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Five Fates,
Poul Anderson - The Fatal FulfillmentFrank Herbert - Murder Will InGordon R. Dickson - MaverickHarlan Ellison - The Region BetweenKeith Laumer - Of Death What Dreams
Paperback
First published January 1, 1970
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91 people want to read
About the author
Keith Laumer
498 books227 followersJohn Keith Laumer was an American science fiction author. Prior to becoming a full-time writer, he was an officer in the U.S. Air Force and a U.S. diplomat. His brother March Laumer was also a writer, known for his adult reinterpretations of the Land of Oz (also mentioned in Keith's The Other Side of Time).
Keith Laumer (aka J.K Laumer, J. Keith Laumer) is best known for his Bolo stories and his satirical Retief series. The former chronicles the evolution of juggernaut-sized tanks that eventually become self-aware through the constant improvement resulting from centuries of intermittent warfare against various alien races. The latter deals with the adventures of a cynical spacefaring diplomat who constantly has to overcome the red-tape-infused failures of people with names like Ambassador Grossblunder. The Retief stories were greatly influenced by Laumer's earlier career in the United States Foreign Service. In an interview with Paul Walker of Luna Monthly, Laumer states "I had no shortage of iniquitous memories of the Foreign Service."
Four of his shorter works received Hugo or Nebula Award nominations (one of them, "In the Queue", received nominations for both) and his novel A Plague of Demons was nominated for the Nebula Award for Best Novel in 1966.
During the peak years of 1959–1971, Laumer was a prolific science fiction writer, with his novels tending to follow one of two patterns: fast-paced, straight adventures in time and space, with an emphasis on lone-wolf, latent superman protagonists, self-sacrifice and transcendence or, broad comedies, sometimes of the over-the-top variety.
In 1971, Laumer suffered a stroke while working on the novel The Ultimax Man. As a result, he was unable to write for a few years. As he explained in an interview with Charles Platt published in The Dream Makers (1987), he refused to accept the doctors' diagnosis. He came up with an alternative explanation and developed an alternative (and very painful) treatment program. Although he was unable to write in the early 1970s, he had a number of books which were in the pipeline at the time of the stroke published during that time.
In the mid-1970s, Laumer partially recovered from the stroke and resumed writing. However, the quality of his work suffered and his career declined (Piers Anthony, How Precious Was That While, 2002). In later years Laumer also reused scenarios and characters from his earlier works to create "new" books, which some critics felt was to their detriment:
Alas, Retief to the Rescue doesn't seem so much like a new Retief novel, but a kind of Cuisnart mélange of past books.
-- Somtow Sucharitkul (Washington Post, Mar 27, 1983. p. BW11)
His Bolo creations were popular enough that other authors have written standalone science-fiction novels about them.
Laumer was also a model airplane enthusiast, and published two dozen designs between 1956 and 1962 in the U.S. magazines Air Trails, Model Airplane News and Flying Models, as well as the British magazine Aero Modeler. He published one book on the subject, How to Design and Build Flying Models in 1960. His later designs were mostly gas-powered free flight planes, and had a whimsical charm with names to match, like the "Twin Lizzie" and the "Lulla-Bi". His designs are still being revisited, reinvented and built today.
Keith Laumer (aka J.K Laumer, J. Keith Laumer) is best known for his Bolo stories and his satirical Retief series. The former chronicles the evolution of juggernaut-sized tanks that eventually become self-aware through the constant improvement resulting from centuries of intermittent warfare against various alien races. The latter deals with the adventures of a cynical spacefaring diplomat who constantly has to overcome the red-tape-infused failures of people with names like Ambassador Grossblunder. The Retief stories were greatly influenced by Laumer's earlier career in the United States Foreign Service. In an interview with Paul Walker of Luna Monthly, Laumer states "I had no shortage of iniquitous memories of the Foreign Service."
Four of his shorter works received Hugo or Nebula Award nominations (one of them, "In the Queue", received nominations for both) and his novel A Plague of Demons was nominated for the Nebula Award for Best Novel in 1966.
During the peak years of 1959–1971, Laumer was a prolific science fiction writer, with his novels tending to follow one of two patterns: fast-paced, straight adventures in time and space, with an emphasis on lone-wolf, latent superman protagonists, self-sacrifice and transcendence or, broad comedies, sometimes of the over-the-top variety.
