- Mass Market Paperback: 400 pages
- Publisher: Baen Books; Reprint edition (14 Aug 2012)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 1451637950
- ISBN-13: 978-1451637953
- Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 953,038 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Description
Product Description
American Brion Bayard was abducted on the streets of Stockholm, and thrust into what he thought was a truck. He was relieved that his captors were very apologetic, and very British - until they began speaking about nations which Bayard had never heard of. They were from Earth, but not his Earth. There are countess parallel Earths, each different, where history has taken every possible turn, but mostly there are uninhabitable worlds, destroyed by the discovery and misuse of crosstime travel. The Earth of the Imperium is at war with another parallel Earth and Bayard can stop the war by replacing the ruler of the aggressor Earth-because the ruler is a parallel version of Bayard. But when Bayard went on his mission, things weren't quite that simple. And that was only the beginning of Bayard's adventures as he guarded his new home world both from internal enemies and invaders from the other side of time, becoming the staunchest and most resourceful defender of the Imperium.
--This text refers to the
Hardcover
edition.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
Format:Hardcover
A collection of three of my early SF favourites, with an interesting Preface by Harry Turtledove adding some more background. The stories are now somewhat dated, and on rereading this all-in-one volume found s/h on holiday last week I felt slightly disappointed in the mental pictures not being quite as vivid as I had remembered them from forty and fifty years ago. But they are still a cracking good read, and set the baseline for other parallel worlds sagas.
Keith Laumer wrote 'Worlds of the Imperium' in 1961 as a serial in Fantastic Stories. So having read just one part in one issue of the magazine, I had to buy the book when the Ace double came out in 1962. Then being tied up with my studies it was only later in the 1970s that I found time to search out copies of the sequel 'The Other Side of Time' first serialised in Fantastic and then the Berkeley book in 1965, and finally the last part of the trilogy 'Assignment in Nowhere' released in 1968.
Brion Bayard is the hero in the first two books, but only appears on the sidelines in the third. Laumer takes great delight in bringing unlikely characters to the fore, whose paths are different in the alternate worlds to what they were in our own; villains become allies and heroes, and there are some surprises.
The plots are convoluted when considering how short each novel is. The science is rudimentary, almost anticipating steam-punk in some of the time lines, and Laumer never let consistency or minor details get in the way of a good story. His strength is his outstanding ability to carry a compelling narrative. I read each one of these three novels at a sitting, and I cannot say that about any other book I've read in the last few years - either too long or not gripping enough.
They lose a star for being dated, and modern writers are better at their craft. However these are definitely worth another read, and again.
Keith Laumer wrote 'Worlds of the Imperium' in 1961 as a serial in Fantastic Stories. So having read just one part in one issue of the magazine, I had to buy the book when the Ace double came out in 1962. Then being tied up with my studies it was only later in the 1970s that I found time to search out copies of the sequel 'The Other Side of Time' first serialised in Fantastic and then the Berkeley book in 1965, and finally the last part of the trilogy 'Assignment in Nowhere' released in 1968.
Brion Bayard is the hero in the first two books, but only appears on the sidelines in the third. Laumer takes great delight in bringing unlikely characters to the fore, whose paths are different in the alternate worlds to what they were in our own; villains become allies and heroes, and there are some surprises.
The plots are convoluted when considering how short each novel is. The science is rudimentary, almost anticipating steam-punk in some of the time lines, and Laumer never let consistency or minor details get in the way of a good story. His strength is his outstanding ability to carry a compelling narrative. I read each one of these three novels at a sitting, and I cannot say that about any other book I've read in the last few years - either too long or not gripping enough.
They lose a star for being dated, and modern writers are better at their craft. However these are definitely worth another read, and again.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
4 reviews
7 of 8 people found the following review helpful
classic tales of multi-universal hopping
9 Mar 2007
Format:Hardcover
This book reprints 3 classic stories by Laumer, about alternate history and a multi-universe spanning organisation. If you have read and enjoyed the works of H Beam Piper and his Paratime universes, and Poul Anderson's Time Patrol, then Laumer's stories will be a great treat.
