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A Trace of Memory
"Help wanted: Soldier of fortune seeks companion in arms to share unusual adventure. Foster, Box 19."
Legion was desperate - but not that desperate. Even petty larceny seemed preferable to that kind of proposal. But fate stepped in, and now he is on the run, pursued by cops, the CIA and a few not-so-friendly acquaintances of Foster. And Foster has lost his memory - not to mention about thirty years of his age!
The key to Legion's dilemma, and to Foster's forgotten past, is in a row of metal cylinders aboard a spaceship that has been orbiting Earth for thousands of years. And Legion's troubles have really only begun...
Legion was desperate - but not that desperate. Even petty larceny seemed preferable to that kind of proposal. But fate stepped in, and now he is on the run, pursued by cops, the CIA and a few not-so-friendly acquaintances of Foster. And Foster has lost his memory - not to mention about thirty years of his age!
The key to Legion's dilemma, and to Foster's forgotten past, is in a row of metal cylinders aboard a spaceship that has been orbiting Earth for thousands of years. And Legion's troubles have really only begun...
256 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1962
24 people are currently reading
298 people want to read
About the author
Keith Laumer
500 books222 followersJohn Keith Laumer was an American science fiction author. Prior to becoming a full-time writer, he was an officer in the U.S. Air Force and a U.S. diplomat. His brother March Laumer was also a writer, known for his adult reinterpretations of the Land of Oz (also mentioned in Keith's The Other Side of Time).
Keith Laumer (aka J.K Laumer, J. Keith Laumer) is best known for his Bolo stories and his satirical Retief series. The former chronicles the evolution of juggernaut-sized tanks that eventually become self-aware through the constant improvement resulting from centuries of intermittent warfare against various alien races. The latter deals with the adventures of a cynical spacefaring diplomat who constantly has to overcome the red-tape-infused failures of people with names like Ambassador Grossblunder. The Retief stories were greatly influenced by Laumer's earlier career in the United States Foreign Service. In an interview with Paul Walker of Luna Monthly, Laumer states "I had no shortage of iniquitous memories of the Foreign Service."
Four of his shorter works received Hugo or Nebula Award nominations (one of them, "In the Queue", received nominations for both) and his novel A Plague of Demons was nominated for the Nebula Award for Best Novel in 1966.
During the peak years of 1959–1971, Laumer was a prolific science fiction writer, with his novels tending to follow one of two patterns: fast-paced, straight adventures in time and space, with an emphasis on lone-wolf, latent superman protagonists, self-sacrifice and transcendence or, broad comedies, sometimes of the over-the-top variety.
In 1971, Laumer suffered a stroke while working on the novel The Ultimax Man. As a result, he was unable to write for a few years. As he explained in an interview with Charles Platt published in The Dream Makers (1987), he refused to accept the doctors' diagnosis. He came up with an alternative explanation and developed an alternative (and very painful) treatment program. Although he was unable to write in the early 1970s, he had a number of books which were in the pipeline at the time of the stroke published during that time.
In the mid-1970s, Laumer partially recovered from the stroke and resumed writing. However, the quality of his work suffered and his career declined (Piers Anthony, How Precious Was That While, 2002). In later years Laumer also reused scenarios and characters from his earlier works to create "new" books, which some critics felt was to their detriment:
Alas, Retief to the Rescue doesn't seem so much like a new Retief novel, but a kind of Cuisnart mélange of past books.
-- Somtow Sucharitkul (Washington Post, Mar 27, 1983. p. BW11)
His Bolo creations were popular enough that other authors have written standalone science-fiction novels about them.
Laumer was also a model airplane enthusiast, and published two dozen designs between 1956 and 1962 in the U.S. magazines Air Trails, Model Airplane News and Flying Models, as well as the British magazine Aero Modeler. He published one book on the subject, How to Design and Build Flying Models in 1960. His later designs were mostly gas-powered free flight planes, and had a whimsical charm with names to match, like the "Twin Lizzie" and the "Lulla-Bi". His designs are still being revisited, reinvented and built today.
Keith Laumer (aka J.K Laumer, J. Keith Laumer) is best known for his Bolo stories and his satirical Retief series. The former chronicles the evolution of juggernaut-sized tanks that eventually become self-aware through the constant improvement resulting from centuries of intermittent warfare against various alien races. The latter deals with the adventures of a cynical spacefaring diplomat who constantly has to overcome the red-tape-infused failures of people with names like Ambassador Grossblunder. The Retief stories were greatly influenced by Laumer's earlier career in the United States Foreign Service. In an interview with Paul Walker of Luna Monthly, Laumer states "I had no shortage of iniquitous memories of the Foreign Service."
Four of his shorter works received Hugo or Nebula Award nominations (one of them, "In the Queue", received nominations for both) and his novel A Plague of Demons was nominated for the Nebula Award for Best Novel in 1966.
During the peak years of 1959–1971, Laumer was a prolific science fiction writer, with his novels tending to follow one of two patterns: fast-paced, straight adventures in time and space, with an emphasis on lone-wolf, latent superman protagonists, self-sacrifice and transcendence or, broad comedies, sometimes of the over-the-top variety.
