Customer Reviews (2)

Science made magic
A parallel worlds novel, one of a series of four set in a common setting of the "Imperium". Being an old-fashioned hard science guy, the elements of mysticism woven into this story were for me distracting, but I believe most modern readers would have the opposite complaint - that the magic isn't magic enough. The hero is whisked out of normal life and sent off to travel between parallel universes trying to correct a great imbalance in the entropic forces in order to avert an apocalyptic disaster. Much of this story is very similar to Robert Heinlein's "Glory Road".

A short, exciting adventure
An adventure in a feudal Britain, where Mr Bayard (the same of "The Worlds of Imperium" , appears in passing. In K.Laumer parallel universe logical often lacks, but fun is assured. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

"Whatever Happened to Ugly Jame?"
When I picked up this collection of late entry stories (all originally published in 1986) of Jame Retief, the "ugly Terry" of the Corps Diplomatique Terrestrienne, I did not expect to find a great work of science fiction literature. I did expect to be reasonably entertained. I found instead that the stories were actually boring and dull. What is the difference between these stories and the Retief stories of the early 1960s? For one thing, while the earlier stories were satirical, they were also space opera. They poked fun in a light, entertaining manner. The later stories are all satire, with little adventure. The satire is heavy-handed and aimed at obvious targets, and the stories are much too long. The earlier Retief stories tended to be short, tight novelettes. The stories in this collection ("Retief in the Ruins," "There is a Tide," and "The Woomy" ) are all overwritten novellas. Too bad, too bad. Laumer wrote a lot that was much better.

Worst scifi I've ever read
A collection of stories about the famous Retief character, using the most unwieldly prose writing imaginable.If he eliminated all the `Swifties' (`ly' adverbs) from the book, it would probably only be twenty pages long.There isn't much substance there aside from the dialogue, which looks like this:
"Boy, it's hot out here," Retief said ARIDLY.
And, of course, the annoying "see issue #500" problem, as in the sections of dialogue that go like this:
He spoke to them in the tone of an Ambassador With A Severe Bowel Cramp (#2447-ed.) ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

The Tragic Hero
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.

Not his best
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. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Lafayette Rides Again
The World Shuffler (1970) is the second humor SF novel in the Lafayette O'Leary series, following The Time Bender.In the previous volume, Lafayette O'Leary rationalized his way through his problems and finally reached a happy ending with a little help from Yokabump.

In this novel, Lafayette has his psychic energies suppressed by the Interdimensional Monitor Service, so he can't slip in a good bottle of wine from elsewhere.Walking in the Royal gardens, he loses his way to his favorite bench and ends up on the alternate world of Melange at the top of a windmill sail.He tries calling Central, but they are too busy to help him.

Climbing down, he wanders off and finds a tavern owned by Swinehild, an alternate persona of Princess Adoranne.Her cook Hulk is an alternate persona of Count Alain, who is just as jealous as the Count and who takes a strong disliking of Lafayette.Then Hulk finds him in bed with Swinehild -- she is very affectionate -- and attacks Lafayette.

After Hulk is knocked out, Swinehild decides to leave the tavern.She travels with Lafayette to Port Miasma, where he intends to elicit the assistance of Duke Ruldopho, an alternate personal of Nicodaeus.Despite good advice from Swinehild, Lafayette wakes Crunch -- a ten foot tall giant -- to take them across the bay to the city and finds himself being pursued by the owners of the rowboat.

In this story, Lafayette finds himself thrown in a dungeon, escaping only to be sent back.Then he escapes again and is recaptured again.This goes on several times and he discovers other alternate persona during the process, including that of his wife Daphane and his own alternate.

Then he finds a company of dwarves -- including an alternate persona of Yokabump -- manufacturing advances devices, including flying carpets and other gadgets.They insert him into the Glass Tree -- a branching office building -- to investigate Prince Krupkin.After meeting the man, Lafayette decides that he is an alternate persona of Goruble.

This tale has Lafayette getting into trouble time after time.He is firmly convinced that a rational recitation of the facts of the matter will clear up the confusion and result in enlightened assistance.Of course, his explanations make him appear to be deranged, but that never stops his efforts.Have I mentioned the similarity to Don Quixote?

Highly recommended for Laumer fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of interdimensional travel, errant knights and naive optimism.

-Arthur W. Jordin

Twisted Humor & Alternate Universes in a Fantasy Wrapper
If you like the style of Laumer or of Roger Zelazny, this is a good book that you will enjoy.This book features the character Lafayette O'Leary, who is the aforementioned World Shuffler.The plot, tone, etc, is often reminiscent of Zelazny's "Nine Princes in Amber".I like this book, more than the sequels (the last book in the series was difficult for me to finish and it took me several tries).Personally, I enjoyed this first book (World Shuffler) so much that I've read it three times in the past ten years.I just revisit it.And various images, events, and phrases stick in my mind to never be removed.Must be good, eh? ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Gives Tedium a Bad Name
Keith Laumer has done some wonderful and imaginative books over the years, particularly his Retief series.The premise here is interesting, but the situations are ridiculous, repetitive, and boring.When O'Leary changes shape, there's a girlfriend for his new body, a jealous boyfriend, and a father ready to start the wedding.He changes shape again, and there's a new girlfriend, jealous boyfriend, father, etc.The writing for both situations is nearly identical.One of his temporary bodies belongs with a band of gypsies, and reading pages of dialog written in a cheesy French accent is guaranteed to give you a headache.O'Leary is supposed to be smart, but he does something stupid to get out of trouble, and when it doesn't work, keeps doing the same stupid thing over and over again.It goes past being merely annoying and becomes obnoxious.This book is badly written, hard to finish, and has no redeeming features.Avoid.

