A mixed bag of mid 1960s SF that demonstrates both the prevalent weaknesses of SF of that time and the occasional item of interest. Laumer was one of the more popular American authors of that period, famous primarily for two series of stories and novels: The cynical Retief series about an ambassador to the stars, and the Bolo series about a variety of large intelligent war machines.

This collection has one of the early Bolo stories, The Last Command. Implausible in set up (a Bolo has been buried and somehow forgotten until a highway project awakens it and it begins a slow trek to destroy the nearest city) and very imitative of Heinlein in characterization, it's an enjoyable read that could make an OK action film.

Most of the other stories that are either throwaways with premises that exist solely to set up a punchline or crisis (Prototaph, The Exterminator, Mind Out of Time), or bad action-adventures, including the impossible to follow pulp detective style Worldmaster, the forgettable colonist rebellion piece Founder's Day, and the anti-abortion screed The Lawgiver. These stories are aall male, all white, with minimal world development, and of no value today.

Then there's the title story, Once There Was a Giant. While still all male, this would fit in with any collection of modern space opera. The story is pared down to just two people. Time is taken to develop relationships. Much is left unsaid. When technology appears, it operates at time scales and energies beyond human, but never dominates the story. Info dumps are avoided. Background information is held and revealed at the natural moment.

While the collection is not recommended, Once There Was a Giant is. ( )

This is one of my favorite stories - the SF aspect could be removed without a loss, really is an incidental setting. Just an excellent story. ( )