The Human Division (Old Man's War)

While I refused to bite on the chapter based release of this, I could not resist it once they were packaged up into a more sizable volume. If you like Scalzi and/or you like Old Man's War, I don't see how you can pass on this. It's just good, fun reading.

It's choppy due to it's original format I think- but I enjoyed getting back into that universe. I liked the characters and the new rapport that develops between them. I'd certainly like to see another several novels from him in the Old Man's War line.

Another coup for John Scalzi.

He has taken a new concept and woven it into a world-view both evocative and a little disturbing. Put against the perspective of our present world, it offers both hope and a measure of dismay.

Very fine read.

As an old school treeware kind of reader, I did wait all frustrating spring for the entire serialization of "The Human Division" on-line to be completed and the book to come out. Well worth the wait. As a long time fan of Science Fiction, you like I will find that John Scalzi makes the stories flow with effortless ease. If you are a first time reader of his work, just know, no background in science needed, no need for a lengthy back-story, each one is a standalone gem. My only criticism, the book is a (Spoiler Alert!!!) cliffhanger. I hate that. Write the next one soon!

Old Man's War has to be my favorite Military Science fiction book. The books that followed were nearly as good.

Since the endless cycle of wars died down with the Last Colony, this story is about dipolmats fighting for peace. An interesting twist that should keep this series fresh for a few more books.

I enjoyed the other Old Man's War series books, and this was enjoyable as well, and I recommend it if you liked the OMW series. However, this book ended without a clear ending, note the author is planning to write a sequel.

Though not on par with the depth of Old Man's War,this isn't a bad follow-up on the problems created by John Perry in the last book of the original trilogy. Maybe a little too disjointed, but I can see opportunity for a continuation.

There is not much to say here. This is one of THE classics of this genre. The whole premise is really interesting, the story moves along really well.

Once I started this I could not put it down. Highly recommended.

I enjoyed this series very much. For me it was very original from the 1st book to the last book. Zoe's tale is a must read book in the series. Don't leave it out when reading. Fills in a lot of the gaps.

Not as much intergalactic battles I had hoped for after reading Old Mans War. But it is a good read regardless. Highlights the developing political and military situation between humanity and....everybody else.

I've read them all from Aasimov to Heinlein to their literary descendents and beyond. This book richly deserves a place in the pantheon of exciting military sci-fi. Take it from an old fan: you won't be disappointed

This is a great series. When I started this book I was innitally put off but how this book was written and the stories were fragmented but 1/4 of the way in it became a real page turner. Hoping John writes more for this series.

Interesting, near the end just wanted it to never end. Who are the conspirators? Are they trying to destroy the CU or the Conclave. Now I have to wait for the next book. Hate that but looking forward to the resolution. I liked, very much, the bonus stories at the end.

I really loved Scalzi's whole Old Man War series. He has some really engaging scifi ideas (BrainPal!), and has developed a universe that feels realistic and dangerous. Great characterization, as well, but generally an easy and fun read.

I wouldn't call this "high scifi"; it's scifi that the average person can easily get into and enjoy. But it's quality writing and worth the read.

Excellent addition to the Old Man's War Saga. Scalzi does it again utilizing dramatic action sequences, smart ass heroes, and the most precise scientific explanations of space travel and exploration. This story is ready for the big screen!

Scalzi's storytelling continues to entertain at many levels. Great character development, intriguingly well written plot twists, laugh out loud comedic timing, imaginative ways to keep the reader at the edge of his seat and great vocabulary. Great read both as a standalone or as a continuation of hours previous novels. 5 stars are well deserved.

This was a great read! I really enjoy this reality created by John Scalzi on many levels....a space filled with amazing lifeforms and characters you want to follow in their own books! Really looking forward to more.....so John
.......I hope this series is far from over.

the episodic nature of each chapter makes for a fun read. The book itself is a bit choppy with each chapter not really flowing from the previous one. However the overall story is moved forward from my different angles, bringing an overall picture to bear as you gain greater insight, I am looking forward for the next group of "episodes" - much like the movie serials from my father's time

I don't state the title lightly: John Scalzi is one of my favorite SF authors, and none of his books have disappointed; however, none of them have quite the same scale, scope, and varied points of view while still being engaged and surprised as a reader at the all too believable mishaps and occurrences (we are human after all).

I have to admit to being skeptical in the ability of a bunch of short, stand-alone stories being cohesive over the span of a novel, but it was managed superbly.

As far as SF goes, while the technology is still a factor, it is the character stories which make this such an engrossing title. If you enjoy Scalzi's style of mildly sarcastic humor, you are almost certain to enjoy this work.

The book re connects the affection of a teenager in the 50's for that era's scifi imagination with the love of a 65+ for the more cinematic and complex stories of today. The characters and situation and engaging, complex and surprising. Its better than the movies.

This was well written, as all of Scalzi's works that I have read, but seemed to fall just a bit short of the standards he set in previous works in this series or even the Electric Blue Sheep. I would recommend all of his fiction, and would have to presume that his non-fiction would also be equally well done. For those looking at the Old Man's War series, these books are best read sequentially, as it is a building story arc.

I just finished this "book" and was annoyed. I came onto the store to read the reviews, which I often skip prior to reading a favourite author in case of spoilers, and then discovered the true scope of the scam!

This item should NOT be marketed as a novel. It should CLEARLY state it is a collection of short stories, or an anthology or something.

Why would this help? First off it sets expectations. Secondly, it removes a lot of confusion regarding the vastly different chapters, characters and very very odd pacing if it were to be considered a novel.

Did I like the writing? Yes. Was it funny? Yes. Does it work as a one sitting enjoyment? NO!

***Spoiler***
There is no closure in this book. It simply stops. Very annoying if you do not know it is a collection of somewhat related short stories.

Put "Collection of Short Stories" on the cover somewhere, stop treating your paying fans like idiots, stop these cheap marketing shams and I'll you you the star back.....

I did not read the series in the serial format, I waited until the hardcover was available and then read it on vacation. I still like the feel of a book. That said, I did enjoy how each chapter stood on its own. I hope he continues to delve in this Universe, I am not ready to be done with these characters.

I don't state the title lightly: John Scalzi is one of my favorite SF authors, and none of his books have disappointed; however, none of them have quite the same scale, scope, and varied points of view while still being engaged and surprised as a reader at the all too believable mishaps and occurrences (we are human after all).

I have to admit to being skeptical in the ability of a bunch of short, stand-alone stories being cohesive over the span of a novel, but it was managed superbly.

As far as SF goes, while the technology is still a factor, it is the character stories which make this such an engrossing title. If you enjoy Scalzi's style of mildly sarcastic humor, you are almost certain to enjoy this work.

The book re connects the affection of a teenager in the 50's for that era's scifi imagination with the love of a 65+ for the more cinematic and complex stories of today. The characters and situation and engaging, complex and surprising. Its better than the movies.

This was well written, as all of Scalzi's works that I have read, but seemed to fall just a bit short of the standards he set in previous works in this series or even the Electric Blue Sheep. I would recommend all of his fiction, and would have to presume that his non-fiction would also be equally well done. For those looking at the Old Man's War series, these books are best read sequentially, as it is a building story arc.

