Retief of the CDT (Retief, volume 7) by Keith Laumer

One mid-ranked functionary stands between hapless aliens and the
menace presented by both the imperialist Groaci and the diplomat's
own organization.

https://jamesdavisnicoll.com/review/the-paper-they-were-signing
--
My reviews can be found at http://jamesdavisnicoll.com/
My tor pieces at https://www.tor.com/author/james-davis-nicoll/
My Dreamwidth at https://james-davis-nicoll.dreamwidth.org/
My patreon is at https://www.patreon.com/jamesdnicoll

On Sunday, June 25, 2023 at 2:11:11 PM UTC+1, James Nicoll wrote:
> Retief of the CDT (Retief, volume 7) by Keith Laumer
>
> One mid-ranked functionary stands between hapless aliens and the
> menace presented by both the imperialist Groaci and the diplomat's
> own organization.
>
> https://jamesdavisnicoll.com/review/the-paper-they-were-signing
> --
> My reviews can be found at http://jamesdavisnicoll.com/
> My tor pieces at https://www.tor.com/author/james-davis-nicoll/
> My Dreamwidth at https://james-davis-nicoll.dreamwidth.org/
> My patreon is at https://www.patreon.com/jamesdnicoll
I enjoyed these stories a lot - I can immediately put my hands on my copies of "Retief at Large" and "Retief of the CDT" and I think I have a copy of "The Return of Retief" around somewhere.

These are very obviously inspired by the cold war in Third World countries, with the CDT being the US and the Groaci the USSR - in the story "Pime Doesn't Cray" the alien world ecourages role-swapping, and the CDT are inspired to subvert expectations by funding the construction of a Bolshoi-type Ballet theatre, onlly to find that the dastardly Groaci had decided to surprise their opponents by funding the construction of a Yankee-Stadium style sports arena.

To me the part of the series that strains my suspension of disbelief most is the contrast between Retief and the rest of the CDT - Retief is not only the juniormost employee who has more functioning brain cells than the rest of the office put together. He is impressively built, a natural athlete, irresistable to women, and has a jocular, slightly condescening, manner which ensures co-operation from a variety of sidekicks native to the planet in question. His superiors are not only stupid, but diverted by pointless bureaucratic politics and corruption, and with exactly the build and athletic ability you would expect from a lifetype of cocktail parties and ten hour meetings. It is difficult not to wonder what Retief is doing in this company (except from saving Terra, I suppose).

Thre are some nice one-liners in there. I cannot find it quickly, so I may have this slightly wrong, but I remember liking something like "The role of the CDT is to maintain interstellar tensions at a level just short of open war" (the speaker intended to speak about preserving the peace, but since we are talking about a CDT employee other than Retief, mistakes were made).

In article <dd3836f9-ae88-472d-8b4a-8b1d0d383010n@googlegroups.com>,
Andrew McDowell <mcdowell_ag@sky.com> wrote:
>On Sunday, June 25, 2023 at 2:11:11 PM UTC+1, James Nicoll wrote:
>> Retief of the CDT (Retief, volume 7) by Keith Laumer
>>
>> One mid-ranked functionary stands between hapless aliens and the
>> menace presented by both the imperialist Groaci and the diplomat's
>> own organization.
>>
>> https://jamesdavisnicoll.com/review/the-paper-they-were-signing
>> --
>> My reviews can be found at http://jamesdavisnicoll.com/
>> My tor pieces at https://www.tor.com/author/james-davis-nicoll/
>> My Dreamwidth at https://james-davis-nicoll.dreamwidth.org/
>> My patreon is at https://www.patreon.com/jamesdnicoll
>I enjoyed these stories a lot - I can immediately put my hands on my
>copies of "Retief at Large" and "Retief of the CDT" and I think I have a
>copy of "The Return of Retief" around somewhere.
>
>These are very obviously inspired by the cold war in Third World
>countries, with the CDT being the US and the Groaci the USSR - in the
>story "Pime Doesn't Cray" the alien world ecourages role-swapping, and
>the CDT are inspired to subvert expectations by funding the construction
>of a Bolshoi-type Ballet theatre, onlly to find that the dastardly
>Groaci had decided to surprise their opponents by funding the
>construction of a Yankee-Stadium style sports arena.
>
>To me the part of the series that strains my suspension of disbelief
>most is the contrast between Retief and the rest of the CDT - Retief is
>not only the juniormost employee who has more functioning brain cells
>than the rest of the office put together. He is impressively built, a
>natural athlete, irresistable to women, and has a jocular, slightly
>condescening, manner which ensures co-operation from a variety of
>sidekicks native to the planet in question. His superiors are not only
>stupid, but diverted by pointless bureaucratic politics and corruption,
>and with exactly the build and athletic ability you would expect from a
>lifetype of cocktail parties and ten hour meetings. It is difficult not
>to wonder what Retief is doing in this company (except from saving
>Terra, I suppose).
>
>Thre are some nice one-liners in there. I cannot find it quickly, so I
>may have this slightly wrong, but I remember liking something like "The
>role of the CDT is to maintain interstellar tensions at a level just
>short of open war" (the speaker intended to speak about preserving the
>peace, but since we are talking about a CDT employee other than Retief,
>mistakes were made).

(Hal Heydt)
Laumer spent some time as a Military Attache in SE Asia. It's
what he saw on the ground that he's spoofing.

In article <dd3836f9-ae88-472d-8b4a-8b1d0d383010n@googlegroups.com>,
Andrew McDowell <mcdowell_ag@sky.com> wrote:
>On Sunday, June 25, 2023 at 2:11:11 PM UTC+1, James Nicoll wrote:
>> Retief of the CDT (Retief, volume 7) by Keith Laumer
>>
>> One mid-ranked functionary stands between hapless aliens and the
>> menace presented by both the imperialist Groaci and the diplomat's
>> own organization.
>>
>> https://jamesdavisnicoll.com/review/the-paper-they-were-signing
>> --
>> My reviews can be found at http://jamesdavisnicoll.com/
>> My tor pieces at https://www.tor.com/author/james-davis-nicoll/
>> My Dreamwidth at https://james-davis-nicoll.dreamwidth.org/
>> My patreon is at https://www.patreon.com/jamesdnicoll
>I enjoyed these stories a lot - I can immediately put my hands on my
>copies of "Retief at Large" and "Retief of the CDT" and I think I have a
>copy of "The Return of Retief" around somewhere.
>
>These are very obviously inspired by the cold war in Third World
>countries, with the CDT being the US and the Groaci the USSR - in the
>story "Pime Doesn't Cray" the alien world ecourages role-swapping, and
>the CDT are inspired to subvert expectations by funding the construction
>of a Bolshoi-type Ballet theatre, onlly to find that the dastardly
>Groaci had decided to surprise their opponents by funding the
>construction of a Yankee-Stadium style sports arena.
>
>To me the part of the series that strains my suspension of disbelief
>most is the contrast between Retief and the rest of the CDT - Retief is
>not only the juniormost employee who has more functioning brain cells
>than the rest of the office put together. He is impressively built, a
>natural athlete, irresistable to women, and has a jocular, slightly
>condescening, manner which ensures co-operation from a variety of
>sidekicks native to the planet in question. His superiors are not only
>stupid, but diverted by pointless bureaucratic politics and corruption,
>and with exactly the build and athletic ability you would expect from a
>lifetype of cocktail parties and ten hour meetings. It is difficult not
>to wonder what Retief is doing in this company (except from saving
>Terra, I suppose).
>

Retief is from Port Royal, and apparently his family is a very big
deal there. This is very important somehow, as is why he is in the
CDT. Unfortunately, by the time Laumer got around to starting to
explain Retief's backstory, he was no longer able to do so in a
comprehensible way.
--
columbiaclosings.com
What's not in Columbia anymore..

On Sunday, June 25, 2023 at 9:11:11 AM UTC-4, James Nicoll wrote:
> Retief of the CDT (Retief, volume 7) by Keith Laumer
>
> One mid-ranked functionary stands between hapless aliens and the
> menace presented by both the imperialist Groaci and the diplomat's
> own organization.
>
> https://jamesdavisnicoll.com/review/the-paper-they-were-signing

Laumer stretched the formula just a bit.

Magnan grows smarter as the series goes on. This may be because he notices that,
scary as things might get, he is often promoted after working with Retief. Or because
he was young enough in the first stories to have some learning ability left..

One or two of the bosses are deluded but eventually come around.

And there's one story where a Groaci is the good guy.

Laumer's better fiction took longer to write, and made less money. When he
finally got a chance at the Nebula, the anti-NW faction took it away in order
to "punish" Orbit.

William Hyde

In article <4e6ec16d-d4ed-4b77-b066-f36fb1d75a8cn@googlegroups.com>,
William Hyde <wthyde1953@gmail.com> wrote:

> On Sunday, June 25, 2023 at 9:11:11?AM UTC-4, James Nicoll wrote:
> > Retief of the CDT (Retief, volume 7) by Keith Laumer
> >
> > One mid-ranked functionary stands between hapless aliens and the
> > menace presented by both the imperialist Groaci and the diplomat's
> > own organization.
> >
> > https://jamesdavisnicoll.com/review/the-paper-they-were-signing
>
> Laumer stretched the formula just a bit.

I have always thought that the stories in _Envoy to New Worlds_ and
_Galactic Diplomat_ were better than the later stories.

--
"We have advanced to new and surprising levels of bafflement."
Imperial Auditor Miles Vorkosigan describes progress in _Komarr_.
—-----------------------------------------------------
Robert Woodward robertaw@drizzle.com

In article <robertaw-2E1BA7.21533425062023@news.individual.net>,
Robert Woodward <robertaw@drizzle.com> wrote:
>In article <4e6ec16d-d4ed-4b77-b066-f36fb1d75a8cn@googlegroups.com>,
> William Hyde <wthyde1953@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> On Sunday, June 25, 2023 at 9:11:11?AM UTC-4, James Nicoll wrote:
>> > Retief of the CDT (Retief, volume 7) by Keith Laumer
>> >
>> > One mid-ranked functionary stands between hapless aliens and the
>> > menace presented by both the imperialist Groaci and the diplomat's
>> > own organization.
>> >
>> > https://jamesdavisnicoll.com/review/the-paper-they-were-signing
>>
>> Laumer stretched the formula just a bit.
>
>I have always thought that the stories in _Envoy to New Worlds_ and
>_Galactic Diplomat_ were better than the later stories.
>
>--
>"We have advanced to new and surprising levels of bafflement."
>Imperial Auditor Miles Vorkosigan describes progress in _Komarr_.
>—-----------------------------------------------------
>Robert Woodward robertaw@drizzle.com

_Envoy To New Worlds_ is my favorite. Not a clinker in that bunch:

"Protocol"
"Sealed Orders"
"Cultural Exchange"
"Aide Memoire"
"Policy"
"Palace Revolution"
--
columbiaclosings.com
What's not in Columbia anymore..

James Nicoll wrote:
> Retief of the CDT (Retief, volume 7) by Keith Laumer
>
> One mid-ranked functionary stands between hapless aliens and the
> menace presented by both the imperialist Groaci and the diplomat's
> own organization.
>
I was directed to one Retief story by a comment that it included a wheeled alien. Whatever book that was, before getting to them I read a robbery where the sophonts were given an order to the effect of putting their manipulators over their brain cases. The wheeled alien was explored with that level of detail. I've since ran across a few stories I was able to enjoy by not having aniticipation.

(For those who think the Retief on the Baen covers look familiar, Wayne Barlowe says he was modeled on actor Corbin Bernsen. The way he writes it, this sounds like a paid modeling job. This would have been just before he got the job on LA Law, a bit before his part in the "Major League" movies, and way before his role on Psych.)

--
-Jack

James Nicoll wrote:

>Retief of the CDT (Retief, volume 7) by Keith Laumer
>
>One mid-ranked functionary stands between hapless aliens and the
>menace presented by both the imperialist Groaci and the diplomat's
>own organization.

There were a few times when there were some deviations from the
formula. The one with mud planet (not in this book), "Clear as Mud"
(aka "Grime and Punishment"), had a new ambassador arrive who was not
the usual flabby bureaucrat.

Unfortunately, while a fit, take-charge guy, he was also hasty and
bullheaded, with actions taken withough proper information
precipitating a crisis. He and Retief had a "discussion" of the sort
that involved exchange of large fists. But after the invevitable Retief
victory, he came along to help.

Brian

In article <kfradgFu381U1@mid.individual.net>,
Ted Nolan <tednolan> <tednolan> wrote:
>Retief is from Port Royal, and apparently his family is a very big
>deal there. This is very important somehow, as is why he is in the
>CDT. Unfortunately, by the time Laumer got around to starting to
>explain Retief's backstory, he was no longer able to do so in a
>comprehensible way.

(Hal Heydt)
S

p

o

i

l

e

r

Retief is the hir to the Empire of the Lily. Some of that
(including his very high military rank) is revealed in _Retief's
War_.

In article <7ea8b6c8-4b04-4cb5-a2d4-b37ae0cff339n@googlegroups.com>,
Jack Bohn <jack.bohn64@gmail.com> wrote:
>James Nicoll wrote:
>> Retief of the CDT (Retief, volume 7) by Keith Laumer
>>
>> One mid-ranked functionary stands between hapless aliens and the
>> menace presented by both the imperialist Groaci and the diplomat's
>> own organization.
>>
>I was directed to one Retief story by a comment that it included a
>wheeled alien. Whatever book that was, before getting to them I read a
>robbery where the sophonts were given an order to the effect of putting
>their manipulators over their brain cases. The wheeled alien was
>explored with that level of detail. I've since ran across a few stories
>I was able to enjoy by not having aniticipation.

(Hal Heydt)
That's _Retief's War_.