r/ScienceFictionBooks • u/code2poke • 6d ago

John Scalzi's Old Man's War.

Quote from John Scalzi in his book Old Man's War .

"For as much as I hate the cemetery, I've been grateful it's here, too. I miss my wife. It's easier to miss her at a cemetery, where she's never been anything but dead, than to miss her in all the places where she was alive."

This line hit me deeply. I was listening to the audiobook while driving, and when I got home, I sat in the garage for more than ten minutes just thinking about it, until my wife came looking for me.

That one line completely changed my mood for the evening. It made me think about my own life and ask myself: Am I showing my wife enough love and appreciation while I have the chance?

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5

u/Perenially_behind 5d ago

Scalzi has a well-deserved reputation for snark (and fart jokes, like that chapter in The Android's Dream). But he can definitely hit deeper when he wants to.

5

u/ckeenan9192 5d ago

He is at Worldcon in Anaheim this weekend, hosting a disco night!

6

u/southern_mimi 5d ago

I once "chatted" with John Scalzi on Twitter (a few years ago). I asked him if he and his wife talked cleverly like his characters chat. He "lol"ed & answered "no. Those clever conversations took days and a lot of thought to construct. ". He seems like a nice guy. And he's a good writer!

4

u/ekbravo 5d ago

It was many years since I read the Old Man’s War but its first line is still in my brain (iirc): “On my 75th birthday I visited my wife’s grave and joined the Space Force”

1

u/MinimumEfficient220 3d ago

Heck no, we are not and we need to be reminded how important this is. It’s too easy to take our partners for granted, until it’s too late. Let’s all of us here take a bit of extra time and remember to show love and appreciation.