The Road to Damascus

Rating:
Summary: exciting military and post military science fiction
Review: The ET Volkswanderung has arrived to conquer the residents of planet Jefferson, cut off from the rest of the Concordant. Nothing survives the devastation of these marauding interplanetary travelers once they engage in their usual hostile activities. To battle the Volkswanderung, Commander Simon Khrustinov and his Surplus on Loan (SOL) Bolo prepare for one final onslaught yet they successfully vanquish the enemy.

However, much of Jefferson is in ruins from the war. Infrastructure either no longer exists or so feeble it might as well not be there. To rebuild the planet means a major influx of capital (both money and people), but few are willing to pay the cost. When the unpopular government tries to make tough decisions, it gains no support and collapses. Narrow vision Utopians take over with a special agenda to use the powerful Bolo to ethnically cleanse their enemies, not understanding the moral dilemma imposed on this thinking war machine with a conscience.

This is an exciting military and post military science fiction novel that would make Keith Laumer proud of what John Ringo and Linda Evans has done with his Bolo. The story line is at its best when the audience observes the reconstruction options and the ethics issues, none of which are easy or cheap. At times harsh and condemning those foolish enough to believe that no one besides the soldier and his or her family have to pay for war and its aftermath, readers will get the no free lunch message that there is a price to pay when conflict, even in the case of defense, is deployed.

Harriet Klausner

Rating:
Summary: exciting military and post military science fiction
Review: The ET Volkswanderung has arrived to conquer the residents of planet Jefferson, cut off from the rest of the Concordant. Nothing survives the devastation of these marauding interplanetary travelers once they engage in their usual hostile activities. To battle the Volkswanderung, Commander Simon Khrustinov and his Surplus on Loan (SOL) Bolo prepare for one final onslaught yet they successfully vanquish the enemy.

However, much of Jefferson is in ruins from the war. Infrastructure either no longer exists or so feeble it might as well not be there. To rebuild the planet means a major influx of capital (both money and people), but few are willing to pay the cost. When the unpopular government tries to make tough decisions, it gains no support and collapses. Narrow vision Utopians take over with a special agenda to use the powerful Bolo to ethnically cleanse their enemies, not understanding the moral dilemma imposed on this thinking war machine with a conscience.

This is an exciting military and post military science fiction novel that would make Keith Laumer proud of what John Ringo and Linda Evans has done with his Bolo. The story line is at its best when the audience observes the reconstruction options and the ethics issues, none of which are easy or cheap. At times harsh and condemning those foolish enough to believe that no one besides the soldier and his or her family have to pay for war and its aftermath, readers will get the no free lunch message that there is a price to pay when conflict, even in the case of defense, is deployed.

Harriet Klausner

Rating:
Summary: The purpose of Military Might
Review: The legendary Bolos have returned!

In a departure from the classic history of the Bolo John Ringo and Linda Evans have wrought a full length novel where before we had been given only short stories and novellas. It is in this setting that we see the mind of the Bolo laid open.

Political wrangling takes hold of a world that stood on the brink of destruction and thrusts it into cultural de-evolution. The Bolo sent to defend the planet is used to enforce an agenda of totalitarianism upon a free people, leading them down to the very gates of Hell.

But the Bolo was given a mind of its own. A time for choosing will arise . . .

This tale takes the Bolo and its limitations through a fantastic tale sure to grab the hearts and minds of all of the fans of the Bolo.

Worth buying!

Rating:
Summary: A Higher Duty
Review: The Road to Damascus is a Bolo Brigade novel. This series was created by Keith Laumer, who is known for putting these powerful intelligent fighting machines in difficult political and moral situations. Now the authors of this novel carry that treatment one step further.

Unit SOL-0045, Sonny, a Mark XX Bolo, was brought to the planet Jefferson to guard against an invasion by the Deng. Although these aliens have raided worlds in this sector in the past, now they have been forced out of their own home worlds by other aliens and have been seizing human worlds for their refugees. Sonny and his commander, Simon Khrustinov, arrived just in time for the alien breakthrough.

Kafari Camar returned from her offworld schooling on Mali just prior to the alien landings. She was flying home when the invasion stranded her in Klameth Canyon within the Ghamal family cellar. Unfortunately, a Deng ship has landed on the other side of the road and aliens soldiers were moving into the farmyard.

Sonny, Simon and Kafari all become war heroes. After the war, Sonny and Simon are permanently assigned to Jefferson to guard against a recurrence of the alien invasion. Simon and Kafari fall in love, marry and have a little girl named Yalena.

In this novel, Vittori Santorin, a ruthless yet charming politician, is elected as President of Jefferson, despite some irregularities in absentee ballots. Santorin gradually turns Jefferson into a police state. When Simon and Kafari disappear, Santorin uses his position to convince Sonny to assist him in destroying rebel forces.

Sonny is not happy with obeying orders from Santorin, especially after his government uses war gasses against protesters and viral agents against Granger rebels in Klameth Canyon. However, Sonny believes that he is duty bound to obey orders from the government. Then he is sent into Klameth Canyon to destroy the remaining rebel forces.

On his way to the dam at the head of the canyon, Sonny encounters a young child with a toy popgun and a stuffed animal. The youngster refuses to let Sonny pass because the noise will wake up his mother. Sonny finds that he cannot force himself to hurt the child in any way. His tracks lock up, his guns won't fire and, after one attempt, he can't even make a loud noise. Something in his primary programming is blocking his effector systems.

This story takes place in a familiar milieu and is written by two popular authors. Although probably not a candidate for high awards, this story should be a comfortable and fun read for most fans of military science fiction. Moreover, Sonny's psychological journey to realize the nature of his primary duty greatly increases the fun.

Highly recommended for Bolo Brigade fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of intelligent machines dealing with moral dilemmas.

-Arthur W. Jordin

Rating:
Summary: Military science fiction meets the Socialist State
Review: The Road To Damascus, by co-authors John Ringo and Linda Evans. Set in the future, a nasty three-way war comes to the planet Jefferson. But the destruction and death of that war are nothing compared to the danger of the reconstruction afterwards, at the hands of people who want "only the best" for their citizens...and will stop at nothing to create it.

Caught in the middle of this is a giant, AI-run machine of war known as a Bolo. Obsolete and abandoned, it is used as an instrument of an oppresion it does not understand, as it carries out increasingly bloody actions in support of what was once a free and prosperous society, and now is little more than a brutal socialist welfare state.

Bolos were created by Keith Laumer, and have been the subject of several novels and short stories. They are to mere tanks what tanks might be to the Pharoh's chariots. "Historically" they evolved from the highly automated battle tanks of the 21st century; in fact some contemporary tankers who read Bolo stories call the M1 Abrams MBT the "Mark I Bolo" due to it's high degree of computerization. Intelligent machines of war, they are the ultimate war machines, designed to defend humanity from its enemies.

But what if those enemies are human? That is the question faced by Unit of the Line SOL-0045, also known as "Sonny." Ringo and Evans are top notch authors, and they spare few punches looking at the fundamental self-defeating politics of the left, while simultaneously portraying the tortured psyche of a machine caught between duty and honor. Likewise caught betwen friendship, family, and duty are two people fighting against Sonny -- Sonny's former commander and his wife, who are at the same time, desperately tyring to save their daughter from the clutches of the State. I recommend this book, whether you like military yarns, political intrigue, or love stories, it's got something for everyone.