I just finished this "book" and was annoyed. I came onto the store to read the reviews, which I often skip prior to reading a favourite author in case of spoilers, and then discovered the true scope of the scam!

This item should NOT be marketed as a novel. It should CLEARLY state it is a collection of short stories, or an anthology or something.

Why would this help? First off it sets expectations. Secondly, it removes a lot of confusion regarding the vastly different chapters, characters and very very odd pacing if it were to be considered a novel.

Did I like the writing? Yes. Was it funny? Yes. Does it work as a one sitting enjoyment? NO!

***Spoiler***
There is no closure in this book. It simply stops. Very annoying if you do not know it is a collection of somewhat related short stories.

Put "Collection of Short Stories" on the cover somewhere, stop treating your paying fans like idiots, stop these cheap marketing shams and I'll you you the star back.....

I did not read the series in the serial format, I waited until the hardcover was available and then read it on vacation. I still like the feel of a book. That said, I did enjoy how each chapter stood on its own. I hope he continues to delve in this Universe, I am not ready to be done with these characters.

It's a very nice written book, it took us back to the Old Man's War Universe with some more "Earth centered" chapters, it has a lot of fun, interesting twists, nice characters, it's not five stars because is too short of a book after a few years of wait :)

John Scalzi is a marvel - he manages to be deeply entertaining while pushing us to think about both the future and the nature of science fiction conventions. This is another entry in his wonderful "Old Man's War" series, and while I suppose you could read it without reading the other books first, I wouldn't recommend it. This was originally published as a serial, and you can tell (a bit) that it was composed in a different manner than a traditional novel, but it holds together exceptionally well. Highly recommended.

This was a hard to find (in hard cover) book at a great price, it arrived earlier and in better condition than expected. Although the story itself was not critically praised, I found it to be a reasonable continuation of the "Old Man's War" series and if not really cohesive (more a series of short stories), at least explored other options and viewpoints to the narrative.

Hands-down one of the most enjoyable SF novels I've read in a long time.

You need not have read any other stories in the Old Man's War (OMW) universe to enjoy this sequel. But if you haven't read OMW, why not? Go get that one right now; I'll wait for you. While you're reading OMW, let me tell you why The Human Division is wonderful science fiction, the kind of stuff they don't write anymore. (Except for Scalzi, obviously).

It's got characters. Lots of them. Memorable ones. Some smart, some courageous; others, not so much. It's got villains. It has wonderful protagonists including Harry Wilson who smartasses his way through life while out-thinking most everyone around him. These are well-rounded characters, mind you. Not two sentences of description and some throw-away plot advancement. The characters reveal themselves over time, through dialog and interaction with each other.

It's got plot and drama and mystery. It has challenges that need to be solved--and many (but not all, and not the key ones)--are solved by the end of the book. It has questions that need to be answered--and many (but not all, and not the key ones) are answered by the end of the book. It has conflict. It has fights between spaceships using missiles and energy beams, and fights between people using their fists. It combines diplomacy and military SF like nobody's business. In short, it's a wonderful space opera that doesn't involve hordes of dreadnoughts maneuvering through space.

It's a human space opera. A smart and witty one. A very, very engaging one.

It's the kind of book that pays homage to its SF roots while advancing the genre.

Look, I've been reading SF for 40 years. I've read Heinlein and Banks and Asimov and Ellison and Herbert and Stross and Smith and van Vogt and Brunner and every Hugo-winner I can find. I know whereof I speak, is what I'm saying.

So when I tell you that this novel can hold its head up proudly in that company of esteemed authors, you should take what I say seriously. The Human Division can do that. It is simply top-notch science fiction, the kind that John Campbell would have been proud of. The kind that Heinlein would have appreciated. The kind that Asimov would have appreciated.

It's that good.

A must for fans of the Old Man's War trilogy. If you have read those and liked them, then stop reading this and hit "order" already. If you have not, I envy you. Don't buy this yet- read Old Man's War and then The Ghost Brigades (Old Man's War) and finally the third part The Last Colony (Old Man's War).

An anecdote to illustrate why I gave this a one star rating: When asked why he wasn't writing more novels in the Belgariad setting the late David Eddings said words to the effect of " I've said all I have to say with this story. Anything else would be something like 'Barak and Silk meet the Ant-men' "
This novel is Scalzi's "Barak and Silk meet the Ant-Men" . He could have gone out on top, but instead we get this. A derivative tale novel with a secondary character that I didn't have a jones for the first time I met him.
After reading this I was a) glad I paid kindle prices and b) decided that I would forgo his new novel Locked In .
Has Scalzi exceeded his shelf date? This inquiring mind says yes

A good addition to the universe of John Perry and Harry Wilson. Scalzi is up to his normal good form with some good banter and a well put together series of stories. Once again I found myself at the end of one of his books wishing there was just a bit more to it though. Which isn't that bad a thing. Be prepared for a bit of a serious cliffhanger at the end of this one though.

In the best tradition of Bradbury, Clark, and Asimov John Scalzi is the new (40s) kid on the block. I have not read all his books...yet. But I am working on it. Like all writers some are better then others but I have yet to find one that was not worth reading. Thank you John for bringing Science Fiction back on my reading list.

The Human Division by John Scalzi isn't low tech, it's introductory tech. When he references devices like the Brain Pal, he's referencing ideas that even most six-year-olds are ahead of. Not even a nine-year-old would consider it inventive science fiction. While clearly targeted to a juvenile audience, it's published to us big kids and that's worth only two stars.

So this is book five in the series, but there is a strong connection to the first books, and that connection is the transformation of a prior secondary character into the main character and the addition of a fascinating cast of new secondary characters. That said, the plot is set some years after the conclusion of books 4 & 5. One alien group, the Conclave, is competing with the Colonial Union for the loyalty and resources of the Earth. Unfortunately there is also a potential mysterious force striving to undermine both.
This is a fine, fine book, best read—in my opinion—in chronological order. When you do read it, don’t skip the added shorts at the end;they are charming!

John Scalzi's experiment of writing individual short stories that when compiled form a coherent novel is a success. The thirteen parts were individually published one a week before book publication. Extra bonuses include a previously published short story, for Tor's website, because it features characters from the main story, a prequel of sorts, and one new for the book.

Recommended.

The plain, simple, fact, is that this is a collection of short stories placed on Earth in the OMW-universe after the revelations of John and Jane Perry and the Conclave Trade fleet. I read the hardcover loaned by a friend after he was done with it since, like many, I prefer whole to the serialization method that was used. However, as becomes apparent, the serialization method was more appropriate to the stories.

Like short stories in an established milieu, they tell good stories without substantially changing the established background. There are no great changes or shockers here. There is a widening of characters, a development of characters, and a fleshing out of the Earth-Union relationship. But, there is no great headway from *Last Colony*. The stories are still great and enjoyable: expect a good read, like you would from any set of shorts from a "universe" you enjoy reading about. Don't expect more, or you'll be disappointed.

Scalzi has a great background and character-board to continue the OMW-universe. He doesn't have to stick with the original characters, that could be tiring; but, certainly, people would enjoy seeing how the CU, Earth, and the alien universe around it, learn to inter-relate and go forward from the premises laid down in the OMW books. Hopefully Scalzi will come back to the OMW-universe and continue building the story from his foundations.

I really enjoy John Scalzi's writing, this very poor review is NOT about his writing, but about the marketing of this book.

