The Ghost Brigades by John Scalzi: A Military Sci-Fi Thriller and Brilliant Sequel to Old Man's War

Cavanşir Gadimov

29 Apr, 2019

BOOK REVIEW: THE GHOST BRIGADES BY JOHN SCALZI

The Ghost Brigades by John Scalzi is the second book in the Old Man's War series. It is a science fiction novel about humanity's expansion into space and their efforts to protect themselves from other alien species.

The book tells the story of the Ghost Brigades, a nickname for the Colonial Special Forces. The Ghost Brigades are made up of soldiers who have been created from the genes of the dead. These soldiers are stronger, faster, and more intelligent than regular humans. They are also equipped with advanced technology, making them a powerful force.

The Ghost Brigades are sent on a series of dangerous missions, including one to infiltrate an enemy stronghold. Along the way, they must face challenges that test their physical and mental limits. The book explores themes of identity, memory, and free will, and it offers a thought-provoking look at the future of humanity.

Book Review: The Ghost Brigades by John Scalzi (Old Man's War Series - Book 2)

Before diving into "The Ghost Brigades" by John Scalzi, my expectations were focused on the continuation of John Perry's story, the protagonist from the first book, and the intriguing presence of Jane Sagan, bearing a striking resemblance to his deceased wife. However, contrary to my assumptions, the book takes a captivating turn as it delves into the world of The Ghost Brigades.

The Ghost Brigades, a remarkable creation, are genetically modified super-soldiers, transcending the boundaries of humanity. With a fusion of human and other species' genes, their unique green skin offers advantageous traits. These soldiers resemble a modern-day Frankenstein's creation, crafted from diverse components, yet embodying youth, strength, and striking good looks.

Related post: Captivating Sci-Fi Adventure: Old Man's War by John Scalzi (Book Review)

SPECIAL FORCES OR FRANKENSTEIN

Additional to physical strength they also have super brains, actually supercomputers in their brains. It is called the BrainPal. They can think, read and communicate with each other faster than normal people. One of the soldiers from The Ghost Brigades read Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and finds similarities between Frankenstein and himself. But the way he reads the book worth paying attention.

“…he signed on the Phoenix’s public data net and secured a copy of Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley’s Frankenstein, or the Modern Prometheus, revised third edition, 1831. Eight minutes later he finished it…”

Only one word: wow. This is what I call real science fiction and wish I had that BrainPal so I can read as many as books I want and as fast as I want.

On the other hand, Special Forces soldiers are different from others. And this is in some way makes a problem for them. Colonial Defense Forces (CDF) don’t see them as human. And Special Forces soldiers call them “the real born” and see them this way:

“Those people you saw—the realborn—are born without a plan. They’re born because biology tells humans to make more humans; but it doesn’t consider what to do with them after that. Realborn go for years without the slightest clue what they’re going to do with themselves. From what I understand, some of them never actually figure it out. They just walk through life in a daze and then fall into their graves at the end of it. Sad. And inefficient.”

One more difference they have from the real born is that they don’t have much life experience. CDF soldier joins the army when they are 75 years old. So while they are soldiers, their life experience is always 75+ years. But Special Forces soldiers become a soldier just after 2 weeks of training after they are born. In one way they are like kids. But with super-soldier skills.

They gain life experience slowly and explore what they missed. Like in this quote from the book they read and watch movies. And get really influenced by what they see and read.

“After watching Star Wars everyone wanted a lightsaber and was irritated that the technology for them didn’t really exist. Everyone also agreed the Ewoks should all die.

Two classics stuck with them. Ender’s Game delighted them all; here were soldiers who were just like them, except smaller. The main character was even bred to fight alien species like they were. The next day the members of the 8th greeted each other with the salutation ::Ho, Ender,:: until Brahe told them to knock it off and pay attention.”

OLD MAN'S WAR UNIVERSE

“The Ghost Brigades” is the second book in Scalzi’s Old Man's War universe. So until now, we know many things about it. That humanity is trying to survive in the universe. Fighting other species for new colonies and more.

But what happens in this book? The main story is about a man who becomes a traitor and makes 3 species form an alliance to destroy humanity. And Special Forces has a task to stop this happening. But can there be another way for humanity to survive in space without fighting and killing? Maybe, but until now this was out of options.

“In all the time humanity has been out in the universe we’ve never not been at war with nearly every other species we’ve come across. There are a few here or there the Colonial Union deems useful as allies or trade partners but so few as to have their numbers be insignificant. We know of six hundred and three intelligent species inside the Colonial Union’s Skip horizon, Dirac. Do you know how many the CU classifies as a threat, meaning the CDF is able to preemptively attack at will? Five hundred and seventy-seven. When you’re actively hostile toward ninety-six percent of all the intelligent races you know about, that’s not just stupid. It’s racial suicide.”

AND ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

One thing that got my attention is the “Acknowledgments” at the end of the first two books in the series. Don’t know how many people read it, but I do. And really appreciate that John Scalzi acknowledges mostly everybody who had done something for this book. That’s very kind of him.

Secondly, for me, the most important part here is where he mentions some books that inspired him or he used some science-fictional things. For me, it is like a book suggestion from an author you enjoyed reading. And Scalzi notes this: Scott Westerfeld (whose awesome space battles in The Risen Empire and The Killing of Worlds will make you weep with joy)”. So, worth checking.