In 1971, Laumer suffered a stroke while working on the novel The Ultimax Man. As a result, he was unable to write for a few years. As he explained in an interview with Charles Platt published in The Dream Makers (1987), he refused to accept the doctors' diagnosis. He came up with an alternative explanation and developed an alternative (and very painful) treatment program. Although he was unable to write in the early 1970s, he had a number of books which were in the pipeline at the time of the stroke published during that time.
In the mid-1970s, Laumer partially recovered from the stroke and resumed writing. However, the quality of his work suffered and his career declined (Piers Anthony, How Precious Was That While, 2002). In later years Laumer also reused scenarios and characters from his earlier works to create "new" books, which some critics felt was to their detriment:
Alas, Retief to the Rescue doesn't seem so much like a new Retief novel, but a kind of Cuisnart mélange of past books.
-- Somtow Sucharitkul (Washington Post, Mar 27, 1983. p. BW11)
His Bolo creations were popular enough that other authors have written standalone science-fiction novels about them.
Laumer was also a model airplane enthusiast, and published two dozen designs between 1956 and 1962 in the U.S. magazines Air Trails, Model Airplane News and Flying Models, as well as the British magazine Aero Modeler. He published one book on the subject, How to Design and Build Flying Models in 1960. His later designs were mostly gas-powered free flight planes, and had a whimsical charm with names to match, like the "Twin Lizzie" and the "Lulla-Bi". His designs are still being revisited, reinvented and built today.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews
May 18, 2021
Legion es contratado por Foster para una aventura de lo más atípica. Y es que el tal Foster, tras entrevistarle, comienza a contarle la historia de un librito indestructible, terminando con algo inimaginable: Foster tiene una edad imposible de creer.
‘Un resto de memoria’ (A Trace of Memory, 1962), de Keith Laumer, comienza muy bien, te atrapa en el misterio propuesto por el autor, pero la novela se va desinflando por momentos, y eso que suceden cosas. No sé, la segunda mitad ha terminado aburriéndome.
‘Un resto de memoria’ (A Trace of Memory, 1962), de Keith Laumer, comienza muy bien, te atrapa en el misterio propuesto por el autor, pero la novela se va desinflando por momentos, y eso que suceden cosas. No sé, la segunda mitad ha terminado aburriéndome.
October 22, 2017
A fun old SF adventure that went on a bit longer than it should have, IMO. Still, I enjoyed it. Laumer writes a great main character. They're likable, intelligent, tough, & have an unusual penchant for getting into trouble. For all their intelligence, they can makes some particularly bad personal decisions usually involving women or drink. While I might find that irritating in some author's hands (Who likes reading about their own faults?) Laumer manages to make it inevitably amusing & thrilling at the same time.
Again, this was a freebie from Librivox.org & very well narrated. What a treasure!!!
Again, this was a freebie from Librivox.org & very well narrated. What a treasure!!!
June 13, 2012
This is one of my all-time favorite sci-fi books!
May 31, 2020
Another pleasantly bizarre Keith Laumer sci-fi mashup from the early '60's. As with A Plague of Demons and Catastrophe Planet, the first and second halves of Laumer's books tend to be totally different stories. In this case, the first half has a very Cat's Cradle feel to it; but then the second half is almost John Carter of Mars. As noted in my reviews of those two books, (Plague and Catastrophe, not Cradle and Carter), Laumer generally gets things off to a quick and catchy start - but then he starts to flag in the middle as he spins the stories into completely unexpected (and generally jarring) directions. But his unpredictability never fails to hold my attention.
Even more than his other books, Memory could have used a better editor. At least this edition is littered with typos, and towards the end Laumer's usually crisp "faux noir" style gets bogged down with atypically clunky passages like:
"As the invader reached out to encircle me, I shattered my unified forward impulse into myriad nervous streamlets that flowed on, under, over and around the opposing force; I spread myself through and through the inner all-mass, drawing new power from the trunk sources. Like a corrosive fluid, the massive personality-gestalt shredded my extended self-field."
Whaa?
But as I've said before, Laumer has become a guilty pleasure, and since I picked up about a dozen of his books for well under a dollar each at our area used book store, I'll be dipping in and out of these in future, looking for another pleasant surprise like his excellent Dinosaur Beach.
Even more than his other books, Memory could have used a better editor. At least this edition is littered with typos, and towards the end Laumer's usually crisp "faux noir" style gets bogged down with atypically clunky passages like:
"As the invader reached out to encircle me, I shattered my unified forward impulse into myriad nervous streamlets that flowed on, under, over and around the opposing force; I spread myself through and through the inner all-mass, drawing new power from the trunk sources. Like a corrosive fluid, the massive personality-gestalt shredded my extended self-field."
Whaa?
But as I've said before, Laumer has become a guilty pleasure, and since I picked up about a dozen of his books for well under a dollar each at our area used book store, I'll be dipping in and out of these in future, looking for another pleasant surprise like his excellent Dinosaur Beach.
December 5, 2024
An interesting book, short on pages, but the amount that happens is ridiculous. You hit what feels like a finale and then realise you're about 50% of the way through, as is often the case with Laumer.