I did not realize that this "NEW" book was merely a compilation of his 13 short stories plus two VERY short stories! Perhaps, if I were more careful before I purchased this book I would have realized the nature of this book.

I enjoyed the concept of his 13 short stories being released as a "Flash Gordon" type serial. It was a fun way to read them.

I am disappointed that I didn't purchase a new book about the Human Division as I thought I was doing, but instead I just paid twice for the same stories!

the store, can I get a refund on this purchase?

When I bought this book I thought it was in addition to the last short stories I bought. There was nothing in the summary that it was the same stories in some cogent series. If you ave read the short stories already save you money, I wish I would have.

Humanity is divided. Until recently, the Colonial Union and Earth had a codependent, if not mutually beneficial, relationship. In the highly anticipated follow up to The Last Colony, The Human Division checks the pulse of the galaxy after John Perry exposed the fact the Colonial Union sequestered planet Earth for two hundred years in order to farm colonists and soldiers. Earth now has a choice: ally with the Colonial Union or join the Conclave, which represents some four hundred alien races.

This time ‘round our tour guide is Harry Wilson, Colonial Defense Force (CDF) soldier and former member of the Old Farts. The Colonial Union is practicing diplomacy and Harry, who has been acting in more a technical than military capacity for several years, winds up a member of the B-Team. Also known as the Fire team, Harry and his cohorts—Ambassador Abumwe, Hart Schimdt of the Diplomatic Service, their reluctant ship’s captain, Sophia Coloma, and a handful of others—attend the lost causes. Situations where diplomacy is about to fail, or has failed, or might fail. Figuratively, they’re assigned a leaky dingy, given a rusted bucket and told to bail. It can’t get any worse, so do your best! Being the good, determined people they are, that’s just what they do.

Though the fate of humanity seems to be consigned to a rapidly oxidizing tin pail, Scalzi still manages to inject humour into nearly every page of the novel. The aliens spit, swear and sob. Diplomacy is sometimes decided by single combat and negotiations are interrupted by a brain in a box. A bush eats a diplomat’s dog. (Oops, the bit about the bush could be considered a spoiler.)

Harry and his team also face peril and sacrifice as they work not only for, but against the Colonial Union and the CDF, the Conclave and a mysterious third party intent on disrupting every attempt at diplomacy.

The Human Division represents more than the next installment of the story begun by Scalzi’s successful debut, Old Man’s War. Before its hardcover release, Tor publishedThe Human Division as a series of digital episodes, thirteen in all. As an experiment in publishing, the serial release was successful. Fans snapped up each new episode and rave reviews flooded the internet. The hardcover release collects the episodes together with a note from Scalzi and a couple extras—the first tale of Lieutenant Harry Wilson and a visit with Hafte Sorvalh.

In his acknowledgements, Scalzi details his quest: to craft thirteen stories that felt complete in themselves—indeed, each had its own cover art by the talented John Harris—and would work together as a novel. In part, he succeeded. The episodes do work as self-contained stories. They also hang together well enough as a novel. But, overall, the book doesn’t read like a novel. Some threads do weave through the episodes and the same characters swap points of view. The stories are entertaining, all of them, and by the end I felt I could keep reading the adventures of Harry, Hart and Abumwe and her team forever…and there lays the problem. At the end of the book we have no more idea what is going on than at the beginning. There is no conclusion, only cataclysm, and little had been resolved. The reader is left with more than questions.

Leafing back through the episodes, I felt more as if I’d read a collection of short stories about the unraveling of the relationship between Earth and the Colonial Union than a novel. Maybe that was the author’s intent.

Though mildly frustrated, I will look for the next installment in the series. I have questions that require answers and I do genuinely enjoy Scalzi’s characters and style. Despite his success in serial publishing, I’d prefer a more cohesive novel next time. That doesn’t mean I wouldn’t like to read more episodes in the meantime, however.

Written for and originally published at SFCrowsnest.

In the best tradition of Bradbury, Clark, and Asimov John Scalzi is the new (40s) kid on the block. I have not read all his books...yet. But I am working on it. Like all writers some are better then others but I have yet to find one that was not worth reading. Thank you John for bringing Science Fiction back on my reading list.

The Human Division by John Scalzi isn't low tech, it's introductory tech. When he references devices like the Brain Pal, he's referencing ideas that even most six-year-olds are ahead of. Not even a nine-year-old would consider it inventive science fiction. While clearly targeted to a juvenile audience, it's published to us big kids and that's worth only two stars.

John Scalzi's experiment of writing individual short stories that when compiled form a coherent novel is a success. The thirteen parts were individually published one a week before book publication. Extra bonuses include a previously published short story, for Tor's website, because it features characters from the main story, a prequel of sorts, and one new for the book.

Recommended.

I really enjoy John Scalzi's writing, this very poor review is NOT about his writing, but about the marketing of this book.

I did not realize that this "NEW" book was merely a compilation of his 13 short stories plus two VERY short stories! Perhaps, if I were more careful before I purchased this book I would have realized the nature of this book.

I enjoyed the concept of his 13 short stories being released as a "Flash Gordon" type serial. It was a fun way to read them.

I am disappointed that I didn't purchase a new book about the Human Division as I thought I was doing, but instead I just paid twice for the same stories!

the store, can I get a refund on this purchase?

When I bought this book I thought it was in addition to the last short stories I bought. There was nothing in the summary that it was the same stories in some cogent series. If you ave read the short stories already save you money, I wish I would have.

So this is book five in the series, but there is a strong connection to the first books, and that connection is the transformation of a prior secondary character into the main character and the addition of a fascinating cast of new secondary characters. That said, the plot is set some years after the conclusion of books 4 & 5. One alien group, the Conclave, is competing with the Colonial Union for the loyalty and resources of the Earth. Unfortunately there is also a potential mysterious force striving to undermine both.
This is a fine, fine book, best read—in my opinion—in chronological order. When you do read it, don’t skip the added shorts at the end;they are charming!

Humanity is divided. Until recently, the Colonial Union and Earth had a codependent, if not mutually beneficial, relationship. In the highly anticipated follow up to The Last Colony, The Human Division checks the pulse of the galaxy after John Perry exposed the fact the Colonial Union sequestered planet Earth for two hundred years in order to farm colonists and soldiers. Earth now has a choice: ally with the Colonial Union or join the Conclave, which represents some four hundred alien races.

This time ‘round our tour guide is Harry Wilson, Colonial Defense Force (CDF) soldier and former member of the Old Farts. The Colonial Union is practicing diplomacy and Harry, who has been acting in more a technical than military capacity for several years, winds up a member of the B-Team. Also known as the Fire team, Harry and his cohorts—Ambassador Abumwe, Hart Schimdt of the Diplomatic Service, their reluctant ship’s captain, Sophia Coloma, and a handful of others—attend the lost causes. Situations where diplomacy is about to fail, or has failed, or might fail. Figuratively, they’re assigned a leaky dingy, given a rusted bucket and told to bail. It can’t get any worse, so do your best! Being the good, determined people they are, that’s just what they do.

Though the fate of humanity seems to be consigned to a rapidly oxidizing tin pail, Scalzi still manages to inject humour into nearly every page of the novel. The aliens spit, swear and sob. Diplomacy is sometimes decided by single combat and negotiations are interrupted by a brain in a box. A bush eats a diplomat’s dog. (Oops, the bit about the bush could be considered a spoiler.)

