Gambler’s World & The Yillian Way

Description

These two stories by Keith Laumer have the eccentric diplomat, Retief, as protagonist and they are both excellent examples of Keith Laumer’s ironic, satirical and humorous style.

The adventures that Laumer offers the readers in his books are very much rooted in his own life experience as an officer in the U. S. Air Force and as a diplomat serving in multiple locations all over the world.

Numerous situations in Laumer’s books are inspired from the author’s own involvement in delicate situations that required him to think out of the box – Jame Retief is the hero who finds the most effective, but often most unconventional solutions to the situations he is faced with during his diplomatic missions. In The Yillian Way he must correct the mistakes made by his superiors, while in Gambler’s World Retief and his partner manage to save the lives of an entire delegation of diplomats by using their wits, their resourcefulness and their physical abilities.

Keith Laumer was one of the most prolific science fiction writers in the history of the genre. Besides Retief, many of his works feature an extraordinary piece of armament, the Bolo, a super-heavy tank that is endowed with artificial intelligence, and it is actually the Bolo stories that brought Laumer the appreciation of science fiction enthusiasts.

Bolos appear in four of Laumer’s most well-known novels, while Retief is featured in almost 20 stories. In addition to stories that feature the intergalactic diplomat, Retief, and the self-aware Bolo machines, many of Laumer’s stories are built around the subject of time travel and exploration in alternate realities. Laumer was an expert in designing model airplanes and a very prolific writer in that field as well, so his name is known not only to those who enjoy sci-fi literature, but also to those who are interested in airplanes.
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