The first story of the book starts off the series, explaining how an American diplomat in our universe, in the years after World War 2, gets kidnapped by the Imperium, based in a Sweden [!sic] that benignly rules another Earth. The stories are now some 40 years old. But they hold up well. Plenty of action, without drowning you in the cyberpunk pervasive computing of more recent science fiction. Laumer had a gift for combining the spy novel with high technology in a fluid synthesis that sweeps the reader along.
The only pity is that Laumer never wrote many stories in this series.
Flint and the publisher are to be thanked for bringing these stories back into print for a new generation of readers.
The first story of the book starts off the series, explaining how an American diplomat in our universe, in the years after World War 2, gets kidnapped by the Imperium, based in a Sweden [!sic] that benignly rules another Earth. The stories are now some 40 years old. But they hold up well. Plenty of action, without drowning you in the cyberpunk pervasive computing of more recent science fiction. Laumer had a gift for combining the spy novel with high technology in a fluid synthesis that sweeps the reader along.
The only pity is that Laumer never wrote many stories in this series.
Flint and the publisher are to be thanked for bringing these stories back into print for a new generation of readers.
6 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Great Reminder Of A Writer Too Often Forgotten
29 April 2008
Format:Hardcover
I picked this novel up with some trepidation. I am not usually one who enjoys omnibus editions of older works. I can get prejudiced by three or four supposed novels only taking up about 300 pages total. In this case there are three novels written by a writer who once was of some fame who is today nearly forgotten. Keith Laumer.
The books all deal with the concept of parallel universes. The concept is relatively well thought out by Laumer and given to us in more detail then I expected he would do in such short novels. The stories deal with the conflicts played out between the worlds of these parallel universes and how they impact each other both knowingly and unknowingly.
Overall I thought this was a really good read. The pace of the stories was fast and what one would expect of a tightly written story. It always amazes me how much thicker today's science fiction novels tend to be versus those of 30 or 40 years ago. Could it be as simple as the art of tight writing and a strong editor are lost today?
The characters are not that strongly developed and this seems to be the sacrifice Laumer makes to keep the stories to the point. The characters are developed only as absolutely necessary to the story so of course the only character we are attuned to is the single main character.
Of the three books in this omnibus I enjoyed the first two the best. The last had the main character in it but as a supporting role. I did not think the third book was written as strongly as the other two.
This was the first time I remember reading Laumer although his works have been on my bookshelf for years. The experience was one that I enjoyed enough that the next book I picked up to read was Laumer's Legions of Space.
I recommended and if you enjoy the genre at all I think you will enjoy the novel as well.
The books all deal with the concept of parallel universes. The concept is relatively well thought out by Laumer and given to us in more detail then I expected he would do in such short novels. The stories deal with the conflicts played out between the worlds of these parallel universes and how they impact each other both knowingly and unknowingly.
Overall I thought this was a really good read. The pace of the stories was fast and what one would expect of a tightly written story. It always amazes me how much thicker today's science fiction novels tend to be versus those of 30 or 40 years ago. Could it be as simple as the art of tight writing and a strong editor are lost today?
The characters are not that strongly developed and this seems to be the sacrifice Laumer makes to keep the stories to the point. The characters are developed only as absolutely necessary to the story so of course the only character we are attuned to is the single main character.
Of the three books in this omnibus I enjoyed the first two the best. The last had the main character in it but as a supporting role. I did not think the third book was written as strongly as the other two.
This was the first time I remember reading Laumer although his works have been on my bookshelf for years. The experience was one that I enjoyed enough that the next book I picked up to read was Laumer's Legions of Space.
I recommended and if you enjoy the genre at all I think you will enjoy the novel as well.
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Great classical SF multiversal yarn
7 Aug 2006
Format:Hardcover
I just love tales of parallel universes and time-travel, and this classic by Keith Laumer is one of the best of the genre, rich both in action and in daring speculations. Intriguing as Paratime by H. Beam Piper and Time Patrol by Poul Anderson. A must have for the transdimensional SF fan!
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