Harry and his team also face peril and sacrifice as they work not only for, but against the Colonial Union and the CDF, the Conclave and a mysterious third party intent on disrupting every attempt at diplomacy.

The Human Division represents more than the next installment of the story begun by Scalzi’s successful debut, Old Man’s War. Before its hardcover release, Tor publishedThe Human Division as a series of digital episodes, thirteen in all. As an experiment in publishing, the serial release was successful. Fans snapped up each new episode and rave reviews flooded the internet. The hardcover release collects the episodes together with a note from Scalzi and a couple extras—the first tale of Lieutenant Harry Wilson and a visit with Hafte Sorvalh.

In his acknowledgements, Scalzi details his quest: to craft thirteen stories that felt complete in themselves—indeed, each had its own cover art by the talented John Harris—and would work together as a novel. In part, he succeeded. The episodes do work as self-contained stories. They also hang together well enough as a novel. But, overall, the book doesn’t read like a novel. Some threads do weave through the episodes and the same characters swap points of view. The stories are entertaining, all of them, and by the end I felt I could keep reading the adventures of Harry, Hart and Abumwe and her team forever…and there lays the problem. At the end of the book we have no more idea what is going on than at the beginning. There is no conclusion, only cataclysm, and little had been resolved. The reader is left with more than questions.

Leafing back through the episodes, I felt more as if I’d read a collection of short stories about the unraveling of the relationship between Earth and the Colonial Union than a novel. Maybe that was the author’s intent.

Though mildly frustrated, I will look for the next installment in the series. I have questions that require answers and I do genuinely enjoy Scalzi’s characters and style. Despite his success in serial publishing, I’d prefer a more cohesive novel next time. That doesn’t mean I wouldn’t like to read more episodes in the meantime, however.

Written for and originally published at SFCrowsnest.

This is the fifth (of six) books in the Old Man's War series, and I've enjoyed all of them. I especially like that each book is free-standing where you don't get left in limbo at the end of one book, having to read the next one to find out what's happened. They all build on the previous ones, but the stories are all different.

"The Human Division" had more humor and repartee compared to the others, even though the conflict between Earth, the Colonial Union, and the Conclave still leads to violence. Harry Wilson is the primary character in this episode, but his relationship with Hart Schmidt and others is very entertaining.

This series is perhaps one of my favorites. I now have book #6 ("The End of All Things") and am ready to finish the tales. I enjoy Mr. Scalzi's writing style and his characters. If you like science fiction and haven't read these books, be sure to pick up "The Old Man's War" and start an interesting adventure.

As with all John Scalzi books, this one was highly entertaining. There was that constant thread of humor running through even the most tense situations.

This book was a little different, in that each chapter was written and released independently before being compiled into book format. As a result each chapter is not strongly connected to the previous chapter. This is a little annoying when reading it as a book and looking for a little more continuity than we got. On the other hand, each chapter end made a good spot to stop and go do something else for a bit, instead of the ending driving you into reading the next chapter right away. I never had any problem going back to it though.

The different POV characters were all interesting to read, and in the end there was enough of an overarcing plot to make it feel like a coherent book when looking back, even if it didn't feel that way at the time.

This is an odd sort of book, and not entirely successful. This being Scalzi, of course, there's some very good writing in here, but you'll have to wade through a certain amount of dreck, as well as some rather appallingly silly stuff, to get to it. The thing is, this book was originally published electronically as a series of thirteen separate but related semi-narratives, but they're not really "short stories," either. More like episodes in a television series, connected by plot and characters but each with its own beginning and end, more or less. Inevitably, they vary greatly in quality. "The Dog King" is especially dumb and contributes almost nothing to the larger story. Several others, while interesting problem-solving yarns in the classic ASTOUNDING pulp mode, also don't have much to do with anything.

The future universe in which all of this is set is that of Scalzi's "Old Man's War" series, but he's moved way beyond that first book. The action all takes place shortly after the destruction of the Conclave's fleet by the Colonial Union, but the six-hundred-species Conclave has very deep pockets, so it was able to shrug off that humiliating defeat and come out swinging. Now Earth, having discovered through the efforts of John Perry (for whose career you will have to read the previous four books in the series) that the CU has been keeping it in a state of ignorant servitude for centuries, has become really pissed off, has completely shut out contact with the Colonial Union to the latter's serious detriment, and might be negotiating for separate membership in the Conclave itself. Which would mean the end of the CU and possibly (probably) the end of the human species for various reasons Earth doesn't seem to want to recognize. In an attempt to counter this gloomy future, the Colonial Union is deploying its diplomatic forces this time instead of the super-soldiers of the Colonial Defense Forces. And the repeating focus characters are therefore (mostly) a B-team ambassador, her assistant from a wealthy colonial family, and a lone CDF lieutenant named Harry Wilson, who was a very minor supporting player in the first book and is now a tech support specialist assigned to the ambassador's team. Harry, however, is quick on his feet and innovative in a tight situation and becomes rather a reluctant hero on a number of occasions.

The continuing thread through these stories/episodes/whatever is that someone, some mysterious third party, seems to be making every effort, often through terrorism, to disrupt the possible rapprochement between the Colonial Union and the Earth -- and maybe the Conclave, too, which gives everyone pause. As you work your way through it, you begin to see what's happening, though the clues aren't always well presented because of the confusing ping-pong narrative structure. And you think, okay, this will all come to a dramatic conclusion in the last hundred pages and we'll find out just exactly what's going on and who exactly the real Bad Guys are.

But you won't. Not at all. Nope. There's not even an actual cliffhanger at the end, nor any indication that Scalzi intends another book to wrap things up. And since he had announced several years ago that he was planning to terminate the "Old Man's War" series after the fourth book in order to concentrate on other, unconnected projects (fair enough), that means the present volume wasn't part of the original plan, and . . . well, who knows where the future will take us.

As always, Scalzi is very good at wry, cynical dialogue and his space-battle scenes are both exciting and horrific, but he seems to have concentrated more on the novelty of the episodic format here than on a coherent story. And if he doesn't have a subsequent book in the works to finish what he started in this one, I suspect his many fans are going to be very unhappy.

I have been a fan of the ghost soldier novels since John Scalzi released "Old Man's War." The series is a great concept, and I really looked forward to this book. I must say, however, that I was very disappointed. While the idea of using short stories strung together to form a novel might be a nice experiment, it just doesn't work for me. The book had many excellent short stories, but the "novel" was extremely disconnected and certainly did not flow very well. I did enjoy the main characters a lot, and Harry Wilson, the "green" soldier of the group often reminded me of the Retief character from Keith Laumer's books. I was also disappointed that the book was so obviously a part 1 of 2 or 3 parts. If I had known this, I would have waited for the other parts to be published. Bottom line: I really enjoyed most of the short stories, but I hated the format of short stories as novel. Please, Mr. Scalzi, when you write the next book in this series, write it in a regular novel format.

