A Plague of Demons & Other Stories [Paperback]

Keith Laumer (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 28, 2003

When John Bravais was sent on a secret mission to observe a war in North Africa he found out more than it was safe for him to know - even after he had secretly been surgically transformed so that he was as strong as a Bolo tank, and early as tough: Wolf-like aliens, invisible to the ordinary eye, were harvesting the brains of the fallen fighters! Brevais might have become the Ultimate Warrior, but still he was only one man against A Plague Of Demons.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Keith Laumer was a Captain in the US Air Force and later an officer in the Diplomatic Corps, serving all over the world, giving him a solid background both for his fast-moving Adventure stories and his satirical comedies of Retief, the galaxy's only two-fisted diplomat. He was renowned as one of the top writers of SF adventure. --This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 448 pages
• Publisher: Baen; First Printing edition (January 28, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0743435885
• ISBN-13: 978-0743435888
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.5 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,533,594 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Classic Stuff, if you're up for it., May 10, 2003

By 

C. Watson "methaz" (Savannah, GA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: A Plague of Demons & Other Stories (Paperback)

This collection of Keith Laumer's works is part of the Baen Books republication of Laumer's writings. It seems that Laumer is one of those authors that people either love, or can't finish the first paragraph without screaming. If you are one of those who loves his work, get the whole series. You won't regret it.

Many of these stories have been out of print for a while and have been hard to find. I have fond memories of reading Laumer while serving in the Air Force on missions in the Middle East (ironically, detached to the State Department much as Laumer himself was), thinking "aside from the advanced hardware, this isn't fiction". Many of the stories in this volume are inspirational in a dark way, as they share a common thread of many of his works, that of the lone man doing what is right, against hopeless odds, even to self destruction, because of principle. It's a timeless lesson, but one many need to learn.

Skip Eric Flint's rather pointless comments, and just read the stories and David Drake's memories of Laumer.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The short story that made me love SF, August 27, 2005

By 

F. Norsted "Norsted" (Gothenburg - Sweden) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: A Plague of Demons: & Other Stories (Mass Market Paperback)

A plague of demons" is a great story. I recommend it to anyone who likes a fast pace storyline and an ending you didn't know was coming!

The other stories in this book is good too, but "A plague..." is truly great fiction!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "For Those Of You Confronting Laumer for The First Time... I envy You..." Harlan Ellison, December 26, 2008

By 

Gunner (Smyrna, Georgia) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

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This review is from: A Plague of Demons: & Other Stories (Mass Market Paperback)

John Keith Laumer (June 9, 1925 - January 23, 1993 (aged 67)) was an American science fiction writer. Prior to becoming a full-time writer, he was an officer in the U.S. Air Force and a U. S. diplomat. This collection includes eight of his shorts, including probably his most famous:

A Plague of Demons (1964) - More people are dying than are being buried. Your mission ... The first Bolo story.

Thunderhead (1967) - They just called a Category One Emergency for all the Outer Beacon Line Stations and you have to respond. Unfortunately, your flitter is broken, now you have to climb old Thunderhead by foot, and it's snowing outside and it's been years since you last climbed it. Also, the Djang are coming.

End As A Hero (1963) - They've sent you out to investigate the Gool, a race that can manipulate the minds of humans, but you're a trained psychodynamist so you are prepared, but will Earth believe you?

Doorstep (1961) - Brigadier General W. F. Straut saw this as his opportunity to get his second star. Boy, was he wrong. "Please take..."

Test To Destruction(1967)- "Aboard the interstellar dreadnought cruising half a parsec from Earth, the compound Rhee mind surveyed the distant Solar system"

The Star-Sent Knaves(1963)-Valuable painting are disappearing from in penetrable vaults.

Greylorn(1959)-The Red Tide is advancing all over earth and can't seem to be stopped. Earth's last chance is to hunt out the colonial missions that were searching for a new world, the Omega Mission. The author borrows some from a real incident that happened circa 1840's with the initials the DP party, but never fear, Greylorn is here to save the day and earth.

Of Death what Dreams(1970)-Bailey went in to lie on a slab and never thought that he'd ever wake up again.

Afterword by Eric Flint (2003)- When I saw this in the Table of Contents I assumed it would be some recollections about Keith Laumer and the editor, maybe how the editor choose these particular stories, but no. It's just balant promotion of the next Laumer book by Baen. Flint has his nose stuck so far up Baen's rear end I'm surprised he can breathe, I'd suggest you skip this.

highly recommended for fans of Keith Laumer, especially for fans of his BOLO stories.

Gunner 2008