The Last Colony
Navigate treacherous interstellar politics and war.
John Scalzi's "The Last Colony" is the third installment in his acclaimed Old Man's War series. The novel earned a nomination for the Best Novel category at the 2008 Hugo Awards.
John Perry and Jane Sagan, after being offered leadership roles, traveled with their daughter Zoe to start a new life at the Roanoke colony. Unexpectedly, they landed on an unknown planet, stranded by the Colonial Defense Forces (CDF) to act as bait for the Conclave, an alien coalition opposed to human colonization. Despite initial successes in settling, including dealing with indigenous predators, the colony's isolation was enforced by a ban on advanced technology, compensated for by the ingenuity of the Mennonite settlers.
The colony's true purpose was revealed when the Conclave located them, resulting in a confrontation where John defied a surrender demand. The subsequent annihilation of the Conclave fleet by hidden antimatter bombs planted by the CDF left John and Jane navigating political repercussions and facing the reality that Roanoke was meant to be a disposable pawn in interstellar politics.
In a bold move, John abdicated his position, joined the Conclave, and with their help, disclosed the universe's situation to Earth, hoping to foster a new era of diplomacy. The book ends on a note of cautious optimism for a more united human approach to cosmic coexistence.
