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old mans war - Does Scalzi describe what the Rraey look like?


I do not remember what they look like, nor can I find any answer to my question. I'm at the end of Old Man's War, so if you've read the book you can probably understand that trying to visualize them is kind of driving me a little nuts.


I have tried to piece together what they look like from what's happening in the book, but it's just not coming to me. I'm really having a hard time because all I can remember about them is that they eat people and their name.



Answer



Yes, but you have to read the next book "The Ghost Brigades" and you'll get a little more information on what they look like, but not a lot.

For some reason, I remember imagining that the Rraey look like humanoid birds or chickens because they squawk a lot during battle.
On page 15 of the Ghost Brigades: a Rraey is examining humans.
And he describes the human (he also describes himself) as roughly the same size and shape as he is, bipedal, and bilaterally symmetrical.
The Rraey also notes the differences: However, human knees bend the opposite way and the human torso is broader as is the abdominal plain with a generally awkward skeletal structure and musculature.
He also notes that humans have club like hands and stump like feet. (So he must have the opposite)
He also notes that humans have only 2 eyes and ears whereas he has eyes and ears that wrap all the way around his head. And he has heat radiating folds of skin on his head instead of hair. (I imagined that this is like a roosters comb for some reason, I don't know if this interpretation is correct)
That's all I could find/remember, there might be more hints but I would have to read the book again.


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