It is a product of it's time, it's not going to pass the Bechdel test, but it's not offensive. It's just a capable guy going on a quest in a sci-fi world, with a bit of feudalism and Mad Max thrown in.
It is a product of it's time, it's not going to pass the Bechdel test, but it's not offensive. It's just a capable guy going on a quest in a sci-fi world, with a bit of feudalism and Mad Max thrown in.
January 16, 2018
So I seldom check out this website, but here I be again.
Been reading this old 1960s sci-fi book -- well, listening to it via Librivox. Great reader for the book, he's done other genre books for them, all books are public domain. It's chock-full of fantastic books on all topics and genres.
Anyway, I've always kinda liked Laumer's books and stories, though he is more a steady hand than an innovator, which often results in good, tight storylines. But this one has tremendous pacing and action, and it does get really weird when the story moves from Earth to some unpronounceable planet.
Plot - a down on his luck fellow named Legion meets an elderly millionaire who offers work and great pay, but.suddenly old man physically turns 30 years younger and has amnesia. Weird lights attack their house, they flee, and before long both men are in Stonhenge and none of this kind of plotting should work, but it does, thanks to the two main characters.
Bottom line - this would make a killer screenplay. I think I'll try.
Been reading this old 1960s sci-fi book -- well, listening to it via Librivox. Great reader for the book, he's done other genre books for them, all books are public domain. It's chock-full of fantastic books on all topics and genres.
Anyway, I've always kinda liked Laumer's books and stories, though he is more a steady hand than an innovator, which often results in good, tight storylines. But this one has tremendous pacing and action, and it does get really weird when the story moves from Earth to some unpronounceable planet.
Plot - a down on his luck fellow named Legion meets an elderly millionaire who offers work and great pay, but.suddenly old man physically turns 30 years younger and has amnesia. Weird lights attack their house, they flee, and before long both men are in Stonhenge and none of this kind of plotting should work, but it does, thanks to the two main characters.
Bottom line - this would make a killer screenplay. I think I'll try.
March 9, 2021
Книгу можно четко разделить на две части: триллер про амнезию с загадочными преследователями, и боевую фантастику про супергероя типа Джона Картера, так что первая часть поинтереснее. С другой стороны, во второй части поднимаются те же вопросы про кооперацию разумов, причины смертности, и сползания цивилизации в варварство, что и у Азимова, Саймака и Булычева в некоторых книгах, и такой поиск сходств отдельное удовольствие.
August 27, 2025
2.5/5
Written at the beginning of Laumer's peak in popularity, A Trace of Memory is a fast-paced adventure/thriller mystery about a lone-wolf human aiding and befriending a stranded humanoid alien on Earth. Legion is a layabout itinerant worker with former Army intelligence training, who uses an opaque job posting in the paper to avoid going to jail. Foster, the large and imposing man who posted the advertisement (seeking a willing companion for an unspecified adventure) suffers from long-term amnesia, but possesses an indestructible journal with indecipherable hints as to his history.
The novel version of A Trace of Memory still roughly contains the three chunks that it was serialized in, all told through the first person perspective of Legion. Unfortunately, some of these chunks are better drawn than others. Perhaps the best of the three is the first, where the majority of Foster's identity is unraveled through high-action drama. The pair travel to Stonehenge, battle mysterious life-stealing orbs, and cope with Foster's sudden rejuvenation into a younger body. Laumer throws lots of twists and turns into the mix which keeps things fresh and exciting, diverting attention away from a plot that suffers from a lot of conveniences and believability issues. The middle third is by comparison more bland, bridging the gap between more interesting plot threads with Legion's rise to wealth exploiting some of Foster's alien technology. Doing so exposes him to the fury of U.S. and Russian government agencies, which he predictably escapes the clutches of by seeking asylum on his friend's distant world.
The climactic final portion is certainly the most interesting from an ideas perspective but is also messy and less coherent than the other two. Foster's alien culture has achieved near immortality through bodily rejuvenation and memory transference, though it's implied that his species and humans come from the same stock, the difference being that they developed an inoculation against a disease that causes aging in both body and mind. Because of their longevity, they have the continuity required to develop a better form of society and high technology. It is in describing this culture that Laumer can tend towards clunky, mystifying passages. Unfortunately for Legion, the society he finds on the planet has fallen from these heights into a more socially mobile version of medieval earth, complete with feudal territories, slavery, despot kings, and war. Legion must climb the social ladder and find Foster while trying to unleash the potential that he knows exist within this alien world.
Unlike a lot of serialized adventure stories of the time, the central relationship is not one between a macho hero and a witless princess. The camaraderie between Foster and Legion is at the core of the novel, and with it comes a certain brand of uncontained optimism about human endurance and ingenuity. Despite seemingly insurmountable odds Legion never seriously doubts his ability to overcome his circumstances. Even when faced with certain death, Legion's internal monologue comforts him with the thought that at least he tried his best for his friend. Legion ends up sacrificing a lot for his friendship with Foster, but is ultimately rewarded for it.
Legion's biblical name suggests even more positivity, implying that most people (at least men) are capable of great achievements despite their mortal failings and limitations. Legion himself, however, suffers from an unbearable case of being a smartass, who is unable to stop himself from responding to every circumstance or question with dated zingers (like comparing Foster's forgotten spaceship to a taxi parked with the meter running). I could practically hear the drum sting implied with these lines which left me seriously distracted.
