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Bolo #2
Rogue Bolo
Danger threatens the human race when a powerful, self-directed fighting machine begins to strike out on its own
245 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1986
37 people are currently reading
273 people want to read
About the author
Keith Laumer
497 books225 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 - 17 of 18 reviews
December 6, 2019
Okay, first off this book is really two separate stories, and you can start by just totally throwing the second one away. It reads like one of Ray Bradbury's weird "good old boys on Mars" stories from The Martian Chronicles, full of yokelisms like "gubment" and "a quiet, respecful feller" and "the sheriff's deppity" and "fifty or a hunnert;" and non-PC descriptions like "he dropped to all fours and advanced in traditional Wild Injun style" - you get the picture. The difference is that Bradbury has the excuse of having written in the late 40's, whereas Laumer wrote this nonsense in 1985.
BUT...the first story does have some interesting things going on. Laumer plays with style here, telling the whole story in single paragraph snippets of dialogue, ranging from generals to senators to factory workers to terrorists to aliens to the inner monologue of the sentient Bolo battle tank itself. Plus, Laumer makes some ahead-of-his-time observations on topics as diverse (and currently relevant) as how isolated terrorist attacks are the best way to fight a vastly superior military power, the inherent unpredictability of artificial intelligence, and even "the possibility of synthesis of artificial metals, which is to say plastics with metallic properties" - which was actually pretty prescient, since back then that whole field was still called "metallurgy" and not yet "materials science."
Unfortunately, the above positives aside, Rogue Bolo suffers from many of the same flaws as much of Laumer's other work. His characters are either consistently bland, or else one of only three distinct (and frequently-repeated) voices: (1) hard-boiled futuristic private dick, which he writes pretty well; (2) redneck rube, which he writes terribly; and ALL CAPS ALIEN, which in books like this and End As a Hero is just painful: "YOU ARE DIRECTED TO DISPATCH NECESSARY FORCE TO MAKE CONTACT WITH THE AUDACIOUS ENTITY WHICH DARES INTERFERE WITH MY EXALTED WILL." Also, for every decent idea he might have about the things to come, he totally flubs all the easy calls. His characters still "dial the phone" and say things like "pass the biscuits Marge," messages are still spit out on little strips of paper, etc.
But most problematic (if not laughable) is the idea that the various generations of Bolo technology will continue to be used so very far into that future, (i.e., well into the 30th century). He describes some of the Bolo models as serving on the inter-planetary front line for centuries at a time with only minor updates. Yet even writing in the mid-80's he should have known that NO military technology can survive anymore for even a few decades. I mean, just look at the changes since this book came out, with the introduction of stealth technology, drones, cyber and space weapons, etc. - and then try to anticipate where we'll be in another 10 years, much less 1,000...
I've heard about Laumer's "Bolo" books for as long as I've heard of Laumer himself, so am glad to have finally read one. But based on this sample, one is probably enough.
BUT...the first story does have some interesting things going on. Laumer plays with style here, telling the whole story in single paragraph snippets of dialogue, ranging from generals to senators to factory workers to terrorists to aliens to the inner monologue of the sentient Bolo battle tank itself. Plus, Laumer makes some ahead-of-his-time observations on topics as diverse (and currently relevant) as how isolated terrorist attacks are the best way to fight a vastly superior military power, the inherent unpredictability of artificial intelligence, and even "the possibility of synthesis of artificial metals, which is to say plastics with metallic properties" - which was actually pretty prescient, since back then that whole field was still called "metallurgy" and not yet "materials science."
Unfortunately, the above positives aside, Rogue Bolo suffers from many of the same flaws as much of Laumer's other work. His characters are either consistently bland, or else one of only three distinct (and frequently-repeated) voices: (1) hard-boiled futuristic private dick, which he writes pretty well; (2) redneck rube, which he writes terribly; and ALL CAPS ALIEN, which in books like this and End As a Hero is just painful: "YOU ARE DIRECTED TO DISPATCH NECESSARY FORCE TO MAKE CONTACT WITH THE AUDACIOUS ENTITY WHICH DARES INTERFERE WITH MY EXALTED WILL." Also, for every decent idea he might have about the things to come, he totally flubs all the easy calls. His characters still "dial the phone" and say things like "pass the biscuits Marge," messages are still spit out on little strips of paper, etc.
But most problematic (if not laughable) is the idea that the various generations of Bolo technology will continue to be used so very far into that future, (i.e., well into the 30th century). He describes some of the Bolo models as serving on the inter-planetary front line for centuries at a time with only minor updates. Yet even writing in the mid-80's he should have known that NO military technology can survive anymore for even a few decades. I mean, just look at the changes since this book came out, with the introduction of stealth technology, drones, cyber and space weapons, etc. - and then try to anticipate where we'll be in another 10 years, much less 1,000...
I've heard about Laumer's "Bolo" books for as long as I've heard of Laumer himself, so am glad to have finally read one. But based on this sample, one is probably enough.
November 9, 2021
Like stepping back to an earlier time. I'd read Rogue Bolo many (many) years ago, and found it compelling.
This book contains two stories about two different Bolos (only one of which really went "rogue", and even then, he was just doing his job).
Given the polarized nature of humanity over the last few years, I'm close to giving up all hope for us. But out there in the land of science fiction, there's the Dinochrome Brigade that will perpetually believe that we are worth saving.
