Keith Laumer Books

This is one of my very favorite books. Just reading the chapter titles brings back a flood of emotions. And that's the special part, the emotions engendered by these stories. How can you feel a stab of pain when a tank dies? You'll find out!

Each of these tales depicts a Bolo that is either severely handicapped or hopelessly outnumbered. Most are sentient, although a few stories deal with earlier pre-sentient models. Each story stands on its own and can be read easily without need of prior Bolo knowledge.

At their hearts, they are tales of selflessness, loyalty, and duty. You'll have to keep reminding yourself that the main character is a tank.

Anyone wishing to become familiar with Keith Laumer's Bolos should start here. It collects many previously published and widely scattered stories into one handy volume, and the writing is terrific. The stories cover many different eras, from the mid-21st century to the far future. A great all-around collection of SF stories, and the perfect starting place for the universe of the Bolos.

This is a combination of previously released works. The 1976 Bolo was a collection of short stories of the computer-controlled tanks called Bolo. Rogue Bolo is a novel from 1986.

1976 Bolo:
o A Short History of the Bolo Fighting Machines (intro)
o The Night of the Trolls
o Courier (aka The Frozen Planet)
o Field Test
o The Last Command
o A Relic of War
o Combat Unit

Combat Unit, written in 1960, was Laumer's first Bolo story. The Night of the Trolls is from 1968. The Last Command: 1971. A Relic of War: 1972. Field Test: Mar 1976. Don't let the 1990 date of Compleat Bolo fool you, these stories have been out for a while. However, that is not to say they are not worth reading if you haven't read them, They are considered classics and are the originals by Laumer. This is just to let those that follow the Bolo series that they may have already read some or all of these stories.

If you don't already know, the Bolo stories are of computer-controlled, extremely armored and weaponed tanks (think of the tanks in beginning of the movie `The Terminator') that typically act with a strong sense of integrity and honor. In a sense it is like mechanized human engineering since these tanks are programmed with these qualities, but nevertheless the Bolo's are at times, if not always, to be admired for their actions. To be fair to us human beings, it's easier to be a bad-ass when you're surrounded by several tons of steel and quite formidable fire power.

I suppose the Bolo series would fall under the category of Military science fiction, which is considered a contentious issue in the present day Speculative Fiction `cutting-edge' world. These stories are classics though and came out before I even heard the term Military SF, and are some of the originals of that entire subgenre. Not being familiar with Military SF, I cannot say how these stories compare to more modern works. To me, I found the stories just OK. The concept behind them was a lot more appealing than stories themselves. You can consider the stories to be a glorification of war as the speculative fiction writers would say or you can consider them to be the best representation of human emotions in extreme conditions.

My first Bolo story was "Rogue Bolo", which I read over 20yrs ago, and which got me
hooked on Mr Laumer's admirable and self-aware Continental Siege Units. Hidden meanings,
allegory and relentlessly stellar prose may be sparse, but well-rendered entertainment and
thought-provoking stories are common in the Bolo series. A noble, multi-PhD-level artificial
intelligence that is not a two-arms, two-legs "classical-style" robot is a suprisingly engaging
idea. These beings have 4 sets of treads,2 megaton per second firepower,and armor
that can survive a nuclear explosion 50yds away. Anyone who has an issue with "military scifi"
has an issue with scifi in general. As long as humans are human, there will always be those
who will stop at nothing to impose their ideas on everyone else by force, whether its a street
thug or an Evil Interstellar Empire. Warp drive and colonization of other star systems is just
going to export the same old crap out into a bigger playing field. The idea of the evil that
men do taking place on such a vastly magnified scale is a hideous contemplation that has given
any true scifi buff (military or otherwise) a shiver or two. The bad guys have the shortcuts and
hyperfocus of evil on their side - the rest of us have the Bolos!

Very, Very disappointed. I have all of the Bolo books and love them, but this was nothing new, and that is what I expected. Some of the stories do not even fit in with the newer ones. If you want to read his oldest stuff, or are a first time reader, then this might be a good start. Paying a premium price is not worth it.

I have not read any other editions of this novel other than the 1962 Ace Double Novel edition.