In 1971, Laumer suffered a stroke while working on the novel The Ultimax Man. As a result, he was unable to write for a few years. As he explained in an interview with Charles Platt published in The Dream Makers (1987), he refused to accept the doctors' diagnosis. He came up with an alternative explanation and developed an alternative (and very painful) treatment program. Although he was unable to write in the early 1970s, he had a number of books which were in the pipeline at the time of the stroke published during that time.
In the mid-1970s, Laumer partially recovered from the stroke and resumed writing. However, the quality of his work suffered and his career declined (Piers Anthony, How Precious Was That While, 2002). In later years Laumer also reused scenarios and characters from his earlier works to create "new" books, which some critics felt was to their detriment:
Alas, Retief to the Rescue doesn't seem so much like a new Retief novel, but a kind of Cuisnart mélange of past books.
-- Somtow Sucharitkul (Washington Post, Mar 27, 1983. p. BW11)
His Bolo creations were popular enough that other authors have written standalone science-fiction novels about them.
Laumer was also a model airplane enthusiast, and published two dozen designs between 1956 and 1962 in the U.S. magazines Air Trails, Model Airplane News and Flying Models, as well as the British magazine Aero Modeler. He published one book on the subject, How to Design and Build Flying Models in 1960. His later designs were mostly gas-powered free flight planes, and had a whimsical charm with names to match, like the "Twin Lizzie" and the "Lulla-Bi". His designs are still being revisited, reinvented and built today.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
July 15, 2023
This was a good anthology of science fiction novelettes in which five of the top authors of the time speculated on a post-death scenario that editor Laumer proposed. I thought his own was the weakest of the lot, enjoyed the ones by Frank Herbert and Gordon R. Dickson, thought the Poul Anderson was quite good, and my favorite, by a wide margin, was The Region Between by Harlan Ellison. It's Ellison's most experimental story, with a New Wave vibe of surreal perception and crazed typography. Now that all of the contributors have passed, one can't help but ironically wonder how accurate their speculations were.
June 22, 2017
A couple of pages starts this book off. Bailey enters the euthanasia center. He's given a shot & whisked on to a slab to die & then...
5 well known SF authors take a stab at what happens.
Poul Anderson - The Fatal Fulfillment was good. 4 stars
Frank Herbert - Murder Will In was OK. 2 stars
Gordon R. Dickson - Maverick 4 stars
Harlan Ellison - The Region Between not worth reading. There were some flashes of brilliance, at least interest, but mostly it was weird page layouts & a long way around the barn to a poor ending. It made no sense overall.
Keith Laumer - Of Death What Dreams was fun, but reminded me a lot of a Retief story without the humor. It was good, though. 3 stars.
As you can see, this took a while for me to read. If I REALLY like a book, I'll find the time to read it at home. I just read this one during lunch. Enjoyable.
5 well known SF authors take a stab at what happens.
Poul Anderson - The Fatal Fulfillment was good. 4 stars
Frank Herbert - Murder Will In was OK. 2 stars
Gordon R. Dickson - Maverick 4 stars
Harlan Ellison - The Region Between not worth reading. There were some flashes of brilliance, at least interest, but mostly it was weird page layouts & a long way around the barn to a poor ending. It made no sense overall.
Keith Laumer - Of Death What Dreams was fun, but reminded me a lot of a Retief story without the humor. It was good, though. 3 stars.
As you can see, this took a while for me to read. If I REALLY like a book, I'll find the time to read it at home. I just read this one during lunch. Enjoyable.
September 12, 2014
"der zwischenbereich" ist eines von diesen büchern, die ich recht früh in meinem leben das erste mal gelesen habe, so mit 14 oder 15, und es war eines der ersten stücke science-fiction, die ich überhaupt las.
obgleich Keith Laumer am Umschlag des deutschen Heyne-Taschenbuchs als einziger autor genannt wird (die englische originalausgabe hat den viel treffenderen titel "Five Fates") ist nur eine der fünf geschichten im buch von ihm. verwirrend ist dabei, dass die story "der zwischenbereich" von Harlan Ellison ist. egal...
das konzept des buches ist für ein science-fiction buch bemerkenswert: in einem sehr kurzen prolog betritt unser held William Bailey ein euthanasiezentrum und wird dort rasch und medizinisch sachkundig um die ecke gebracht.
von diesem nucleus einer geschichte - der auch gut das ende einer story sein könnte - ausgehend beginnen nun fünf recht unterschiedliche storys, die diverse zugänge zur science fiction markieren.
