The Night of the Trolls

"The Night of the Trolls" by Keith Laumer is a science fiction novel written in the early 1960s. The story revolves around a character named Jackson, who emerges from a long state of suspended animation to find a post-apocalyptic world in chaos. He grapples with the absence of his family and the eerie silence of a once-busy military research facility where he had been undergoing tests, facing new and dangerous adversaries amidst a backdrop of decayed technology and rogue military units. The opening portion of the book introduces Jackson's disorientation as he awakens alone, feeling unwell and confused in a facility that has fallen silent. His exploration reveals an abandoned and damaged environment with hints of past violence and a threat still lurking in the form of an automated combat machine known as a Bolo. As he pieces together the catastrophic events that have transpired, the tension mounts with Jackson's growing realization of the desolate world outside and the potential dangers that await him, including the mysterious Baron and his soldiers. This gripping beginning sets the stage for a thrilling tale of survival, identity, and the clash between remnants of advanced technology and a dystopian society.