Worlds of the Imperium is a classic story of alternate worlds and what one man must face when confronted by his alternate self. A short but nicely done story that heralded Laumer's later works.

The book deals with the concept of parallel universes. The concept is relatively well thought out by Laumer and given to us in more detail then I expected he would do in such short novels. The story deals with the conflicts played out between the worlds of these parallel universes and how they impact each other both knowingly and unknowingly.

Overall I thought this was a really good read. The pace of the story was fast and what one would expect of a tightly written story. It always amazes me how much thicker today's science fiction novels tend to be versus those of 30 or 40 years ago. Could it be as simple as the art of tight writing and a strong editor are lost today?

The characters are not that strongly developed and this seems to be the sacrifice Laumer makes to keep the stories to the point. The characters are developed only as absolutely necessary to the story so of course the only character we are attuned to is the single main character.

I recommended and if you enjoy the genre at all I think you will enjoy the novel as well.

A fast-paced, alternate universe story that will keep you on the edge of your seat. This still doesn't read dated, and the story was done before Philip K. Dick did 'The Man In The High Castle.' Sorry, Phil, he beat you to it.

Brion Bayard, a perfecrly normal guy from our world, isn't too amused when he is trapped and kidnapped by the inhabitants of a parallel universe inhabited with the same persons as ours, but with another history. His mind changes, as he learns to know what essential task he is needed for: The peaceful world of his hosts is in danger of being atomically devastated by invaders from another parallel world. This world is ruled by an evil dictator, with the name and the look of - Brion Bayard. The kidnapped Brion is destined to replace the dictator, but this is anything else but an easy task - and nothing is like it seems to be... This isn't one of the best Laumers (and definitely not as good as his Retief stories), but worth a look or two. For Laumer fans a must.

The first in the adventures of Colonel Brion Bayard and the Imperium. The Imperium is a force that keeps parallel universies in check from their own world in Zero Zero Stockholm. When war faces the Imperium from an alternate reality they find their only chance in traveling to our "earth" and finding the duplicate of the person who leads the army of the attacking universe. Enter Brion Bayard. In order to ensure that his world and the Zero Zero line can remain in existance he must go on a thrilling adventure and assasinate his alternate self. Sequels include: The Other Side of Time, Assignment in Nowhere, and Zone Yellow.

Anything with the word Bolo and Laumer is going to be very good, the type of book you save for reading that is special. This book reaches deep and connects .... you will really enjoy it!!

Bolos are awsome. There are very few things even in fiction that I can think about and say that is just the ultimate. A previouse reveiw leads you to beleive this book is not good. that is not the case it was rated a 7. what it is is that the bolo series is so good that this one had trouble reaching that peak. its like saying the superbowl is not that big, well thats true when you compare it to the Olympics but that dosn't make the super bowl any less enjoyable. If you like bolos read this, if you dont know about bolos read this and you will love them.

Tis book was a little dissapointing: it tried to concentrate on the technological aspects of the bolos, but got many , many things wrong. Dates, times and other small details are not correct, and two of the stories have said the the Bolo's main weapon, a hellbore energy cannon, uses shells. This is not a bad book, but none of the stories are especially outstanding

A friend of mine who was "into sci-fi" convinced me to read a "BattleTech" book. Cheap fireworks for understimulated teenagers; a complete waste of time. But long before this pulp a master of the Golden Age wrote the best-ever stories of this genre', the Bolo stories. Keith Laumer's Bolo wasn't just big guns incidentally slaved to a good computer. It felt pain; passion; dismay; hope; joy; and above all else desire. It spoke with cold logic, never wasted a word. But its nanosecond thoughts were lavish with emotion. As with tales of soft-spoken heroes of the martial arts or the Old West, they think much and speak little -- and only then carry a big stick. Honor and desire, not mere power, are the Bolo's allegories. The authors of "Unconquerable" have insipidly shifted the focus from guts to guns. Laumer's passion and vision extinguished in these stories, they might as well carry the "Power Rangers" brand name -- it would be just as relevant, and more apropos.

Picked up this old collection by chance in a public library. I believe that this is the first collection of Bolo stories.

