Customer Reviews

Planet Run

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Amazon provides no information for this book, so let's start by correcting the author names. Planet Run was written by Keith Laumer and Gordon R. Dickson, and the cover claims it's "The only collaboration to date by two of SF's greatest masters!" The novel was originally published in 1967, and republished in 1982 along with two short "bonus stories", "Once There Was a Giant" by Laumer, and "Call Him Lord" by Dickson.
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From the back cover:
"The last virgin planet in this sector of the galaxy is about to bust wide open - and two ancient heroes are going to trade the rest of their lives for one sweet year of youth, and the chance to make one last planet run."
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From the page inside the front cover:
"'Corazon's a hell of a place,' Henry said thoughtfully.
`All raw worlds are hell - but we could sure have ourselves some fun taming her down a little . . .' the old man's eyes hazed wistfully. `One last go-round before the Big Dark. Remember, Cap'n, how it feels to have a deck under your feet, and the whole universe on the other side of the hull, waiting to be tamed?'
`Damn your hide, Amos,' Henry said softly. But the decision was made" there would be one last planet run."
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In the future, you can stay young . . . for a while . . . for a price. You can rejuvenate yourself and restore your youth, extending your life. But, you can only rejuve so many times. And the ageing comes quicker after each one. Captain Henry thought he'd reached his limit, and was content to spend his final days relaxing in the sun. He had made a career out of exploring new worlds, and was perhaps the most successful and famous explorer ever. Now though, he's being blackmailed into one last rejuve and trip, to the last untamed world that mankind can reach. He goes, but takes along his granddaughter's terribly naïve fiancé, who is big on tennis and politics but lacks any street smarts. Henry hopes the trip will toughen up the young man, and make him worthy of his granddaughter's hand. They set out for Corazon, which is being opened up with a land rush, much like Oklahoma. The competition is fierce and deadly; you can stake your claim but you have to live to register it! Overall, this is a decent book, with a fast-moving story, but it's all pretty predictable. It reads like one of Heinlein's early teen-oriented novels. The two short stories are OK but not prize-winning material. You can spend a couple of enjoyable hours with this one.

Amazon provides no information for this book, so let's start by correcting the author names. Planet Run was written by Keith Laumer and Gordon R. Dickson, and the cover claims it's "The only collaboration to date by two of SF's greatest masters!" The novel was originally published in 1967, and republished in 1982 along with two short "bonus stories", "Once There Was a Giant" by Laumer, and "Call Him Lord" by Dickson.
.
From the back cover:
"The last virgin planet in this sector of the galaxy is about to bust wide open - and two ancient heroes are going to trade the rest of their lives for one sweet year of youth, and the chance to make one last planet run."
.
From the page inside the front cover:
"'Corazon's a hell of a place,' Henry said thoughtfully.
`All raw worlds are hell - but we could sure have ourselves some fun taming her down a little . . .' the old man's eyes hazed wistfully. `One last go-round before the Big Dark. Remember, Cap'n, how it feels to have a deck under your feet, and the whole universe on the other side of the hull, waiting to be tamed?'
`Damn your hide, Amos,' Henry said softly. But the decision was made" there would be one last planet run."
.
In the future, you can stay young . . . for a while . . . for a price. You can rejuvenate yourself and restore your youth, extending your life. But, you can only rejuve so many times. And the ageing comes quicker after each one. Captain Henry thought he'd reached his limit, and was content to spend his final days relaxing in the sun. He had made a career out of exploring new worlds, and was perhaps the most successful and famous explorer ever. Now though, he's being blackmailed into one last rejuve and trip, to the last untamed world that mankind can reach. He goes, but takes along his granddaughter's terribly naïve fiancé, who is big on tennis and politics but lacks any street smarts. Henry hopes the trip will toughen up the young man, and make him worthy of his granddaughter's hand. They set out for Corazon, which is being opened up with a land rush, much like Oklahoma. The competition is fierce and deadly; you can stake your claim but you have to live to register it! Overall, this is a decent book, with a fast-moving story, but it's all pretty predictable. It reads like one of Heinlein's early teen-oriented novels. The two short stories are OK but not prize-winning material. You can spend a couple of enjoyable hours with this one.

Planet Run takes you back to the frontier, the frontier of space. When the galaxy starts to fill up and become too civilized, men battle for the last bit of wilderness. A planet is being opened for settlement, and the rush is on. Some search for the treasure they are sure awaits, others because it's the last of its kind.