Harlan Ellison: Der Zwischenbereich
In dieser weit ausholenden geschichte wird die seele Baileys von einem sehr mächtigen seelenhändler eingefangen und an mehrere zivilisationen erfolglos verkauft, weil sich bailey dagegen auflehnt. phantastisch an dieser geschichte ist der subtile humor, der metaphysische strukturen ironisch zerpflückt und kaum einen stein der diversen universums- und raumtheorien auf dem anderen lässt. sehr unterhaltsam!
Poul Anderson: Tödliche Schöpfungen
William Bailey ist hier ein soziologe, der in einem experiment verschiedene lebensmuster durchspielt und in jedem erkennen muss, dass seine ideen zur verbesserung des lebens alle in den abgrund führen. ein wenig oberflächlich in der schilderung, nichtsdestotrotz sehr anregend als gedankenexperiment zu lesen.
Frank Herbert: Lebe dem Mord
als Bailey in dieser story stirbt, muss ein ihn schon lange bewohnender geistförmiger parasit den wirt wechseln und findet sich in einer für ihn sehr feindlichen umgebung. Frank Herbert baut seine geschichte mit vielen ideen aus, leider sind die schilderungen ein wenig fahrig und die hochabstrakte idee wird bis zum ende nicht griffig umgesetzt, zu vorhersehbar ist der ausgang, auch wenn er ganz am ende noch eine unsicherheit einbaut. aber alleine die idee eines äonen alten zweigeteilten geistparasiten ist exquisit: als gedankenspielwiese wunderbar geeignet für weitere spinnereien.
Gordon R. Dickson: Einzelgänger
meineserachtens die schwächste story des bandes: Bailey wird im moment des todes von einer lichtjahre entfernten welt entführt und landet dort in einem seltsamen vogelwesen, das seltsamerweise vor seinem eintreffen ganz ähnliche probleme hatte wie er auf der erde. eine sehr konstruierte geschichte, die mir ganz persönlich auch aufgrund der dummen fantasy-elemente nicht gefiel. die omnipotenz, die Bailey hier erlangt (übrigens eine interessante eigenschaft fast aller fünf storys) wird hier zum ende der geschichte besonders penetrant und damit unglaubwürdig (selbst für science fiction).
Keith Laumer: Schlafen, vielleicht träumen
Bailey wird vom tode bewahrt und nimmt eine recht blitzhafte karriere auf sich um eine fatale entscheidung der menschheit zu verhindern. Keith Laumer konstruiert eine mischung aus schicksalsändernder zeitreise und sozialkritik, die in den details schön aufgebaut ist und eine stimmige und interessante zukunftsvision aufrichtet. leider ist die ganze story dann in ihrem fazit ein wenig platt und das ende eher schwammig. hängen bleibt man an den details, die sehr schön funktionieren - das ganze hinkt dem hinterher.
insgesamt klare fünf sterne, weil es eines der abwechslungsreichsten und unterhaltsamsten science-fiction-bücher ist, die ich kenne, das den leser auch am ende die frage stellt: wie sähe deine story aus?
obgleich Keith Laumer am Umschlag des deutschen Heyne-Taschenbuchs als einziger autor genannt wird (die englische originalausgabe hat den viel treffenderen titel "Five Fates") ist nur eine der fünf geschichten im buch von ihm. verwirrend ist dabei, dass die story "der zwischenbereich" von Harlan Ellison ist. egal...
das konzept des buches ist für ein science-fiction buch bemerkenswert: in einem sehr kurzen prolog betritt unser held William Bailey ein euthanasiezentrum und wird dort rasch und medizinisch sachkundig um die ecke gebracht.
von diesem nucleus einer geschichte - der auch gut das ende einer story sein könnte - ausgehend beginnen nun fünf recht unterschiedliche storys, die diverse zugänge zur science fiction markieren.
