan and Jared DiracThe Special Forces soldiers known as the Ghost Brigades must stop a traitor, and Jared Dirac is created to help them.Buy on Amazon
- 3The Last Colony2007With John PerryJohn Perry and Jane Sagan are asked to lead a new human colony, which is not what it seems.Buy on Amazon
- 4Zoe's Tale2008With Zoë Boutin-PerryThe story of The Last Colony, told by John and Jane’s teenage daughter, Zoë.Buy on Amazon
- 5The Human Division2013With Harry WilsonA team of diplomats tries to hold the Colonial Union together after Earth breaks away.Buy on Amazon
- 6The End of All Things2015The Colonial Union, Earth and the alien Conclave face a threat that could destroy them all.Buy on Amazon
Do you need to read them in order?
Read in order, starting with Old Man’s War. Zoe’s Tale retells The Last Colony from another point of view.
Who appears in which book
The series’ main characters, book by book. Lead means the book is told around them; minor covers cameos.
| Book | John Perry | Jane Sagan | Harry Wilson | Zoë Boutin-Perry | Jared Dirac | Hafte Sorvalh |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Old Man's War | LLead | MMajor | MMajor | |||
| 2 The Ghost Brigades | LLead | LLead | ||||
| 3 The Last Colony | LLead | MMajor | MMajor | |||
| 4 Zoe's Tale | MMajor | MMajor | LLead | |||
| 5 The Human Division | LLead | MMajor | ||||
| 6 The End of All Things | MMajor | MMajor |
Characters in the Old Man's War books
6 characters from John Scalzi’s chart, with the number of Old Man's War books each appears in.
| Character | Books | First in this series |
|---|---|---|
| John PerryRetiree turned soldier | 3 | Old Man's War 2005 |
| Jane SaganSpecial Forces soldier | 4 | Old Man's War 2005 |
| Harry WilsonJohn's friend, a scientist | 3 | Old Man's War 2005 |
| Zoë Boutin-PerryJohn and Jane's adopted daughter | 2 | The Last Colony 2007 |
| Jared DiracSpecial Forces soldier | 1 | The Ghost Brigades 2006 |
| Hafte SorvalhConclave diplomat | 2 | The Human Division 2013 |