ZT Review in the San Francisco Chronicle
Posted on September 27, 2008 Posted by John Scalzi 6 Comments
Zoe’s Tale gets a positive nod in the San Francisco paper today:
Scalzi’s “Old Man’s War” novels owe a debt to Robert A. Heinlein’s “Starship Troopers,” and “Zoe’s Tale” tips its hat to the much-loved Heinlein juveniles, such as “Podkayne of Mars.” Zoe is an appealingly articulate character, and her growth from bored space passenger to hard-edged diplomat stays within the bounds of believability… the novel can please both adult and young-adult readers who appreciate cleverly constructed and emotionally rich space adventures.
Excellent. These sorts of reviews make me happy. The review is the second of two (the first: The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins, also positively reviewed), so scroll down a bit to see it.
Congrats!
I just got my copy on the mail friday. I plan on reading in November after my Zombie reading October frightfest marathon.
I really liked The Last Colony and am looking forward to seeing it through the eyes of Zoe.
Great, kid! Don’t get cocky.
oo, ouch. I mean, I suppose it was inevitable that someone would compare Zoe to Podkayne, yet at the same time one has to wonder if that someone has read the latter, or is totally ignorant of how Zoe succeeded where Podkayne just reeked.
Speaking as a devoted Heinlein fan who once was a teenage girl, and is using comparison to that experience as a metric of authenticity (or as the reviewer put it, believability) in writing…
Podkayne is one people usually wince when speaking about, whereas Zoe rightfully makes you proud. Comparison to the Heinlein juveniles as a class, however, is apt.
> Scalzi’s “Old Man’s War” novels owe a debt to Robert A. Heinlein’s “Starship Troopers,”…
That may be, but John, you did much better. Troopers was so dry and drawn out…
Have you seen this review at geek planet of Zoe’s Tale. Another positive one.
http://www.geekplanet.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=177:zoes-tale&catid=54:books&Itemid=75
I have been a Si-Fi reader all my life, I started here in the UK in the late 1940’s with Dan Dare in the Eagle comic & the classic radio series Journey into Space(both in the UK) progressing through Heinlein Asimof Haldeman and so many others. I have only just discovered your books & have only read OMW & TGB. They were the best reading I have had for years and like the above reviewer I just couldn’t put them down. I am awaiting delivery of the rest with eager anticipation. Long may you prosper and your writing gift never leave you.