If Old Man's War by John Scalzi left you craving sarcastic heroes defying alien odds, then reach for Columbus Day by Craig Alanson.

You loved watching John Perry crack wise while the Colonial Defense Forces stormed alien strongholds—now meet Joe Bishop, a grunt whose sarcastic survival instinct becomes humanity's secret weapon. Craig Alanson delivers that same cocktail of razor-sharp banter and galaxy-scale warfare, where an everyman stumbles into interstellar chaos and discovers that human cleverness beats superior firepower every time. The momentum never flags, the humor cuts deep, and the underdog triumph hits exactly like Scalzi's best work.

No philosophical detours, no grim nihilism—just pure adrenaline-fueled escapism where ordinary ingenuity topples cosmic threats. This is military sci-fi that remembers fun exists, wrapping brutal space combat in optimism and wit that'll keep you grinning through the carnage.

Human cleverness beats superior firepower every time.