Harlan Ellison: Der Zwischenbereich
In dieser weit ausholenden geschichte wird die seele Baileys von einem sehr mächtigen seelenhändler eingefangen und an mehrere zivilisationen erfolglos verkauft, weil sich bailey dagegen auflehnt. phantastisch an dieser geschichte ist der subtile humor, der metaphysische strukturen ironisch zerpflückt und kaum einen stein der diversen universums- und raumtheorien auf dem anderen lässt. sehr unterhaltsam!
Poul Anderson: Tödliche Schöpfungen
William Bailey ist hier ein soziologe, der in einem experiment verschiedene lebensmuster durchspielt und in jedem erkennen muss, dass seine ideen zur verbesserung des lebens alle in den abgrund führen. ein wenig oberflächlich in der schilderung, nichtsdestotrotz sehr anregend als gedankenexperiment zu lesen.
Frank Herbert: Lebe dem Mord
als Bailey in dieser story stirbt, muss ein ihn schon lange bewohnender geistförmiger parasit den wirt wechseln und findet sich in einer für ihn sehr feindlichen umgebung. Frank Herbert baut seine geschichte mit vielen ideen aus, leider sind die schilderungen ein wenig fahrig und die hochabstrakte idee wird bis zum ende nicht griffig umgesetzt, zu vorhersehbar ist der ausgang, auch wenn er ganz am ende noch eine unsicherheit einbaut. aber alleine die idee eines äonen alten zweigeteilten geistparasiten ist exquisit: als gedankenspielwiese wunderbar geeignet für weitere spinnereien.
Gordon R. Dickson: Einzelgänger
meineserachtens die schwächste story des bandes: Bailey wird im moment des todes von einer lichtjahre entfernten welt entführt und landet dort in einem seltsamen vogelwesen, das seltsamerweise vor seinem eintreffen ganz ähnliche probleme hatte wie er auf der erde. eine sehr konstruierte geschichte, die mir ganz persönlich auch aufgrund der dummen fantasy-elemente nicht gefiel. die omnipotenz, die Bailey hier erlangt (übrigens eine interessante eigenschaft fast aller fünf storys) wird hier zum ende der geschichte besonders penetrant und damit unglaubwürdig (selbst für science fiction).
Keith Laumer: Schlafen, vielleicht träumen
Bailey wird vom tode bewahrt und nimmt eine recht blitzhafte karriere auf sich um eine fatale entscheidung der menschheit zu verhindern. Keith Laumer konstruiert eine mischung aus schicksalsändernder zeitreise und sozialkritik, die in den details schön aufgebaut ist und eine stimmige und interessante zukunftsvision aufrichtet. leider ist die ganze story dann in ihrem fazit ein wenig platt und das ende eher schwammig. hängen bleibt man an den details, die sehr schön funktionieren - das ganze hinkt dem hinterher.
insgesamt klare fünf sterne, weil es eines der abwechslungsreichsten und unterhaltsamsten science-fiction-bücher ist, die ich kenne, das den leser auch am ende die frage stellt: wie sähe deine story aus?
November 29, 2024
Eine witzige Idee steht hinter dieser Storysammlung: 5 Autoren kriegen dasselbe, erste Kapitel vorgegeben und müssen dann die Story fortführen.
Und damit es nicht so einfach wird, begibt sich der Protagonist Bayley in diesem Kapitel in eine Euthanasie-Klinik, wo ihm ohne Federlesens eine Todesspritze verpasst wird.
Leider ist das Ergebnis dieses witzigen Experiments weniger erfreulich als erwartet. Die Story von Poul Anderson war noch ganz ordentlich, aber der Rest...
Schwach! Bzw. bei der Story von Harlan Ellison kann ich es nicht wirklich sagen, da es sich um ein avantgardistisches Experiment handelt, da fühle ich mich nicht zuständig.
Und damit es nicht so einfach wird, begibt sich der Protagonist Bayley in diesem Kapitel in eine Euthanasie-Klinik, wo ihm ohne Federlesens eine Todesspritze verpasst wird.
Leider ist das Ergebnis dieses witzigen Experiments weniger erfreulich als erwartet. Die Story von Poul Anderson war noch ganz ordentlich, aber der Rest...
Schwach! Bzw. bei der Story von Harlan Ellison kann ich es nicht wirklich sagen, da es sich um ein avantgardistisches Experiment handelt, da fühle ich mich nicht zuständig.