I like John Scalzi's books. A lot. But this "novel" is a compilation of previously released short stories and it seems that some minor editing would have gone a long way towards making it a more complete novel. Also, while I appreciate that the book doesn't take itself too seriously, I feel that there is simply too much banter amongst the characters (and I LIKE banter). I've read every John Scalzi book and I enjoy his writing, but perhaps the best of the OMW books are behind us. So 3 stars for a lack of editing and general irritation at the "ending."

Mr Scalzi attempted a new format of releasing 13 episodes as mini-ebooks; similar to the old method of serializing a story in newspapers or magazines (everything that is old is new again). A format option popular with self-published authors. After the episodes were all released, his publisher put together the whole thing in book format, adding two extras.

I did not read this during the episodic releases, and discovered the hard-copy book did not work very well as a straight read-thru. The characters lives had ebbs and swells that needed a break every three or four episodes. After getting about half-way through the book, I needed to set it aside for a week. Since my work was asking for 60 to 80-hour weeks during the time I was reading this book, it actually functioned well. Every Saturday I would set aside time to read three more episodes.

The writing is typical, brilliant Scalizi - a combination of humor and observations that are just too much fun. He continues to create a new character voice for each book. I love that his characters are unique - Zoe's Tale had a teenage girl voice; The Human Division had a combination - each episode had a different POV (point of view) of diplomatic approaches. As such the diplomatic-POV did not have the pure snark factor of his first book of the universe (Old Man's War).

I should note the uniqueness of the universe is beginning to wane simply because of familiarity of the World - now in book five - but the universe hasn't reached comfortable glove status. So, in places, this book felt ... awkward... like a teenager - no longer a cute, shiny baby to ooh&aah over, but not fully mature like a George R. Dickson Dorsai! universe story.

This story is essential to the ongoing Old Man's War Universe. It clearly sets up the conspiracy for the next story.

Worth the read, just do it in chunks for maximum enjoyment - the way it was originally published on the Internet.

The most important thing to note is that this is not a novel, at least not a standalone one. Firstly, you should have read Scalzi's Old Man's War trilogy before reading, and secondly, it does not have an ending, it just stops. I can only assume there will be more stories in the OMW universe; however it is an open question as to whether I shall bother reading them.

About a decade ago, John Scalzi published OMW, got a blurb saying it was like Heinlein (Starship Troopers variant, not I Will Fear No Evil or Time Enough for Love variant) - and it was pretty darn good military sci-fi. Then the next few books set in the OMW universe got squishier and squishier, to the extent that vol 4 was not only a retelling of vol3 from a different viewpoint, but that viewpoint was of a teenage girl and the book was targeted at a YA market. To be fair, Scalzi wrote a teenage girl pretty well.

Scalzi's a pretty good writer, so he could pull it off. But at some point it stopped being what made me want to read it in the first place. Apparently, Scalzi no longer to wanted to write it either, so he took a 5-year break from it.

The Human Division is, then, the triumphant return...but while its good, and not as limited as you might think from being assembled from 13 standalone e-pub stories, its just that it does not have any closure. It ends. Threads are not just dangling, the whole loom is just sitting there. Its also more intergalactic politics than military sci-fi (but I was at least aware that ship had sailed some time back).

Honestly, I'd say wait and see if there are sequels planned and actually published before you run out and buy this. Otherwise, this smells like a scam to take advantage of e-publishing and micropayments, and while fixing up short stories into a book has a long and honourable history, well, I've never met a collection with a softer ending than this before. There are some good moments here, but no (or very little) payoff for a lot of buildup.

4.5 stars

This book is a continuation of the Old Man's War series, after the Roanoke Colony incident resulted in John Perry's history changing communication with Earth. So before reading this, it is important to read the earlier books in my opinion.

This book was originally released as a series of 13 e-episodes, so each episode reads as an event of its own. However, the episodes are meant to be read in order and are connected via main characters and overall plot. It makes for a unique reading experience and as much as I love the first three books in this series, I think this might be may favorite of the series so far.

That being said, John Scalzi really knows how to write a fun-to-read space opera infused with science fiction, a bit of fantasy and even Lhasa Apsos in space. In other words he's not above using humor, satire and just plain sarcasm as he leads the reader through the further interactions of Earth, the Colonial Union and the Conclave. As I am left with questions about the further fate of these three groups and the conclusion of the book itself, I am glad that I waited until now to read it since the final book in this series, "The End of All Things", is now available in individual e-episodes ...so I don't have to wait for answers. ;)

As others have already said, this is just a chronological collection of short stories, and in no way resembles a novel. They're good stories, and I was having a fine time, until I flipped the page and realized I was at the end. Then, I was angry.

Scalzi's main story arc involves forces unknown working to disrupt the already strained relations between Earth, the Concordance, and the Colonial Union. Every single story is tightly focused on this developing situation. Yet, after 13 stories, practically nothing in the situation has changed. I could literally tell you everything the reader and characters learned in two short sentences. Not kidding; 13 stories for 2 sentences worth of plot movement. Everything else was character development and filler. Now they're good characters and it's excellent filler, but I expect considerably more from such an author.

I'm a huge fan of Scalzi's so I was *really* looking forward to reading this book, especially since I'd heard him read an excerpt at a con. But it's not a complete book!! It's volume 1 of gawd-knows-how-many and left me EXTREMELY frustrated and ANGRY.

Maybe I should read his blog regularly and maybe *somewhere* in there he discloses the fact that there is NO resolution of ANY kind to the mystery of who/what is sabotaging the Colonial Union's efforts at diplomacy. Worse, the last story is a whopper with a Huge Catastrophe. The cover of the book should at least say VOLUME ONE to give you a freaking hint that there are Many Huge Unresolved Problems.

I listened to this book so the slower pace really highlighted shortcomings. There is constant "Hart said, Danny said, Wilson said, she said, he said" which got really tedious. But there is a reason for that because the voices, especially the banter, are indistinguishable from each other. Wilson is "smarter" than Hart but otherwise they could be twins.

The serial format didn't do much for me either. I'm not a short story reader so that might be the problem, because this book consisted of short stories strung together with common characters. And there were several weak, unnecessary stories.

SUMMARY: Don't read this till the next volume(s) are out unless you like cliffhanger endings.

Essentially a series of short stories stitched into a single, episodic book, The Human Division is set in the Old Man's War future history and continues the basic theme of humanity trying to establish its security in a crowded and conflict ridden galaxy. Scalzi presents little new about his fictional universe in this book and the stories are fairly repetitive. The plucky, intelligent, and courageous heroes confront some kind of mystery-emergency and solve the problem with a combination of brains and at some personal risk. There is an underlying conspiracy of some kind with dimly appreciated malign forces to provoke conflict. This is not a complete story as the book ends without resolution of the conspiracy plot. Competently written with some humor. I have to add that the first book in this series was fairly good, the successors have not been as good.

This book was pulled together from serialized stories, so I went into it knowing that the story would be told through a group of connected events. The events in question are classic Scalzi, with great humor and writing while all along a more serious subplot echoes through the serials.

Unfortunately, the book is a few serials short of completion. It leaves you totally hanging. I can only hope that John picks up the threads of this story with another novel to wrap things up. In fact, unless you have a high tolerance for unfinished business, you may want to wait until that novel comes before you read this one.

I really want Scalzi to branch out into new intellectual property. He did so with Redshirts, which has now won the Best Novel Hugo. But then he went back to the OMW universe with a semi-serialized e-Book experiment.

