The End of All Things

Executive Summary: I didn't enjoy this quite as much as [b:The Human Division 15698479 The Human Division (Old Man's War, #5) John Scalzi https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1341582413s/15698479.jpg 21356077], but it wraps things up nicely.Audio book: I've always enjoyed William Dufris as a narrator for this series. In this book, he splits time (2 stories a piece, with bonus material read by Mr. Dufris) with Tavia Gilbert who did the narration for [b:Zoe's Tale 2102600 Zoe's Tale (Old Man's War, #4) John Scalzi https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1301108028s/2102600.jpg 18280032]. This seemed like a good choice, as each narrated the story from characters of their gender. Both do an excellent job, and this is definitely a series that works well in audio, but then, I think that's the case for all of Mr. Scalzi's novels.Full Review[b:The Human Division 15698479 The Human Division (Old Man's War, #5) John Scalzi https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1341582413s/15698479.jpg 21356077] is probably my favorite of Mr. Scalzi's novels to date. Well, technically it wasn't really a novel, but a collection of short stories, but I consumed it as a novel. In a similar vein, this book is really a collection of four novellas.I'm not sure why he opted to tell fewer stories this time around, but I think it was slightly to the collection's detriment. That isn't to say I didn't enjoy it, but a story I didn't enjoy as much: Can Long Endure now stands out a lot more as one of four stories, rather than one of thirteen. It felt much slower, and in a book this short, I'd have liked more time spent on other things instead of following around a squad of soldiers. It would have worked much better if he cut it in half, and either did more in the final story, or told another story that moved the plot along more.Thankfully, the other three stories were much better. I particularly enjoyed This Hollow Union, and would put it right up there with the best stories in [b:The Human Division 15698479 The Human Division (Old Man's War, #5) John Scalzi https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1341582413s/15698479.jpg 21356077]. I can't recall if we got stories from inside the Conclave in the last book, but it was a nice addition here.The conclusion in Stand or Fall was quite good, though it felt a bit rushed due to the meandering in Can Long Endure. That said, considering this may be our last Old Man's War book for a long time, things are left in a good place. Harry Wilson probably remains my favorite character in the series, and it felt fitting to end things with his POV.The Life of the Mind does a good job resolving the cliffhanger ending from [b:The Human Division 15698479 The Human Division (Old Man's War, #5) John Scalzi https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1341582413s/15698479.jpg 21356077] quickly, but then drags a bit in the middle before getting really good and setting the stage for the rest of the book.The bonus material, which is an alternate take on The Life of the Mind was fine, but nothing special. I felt it added very little to the collection, but it's worth a listen if you've already bought it.Overall, this is a good book, that anyone who's read this far in the series won't want to miss, and I expect will be happy with.Story RatingsThe Life of the Mind - 3.5 starsThis Hollow Union - 4.5 starsCan Long Endure - 3 StarsStand or Fall - 4 stars