This book contains two stories about two different Bolos (only one of which really went "rogue", and even then, he was just doing his job).
Given the polarized nature of humanity over the last few years, I'm close to giving up all hope for us. But out there in the land of science fiction, there's the Dinochrome Brigade that will perpetually believe that we are worth saving.
February 26, 2025
Pretty weak and dated stuff. I do not begrudge anyone in 1986 thinking we would permanently on the moon by 2020. Hell, Clarke thought we have domestic airline flights to orbit by 2001. I think the bigger problem was the creation of some very simplistic political characters in the first portion of the book. Then, it moves to stereotypical rednecks in the latter portions. If you look at his library, he was pumping them out sometime four per year and it shows. I know I have a Laumer BOLO book I like. Just not this one.
April 21, 2025
Good read
Given the nature of modern tank warfare as evinced by the Ukraine-Russian war, now in its third year, unmanned vehicles may be the future of land wars as much as they are presently used for air to air and air to ground combat. While Laumer’s stories about self-aware fighting vehicles probably seemed incredulous to readers at the time they were initially released, we are seeing this vision moving ever closer to reality. Laumer has a humorous writing style, and is sufficiently predictive of the future to make this a great read.
Given the nature of modern tank warfare as evinced by the Ukraine-Russian war, now in its third year, unmanned vehicles may be the future of land wars as much as they are presently used for air to air and air to ground combat. While Laumer’s stories about self-aware fighting vehicles probably seemed incredulous to readers at the time they were initially released, we are seeing this vision moving ever closer to reality. Laumer has a humorous writing style, and is sufficiently predictive of the future to make this a great read.
November 26, 2022
Never underestimate a Bolo.
From the first autonomous Bolo, struggling to get finished and fully operational, because it figured out that the system is about to be invaded, to an old Bolo in a museum, that everyone thinks is inactive, until the spooders it fought off 200 years before return, never underestimate a Bolo.
Just when you think they've gone rogue, they will surprise you with their tactics, and find a way to win.
From the first autonomous Bolo, struggling to get finished and fully operational, because it figured out that the system is about to be invaded, to an old Bolo in a museum, that everyone thinks is inactive, until the spooders it fought off 200 years before return, never underestimate a Bolo.
Just when you think they've gone rogue, they will surprise you with their tactics, and find a way to win.
March 9, 2022
Bolo stories are always good for a quick, light read. Silly, but entertaining with some tounge-in-cheek political satire thrown in.
Would be appropriate for younger readers as an intro to soft military science fiction.
Would be appropriate for younger readers as an intro to soft military science fiction.
January 9, 2025
It never gets old. I've re-read the Bolo stories for nearly 50 years. They still, after dozens of readings, both entertain and tug at my heartstrings. Laumer was that kind of author. A master of the pen and a wonderful storyteller.
May 25, 2025
A series of enjoyable short stories about AI controlled tanks doing their things. Mostly well after their expiration date. More could have been made of them but the short stories work well enough alone. Good introduction to the Bolo worlds.
November 17, 2024
Fun read!
A fun couple of stories and a bit of history too. Would have liked to see more of these. Recommend!
A fun couple of stories and a bit of history too. Would have liked to see more of these. Recommend!
March 7, 2025
A great book in strange format
This is a fun book for any BOLO fan. Mostly about the things that go on around the BOLO unit. I thoroughly loved it.
This is a fun book for any BOLO fan. Mostly about the things that go on around the BOLO unit. I thoroughly loved it.
August 15, 2021
Very simplistic and unsatisfying.
October 22, 2009
This book contains two stories. The second is the traditional bolo setp we're used to where a backwater world that was attacked long ago is under attack again and only their anceint "obsolete" bolo that has just been reactivated accidently can save the day. Its not a bad story, although the human characters are pretty uninteresting.
The first story is the one that I found particularly hard to read. It's about the first self-directing bolo (Mark XX I believe) that has just been built and is undergoing field trials when it recieves odd signals from space. The story has no central point of view or entity to act as "narriator", but is told in snippets from recorded conversations and news reels, as if someone years after the incident is trying to piece together what happened. Its an interesting idea, but the result was very disjointed with no character being around for more than a couple of pages. Easily the weakest bolo book I've read so far.
The first story is the one that I found particularly hard to read. It's about the first self-directing bolo (Mark XX I believe) that has just been built and is undergoing field trials when it recieves odd signals from space. The story has no central point of view or entity to act as "narriator", but is told in snippets from recorded conversations and news reels, as if someone years after the incident is trying to piece together what happened. Its an interesting idea, but the result was very disjointed with no character being around for more than a couple of pages. Easily the weakest bolo book I've read so far.
August 3, 2009
Laumer's Bolo books are a treasure.
December 29, 2011
The first half of this book was very boring and it only slightly improved towards the end.
March 4, 2024
Readable but so-so. Some of Laumer’s other Bolo stories were better than these.
May 13, 2012
It was OK. First half of book had lots of time and date shifting, so hard to follow. Second half much better. Always good to read a space shooter once in a while.
January 10, 2015
Wonderful series about the evolution of self aware AFVs. Beautifully written
Displaying 1 - 17 of 18 reviews