The first story - "The Night Of The Trolls" - is a little slow.

Then comes a Retief story with "Courier." Not much Bolo action in this one but Retief is hilarious.

The third story, "Field Test" hooked me on Bolos. If the end of this story hits you in the gut - you are a Bolo fan. If not, find something else to read.

The rest of the stories are strong and will leave you looking for more Bolo adventures.

I enjoyed the different short stories that represented different times in the future. On one of the short stories I was really wanting that to be an entire novel instead of just a short story (Retrief was awesome!).

Similar to my review on Theives' World the stories are great but there are very thin threads tying it all together and no real following of a select group of characters.

A good read and I hear that the rest of the books in the series are the same and just as enjoyable as the first.

A collection of stories that represent the future of AI as implemented by massive war machines that are used to conduct war on a planetary scale...

I picked this novel up with some trepidation. I am not usually one who enjoys omnibus editions of older works. I can get prejudiced by three or four supposed novels only taking up about 300 pages total. In this case there are three novels written by a writer who once was of some fame who is today nearly forgotten. Keith Laumer.

The books all deal with the concept of parallel universes. The concept is relatively well thought out by Laumer and given to us in more detail then I expected he would do in such short novels. The stories deal with the conflicts played out between the worlds of these parallel universes and how they impact each other both knowingly and unknowingly.

Overall I thought this was a really good read. The pace of the stories was fast and what one would expect of a tightly written story. It always amazes me how much thicker today's science fiction novels tend to be versus those of 30 or 40 years ago. Could it be as simple as the art of tight writing and a strong editor are lost today?

The characters are not that strongly developed and this seems to be the sacrifice Laumer makes to keep the stories to the point. The characters are developed only as absolutely necessary to the story so of course the only character we are attuned to is the single main character.

Of the three books in this omnibus I enjoyed the first two the best. The last had the main character in it but as a supporting role. I did not think the third book was written as strongly as the other two.

This was the first time I remember reading Laumer although his works have been on my bookshelf for years. The experience was one that I enjoyed enough that the next book I picked up to read was Laumer's Legions of Space.

I recommended and if you enjoy the genre at all I think you will enjoy the novel as well.

This book reprints 3 classic stories by Laumer, about alternate history and a multi-universe spanning organisation. If you have read and enjoyed the works of H Beam Piper and his Paratime universes, and Poul Anderson's Time Patrol, then Laumer's stories will be a great treat.

The first story of the book starts off the series, explaining how an American diplomat in our universe, in the years after World War 2, gets kidnapped by the Imperium, based in a Sweden [!sic] that benignly rules another Earth. The stories are now some 40 years old. But they hold up well. Plenty of action, without drowning you in the cyberpunk pervasive computing of more recent science fiction. Laumer had a gift for combining the spy novel with high technology in a fluid synthesis that sweeps the reader along.

The only pity is that Laumer never wrote many stories in this series.

Flint and the publisher are to be thanked for bringing these stories back into print for a new generation of readers.

I just love tales of parallel universes and time-travel, and this classic by Keith Laumer is one of the best of the genre, rich both in action and in daring speculations. Intriguing as Paratime by H. Beam Piper and Time Patrol by Poul Anderson. A must have for the transdimensional SF fan!

Keith Laumer has always been a favorite author of mine. The "Retief" stories- where an interstellar diplomat swashbuckles through red tape and alien invasions alike - are some of the funniest and most entertaining SF that I've ever read. The "Bolo" super-tanks that he created to fight humanity's wars amongst the stars were similarly some of the best military sci-fi of its era.

But a writer as prolific as Laumer cannot always be at the top of his game, and the stories collected here are prime examples of why some work should be left in the dust. Of the eight stories collected here only one, titled "Doorstep" entertained me in any way. It is only ten pages long, but it nicely illustrates a sub-genre of sci-fi that is largely out of style; the ending with a twist. This is where you think you know what is happening, but as the reader you are missing one crucial fact that, when revealed, completely changes your perception of what has gone before. "Doorstep" has a clever twist that is accomplished with aplomb.

