Date: Mon, 18 Apr 2005 18:03:47 -0400
To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at WSFA.org>
From: "Mike B." <omni at omniphile.com>
Subject: [WSFA] Re: Military robotics
Reply-To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at WSFA.org>

At 05:20 PM 4/18/05 -0400, Candy Madigan wrote:

>had read a book about some specific plot or idea, they could tell
>you.  Frankly, I have no idea what Keith Laumer has written, but I'd be
>willing to bet money that I had read at least *some*thing by him.

I agree with what you say.  It fits most of those I've worked with too.
Some are better memorizers than others, but all were concept learners.
Just tell them the steps with no "why" to it and they are insulted that you
don't think they could understand the workings.

Kieth Laumer's most famous stories are about the Bolos.  Cybertanks and in
the more far future ones, the Dynochrome Brigade.  From the lowly Bolo Mark
III, which was manned, but had some limited automatic capabilities ("Go to
these coordinates", "shoot that bunker", etc.) to the Bolo Mark XXXIV
Planetary Siege Unit, which was not manned (though tradition did retain an
observer's cabin I believe) and which was automatic enough that you could
drop one on a planet and come back in a few weeks to take ownership and
plant your flag on the smoking and glowing remains of the prior occupiers.

The stories usually had some fighting in them, but they weren't usually
*about* the fighting.  They were about honor, loyalty, discipline, learning
from the past and not forgetting history, the aftermath and long term
effects of war, being prepared for war even (or especially) in peacetime,
that tactics are often more important than firepower, and other important
themes.  Sometimes several of these at once.  They're good stories.

-- Mike B.
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