Status
Available
Call number
Series
Collection
Publication
Berkley (1982), Paperback, 216 pages
Description
As the concept of intelligent fighting machines developed, the Bolo division of General Motors started working on tank designs that incorporated awareness and intelligence within the development of their tactical tanks. With each new generation, these awesome fighting machines become more self-aware, with capabilities not only matching their human controllers, but often surpassing them. This collection of action-packed stories lets the Bolo war machines speak for themselves as they hunt and destroy all who stands in their way. But beyond the action itself, these stories speak to us all on a very human level … about the far-reaching, and often tragic, consequences of our actions.
User reviews
LibraryThing member alco261
Between 1960 and 1969 Keith Laumer wrote a series of six science fiction short stories about high-tech military tanks built by the Bolo Division of General Motors. In 1976 these stories were collected and published in book form. In order to give a sense of coherence and continuity to the collection
The six short stories are:
The Night of the Trolls – Bolos in the setting of a post-nuclear holocaust on Earth (ca. sometime after 2020)
Courier – A Retief of the CDT story with a Bolo playing an almost incidental role
Field Test – The first “no-drill” test of a Mark XX
The Last Command – The accidental activation of an inexpertly de-commissioned Bolo Mark XXVIII
A Relic of War – The re-activation of a “stuffed and mounted” Mark XXV park monument
Combat Unit – An upgrade of the story of the Sorcerer’s Apprentice
The stories are well crafted and they paint very good word pictures. I think they are a worthwhile addition to the area of military science fiction. See Common Knowledge for an example of the writing style.
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which was subtitled “The Annals of the Dinochrome Brigade” the stories were prefaced with a five page “technical history” short story titled “A Short History of the Bolo Fighting Machine” (the source of the above mentioned citation of the GM Bolo Division) which traces the evolution of the Bolo from a near future super tank (the stories were written in the 1960’s so the “history” begins in 1989) to development of the Bolo Model R in 2807 and to the Bolo Mark XX at some unspecified time beyond 2807. Laumer wrote a few subsequent novels with the Bolos as a focus but no additional short stories. The six short stories are:
The Night of the Trolls – Bolos in the setting of a post-nuclear holocaust on Earth (ca. sometime after 2020)
Courier – A Retief of the CDT story with a Bolo playing an almost incidental role
Field Test – The first “no-drill” test of a Mark XX
The Last Command – The accidental activation of an inexpertly de-commissioned Bolo Mark XXVIII
A Relic of War – The re-activation of a “stuffed and mounted” Mark XXV park monument
Combat Unit – An upgrade of the story of the Sorcerer’s Apprentice
The stories are well crafted and they paint very good word pictures. I think they are a worthwhile addition to the area of military science fiction. See Common Knowledge for an example of the writing style.
Show Less
LibraryThing member jamespurcell
Rather old fashioned and not very compelling.
LibraryThing member jimmaclachlan
An early favorite that I've read several times over the years. Laumer does an excellent job keeping the action moving while looking at some interesting hangups between man & his self-aware machines.
Language
Original publication date
Physical description
216 p.; 6.7 inches
ISBN
0425056171 / 9780425056172
Local notes
Bolo
DDC/MDS
| Fic SF Laumer |