It's... I'm not sure what to say about it. It's still "Old Man's War", it's still Scalzi. It still feels like a novel, although it rests on a much more inconclusive cliffhanger than "The Last Colony" did. If you liked any of the other Old Man's War books, you'll like this too. Maybe a little bit less. I don't know, maybe it's because I like novels, and not a series of short stories. That's just me.

To me it seems that whatever happened in this book is close to irrelevant. Nothing changes in the world from Point A to Z.

Spoiler Alert:
So in the start of the book Earth hates the CDF... in the end of the book you are right back to the beginning. Some mysterious force is working against the CDF, however that is all we ever know about them. We don't have any idea who or why. The Conclave never changes through the book, Earth is just as mad at CDF as at the start of the book, and the CDF now thinks they have less time before they collapse then before.

All the stories in the book seem like side stories. Like a TV season you could have skipped and not missed a beat. The stories are nicely written. But meaningless in the end. At the current price, you might as well wait till "season 2" starts before even thinking of reading this book. And even then you wouldn't miss anything by skipping it.

I view this as another of Scalzi's efforts inspired by classic science fiction. In this case, the late Keith Laumer's Jaime Retief series. They're short stories about diplomacy between aliens and humans with dashes of comedy and action. Many of the stories revolve around bumbling and coincidences. That's ok if viewed as a source of whimsy and not a serious, believable plot. I enjoyed listening to the CD version. Unlike Zoe's Tale, it advanced the plot of the Old Man's War universe. I assume there will be another book to advance or finish off the "big bad" arc. However, I'm deducting one star because I could see where many of the stories were headed, so the joke or mystery was spoiled before the reveal.

The fifth book in the Old Man’s War series, “The Human Division” continues the story of the CDF and this time focuses in on their dealings and diplomacy with earth and other races. It’s an interesting premise that really adds to the story, but because of that it lacks some of the action and smart retorts that made the other books so engaging (especially when not featuring Harry, Hart at al). Overall the book was good, but not at good (or as much fun) as the first three, but it does advanced the story a great deal and leaves a very large runway at the end for the next in the series of books so you know the battle may be done but the war is far from over.

Actually, somewhere between "Good" and "Great". Need a category called "Excellent." I have enjoyed the entire series by Scalzi. Being and old man, just shy of being old enough to join the Colonial Defense Force, I am almost ready to enlist. Isaac Asimov has been my favorite writer since I reached adulthood and I tend to judge other SciFi stories against his. I believe that this series can compare favorably. Not "Foundation" caliber yet, but certainly readable and entertaining.

Book five in the Old Man’s War series is much different than the previous books. This book is a collection of stories of side characters we’ve met briefly in the previous books, and what they doing to continue the fight. The quality of the stories is still good, but the shift change in how it is being laid out can be jarring. Still, it’s worth the read.

I was a huge fan of Scalzi's first two OMW novels, which are not only great SF novels, but great stories, period. But I have two problems with The Human Division. While the adventures of Harry Wilson and crew are entertaining, and their unseen foe is downright diabolical, where is this going ? Will there be a sequel ? Or was Scalzi not sure how to wrap it up ? It's not clear.

My other quibble is a minor one- must everyone in the story, human and alien alike, be grouchy and sarcastic most of the time ? It gets a little tiresome.

The plain, simple, fact, is that this is a collection of short stories placed on Earth in the OMW-universe after the revelations of John and Jane Perry and the Conclave Trade fleet. I read the hardcover loaned by a friend after he was done with it since, like many, I prefer whole to the serialization method that was used. However, as becomes apparent, the serialization method was more appropriate to the stories.

Like short stories in an established milieu, they tell good stories without substantially changing the established background. There are no great changes or shockers here. There is a widening of characters, a development of characters, and a fleshing out of the Earth-Union relationship. But, there is no great headway from *Last Colony*. The stories are still great and enjoyable: expect a good read, like you would from any set of shorts from a "universe" you enjoy reading about. Don't expect more, or you'll be disappointed.

Scalzi has a great background and character-board to continue the OMW-universe. He doesn't have to stick with the original characters, that could be tiring; but, certainly, people would enjoy seeing how the CU, Earth, and the alien universe around it, learn to inter-relate and go forward from the premises laid down in the OMW books. Hopefully Scalzi will come back to the OMW-universe and continue building the story from his foundations.

What can be said other than: this book works best if you've been reading the series.

It's a collection of connected stories about the aftermath of the previous book and has so far served to do as much if not more world building than even the first one. It recaps itself and several other entries multiple times, but considering how much story each short chapter has to get through this isn't the worse thing. All in all, a recommended read for long time, and maybe some first timers when it airs on syfy so they can get a feel of how a more episodic format can work for this brand.

Executive summary: Terrible. I can't finish this book. I tried, I really did. I once thought John Scalzi was one of the best writers of this generation. The respect I have for the original Old Man War's trilogy is immense. And then something really strange happened...first those uninspired, boring short stories. Now this.

*** minor spoilers ***

I can understand Scalzi wanted to give a spin to the series, showing it from another angle...so none of the characters from the previous books get even a nod (apart from some references to Perry). But OK, it doesn't matter if the plot is good. So then, let's see, what spin should we give to this book? Here is a a brilliant idea: let's forget about all that action and character development and surprises of the previous series and instead see the universe from the eyes of negotiators and bureaucrats going through their everyday routine. Excuse me? What? This book is SO boring it's impossible to finish. It's like if the guy who wrote the Star Wars trilogy decided he was bored with all that cool stuff he wrote, and decided the fourth instalment shouldn't have any Jedis in it. But that it would be very cool if instead it would explain the processes for interstellar logistics and categorisation of space fare accourding to the latest accounting bulletins.

Scalzi's writing has also become very stale. Yes, Mr. Scalzi, we know you can be funny. But not EVERY character should have the same sense of humour and joke in the same exact way. It's a collection of cardboard characters you have created in all your last works.

Please stop writing this stuff, take one year off, and come back with one of your masterpieces.

This book is well done. I loved the Old Man's War series. I had mixed feelings about Zoe's Tale but I found this book to be a nice, solid work. It was fun to read about other aspects of the OMW Universe with different characters and factions. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series to see what happens next as there are some unresolved plot threads in this book (which I'm ok with because it means I get to look forward to reading the next book to see what happens).

I listened to the Human Division and absolutely loved it.

Not only does Scalzi write each individual segment of this book like an old radio serial, keeping each segment filled with nonstop action that seem to conclude at the end of the chapter, but Scalzi also builds each of these segments off each other into something even greater. Scalzi takes each of these adventures and combines them into a great overarching story arc.

Fans of Scalzi's Old Man War universe will love this book as it takes place after the events of The Last Colony, but at the same time new readers of this universe should have no problem diving right in and enjoying every moment of The Human Division.

The Human Division is filled with enjoyable characters. I especially loved Hart Schmidt and Harry Wilson, who treat readers to humorous banter, sarcasm, and strong leadership.

All in all The Human Division is a great book. I can't wait for the next in the series to see what Scalzi has in store for these characters. And if you happen to listen to the audio book then know that William Dufris does an absolutely amazing job narrating.

http://whatchamacallitreviews.blogspot.com/2013/06/the-human-division-by-john-scalzi.html

This is a collection of short stories. It is not a complete novel because the story simply stops in the middle without any kind of closure to the plot.