Lafayette Strikes Back
The Shape Changer (1972) is the third humor SF novel in the Lafayette O'Leary series, following The World Shuffler.In the previous volume, Lafayette O'Leary was caught in Melange without his psychic energies.He couldn't summon a gnat with the suppressor focused on him.But then he solved the riddle and regained his powers.Eventually, he returned to home and Daphane.

In this novel, Lafayette receives a note from some unknown source and goes out after midnight to a meeting at the Ax and Dragon.As he suspected, the note has come from the Red Bull, who has found a cave full of advanced devices.Red Bull brings along something called a Focal Referent Mark III to convince Lafayette to help sell the trinkets.

As usual, Lafayette tells Red Bull to be careful with the device, but goes ahead and pushes a button himself.Everything gets a little blurry and wavery, then snaps back to normal.Lafe takes the device and goes toward the palace.

On the way, he runs into some musketeers patrolling the alleys and orders them to accompany him to the palace.Yet they back him against a wall and frisk him, finding several valuable items in his pockets.Then Lafayette notices that he is not in his own body.

A group of Wayfarers ambushes the cops and frees Lafe, whom they call Zorro.He tries to talk them into going to the palace, but they dump him into a wagon and take him back to their camp.There he finds that Zorro is engaged to Gizelle and that she is feeling amorous.Lafe pleads that he is already married and then the real trouble begins.

Lafayette manages to elude the Wayfarers, but falls off a cliff.When he regains consciousness, he finds himself in the care of a kindly man named Lom.Offering Lafayette a grand breakfast, Lom tries to get a few answers from him.As usual, our hero is too busy talking to give straight answers.

In this story, Lafayette pops into and out of several bodies.One has wings and has a girlfriend.After Lafe kisses her, the marriage is announced and her father comes to congratulate him.After some fast talking, Lafe manages to put off the marriage for a while.

Along the way, Lafayette talks to Central about his problems, but gets little assistance.Then Nicodaeus calls to explain the situation.He also describes the main suspect in the case.

Eventually, Lafayette discovers that a usurper has captured Princess Adrienne and Count Alain.The usurper is now acting king.Since the man is wearing Lafayette's body and Lafe is back in Zorro's body, the circumstances are slightly delicate.

This tale has fast talking -- but hard of hearing -- Lafayette flying from one risky situation to another.He has 20/20 hindsight, but never thinks of the right actions ahead of time.Besides, he is still certain that everything can be cleared up if he can only talk to the person in charge.

Once again, Lafayette O'Leary is caught in strange circumstances and finds himself virtually helpless against his fate.Naturally, he still has a mean kick and a good strong uppercut and runs like crazy, but he is getting too old for all these reckless exploits.Enjoy!

Highly recommended for Laumer fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of crazy adventures, endless rationalization, and a touch of romance.

-Arthur W. Jordin ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Timetracks: An anthology of 5 short stories
"Greetings & Salutations!""Timetracks" is an anthology of five short stories by (John) Keith Laumer. The first was "The Time Sweepers" (1969), this became the basis for "Dinosaur Beach." What started out as a usual time travel events soon turned into a much more complicated fascinating tale. Time Travel Agents attempt to undo damage done by their predecessers and their efforts cause other agents to get involved as well. The second story is "The Devil You Don't" (1970), this one is not time travel related, its about Satan who asked a professor to help fend off an invasion of demons from another dimension. The third is "The Time Thieves" (1969), first published as "The Star Sent Knaves," it involves thieves going into the past to steal and sell valuable painting. The fourth is "The Other Sky" (1964), an alien race of being is chasing the hero of the story who crash lands on the planet Pluto. The fifth story is "Mind Out of Time" (1968, its about two pilots of experimental craft who wind up outside of time when something goes really wrong. These stories first appeared in monthly installment in Sci-Fi magazines and made their way to paperback novels, but this one in particular is not so easy to find because it is sought after by very serious collectors who go after copies when they appear a short unexpected time on the market! If you see it for sale, buy it quick before a sniper shows up seconds ahead of you, you just don't when another will be seen? Sarge Booker of Tujunga, California wishing you all the luck in the world, perhaps a time machine would not hurt to acquire this one, folks? ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

I agree -- this volume is a let-down for a good series
This is not the best book, and I had to force myself to finish it.But WHY, you may ask, did I force myself?Because I had so much enjoyed the earlier books in the series dealing with the same main character, Lafayette O'Leary.Omigoodness -- read "World Shuffler" and "Time Bender" -- they are worth it. Read this book if you NEED to know more about Lafayette and if you have an ability to push through books no matter what.

Poor addition to the series.
Continuation of the Time Bender series with Lafayette O'Leary wandering helplessly through his own delusions helped by a limited cast. Lacks the spontaneity & elan of the earlier books & meanders to a predictable& uninspiring conclusion. Don't read if you wish to preserve theflavour of the other novels. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

The Return Of Retief by Keith Laumer
No writter can do sci-fi better than Keith Laumer,but with this book he outdid even himself. This is by far the best of the best;even if you never read another sci-fi book make sure you don't miss The Return Of Retief; he's back and he's better than ever. ... Read more