Unfortunately those are the only ten worthwhile pages in this collection. The sixty page long novella "Thunderhead" deserves a mention for being a good concept poorly executed, but the rest of the stories don't even rise to that level. The title book, "A Plague of Demons", and a later story, "Greylorn", are the two worst offenders. Both have plots that jump from one setting to another in the last act with little to no foreshadowing or justification, and you can't help but thinking that Laumer had simply written himself into a corner and forced the story into a new channel to get a conclusion.

The remainder of the stories vary from uninteresting to mildly bad. Overall, none of them come close to justifying the eight dollar cover price. If you're a Laumer fanatic, it is interesting to see some of his lesser-known work, but if you're a science fiction fan looking for a good story, check out the Retief or Bolo books instead.

This collection of Keith Laumer's works is part of the Baen Books republication of Laumer's writings. It seems that Laumer is one of those authors that people either love, or can't finish the first paragraph without screaming. If you are one of those who loves his work, get the whole series. You won't regret it.

Many of these stories have been out of print for a while and have been hard to find. I have fond memories of reading Laumer while serving in the Air Force on missions in the Middle East (ironically, detached to the State Department much as Laumer himself was), thinking "aside from the advanced hardware, this isn't fiction". Many of the stories in this volume are inspirational in a dark way, as they share a common thread of many of his works, that of the lone man doing what is right, against hopeless odds, even to self destruction, because of principle. It's a timeless lesson, but one many need to learn.

Skip Eric Flint's rather pointless comments, and just read the stories and David Drake's memories of Laumer.

A plague of demons" is a great story. I recommend it to anyone who likes a fast pace storyline and an ending you didn't know was coming!

The other stories in this book is good too, but "A plague..." is truly great fiction!

...and a lesser version of the Laumer formula. Seems he has at least two books for every plot...one that seems to be in outline form, and one that's fully flshed out...

This is one of my favorite fantasy books (you can maybe call it sci fi if you like). Another volume in the Lafayette O'Leary series, and a good one. (The only book in the series I don't love is "Galaxy Builder"). If you like Laumer's humor, this is for you! If you like "World Shuffler" then this is a must. Like "World Shuffler", this is a book I've read several times and enjoyed each time.

One of my all-time favorites, staggeringly funny. Retief, Magnan and a revolving cadre of ever-more-bizarre aliens will have your sides aching with laughter very quickly. I've never recovered from Ambassador Hindbinder's "egg sac" and neither will you, probably. It's a total MUST READ!

**

_Galactic Diplomat_ (1965) is the second collection of stories about Jame Retief of the Terran Diplomatic Corps, who manages to solve planetary problems in spite of his bungling superiors. The stories are unabashed space opera, so perhaps a few words might be in order about the changing nature of space opera over the years.

Space opera refers to a kind of colorful, romantic, action-adventure spaceship yarn. From the late 1920s through the 1940s, a kind of space opera called "classical space opera" was being written. It was done straight, or at least with a poker face, and was frequently taken very seriously by its practicioners. Prominent writers of classical space operas were E.E. Smith, Edmond Hamilton, John W. Campbell, Jr., Ray Cummings, and Jack Williamson.

But starting in the 1950s, writers had become much more conscious of the traditions of space opera. While classical space opera was not completely dead, it was in disrepute. More space opera was now being written in a tongue-in-cheek manner. It was intended to mock its own traditions, to be comical rather than serious. Writers of tongue-in-cheek space operas included Poul Anderson, Randall Garrett, Harry Harrison, Douglas Adams, and Keith Laumer. The Retief stories, of course, are in this second tradition. We aren't meant to take them too seriously.

There are nine stories in the collection, all originally published in _If_ between 1961 and 1965. The earliest story, "Courier," briefly overlaps with another series by Laumer, the Bolo stories. Retief encounters one of the deadly war machines near the end of the story. Several other good stories are "Saline Solution," which involves double and triple crosses at an asteroid mine, "Ultimatum," in which Retief's superior Magnan becomes a hero in spite of himself, "The Brass God," in which Retief becomes a human sacrifice, and "Wicker Wonderland," which deals with a tempest-tossed planet and that rarest of reptiles, a _good_ Groaci. In some of the later Retief books, Laumer forgot that his primary function was to entertain; the results were disasterous. But here he is at the top of his form. Satire and storytelling balance one another. _Galactic Diplomat_ is one of the best of the Retief books.

