Old Man's War is an old man's dream. He gets to be young again and super-strong and kick the asses of aliens of all forms. He gets to dispense wisdom wherever he goes and gets to be smarter than anyone. He gets to be loved and respected a lot. Nothing should come for free of course, so he gets to earn all this fair and square. He gets into extreme danger, has to face identity issues (from being stronger, healthier, and more attractive than normal humans), has to face moral issues (from kicking to much alien ass). He even gets to find his dead wife. She has been made young again and hotter than the original. But also her mind has been lost, so he has to seduce her again, and has to tell her all about the world.

This wish-fulfillment is so strong, that everything else is forced to support it. The world is built entirely to be his amusement park. The technology makes no sense, the society makes no sense, the aliens make no sense. This book is clearly not a thought experiment on "what would the world look like if...".

What is it then? Is it supposed to be just a dream? Or does it offer something more, that I have missed? Wikipedia does not tell me. I found the sci-fi elements and the storyline fairly generic. These aliens and adventures would fit fine in any generic sci-fi series. But the book is well-written, the dialogs are great, and it's fun read. The dream-like quality provokes some thought, but I'm not sure what that thought is supposed to be.