John Scalzi can write: adventure tales (The Kaiju Preservation Society), stories with humour (Redshirts, Agent to the Stars) and non-fiction (Your Hate Mail Will Be Graded); often with that trademark snark that gives his books a certain feel.
However, it was his Old Man’s War series, the first of which was published way back in 2005 that first brought him to my (and many others!) attention. He did win a Hugo Award for Redshirts in 2013.
Ten years after the last Old Man’s War novel, The End of All Things, we now have a new one. And this one blows the doors off its hinges, so to speak.
From the publisher: “For a decade, peace has reigned in interstellar space due to agreements between the Colonial Union, Earth and the alien Conclave. But now the most advanced, intelligent species humans have ever met is on the cusp of a species-defining war. Nothing the Consu does, however, is just about them. The Colonial Union, Earth and the Conclave have been unwillingly dragged into their conflict, and in the most surprising of ways.
Gretchen Trujillo is a mid-level bureaucrat in a mundane job within the Colonial Union’s State Department. Until, that is, she’s called to take part in a secret mission that will involve representatives from every powerful faction in space. What she discovers could redefine the destinies of humans and aliens alike . . . or destroy every one of them.”
In terms of reference and context, the events of earlier books are mentioned here – our main character Gretchen Trujillo is a friend of Zoe Boutin Perry, (see Zoe’s Tale) and with her Dad is also one of the survivors of the Roanoake catastrophe (see The Last Colony.)
This sounds like you may need to have read the previous books, but no, there’s enough detail in the first few chapters to get the gist of what has gone before. Since the events of the earlier books, Earth, The Colonial Union (that’s the group of planetary colonies created by humans, of which there are many) and the Conclave (the other non-human (ie: alien) species) have held an uneasy truce. There has been no war, but instead a number of issues have been simmering below the diplomatic surface. Tensions are high as we begin this book, fuelled by disagreements between the interested parties and a rise in xenophobia.
When Gretchen, as Head of Analysis for the State Department for Obin, and her Obin associate Ran are sent to investigate the disappearance of a colony on an asteroid, many of whom were also Roanoake survivors, she has a clearly invested interest. She discovers that her ex, Magdy, was also there.
In the background to this we also have increased tensions between Earth and the other groups. Around all of this is the fact that the god-like aliens, the Consu are also taking an interest. This is something not normally expected, as the Consu generally feel that all other lifeforms are beneath them, and for them to be concerned means that there may be more to this mystery than at first suspected.
As ever, the characterisation is what elevates this one: the relationship between Gretchen and her alien counterpart Ran (who has an artificial conscience and so doesn’t always get human nuances to comedic effect) is just wonderful. Their banter is warm and engaging – just likeable, from the start.
When looking at the bigger picture, though, Scalzi manages to juggle these interpersonal relationships with interplanetary issues. The discoveries made by our characters mean that this seemingly minor issue is actually something actually very big. It is also a reminder that aliens think in alien ways, although Scalzi explains this very well.
Scalzi’s solution is a little bit convenient and timey-wimey, but it is quite effective. As I was reading this, I kept thinking “This is why I love Scalzi!” When the twists and turns happen, I found I couldn’t put the book down – and yes, there were heart-stopping moments. Most of all, you realise that like in real life, behind all of these BIG events there are people (and aliens) who love and hate like us and are prepared to defend basic moral and ethical values.
The book reads well enough as a stand-alone. However, without giving the ending away, the revelations in this book offer a great deal of further opportunities should the author wish to pursue them. Based on this, I can say that despite my initial concerns – how often has a return to a much-loved setting been a disappointment? – I think he should.
I’ve been a little dismissive of Scalzi’s most recent books; in my opinion, they’re good but have not been outstanding. By contrast, this one steps up the game and is a very welcome return to what I think Scalzi first became noted for. A real crowd-pleaser, perhaps – but one done with skill, aplomb and heart.
The Shattering Peace is a great read; and one which celebrates how good well-written and logically-thought-out SF can be.
© 2025 Mark Yon
Hardback | Tor Books
THE SHATTERING PEACE by John Scalzi
September 2025 | 288 pages
ISBN: 978 152 9082 937
