I was on the edge of my seat for the entirety of Old Man's War. Not just because I was invested in the story and the characters (I was) but because after I'd read several excellent chapters, I wanted to see if Scalzi could keep up the momentum all the way to the end.

Lots of books blow their load early and fizzle out. Dean Koontz, for example, writes some wonderful first and second chapters, but he suffers mightily from the sort of mid-book doldrums wherein it feels as though he's just winging it until he can find his way to the conclusion.

Scalzi does not suffer from this problem. After packing the first half of the book with a fast pace, wit, and clever things, he shifts gears and ends it with a fast pace, wit, and more clever things. He never runs out of clever things! He stays witty, get this, all the way through the book! And the pace? It's fast.

Bravo. I've already purchased the next two sequels from the used bookstore and look forward to reading them when I need some serious entertainment.