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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Not your usual military science fiction., December 20, 2000
By A Customer
This review is from: Old Guard: A Bolos Anthology: Book 5 (Mass Market Paperback)
The Bolos, sentient robotic tanks, are humanity's guardians. We build them, and then send these beautiful children out to die in our stead. But war, any war, engulfs all those involved; not just the front-line Bolos, but every human on the planet. Some will live, some will die, but all, humans, Bolos, and the Enemy, will be forced to face their own strengths and weaknesses before the fighting is done. These are beautiful stories of "grace under fire," and I am not ashamed to admit that, at the end of the third story, I was weeping for the Bolos, and for the humans who love them, but must send them out still. This book was more than worth my time.
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7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Jane's Guide to future war machines!, February 13, 2001
This review is from: Old Guard: A Bolos Anthology: Book 5 (Mass Market Paperback)
An outstanding read. The compilation of stories collectively paint a portrait of future warfare as few series do. And with today's ground breaking research on AI and robot technologies, these stories may prove to be prophetic. A common thread weaves its way through each story in the anthology, yet with each author contributing thier own image, a quite complex tapestry is woven for the reader. The differences between the stories are sometimes subtle, and at other times easily apparent. Yet together they blend an awesome tale of firepower and willpower, immersing the reader into the minds of both the men and the machines. Perhaps the most intriguing short is 'Rook's Gambit' by John Mina. The reader is tangled in the web of interactions between a green officer, with all his pride and naivete; a crusty old general, set in his quirky ways; and of course, the bolos, given the name Turkey. Through these three, a tale is spun that soon becomes a futuristic version of Sun Tzu's 'The Art of War'. Any more would give away the story. This book is a must for any sci-fi fan, futurist, or military connoisseur.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Send in the Bolos!, December 31, 2002
This review is from: Old Guard: A Bolos Anthology: Book 5 (Mass Market Paperback)
I enjoyed the three stories contained in this book. having not known that before I read the book, it was interesting to discover it. I believe the stories gave an impression of the flow of war, and that Bolos provides protection, or at least a menance to the Concordiate's enemy on all fronts. The Bolo's and their commanders see alot of action in and around the Delas system by a horde of attacking Kezdai - creatures that resemble bird-like reptiles. Hellbores away! Infantry, tanks, and and full scale battles rage over the planet systems. And the book shows that Bolos should be left alone to do their jobs - to protect humanity. The book earned a 4 stars instead of 5 stars because the first story - seems like it was cut off. 3 characters were introduced, and two at great length, but each had no impact on the story's ending. It seemed the story was cut off. In the second story, a Concordiate Officer ignores his Bolo, and the result is death and and some destruction to a Concordiate task force. The commander, supposedly academy trained, is told to "just forget about it" and to get back into the war because "he did a good job" because he came up with a good idea prior to his terrible orders. Only one sentence was givin to a possible court martial. I wanted the character to be punished, not patted on the back. I believe the first two stories dragged a little when they went into the Kezdai personal worlds, except for one plot line. The third story, the shortest - was marvelous. And the final moments of the the battle should have been made into artwork for the book cover with the vivid descriptions of the battle.
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