If you take this as a collection of stories, some of them are very good, especially if you have enjoyed the previous novels in the Old Man's War. A couple of them are duds, but most of them are good.

Just don't expect a satisfying ending.

I am a big John Scalzi fan. I enjoyed this book and didn't see anything to mark it down on. I would strongly suggest you not pick this book to start the series on, start at the beginning. However, besides that I don't have any other suggestions, except you should read this book.

John Scalzi has quickly become one of my favorite Sci-Fi writers. I look forward to all of his new books. As with most people, I am hoping we get to read more about John Perry eventually, but Harry Wilson is quite entertaining as well.

John Scalzi was my favorite science fiction writer ... until yesterday when he let his far left wing politics get the better of him, which bled into his novel. I'll let you be the judge with this short snipet:

"Right," Rigney said. "Well, this other colony is made up almost totally of racists. Not only against intelligent races - I shudder to think what they would think of you - but also against other humans who don't share their same phenotype."
"They sound lovely," Sorvalh said.
"They're [a-holes]," Rigney said. "However, they are also well-armed, well-organized, well-funded [a-holes] and this particular colony is thriving. They left because they didn't like being part of a mongrel Colonial Union, and they hate us enough that they would probably get off on the idea that by going down in flames, they would consign us to hell as well. Extracting them would be messy."

Oh, and the name of this colony? Deliverance. I've read all of his Old Man's War books thus far and I even bought his next one in the series. No more.

A fine collection of stories with recurring characters. Almost like a TV series. An ongoing saga. The author is a talented writer and has some ideas that cause one to ponder the possibilities. Well done.

Because it is Scalzi, I gave the book until page 200, instead of quitting after 75 pages, but it never picked up. I long for the day Scalzi goes back to writing good SciFi instead of relying on what he thinks is witty conversation and so-so plots.

The serialized format makes it slightly disjointed and at times hard to follow. And in a few places it seemed hard to believe in the capacity of the antagonists and the level of underestimation by the protagonists. But generally a very good read.

Scalzi remains brilliant in this field. I can't even begin to imagine how he thinks through these stories, but each book has me engaged - even this one, which is really more like a series of vignettes than a complete story. Unfortunately this book was published in 2014: write FASTER, Scalzi, I MUST KNOW.

This was originally published from January to April 2013 as a three-month digital serial series. There is also a short story prequel (written in 2008 for Tor.com) as well as a coda that is exclusive to this printing. While the story is set in the Old Man's War universe, those who haven't read anything else by Scalzi will still be able to easily follow. Instead of reading as a serial, I waited for the printed version. Though I like the idea, I read too much to be able to appreciate a drawn-out serial. I prefer reading stories all at once in a day or two.

The Human Division is a well-paced tale of mystery and political intrigue. The characters are complex and vivid. The encapsulating story is brilliantly woven. Scalzi is a must-read for science fiction fans. His latest scifi adventure is full of suspense, drama, and thrills - and is completely unpredictable.

Review previously posted at SciFiChick.

Yeah, so what if some of the installments were shorter than others, or better than others (I read it in installments, not the published book) - It was still a good read. And so what if there's no neatly wrapped-up ending - When is there ever one in life? Maybe it reads better as weekly installments than as a compilation, and yes, a few of those installments sucked. Still, I look forward to reading the next series, and to reading the critical reviews of those complaining about having to pay the $0.99 once a week to read the episodes.

On the plus side: I really enjoy John Scalzi's writing. It is humorous and fast-paced and the 'Old Man's War' universe is an interesting place.

On the negative side: aliens still aren't described and this is not a complete story.

It is no secret that 'The Human Division' was originally released as 13 short stories. I didn't want to purchase them separately. I thought it would be like purchasing individual chapters that worked alone but were really part of a book. But, to my dismay, the stories don't combine into one complete story.

So should you but this? Hard to say. It is very enjoyable, but I wouldn't recommend it for a new Scalzi reader.

This is not like the previous in the series. No match for books 1 and 2. It is just a bunch of "short stories", more political in nature than "war". Very disappointing. I did not even bother to finish it.

This is a great followup to the Old Man's War series, which was excellent, that leaves a lot of room for future development. Five stars if there really IS a future, otherwise two stars for leaving us all hanging at the end of this one. I particularly enjoyed the serial nature of the book, making it a variety of short stories with the same theme. I rarely have time to read a novel at one sitting, so each chapter fit well into my free moments; even so, I couldn't wait to get further into it. Three cheers for John Scalzi, who is at the top of his form with this book.

* note: I have not read the book.. I have read others by Scalzi and enjoyed them. However, the many reviews discussing the serialization process have caused me to decide to forgo this one. It's not like there are no other good SiFi novels. I've no intention of succumbing to the serialization process. I'm happy to pay for a good paperback and even better for a good series, but am not interested in a series of short stories. Let me know if I'm off base on this and maybe I'll recant.

Scalzi seems incapable of writing a bad book, much less a mediocre one. This is part of a well done series. I just finished the 6th book in this series; now on to his other work. This one, like the entire series, is a good read all the way around.

Just crap. A bunch of disjointed poorly written plotless nonsense. Obviously designed as a $ maker, not worthy of a legacy...

Glad I borrowed this turkey. If i had spent $ on it I would be PO'd...

A serialized collection of stories that are tied together in book form. Entertaining but not a tight plot. The ending reminds me of early 60's sci-fi; very black and white characters and too much author humor for supposedly a tense time. the kindle price is too high and while an entertaining read, not a very memorable work.

Because it is Scalzi, I gave the book until page 200, instead of quitting after 75 pages, but it never picked up. I long for the day Scalzi goes back to writing good SciFi instead of relying on what he thinks is witty conversation and so-so plots.

The serialized format makes it slightly disjointed and at times hard to follow. And in a few places it seemed hard to believe in the capacity of the antagonists and the level of underestimation by the protagonists. But generally a very good read.

Scalzi remains brilliant in this field. I can't even begin to imagine how he thinks through these stories, but each book has me engaged - even this one, which is really more like a series of vignettes than a complete story. Unfortunately this book was published in 2014: write FASTER, Scalzi, I MUST KNOW.

This was originally published from January to April 2013 as a three-month digital serial series. There is also a short story prequel (written in 2008 for Tor.com) as well as a coda that is exclusive to this printing. While the story is set in the Old Man's War universe, those who haven't read anything else by Scalzi will still be able to easily follow. Instead of reading as a serial, I waited for the printed version. Though I like the idea, I read too much to be able to appreciate a drawn-out serial. I prefer reading stories all at once in a day or two.

The Human Division is a well-paced tale of mystery and political intrigue. The characters are complex and vivid. The encapsulating story is brilliantly woven. Scalzi is a must-read for science fiction fans. His latest scifi adventure is full of suspense, drama, and thrills - and is completely unpredictable.

Review previously posted at SciFiChick.

Yeah, so what if some of the installments were shorter than others, or better than others (I read it in installments, not the published book) - It was still a good read. And so what if there's no neatly wrapped-up ending - When is there ever one in life? Maybe it reads better as weekly installments than as a compilation, and yes, a few of those installments sucked. Still, I look forward to reading the next series, and to reading the critical reviews of those complaining about having to pay the $0.99 once a week to read the episodes.