A Trace of Memory is a decent but unimpressive showing from Laumer, and from what I understand typical of his trappings and style. Despite some of the novelties it has in comparison to pulp contemporaries, it doesn't come off as very memorable or remarkable. Best fit for a brainless action/SF movie.
Written at the beginning of Laumer's peak in popularity, A Trace of Memory is a fast-paced adventure/thriller mystery about a lone-wolf human aiding and befriending a stranded humanoid alien on Earth. Legion is a layabout itinerant worker with former Army intelligence training, who uses an opaque job posting in the paper to avoid going to jail. Foster, the large and imposing man who posted the advertisement (seeking a willing companion for an unspecified adventure) suffers from long-term amnesia, but possesses an indestructible journal with indecipherable hints as to his history.
The novel version of A Trace of Memory still roughly contains the three chunks that it was serialized in, all told through the first person perspective of Legion. Unfortunately, some of these chunks are better drawn than others. Perhaps the best of the three is the first, where the majority of Foster's identity is unraveled through high-action drama. The pair travel to Stonehenge, battle mysterious life-stealing orbs, and cope with Foster's sudden rejuvenation into a younger body. Laumer throws lots of twists and turns into the mix which keeps things fresh and exciting, diverting attention away from a plot that suffers from a lot of conveniences and believability issues. The middle third is by comparison more bland, bridging the gap between more interesting plot threads with Legion's rise to wealth exploiting some of Foster's alien technology. Doing so exposes him to the fury of U.S. and Russian government agencies, which he predictably escapes the clutches of by seeking asylum on his friend's distant world.
The climactic final portion is certainly the most interesting from an ideas perspective but is also messy and less coherent than the other two. Foster's alien culture has achieved near immortality through bodily rejuvenation and memory transference, though it's implied that his species and humans come from the same stock, the difference being that they developed an inoculation against a disease that causes aging in both body and mind. Because of their longevity, they have the continuity required to develop a better form of society and high technology. It is in describing this culture that Laumer can tend towards clunky, mystifying passages. Unfortunately for Legion, the society he finds on the planet has fallen from these heights into a more socially mobile version of medieval earth, complete with feudal territories, slavery, despot kings, and war. Legion must climb the social ladder and find Foster while trying to unleash the potential that he knows exist within this alien world.
Unlike a lot of serialized adventure stories of the time, the central relationship is not one between a macho hero and a witless princess. The camaraderie between Foster and Legion is at the core of the novel, and with it comes a certain brand of uncontained optimism about human endurance and ingenuity. Despite seemingly insurmountable odds Legion never seriously doubts his ability to overcome his circumstances. Even when faced with certain death, Legion's internal monologue comforts him with the thought that at least he tried his best for his friend. Legion ends up sacrificing a lot for his friendship with Foster, but is ultimately rewarded for it.
Legion's biblical name suggests even more positivity, implying that most people (at least men) are capable of great achievements despite their mortal failings and limitations. Legion himself, however, suffers from an unbearable case of being a smartass, who is unable to stop himself from responding to every circumstance or question with dated zingers (like comparing Foster's forgotten spaceship to a taxi parked with the meter running). I could practically hear the drum sting implied with these lines which left me seriously distracted.
A Trace of Memory is a decent but unimpressive showing from Laumer, and from what I understand typical of his trappings and style. Despite some of the novelties it has in comparison to pulp contemporaries, it doesn't come off as very memorable or remarkable. Best fit for a brainless action/SF movie.
January 9, 2023
Un romanzo di più di 50 anni fa, ancora godibile, anche se tutti i "difetti" della SF dell'epoca sono evidenti: in ogni pianeta l'atmosfera è quella terrestre e ci vivono umani, non si sa perché.
Non è una space-opera, perché lo spazio è solo la distanza tra i due mondi su cui si svolge la storia, e d'altronde Laumer è più famoso per le sue storie di intrighi, anche su mondi esotici, che per saghe spaziali.
Personaggi semplici, un po' di azione, qualche "innovazione" strabiliante... e la lettura scorre via liscia...
Non è una space-opera, perché lo spazio è solo la distanza tra i due mondi su cui si svolge la storia, e d'altronde Laumer è più famoso per le sue storie di intrighi, anche su mondi esotici, che per saghe spaziali.
Personaggi semplici, un po' di azione, qualche "innovazione" strabiliante... e la lettura scorre via liscia...
August 13, 2018
The description for this book doesn’t do it justice. The scope of the book was amazing, not so much in the complexity of the plot, but in the range of ideas, settings and imagination. It was a fun trip with some surprisingly likeable characters. Certainly a different type of sci fi for me that has left me eager to read more by this author.
October 31, 2018
In these days were trilogies are a minimum starting point and most genre novels are epic tomes of 700, 800, even 1000 plus pages, it's amazing to see what some of the 60s writers can squeeze into 170ish pages.
This one reminded me of the Mucker, in that it's covers like 5 genres. Legion starts out as a down on his luck drifter plotting a heist, ends up helping an alien recover his memory.. gets rich on alien tech until the feds start looking for him, goes into space to find his alien buddy, then starts a revolt on said planet to save that day... that's a lot of stuff in one little book!
Legion is a pretty typical everyman character that manages to do everything a bit better than everyone around him. Unlike ERB's masterpiece, you don't get a lot (or well, any) character development here, it's just non stop flashes from one adventure to the other. Not that that's a bad thing.. it's a great read that you can't blink for or you'll miss something.
This one reminded me of the Mucker, in that it's covers like 5 genres. Legion starts out as a down on his luck drifter plotting a heist, ends up helping an alien recover his memory.. gets rich on alien tech until the feds start looking for him, goes into space to find his alien buddy, then starts a revolt on said planet to save that day... that's a lot of stuff in one little book!
Legion is a pretty typical everyman character that manages to do everything a bit better than everyone around him. Unlike ERB's masterpiece, you don't get a lot (or well, any) character development here, it's just non stop flashes from one adventure to the other. Not that that's a bad thing.. it's a great read that you can't blink for or you'll miss something.
Read
January 9, 2014A Fantastic story. I would love this to be made into a movie, but I am afraid they would ruin it.
I would rate this one the my favorite books ever. Maybe in the top ten books I have ever read.
I would rate this one the my favorite books ever. Maybe in the top ten books I have ever read.
July 23, 2014
I loved it!! Is one of my favourites! I loved Iztenka ;)
December 16, 2024
Una delle più belle letture degli ultimi tempi. Mistero, ricerca spirituale, avventura e amicizia. Non manca nulla.
June 1, 2018
An old classic. I read this as a teen and many times after. One of those books I revisit every few years.
It's written in the sixties, with the sensibilities you'd expect towards women, minorities, drink, cigarettes, and rowdy fisticuffs. (In case that isn't clear enough, there are NO women characters of significance in this book. In fact, the very idea possibility would probably surprise the narrator.) Men are all mostly generically American, except for the foreign agents.
If you can accept that, then it's a fun sci-fi romp. Soldier of fortune with no past - could be anybody, could be you! - falls in with mysterious stranger and high jinx ensue. Tone is jocular and tough. Most of the adventure is here, on Earth, but not all. Bonus plot twist for cat lovers.
This is a book to read for the fast action and humorous, tough-guy voice. Easy book to finish in an afternoon, hard to put down. Some of the plot turns feel a bit forced, but it's easy to just go with it. The idea of memory traces, with personalities that can be saved, passed down, or erased, is crazy-super compelling. Nothing super-innovative, but a great read.
*** (Slightly spoilery) ***
There's an Arthurian twist at the end I never caught the first bzillion times I read this, but I like it all the better for that now.
It's written in the sixties, with the sensibilities you'd expect towards women, minorities, drink, cigarettes, and rowdy fisticuffs. (In case that isn't clear enough, there are NO women characters of significance in this book. In fact, the very idea possibility would probably surprise the narrator.) Men are all mostly generically American, except for the foreign agents.
If you can accept that, then it's a fun sci-fi romp. Soldier of fortune with no past - could be anybody, could be you! - falls in with mysterious stranger and high jinx ensue. Tone is jocular and tough. Most of the adventure is here, on Earth, but not all. Bonus plot twist for cat lovers.
This is a book to read for the fast action and humorous, tough-guy voice. Easy book to finish in an afternoon, hard to put down. Some of the plot turns feel a bit forced, but it's easy to just go with it. The idea of memory traces, with personalities that can be saved, passed down, or erased, is crazy-super compelling. Nothing super-innovative, but a great read.
*** (Slightly spoilery) ***
There's an Arthurian twist at the end I never caught the first bzillion times I read this, but I like it all the better for that now.
April 7, 2025
2⭐️ Just a Book/Unremarkable
This book felt like a movie crammed into a two-hour TV slot. It felt like the author just skipped to the good bits, ignoring all the stuff that makes a story really good in between all the action.
The development of the characters' interactions and their contribution to the plot and climax lacked sufficient justification within the author's narrative. It felt more like a dog looking for its owner, not friends rescuing each other.
This book's sci-fi totally blew it when it never explained the dark, scary main sci-fi point: what does it really mean to be alive? it focused way too much on the action and day to day events than on real loss of memory and life of an individual. The author tried this a bunch of times in very small scenes in the book, but still couldn't get that shocking effect that was needed.
The novel would have significantly benefited from the author's taking more time to develop the characters, plot, climax, and science fiction elements.
I found no particularly compelling quotes in this book, as none resonated with me as exceptionally insightful.
This book felt like a movie crammed into a two-hour TV slot. It felt like the author just skipped to the good bits, ignoring all the stuff that makes a story really good in between all the action.
The development of the characters' interactions and their contribution to the plot and climax lacked sufficient justification within the author's narrative. It felt more like a dog looking for its owner, not friends rescuing each other.
This book's sci-fi totally blew it when it never explained the dark, scary main sci-fi point: what does it really mean to be alive? it focused way too much on the action and day to day events than on real loss of memory and life of an individual. The author tried this a bunch of times in very small scenes in the book, but still couldn't get that shocking effect that was needed.
The novel would have significantly benefited from the author's taking more time to develop the characters, plot, climax, and science fiction elements.
I found no particularly compelling quotes in this book, as none resonated with me as exceptionally insightful.
August 10, 2016
Ho scelto questo libro per la sfida di lettura che richiedeva di leggere un libro la cui copertina non mi piace, dunque mi esprimo subito a proposito di essa.
In effetti trovo che sia una bella ambientazione quella di Stonehedge (l'avevate riconosciuta, no? ;)) con un uomo che scappa lontano mentre si avvicina una gigantesca mano scheletrica che segna due cerchi concentrici; ebbene, ciò che non mi piace e ciò che ritengo inquietante è proprio quella mano! Mi ha portato subito alla mente (come il titolo, del resto) il libro/film "La guerra dei mondi", ma questo racconto non ha niente a che fare con la sopracitata storia; non ci sono nemmeno degli alieni le cui sembianze sono come quelle illustrate nella copertina! Piuttosto, l'aspetto degli alieni è simile a quello dei terrestri, e si distinguono da noi solo per questa capacità di rinascere, o meglio, ringiovanire nello stesso corpo (processo naturale definito "mutamento"), a discapito della totale perdita di memoria. Non ricordare nulla della vita precedente è un po' come la reincarnazione, solo che qui avviene nello stesso corpo e a pochissima distanza di tempo. Inoltre, siccome si tratta pur sempre di alieni, quindi di forme d'intelligenza superiori, questa razza ha studiato il modo di conservare il passato: basta registrare le proprie memorie su un cilindro, da accostare alla tempia in punto di morte.
"In quel mondo d'immortali l'assassinio era veramente l'unico crimine imperdonabile, perché non spegneva una vita soltanto, ma tutte le vite di un uomo."
Foster, protagonista di questa storia assieme a Legion, invece, non ricorda nulla. Ciò che resta del suo passato è un vecchio diario, per metà illeggibile (scritto in caratteri incomprensibili) e per metà in inglese. Incontra Legion quasi per caso, quando quest'ultimo stava per andare a rubare in una tabaccheria ma, imbattendosi in un poliziotto, ripiega sull'annuncio di un tale Foster che aveva letto poco prima, ed è proprio l'agente a scortarlo da lui.
Pensavo di leggere il mio primo vero libro di fantascienza con astronavi e globi di luce fluttuanti, e invece mi sono trovata a leggere un mystery, poi un racconto d'avventura alla ricerca d'indizi con viaggi intorno al mondo, poi ancora, un'avvincente thriller ricco anche d'azione, il tutto per finire, con mio grande stupore, in un fantasy d'ambientazione medioevale!
E dire che questa volta non volevo leggere fantasy... !
Non a caso mi è piaciuta molto di più la prima parte (mystery, thriller, avventurosa) che la seconda, dove davvero sembra di leggere un fantasy qualsiasi con tanto di banchetti, corti, duelli, e, oserei dire, gioco di ruolo con punti esperienza dove l'eroe Legion passa da un ruolo a un altro salendo di grado.
La prima parte ha invece una trama più fitta e intrigante che si svela poco alla volta dando al lettore gustose rivelazioni su ogni mistero; il cambio di ambientazione rende la lettura dinamica e mai prolissa, grazie anche all'interessante intreccio tra passato e presente; io adoro questi "giochetti" temporali!
In sostanza, il racconto cambia drasticamente quando Legion e Foster si separano; mai mi sarei aspettata simili risvolti!
Mi rendo conto che qualunque cosa cerco di dire rischia di rovinare parecchie sorprese per chi non ha ancora avuto il piacere di leggere questo libro: ciò significa che la storia è una continua rivelazione inaspettata, e il mistero sulla memoria di Foster perdura sino a una decina di pagine dalla fine.
E' raro che un libro riesca a conservare tutti i suoi segreti fino all'ultimo, e oltretutto, la rivelazione ultima è sensazionale, sia nei modi, sia per la soluzione in sé che è piuttosto elaborata.
Con le sue poche ma intense pagine, questo libricino è riuscito a trasmettermi diversi messaggi e a farmi riflettere; mi ha persino ricordato la recente lettura di "1984" di Orwell (la recensione qui) con questa società che tenta di oscurare il passato per imporre un sistema totalitario, e anziché progredire retrocede. Mi sono trovata di fronte a un altro libro che tratta di politica, dove l'uomo combatte per la propria libertà e quei sani valori dimenticati.
E' affascinante anche la parte spirituale del racconto così come quella antropologica con la civilizzazione del popolo della Terra, ma non aggiungo altro per non cadere in ulteriori anticipazioni.
"Pensate all'immensità dello spazio. La Terra non è che un piccolo mondo, sperduto tra le stelle.
[...]
Ci sono postazioni analoghe su migliaia di altri mondi [...]
Sono come tante boe, come fari nell'immensità dello spazio."
La scrittura di Laumer è lineare e scorrevole: non ci sono termini complicati e anzi, i nomi di alcune zone "straniere" sono persino più leggibili di quegli scioglilingua che si è soliti usare nel fantasy!
Ho però notato alcuni errori di battitura piuttosto fastidiosi.
Entrambi i protagonisti mi sono piaciuti molto: Foster con la sua imprevedibilità, variabilità e saggezza, e Legion che incarna l'uomo comune con in più delle naturali doti di simpatia; la sua ironia aiuta il lettore a immedesimarsi nella storia, e al tempo stesso, è capace di dare un tocco di realismo.
"Il segno dei due mondi" è classificato sotto "Urania - Capolavori" ed è stato riproposto ben tre volte nell'edizione del periodico quindicinale, eppure non riesco a dare una valutazione a cinque stelle.
Negli anni '70 poteva considerarsi originale e penso che lo sia tuttora, ma, francamente, solo nella prima parte; la seconda, quella del fantasy, cade purtroppo nel banale, e le azioni sono ripetitive.
Generalmente adoro quando si mescolano i generi, ma stavolta il fantastico-medioevale non si è dimostrato all'altezza del resto della storia, salvo il finale e l'epilogo, per cui avrei comunque preferito che si spendesse qualche parola in più.
Mi sento comunque di consigliare la lettura a chi solitamente legge fantasy ma vuole avvicinarsi alla fantascienza: potrebbe essere un primo passo!
Questa e altre recensioni su Universi Incantati (http://valentinabellettini.blogspot.com)
In effetti trovo che sia una bella ambientazione quella di Stonehedge (l'avevate riconosciuta, no? ;)) con un uomo che scappa lontano mentre si avvicina una gigantesca mano scheletrica che segna due cerchi concentrici; ebbene, ciò che non mi piace e ciò che ritengo inquietante è proprio quella mano! Mi ha portato subito alla mente (come il titolo, del resto) il libro/film "La guerra dei mondi", ma questo racconto non ha niente a che fare con la sopracitata storia; non ci sono nemmeno degli alieni le cui sembianze sono come quelle illustrate nella copertina! Piuttosto, l'aspetto degli alieni è simile a quello dei terrestri, e si distinguono da noi solo per questa capacità di rinascere, o meglio, ringiovanire nello stesso corpo (processo naturale definito "mutamento"), a discapito della totale perdita di memoria. Non ricordare nulla della vita precedente è un po' come la reincarnazione, solo che qui avviene nello stesso corpo e a pochissima distanza di tempo. Inoltre, siccome si tratta pur sempre di alieni, quindi di forme d'intelligenza superiori, questa razza ha studiato il modo di conservare il passato: basta registrare le proprie memorie su un cilindro, da accostare alla tempia in punto di morte.
"In quel mondo d'immortali l'assassinio era veramente l'unico crimine imperdonabile, perché non spegneva una vita soltanto, ma tutte le vite di un uomo."
Foster, protagonista di questa storia assieme a Legion, invece, non ricorda nulla. Ciò che resta del suo passato è un vecchio diario, per metà illeggibile (scritto in caratteri incomprensibili) e per metà in inglese. Incontra Legion quasi per caso, quando quest'ultimo stava per andare a rubare in una tabaccheria ma, imbattendosi in un poliziotto, ripiega sull'annuncio di un tale Foster che aveva letto poco prima, ed è proprio l'agente a scortarlo da lui.
Pensavo di leggere il mio primo vero libro di fantascienza con astronavi e globi di luce fluttuanti, e invece mi sono trovata a leggere un mystery, poi un racconto d'avventura alla ricerca d'indizi con viaggi intorno al mondo, poi ancora, un'avvincente thriller ricco anche d'azione, il tutto per finire, con mio grande stupore, in un fantasy d'ambientazione medioevale!
E dire che questa volta non volevo leggere fantasy... !
Non a caso mi è piaciuta molto di più la prima parte (mystery, thriller, avventurosa) che la seconda, dove davvero sembra di leggere un fantasy qualsiasi con tanto di banchetti, corti, duelli, e, oserei dire, gioco di ruolo con punti esperienza dove l'eroe Legion passa da un ruolo a un altro salendo di grado.
La prima parte ha invece una trama più fitta e intrigante che si svela poco alla volta dando al lettore gustose rivelazioni su ogni mistero; il cambio di ambientazione rende la lettura dinamica e mai prolissa, grazie anche all'interessante intreccio tra passato e presente; io adoro questi "giochetti" temporali!
In sostanza, il racconto cambia drasticamente quando Legion e Foster si separano; mai mi sarei aspettata simili risvolti!
Mi rendo conto che qualunque cosa cerco di dire rischia di rovinare parecchie sorprese per chi non ha ancora avuto il piacere di leggere questo libro: ciò significa che la storia è una continua rivelazione inaspettata, e il mistero sulla memoria di Foster perdura sino a una decina di pagine dalla fine.
E' raro che un libro riesca a conservare tutti i suoi segreti fino all'ultimo, e oltretutto, la rivelazione ultima è sensazionale, sia nei modi, sia per la soluzione in sé che è piuttosto elaborata.
Con le sue poche ma intense pagine, questo libricino è riuscito a trasmettermi diversi messaggi e a farmi riflettere; mi ha persino ricordato la recente lettura di "1984" di Orwell (la recensione qui) con questa società che tenta di oscurare il passato per imporre un sistema totalitario, e anziché progredire retrocede. Mi sono trovata di fronte a un altro libro che tratta di politica, dove l'uomo combatte per la propria libertà e quei sani valori dimenticati.
E' affascinante anche la parte spirituale del racconto così come quella antropologica con la civilizzazione del popolo della Terra, ma non aggiungo altro per non cadere in ulteriori anticipazioni.
"Pensate all'immensità dello spazio. La Terra non è che un piccolo mondo, sperduto tra le stelle.
[...]
Ci sono postazioni analoghe su migliaia di altri mondi [...]
Sono come tante boe, come fari nell'immensità dello spazio."
La scrittura di Laumer è lineare e scorrevole: non ci sono termini complicati e anzi, i nomi di alcune zone "straniere" sono persino più leggibili di quegli scioglilingua che si è soliti usare nel fantasy!
Ho però notato alcuni errori di battitura piuttosto fastidiosi.
Entrambi i protagonisti mi sono piaciuti molto: Foster con la sua imprevedibilità, variabilità e saggezza, e Legion che incarna l'uomo comune con in più delle naturali doti di simpatia; la sua ironia aiuta il lettore a immedesimarsi nella storia, e al tempo stesso, è capace di dare un tocco di realismo.
"Il segno dei due mondi" è classificato sotto "Urania - Capolavori" ed è stato riproposto ben tre volte nell'edizione del periodico quindicinale, eppure non riesco a dare una valutazione a cinque stelle.
Negli anni '70 poteva considerarsi originale e penso che lo sia tuttora, ma, francamente, solo nella prima parte; la seconda, quella del fantasy, cade purtroppo nel banale, e le azioni sono ripetitive.
Generalmente adoro quando si mescolano i generi, ma stavolta il fantastico-medioevale non si è dimostrato all'altezza del resto della storia, salvo il finale e l'epilogo, per cui avrei comunque preferito che si spendesse qualche parola in più.
Mi sento comunque di consigliare la lettura a chi solitamente legge fantasy ma vuole avvicinarsi alla fantascienza: potrebbe essere un primo passo!
Questa e altre recensioni su Universi Incantati (http://valentinabellettini.blogspot.com)
January 9, 2018
Futuristic fantasy fiction with wit and attitude
This is Laumer's Morte d' Artur -- except that, in this telling, (spoiler) Arthur does not die.
Yeah, sure, some of the characters are cardboard, but the retelling is nonetheless a hoot. Laumer 's sense of humor smooths over many of the rough patches.
If you are a fan of postwar SF, this is mandatory " shortlist " .
This is Laumer's Morte d' Artur -- except that, in this telling, (spoiler) Arthur does not die.
Yeah, sure, some of the characters are cardboard, but the retelling is nonetheless a hoot. Laumer 's sense of humor smooths over many of the rough patches.
If you are a fan of postwar SF, this is mandatory " shortlist " .
September 27, 2020
"“It doesn’t make sense,” I was saying for the fortieth time. Foster nodded sympathetic agreement."
This was great. The 1st part is about someone going on a mysterious adventure. Things aren't what they seem. Eventually the story expands and we go far beyond our world. Also there's a cat.
Great sense of humor too.
This was great. The 1st part is about someone going on a mysterious adventure. Things aren't what they seem. Eventually the story expands and we go far beyond our world. Also there's a cat.
Great sense of humor too.
December 11, 2022
I do like Keith Laumer. Started with Retief and I was hooked. This book was excellent. Adventure on two planets. Great humor, time travel, some mystery and intrigue. Maybe a little Mickey Spillane-ish main character? I give away nothing! but a pretty good guarantee you will enjoy this book. Especially if you liked the Retief books.
August 26, 2023
On of the best sci-fi books written.
I liked this book a great deal. The author builds up the story while you, the reader, is caught up In escaping the governments of earth. The story switches to Vallon an incrediblly advanced planet once ruled like the Autherian legend on earth. A really good read.
I liked this book a great deal. The author builds up the story while you, the reader, is caught up In escaping the governments of earth. The story switches to Vallon an incrediblly advanced planet once ruled like the Autherian legend on earth. A really good read.
March 16, 2024
I read this book years ago as a teenager and remember really enjoying it, so I decided it was time to pull it out again. My reading preferences have changed since then, but it’s still a great little scifi. It’s worth reading just for the last third of the book. The story is fast paced and filled with action, but I wish that we could’ve spent more time in Vallon.
November 17, 2022
A surprisingly fun little sci fi adventure. None of the concepts here are particularly original, but they are generally well done, and the book moves along at a brisk enough pace to help keep things interesting. All in all it's a short and sweet adventure that is nonessential, but enjoyable.
April 13, 2018
Cinematografico, anche se un po' annacquata la seconda parte.
September 23, 2018
Thought it was just OK in the beginning, but by the end like it a lot more.
March 26, 2021
A well written short novel that is cohesive and builds the characters up very well and keeps the pacing up as the story goes along.
April 4, 2021
Uno dei peggiori libri della mia collezione Urania. Il prossimo in lista è un altro a firma di questo scrittore... speriamo bene.
January 21, 2022
DNF. Strong start but too much world building in too little of words.
February 20, 2022
Good story. Part of a mega book that I have
March 13, 2022
Classic old school sciFi romping adventure.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews