John Keith Laumer (1925–1993) was an American science fiction writer who gained fame as a talented, inventive, and prolific author. He used almost the entire palette of modern adventure science fiction - time travel, parallel worlds, alien space races, and star wars. Laumer was never a great science fiction writer. For example, he never managed to win a single prestigious award, although he was nominated for Hugo and Nebula six times. He could be called a typical commercial author—and a very successful one—if not for one thing. Usually the opuses of such “businessmen” do not live long - out of sight, out of mind. But Laumer’s books to this day are firmly included in the golden fund of American science fiction: “Imperium”, “Retief”, “Dinosaur Coast”... Contents: Retief (cycle) Lafayette O'Leary (cycle) Imperium (cycle) Thread of Memory Dinosaur Coast Time Machine jokesGalactic OdysseyTime TrapNight of IllusionsTreasures of the StarsPlanet of CatastrophesEarth's BloodJudson's EdenRace of the PlanetsAnd become a heroBefore the thunder strikesAnother skyTest of strengthOnce upon a time there was a giantDestroyers of planetsStories (collection)