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Comparing Old Man's War 'And Starship Troopers'

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John Scalzi’s Old Man’s War was mostly influenced by Robert Heinlein’s Starship Troopers, but with a few noticeable differences. Both stories were told from a first person viewpoint. The main characters were of a different age, but were similar in their ultimate goal of military service. With access to advanced technology, both characters were able to serve their military branch above the call of duty. Each story had antagonists bent on world domination, but with different goals. Both stories had ended exactly how they started, but with both characters a little wiser.
Starship Troopers had begun with a narrative provided by Johnny Rico, the antagonist of the book. He was entering into battle against a volatile enemy. The narrative continued throughout the book. Rico described, in detail, his life from rich kid to mobile infantryman. Old Man’s War opened with less minor battlefront. John Perry was fighting through the emotions over the loss of his wife. Through his account, he begun the journey from mere man to military hero. The only …show more content…

He was nervous and shaking, but did not stop him from engaging the enemy. As the padre told him, Rico knew his job. He didn’t strive to be the best. In the end, he still got the shakes from nerves, but became the leader that they needed him to be. John Perry started off his military career by meeting with a representative. She had discussed what was expected of him during his term of service. It had been a bland presentation of the options. Perry had tried to lighten the mood with a joke, but it failed. Later, he became a representative of sorts for the CDF. He was sent to different colonies as a recruitment tool. He had told people of the virtues of the CDF and how they were defending the planets. Unlike the representative he had encountered when he signed up, Perry eventually asked for a different position. It was too bittersweet sending new recruits off to possibly

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