This collection, once popular and widely read, is becoming obscure. This is something of a shame, because, although some of the stories in it are not particluarly memorable or excellent, there is one that is very good, and one that is simply outstanding.

The Last Command is well worth reading, a story in the mode of the "living machine" like some of Laumer's other "Bolo" stories, thoughtful and even moving at the end. It is the title story, however, that makes the book, and which really ought to make it read by anyone who has an interest in Science Fiction as philosophical commentary on life itself.

Few would probably guess it, but Once There Was a Giant was undoubtedly conceived as Laumer's answer to Heinlein's Stranger In a Strange Land. It is his attempt to create a heroic, idealized character that represents a kind of model of everything that is best in humanity, something that people could be if they were not limited by human frailty, fear, and weakness. That character, of course, is the giant, who becomes locked in a battle of wills with the narrator of the story, a human hired killer who lives, much like modern humanity, only for his own pleasures and solely selfish gains. He is ruthless, deceptive, and manipulative, but unsentimental and untroubled by conscience or self-doubt, except at the very end, where his facade finally develops one single, subtle crack and he catches a glimpse of the the emptiness that is in his heart.

The giant is a heroic warrior with a will of iron and an absolute, single-hearted commitment to what he belives to be right. He posesses no fears except giving in to fear in the face of pain and danger and failing to do the right thing. He is calm, focused, respectful of the land and those who came before him, practicing a kind of mysticism somewhat like that of Native American warriors or Japanese Samurai.

The story is somewhat short, straight to the point, and full of action, but balanced by conversations that reveal the heart of the two characters and what they belive in. Laumer's style, full of metaphors and "hard-boiled" descriptions that owe something to 50's detective fiction, works perfectly here as the voice of the narrator.

This story, and particularly its conclusion, do what the best Science Fiction and the best books, plays, films, etc. do. It leaves you thinking about your life, and even your own identity, and what life is really all about. It's a truly outstanding read, and a sadly neglectled one.

This story is "okay", but not great. I would suggest you read it if you have a great liking for Laumer already, or if you have a particulary keen interest in the history of science fiction. This book has none of Laumer's wonderful humor to it, and I truly had to slog through parts of it. The editor did something odd to it as well, creating a few logical and printing errors in the edition that I read. It is similar to one of Laumer's other books called "The Stars Must Wait" in tone, etc. There just wasn't enough humor or fantasy in this one to keep it "fresh" for me.

If you want something FUN by Laumer, try World Shuffler, The Great Time Machine Hoax, or perhaps a Retief book.

Well, I had read a 'Bolo' book when I was in my teens, and I remembered enjoying it decently. And I found this one in a freebie bin outside a used bookstore - just couldn't refuse that! So my pile of unread fiction grew smaller and smaller, and so I finally picked this little book up. Interestingly enough, this is actually two different stories, both taking place in different times and places. The first, "Rogue Bolo", is where the book gets its title and concerns the most advanced Bolo ever built, the second, "Final Mission", is about an outdated, decommissioned Bolo who gets a second chance to live and fight like he was designed to.

The first book, "Rogue Bolo", is written in a very interesting manner. Rather than go for straight narrative, Laumer strings together many different articles, briefings, overheard conversations, interviews, and even stream of conscious from the Bolo itself. Though the reading is slightly disjointed, it actually creates a slight sense of mystery, because you're learning of the action and story second-hand. It was a little disconcerting at first, but after I got used to it, it was actually quite enjoyable.

In "Final Mission" the story is straight narrative, but just as engaging as the first. The setting is different, but Laumer manages to create pretty engaging characters.

Overall, both were not hard reads, and were quite enjoyable. I wouldn't put this book at the top of my list of recommendations, but it's an enjoyable read and I wouldn't necessarily discourage anyone from reading it.

the first of the Mk XXX bolos. it is a story of intrigue, terrorism, and final showdown with the Axork. many of the weapons used are recycled into later stories. it has been very interesting reading, and watching the story line grow into what it is today! must read.