January 4, 2016
Interesting concept. Five authors are given a brief opening to a potential story (probably written by Keith Laumer) and then each writes his own story. All the stories are quite good, and each is completely different from the other. The best story is Harlan Ellison's "The Region Between."
August 20, 2022
These 5 stories all start with the same prologue, then spit off according to each author. I love the textual elements, very similar to Alfred Bester's style. Words that spiral around the page. Conversations happening from either side of the page. three memory snippets written as three columns. So much fun.
March 10, 2011
An interesting premise: In the prologue, one William Bailey enters a Euthanasia Center, is injected with the death drug and begins to fade into dying. The five stories that follow imagine what might happen to Bailey following that event. They are quite divergent, but it is interesting to note that in none of them does the entity "William Bailey" actually die. These stories are not tasked with imagining the afterlife.
Most would be completely spoiled were I to divulge any plot points, but I'd like to say that I enjoyed the first the most because I am a Social Worker. The second is the least memorable, as I've just had to refer back to the book to see what it was about, and I've just finished the volume a few minutes ago. I find, remembering, I have nothing more to say, except that it was also the most explanatory. The third story was the most confusing, as I tried to figure out exactly what was going on, but it was also the most emotional and touching. The fourth tale, 'The Region Between' is interesting to me mostly because I just finished "House of Leaves" by Mark Z. Danielewski. Before reading Danielewski's book, I'd never encountered the device of arranging the text on the page (backwards, sideways, upside-down, etc.) to convey and reinforce a message contained therein. This story was written quite some time ago, in 1970, and I wonder if Danielewski was aware of it when writing "House of Leaves." I found the final offering to be the most compelling, and also the most intricate. I was confused by the jargon and customs employed by the characters more than any other story in the book, but I found by the end that I had really internalized these aspects and got into the story so much that I wished there would be more. It certainly had the best payoff at the end. It was an excellent finale for the collection.
Possible pattern gathering: It seems to me that there are also 'five fates' contained within each of these five stories. I might be making that up, but if I'm not, I'm pleased that I caught that. If anyone else reads this book, let me know if you thought that too.
Most would be completely spoiled were I to divulge any plot points, but I'd like to say that I enjoyed the first the most because I am a Social Worker. The second is the least memorable, as I've just had to refer back to the book to see what it was about, and I've just finished the volume a few minutes ago. I find, remembering, I have nothing more to say, except that it was also the most explanatory. The third story was the most confusing, as I tried to figure out exactly what was going on, but it was also the most emotional and touching. The fourth tale, 'The Region Between' is interesting to me mostly because I just finished "House of Leaves" by Mark Z. Danielewski. Before reading Danielewski's book, I'd never encountered the device of arranging the text on the page (backwards, sideways, upside-down, etc.) to convey and reinforce a message contained therein. This story was written quite some time ago, in 1970, and I wonder if Danielewski was aware of it when writing "House of Leaves." I found the final offering to be the most compelling, and also the most intricate. I was confused by the jargon and customs employed by the characters more than any other story in the book, but I found by the end that I had really internalized these aspects and got into the story so much that I wished there would be more. It certainly had the best payoff at the end. It was an excellent finale for the collection.
Possible pattern gathering: It seems to me that there are also 'five fates' contained within each of these five stories. I might be making that up, but if I'm not, I'm pleased that I caught that. If anyone else reads this book, let me know if you thought that too.
December 19, 2013
What happens after death? Some of the best sci-fi writers of the 70's come together to explore some possibilities. Ellison is uniquely theologically bold. I enjoyed all the others, too. Probably a special appeal for me because this all comes from an era when I was first discovering science fiction.
November 27, 2013
This a great concept. A very short story is started and then five supremely creative authors finish the story in their own way. It is amazing how differently each tale develops in the great minds showcased in this work.
October 4, 2015
7 of 10 Stars
Short Stories
Short Stories
November 9, 2016
I kept setting this aside for months before picking it up again. Finally finished!
It's a great premise: one short start to a story and five different authors write their own stories from there. And it's a really difficult page of story to go anywhere with, too.
I liked Harlan Ellison's the best, but none were clinkers.
It's a great premise: one short start to a story and five different authors write their own stories from there. And it's a really difficult page of story to go anywhere with, too.
I liked Harlan Ellison's the best, but none were clinkers.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews