The Road to Damascus (Bolo)

If you like the work of Niven, Pournelle, and Laumer, you'll love this book. The characters are well done and the plot moves quickly along as with books by Niven or Pournelle. Do you have some books you come back to and read again after a couple years away? This will likely be one of them. This book alone convinced me find and acquire any similar books by John Ringo.

I'm glad I'm done with this one. Now I can get some sleep. This is much better fare from Ringo than the Posleen wars.

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!

I know that most will call this a military science fiction, and with good reason. However, as is the case with good science fiction, there is more than space opera. It contains a biting social commentary and insight. If I were to issue a complaint it was that they went a bit too far. However, watching current events makes it clear that it is hard to overstate some people's perfidy, and other's gullibility.

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