On the plus side: I really enjoy John Scalzi's writing. It is humorous and fast-paced and the 'Old Man's War' universe is an interesting place.

On the negative side: aliens still aren't described and this is not a complete story.

It is no secret that 'The Human Division' was originally released as 13 short stories. I didn't want to purchase them separately. I thought it would be like purchasing individual chapters that worked alone but were really part of a book. But, to my dismay, the stories don't combine into one complete story.

So should you but this? Hard to say. It is very enjoyable, but I wouldn't recommend it for a new Scalzi reader.

This is not like the previous in the series. No match for books 1 and 2. It is just a bunch of "short stories", more political in nature than "war". Very disappointing. I did not even bother to finish it.

This is a great followup to the Old Man's War series, which was excellent, that leaves a lot of room for future development. Five stars if there really IS a future, otherwise two stars for leaving us all hanging at the end of this one. I particularly enjoyed the serial nature of the book, making it a variety of short stories with the same theme. I rarely have time to read a novel at one sitting, so each chapter fit well into my free moments; even so, I couldn't wait to get further into it. Three cheers for John Scalzi, who is at the top of his form with this book.

* note: I have not read the book.. I have read others by Scalzi and enjoyed them. However, the many reviews discussing the serialization process have caused me to decide to forgo this one. It's not like there are no other good SiFi novels. I've no intention of succumbing to the serialization process. I'm happy to pay for a good paperback and even better for a good series, but am not interested in a series of short stories. Let me know if I'm off base on this and maybe I'll recant.

Scalzi seems incapable of writing a bad book, much less a mediocre one. This is part of a well done series. I just finished the 6th book in this series; now on to his other work. This one, like the entire series, is a good read all the way around.

Just crap. A bunch of disjointed poorly written plotless nonsense. Obviously designed as a $ maker, not worthy of a legacy...

Glad I borrowed this turkey. If i had spent $ on it I would be PO'd...

A serialized collection of stories that are tied together in book form. Entertaining but not a tight plot. The ending reminds me of early 60's sci-fi; very black and white characters and too much author humor for supposedly a tense time. the kindle price is too high and while an entertaining read, not a very memorable work.

I absolutely loved this book. Whats great is it develops a new path for the mythos by focusing on harry Wilson instead of the perry/sagan/boutin family dynamic. I won't get into details other then saying shenanigans are afoot and I am eagerly anticipating the end of all things five stars and an absolute must read.

As usual from Scalzi, this is an interesting story set in an intricate and fascinating world, filled with engaging characters. I enjoyed the book immensely, but brace yourself -- the story arc here will leave you hanging. I'm certain that a follow-on will be out shortly, but until that time this is not a complete story.

I thoroughly enjoyed this latest installment in Scalzi's Old Man's War series. In fact, my only minor gripe arises from the fact that this novel was itself originally published in installments. As the serial proceeded, Scalzi apparently felt compelled to insert reminders of various plot elements, as sequels often do. Over the course of something like fourteen installments, these reminders add up and become annoying. I don't know whether Scalzi considered editing them out for the fully-assembled novel, but I would have preferred to do with fewer of them.

Scalzi has perfected his own blend of humor and pathos. I also love the resourcefulness of Scalzi's characters, and this book gives us many marvelous examples.

After the third book in the series, The Last Colony, Scalzi apparently had no plans to continue it. We are all fortunate that he reconsidered and wrote Zoe's Tale (my favorite book in the series). After reading The Human Division, I shudder to think that he might once again decide to leave us hanging, with many plot threads conspicuously unresolved. I hope he will put such fears to rest.

This review is really more about the sales tactics used then the book itself. I am a fan of Scalzis and read all of the Old Mans War books. I was excited about a return to old style story telling where its told in installments like Dickens. I read all 13 of the chapters when they were released and paid the $.99 per book (which is actually $1.07 with tax or whatever fee it was). Each one was only about 75% of a story, which is not a comment on the story itself, but the fact that it ended at 75% and the rest was about the author, etc. THEN to add insult to injury a collection comes out for $11.07 where people like myself who bought them as they came out ended up paying $13.91. I know its only a couple of dollars, but come on. Anyone who bought the 13 volumes should get that back in the store gift cards or something. Fairs fair.

First, let me say that I really enjoyed this book. That said, it is not really a "book" per se. What it is is a TV series on paper. The opening reads as a pilot, the other shorter stories read as various episodes, some funny, some dramatic or action filled, and the ending reads as a two part season finale. If you don't expect it to wrap all up at the end of the book (end of season 1 in effect) you will have a better time. Lots of fun and great characters all around. I would REALLY recommend that at the very least you read books 1 and 3 in the Old Man's War series to fully appreciate the world it is set in and the existing universe/politics first. It is not required, but it does help set up much of what is going on and how things work. I look forward to a sequel.

Scalzi sets out to continue his tale of Old Man's War and does a fine job of continuing a good narrative all the way to where he drops you harder than a rock. Prepare yourself to wonder why he left out the last chapter!

The Human Division was initially released in serial format. Thirteen episodes/chapters, once a week, for 13 weeks. Each released only in ebook format, at the low low price of $0.99 (at least in the U.S.)

Having first read it in those individual segments, I didn't think it would work well together. But, after re-reading it, and paying special attention to the chapter transitions, I found that they fit together quite well. Even the much reviled second chapter, (scorned by many for being shorter than the first double-length chapter) with it's transcribed dialogue style, fit in well with the overarching story line.

The Human Division follows the 'B-Team' of the human diplomatic corps in the Old Man's War universe. They get the rough jobs that may or may not fail, and have a tendency to ruin careers. But, there's something else beneath the surface working against the B-Team. We follow them as they go through success, failure, and near (very near) death experiences, without so much as a fruit basket for their troubles.

Harry Wilson, from the beginning of the OMW series, returns. He plays a major role in the events of the book. We don't hear much of anything from, or about, John Perry and his family. But I have a feeling that will change in the next book or two. The Human Division has already been 'renewed' for a 'second season' so we should be getting some answers to the questions the book leaves us with. (e.g. Are churros the key to intergalactic peace?)

The book comes with 2 short stories, in addition to the ones released as episodes. "After the Coup" had previously been released on it's own. The other is a new one, for now available only by buying this book, "Hafte Sorvalh Eats a Churro and Speaks to the Youth of Today." Neither are particularly essential to the plot of the book, but they do give a new perspective on some of the characters. After the Coup was the initial spark for The Human Division, following a similar by-the-seat-of-their-pants diplomatic mission with the same cast of characters. While the Hafte Sorvalh one shows off a bit more of a character that Scalzi has said is one of his favorites. It also gives us an interesting insight into how people (particularly children) on Earth are reacting to the recent influx of aliens on diplomatic missions.

Overall it's a great read, and a fantastic, though 'different', addition to the Old Man's War universe.

Disclosure: I received an ARC (Advanced Reading Copy) of The Human Division from a goodreads contest. I never win anything, it was awesome, etc.

As a new fan of the old man's war books series, human division expounds on yhe different species. Each chapter was good, except for walk the plank, though I wish Harry Wilson's opinion's of the perry event seems almost non existent and was not explired deeper.