Customer Reviews (3)

Old School, Light-Weight Space Action
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.

Old School, Light-Weight Space Action
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.

Man can reach the stars, but he takes mankind with him.
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 therush is on.Some search for the treasure they are sure awaits, othersbecause it's the last of its kind. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A classic of "imperial Earth" scifi
Gordon Dickson has often been under-rated.This book,
Naked to the Stars (1961), is one of his stronger novels.
The challenges of "first contact" and the tension between the
"military" and "diplomatic" approaches are quite good, and very relevant to current challenges facing the US around the world. (I would have liked a "third" party -- a marketer/mercantile agent to have played as well.)Main characters are interesting, main character matures during the course of the story, and there are a few good twists to keep things interesting as well.

Science fiction writing that set the standard for the future
I've not read the Alien Way, but did read Naked to the Stars when it wasout as asingle book.There is nothing like Gordon R.Dickson's writingwhen he's at his best and Naked is some of his finest writing ever.It hasaliens, it has soldiers and it has confusion and philosophy. The power ofone of the scenes in this book, an alien child trying to say"bunnyrabbit" , has stayed with me for over a decade.- read thebook if you can get a hold of it. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Awful.I find it unimaginable that Dickson wrote this.
This novel is quite honestly terrible.I cannot believe that the man who wrote "The Pilgrim" and the Dorsai series (properly known as the "Childe Cycle" series) wrote this dreck.Even if you are a die-hard fan of Dickson (I am) pass this one by. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Another oldie but goodie Dickson space tale
Everything is computerized.Try having unpopular opinions on touchy subjects and see how long you can live On the Run.Dickson's man versus himself theme continues in this story that takes a plain man in an average life to the edge of madness and death to fight for his individuality and the survival of the human race ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

One of the best by this author
I have actually worn out 2 copies of this book over the past ten years.The thing I like best, is when he gets on the R-Master joy ride.As described, it is almost a word for word description of the joy ride an ADHD person can get into with Hyperfocus.

When people ask what ADHD is like when it is under control, rather than being medicated into normalcy - I point them at this book.

Beyond that, it has a very interesting plot that keeps you tuned into the show.Hard one to put down once started. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Contains two of the best stories you will ever read
This little book jumped into my shopping cart one evening at the supermarket back around 1980. I think it detected someone with time on his hands and a need to have an impression made on him. Also, the wire rack it was living in made a horrible screech when it was rotated, and I suspect the book wanted to rest in some more serene environment. I don't know if it found that, but it now has the company of the several other copies I bought over the years for lending out. The title exists in two different covers that I am aware of.

Most of the stories in this book are passable SF shorts, while one was probably included to let us know that even good writers have their embarrassing moments. Two stories have lived with me nearly every day since I first read them. I regularly host reading parties, and these two stories were staples for a while, but their emotional impact on me has only increased over the years, and I am no longer able read them in public. It's not that they are sentimental, but that they both illustrate true greatness in unexpected places.

"Black Charlie" begins with the question "So, what is art, you ask." And then he tells you. Dickson apparently knew he had done something better than good with this story, because he expanded it into a short novel called "Alien Art". This is unfortunate, because the short story is on my short list of great stories, while I have never been able to finish the novel.

"The Christmas Present" is another great story. This one is about what we don't know and therefore can't possibly understand, and what we therefore understand instead.

Thoughts after 18 years
I bought it for the cover illustration, in about 1983; a painting of a diver confronting a Plesiosaur underwater. It was for one of the many stories in the collection by various sci-fi authors. I started with that story (the final one) and found it was about a diver who meets an intelligent Loch Ness monster that cares for his injuries from an accident. I went on to read the other stories, and soon learned the meaning of the title. All of the sci-fi stories feature a love bond between a human and some non-human being or intelligence. One was about a boy and his telepathic "man-o'-war" creature. It's been about 18 years, but some of the stories have really stuck. I also like to read fiction in short bursts which made this book a great selection for me. Many stories by the big names of sci-fi: Piers Anthony, Isaac Asimov, and many more. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Unusually Good Collection Of Short Stories
I picked this up at a three-for-one dollar thrift shop.As I glanced through it, I started reading...and before I knew it, I was finished.There are several good though not great stories, written with a simplisticstyle, a minimal amount of clutter, and few flashing images.Yet at leastone story in the collection cuts deeply into some of the questions of lifethat philosophers always talk about, and most of the stories are warm,humorous, and well written, though simple.Not too bad for thirty-threecents! ... Read more

Product Description
Stranded on the Quarantined World of Quebahr, the first high-school students selected to leave Earth for study in the Galactic Federation must overcome their lack of training and learn to adapt and survive. Reprint. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Intelligent YA Science Fiction
I read this modest but memorable SF novel in high school. The fact that I can remember the plot after 20+ years should tell you something!

Humanity is in a embarassing predicament: Rather than being the galaxy-exploring, empire-building lords of creation, it is restricted to Earth by an advanced and rather patronizing Galactic federation.

Three teens from varied backgrounds are offered an opportunity to recieve an education off-world. They accept, but an accident results in their being stranded on a primitive world inhabited by three races: One rough, robust and kangaroo-like, one vaguely humanoid, the last lizard-like.

With the guidance of a friendly Federation member, the disguised trio make their way across the watery world, hoping to find and use an experimental radio transmitter.

_The Space Winners_ has a wonderful, optimistic feel to it. It celebrates competency, skill, and diversity. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

The Perfect Warrior: A Machine.
Brought to you by the people you gave you Supertanks, Body Armor: 2000 and Space Dreadnoughts, a book of short stories which focus on mankind's greatest dream and nightmare - fighting machines. All the classics are here, from Fred Saberhagen's "Smasher" to Keith Laumer's "A Relic Of War".Other authors such as Poul Anderson, Philip K. Dick and Gordon R. Dickson add their stories to the mix.
While the stories are all pre-1991, this book is a must for any sci-fi fan or robot fan. ... Read more