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Lafayette O'Leary #3
The Shape Changer
Lafayette O'Leary, to his acute discomfiture, has an exhilarating and terrifying tendency to slip continua. And what might that mean?
It might mean finding oneself a gypsy with a ring in his ear at one moment, and then suddenly a crippled birdman unable to leave his nest because of the awkward loss of teleporting talent.
It might mean battling one's way back to the time stream where he started -- only to find himself already there, lording it over the populace like a tyrant.
It might mean finding oneself a gypsy with a ring in his ear at one moment, and then suddenly a crippled birdman unable to leave his nest because of the awkward loss of teleporting talent.
It might mean battling one's way back to the time stream where he started -- only to find himself already there, lording it over the populace like a tyrant.
192 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1972
74 people want to read
About the author
Keith Laumer
498 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 - 7 of 7 reviews
June 14, 2021
Time-travel books are one thing; time chaos books are another. Keith Laumer’s series with Lafayette O’Leary is more of the latter. Indeed, the first book in the series was called The Time Bender and that pretty well describes the entire multiverse-like set-up of differing and possibly overlapping time continuums. The Shape Changer is the third volume in the series, but it was so entertaining that I immediately ordered copies of The Time Bender and The World Shuffler for my growing “to-read” pile.
Lafayette O’Leary is billed by some as the “accidental hero.” One can certainly attest that the comedic element is rampant throughout the book. Misunderstandings caused by the protagonist are common. One finds one asking oneself, “Why doesn’t he just tell it more up-front and save himself a lot of grief?” But one would ask that of oneself in vain just like those who watch horror films and ask, “Why is she about to answer that door in her underwear when she knows it’s dangerous?”
The Shape Changer has a plot where a rogue time agent from the mysterious bureau known as “Central” is attempting to isolate a continuum from Central’s control and use that continuum as a beachhead where he would rape its resources and use those to fund his greater, far more nefarious scheme of taking over all continua. O’Leary himself undergoes a bit of shape-shifting and, as usual, Laumer has fun with dialects. Of course, 21st century sensitivities might not like the way he uses a Zorro trope and Sgt. Garcia accent (if you’re an old Disney Zorro fan) in one set of circumstances and a clicking, “chitting” avian language in another.
Although O’Leary seems to be in something of a lull, agency-wise, he is technically a “secret agent.” And, of course, “secret agents” usually have woman trouble. For O’Leary, who is happily married to a character from previous adventures, he has double-trouble to hilarious results. The double-trouble relates to different situations, both incredibly awkward and both necessitating quick thinking and a resolve of steel.
The Shape Changer is not for those looking for “science” in their “science-fiction.” The events and “technology” of these adventures are only based on what one might call a “science” of mesmerism, if anything. Yet, as with Laumer’s Retief series, the situations may be improbable and the “science” lacking, but the results are hilarious because they are solidly based on human foibles and proclivities. Maybe it was just my mood, but I liked it a lot!
Lafayette O’Leary is billed by some as the “accidental hero.” One can certainly attest that the comedic element is rampant throughout the book. Misunderstandings caused by the protagonist are common. One finds one asking oneself, “Why doesn’t he just tell it more up-front and save himself a lot of grief?” But one would ask that of oneself in vain just like those who watch horror films and ask, “Why is she about to answer that door in her underwear when she knows it’s dangerous?”
The Shape Changer has a plot where a rogue time agent from the mysterious bureau known as “Central” is attempting to isolate a continuum from Central’s control and use that continuum as a beachhead where he would rape its resources and use those to fund his greater, far more nefarious scheme of taking over all continua. O’Leary himself undergoes a bit of shape-shifting and, as usual, Laumer has fun with dialects. Of course, 21st century sensitivities might not like the way he uses a Zorro trope and Sgt. Garcia accent (if you’re an old Disney Zorro fan) in one set of circumstances and a clicking, “chitting” avian language in another.
Although O’Leary seems to be in something of a lull, agency-wise, he is technically a “secret agent.” And, of course, “secret agents” usually have woman trouble. For O’Leary, who is happily married to a character from previous adventures, he has double-trouble to hilarious results. The double-trouble relates to different situations, both incredibly awkward and both necessitating quick thinking and a resolve of steel.
The Shape Changer is not for those looking for “science” in their “science-fiction.” The events and “technology” of these adventures are only based on what one might call a “science” of mesmerism, if anything. Yet, as with Laumer’s Retief series, the situations may be improbable and the “science” lacking, but the results are hilarious because they are solidly based on human foibles and proclivities. Maybe it was just my mood, but I liked it a lot!
August 28, 2015
The Series Has Hit Bottom
I'm a huge Keith Laumer fan, but this series has gone from "so-so" to "boooorrrring". The hero is definitely not the sharpest knife in the drawer, but that's balanced by the fact that most of the other characters are even dumber. I think the author has definitely run out of material for this series. I actually made it through to the ending (dogged determination) which is the high point of the book -- if you can get there.
I'm a huge Keith Laumer fan, but this series has gone from "so-so" to "boooorrrring". The hero is definitely not the sharpest knife in the drawer, but that's balanced by the fact that most of the other characters are even dumber. I think the author has definitely run out of material for this series. I actually made it through to the ending (dogged determination) which is the high point of the book -- if you can get there.
July 8, 2024
7/10
An interesting little book with body swap and mystery, not perfect, but I had a lot of fun.
The main character is not the brightest pup, but still entertaining, too bad the women in the story are all wet blankets (almost like in old sci-fi and fantasy unfortunately), the villain has a good arch, but at the end he gets to monologue and he's unsufferably boring...
I really enjoyed though how it was written, despite being book #3 of the series it was clear enough to have a good idea of the whole setting and characters. It could have been more creative though, the main character got swapped among a few other people, one of which was a birdman. That part was the most fascinating one and I would have loved to see more of the society and the customs, but it didn't last long, pity!
One thing that was very pleasing to see was how Lafayette kept a minimal knowledge from the beings he was swapped into, little traits that helped him throughout his peril even after he returned to his own body. Would have been fascinating to see what happened to the other characters that were swapped as well.
An interesting little book with body swap and mystery, not perfect, but I had a lot of fun.
The main character is not the brightest pup, but still entertaining, too bad the women in the story are all wet blankets (almost like in old sci-fi and fantasy unfortunately), the villain has a good arch, but at the end he gets to monologue and he's unsufferably boring...
I really enjoyed though how it was written, despite being book #3 of the series it was clear enough to have a good idea of the whole setting and characters. It could have been more creative though, the main character got swapped among a few other people, one of which was a birdman. That part was the most fascinating one and I would have loved to see more of the society and the customs, but it didn't last long, pity!
One thing that was very pleasing to see was how Lafayette kept a minimal knowledge from the beings he was swapped into, little traits that helped him throughout his peril even after he returned to his own body. Would have been fascinating to see what happened to the other characters that were swapped as well.
December 15, 2018
If I can find more of this work I'll do my best to do it, because it is such good fun to read.
November 22, 2016
I read once that pulp sci-fi has style but no heart. That is not absolutely true, it may not even be generally true, but this novel is a demonstration that it is sometimes true. It is not profound, and even the emotions are like vivid strokes of paint: bright but with little depth. I still don't understand the plot fully.
On the other hand, this novel has its entertaining points. It kept up a good pace through changing scenery, which sometimes showed imagination; the dialogue could be snappy. I enjoyed the happy way the author created a Gypsy band with Spanish names and expressions like "bring home the bacon", how he tossed together Musketeer guards with '60s slang and ye olde insults ("varlet") with modified new lingo ("That's gravy over the tablecloth"). It's not rigorous world-building, it's not consistent or convincing - but it's fun.
On the other hand, this novel has its entertaining points. It kept up a good pace through changing scenery, which sometimes showed imagination; the dialogue could be snappy. I enjoyed the happy way the author created a Gypsy band with Spanish names and expressions like "bring home the bacon", how he tossed together Musketeer guards with '60s slang and ye olde insults ("varlet") with modified new lingo ("That's gravy over the tablecloth"). It's not rigorous world-building, it's not consistent or convincing - but it's fun.
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December 22, 2011THIS is the book with walking through walls and 'singing' people out.
My copy, alas, is falling apart. I think it's a first paperback edition (it's from 1972), and the glue used in that period seems to have been very perishable.
I'd like to get a better copy, because this is the best in the Lafayette o'Leary series.
Note that this is the first time anybody from Artesia goes to Central.
Lafayette has a habit of arguing with himself, and berating himself for not being smarter, more ingenious, and more persuasive. I don't think he'd become worse at those things with age: I just think he remembered earlier adventures with advantages.
Also, look out for Clarence's spelling of his name.
My copy, alas, is falling apart. I think it's a first paperback edition (it's from 1972), and the glue used in that period seems to have been very perishable.
I'd like to get a better copy, because this is the best in the Lafayette o'Leary series.
Note that this is the first time anybody from Artesia goes to Central.
Lafayette has a habit of arguing with himself, and berating himself for not being smarter, more ingenious, and more persuasive. I don't think he'd become worse at those things with age: I just think he remembered earlier adventures with advantages.
Also, look out for Clarence's spelling of his name.
December 21, 2014
1983 grade C
I guessed this as series book OL2
I guessed this as series book OL2
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews