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26th out of 90 books
—
2 voters
The Computer Connection
A band of immortals recruit a new member, the brilliant Cherokee physicist Sequoya Guess. Dr. Guess, with the group's help, gains control of Extro, the super-computer that controls all mechanical activity on Earth. They plan to rid Earth of political repression and to further Guess's researches-which may lead to a great leap in human evolution to produce a race of supermen...more
Mass Market Paperback, 272 pages
Published
July 1st 2004
by ibooks
(first published 1975)
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I read this when it first came out, in serial form: in Analog, as I recall, but I'm not sure: we were taking quite a few SF mags at the time.
The story begins with the narrator traveling back in time to try to rescue Thomas Chatterton from his suicide by poisoning. The narrator is called the Grand Guignol by his compatriots, because he keeps trying to kill people in horrible, lingering ways and then rescue them at the eleventh hour--but he keeps botching the rescues. It's not clear why he's doing...more
The story begins with the narrator traveling back in time to try to rescue Thomas Chatterton from his suicide by poisoning. The narrator is called the Grand Guignol by his compatriots, because he keeps trying to kill people in horrible, lingering ways and then rescue them at the eleventh hour--but he keeps botching the rescues. It's not clear why he's doing...more
Although in the introduction of the edition I read, the always over-the-top Harlan Ellison does a fantastic job convincing you that this book is the equal of Bester's greats, 'The Demolished Man' and 'The Stars My Destination', it isn't quite in that class.
Don't let that put you off, however. The Computer Connection packs in more wacky offbeat ideas in a single book than most writers have in a lifetime, and it is all done at a breakneck velocity fast enough to pass the likes of Michael Marshall...more
Don't let that put you off, however. The Computer Connection packs in more wacky offbeat ideas in a single book than most writers have in a lifetime, and it is all done at a breakneck velocity fast enough to pass the likes of Michael Marshall...more
The first third of the book crackles with energy. Ideas leap off the page with the ferocity of a Chinese firecracker on steroids, unmatched by any other author except Gaiman.
Past the halfway point, the story settles down and pulls you deeper. There are a couple of strong plot twists, a couple deus ex machinas, and unhappily the author chickens out and neuters said plot twists into a happy ending. That's a star off of the rating.
I suppose there could have been more exposition and resolution towar...more
Past the halfway point, the story settles down and pulls you deeper. There are a couple of strong plot twists, a couple deus ex machinas, and unhappily the author chickens out and neuters said plot twists into a happy ending. That's a star off of the rating.
I suppose there could have been more exposition and resolution towar...more
Alfred Bester is unquestionably one of the greatest sci-fi writers of all time. The Stars My Destination and The Demolished Man are absolute classics.
This book is not of the same caliber.
It's not entirely without merit - Bester does do some interesting things with language, similar to his other works. And it has some genuinely funny slapstick moments.
But for the most part it's just not very good. It moves too quickly, the gags (linguistic or otherwise) don't always work, and it all falls flat....more
This book is not of the same caliber.
It's not entirely without merit - Bester does do some interesting things with language, similar to his other works. And it has some genuinely funny slapstick moments.
But for the most part it's just not very good. It moves too quickly, the gags (linguistic or otherwise) don't always work, and it all falls flat....more
I don't have any idea what to say about this one. It's screwball sci-fi and kind of like the "Kilgore Trout" book that Philip Jose Farmer wrote with a lot less sex. It's a good read. One of the more interesting literary elements worth noting is that Bester seems to have a good feel for how language could evolve over years in a society that is global and even extra-global. It also has speculation about what the world would look like if the trends of the 60s took hold and continued indefinitely, a...more
Wow. I'm glad the blurb explains the point of this story. I didn't like it at all. He was trying to explore what might happen if a worldwide information system became sentient and took over a human body. But much like Lawnmower Man, it stank. My major issue is with his style and made-up expressions which are meant to be a new kind of Spanglish language that is used in "the future". Its just too dated to be enjoyable any more. His characters are flat and lifeless and hence, unlikeable. If you wan...more
Like all of Bester's work this novel does take some thought. But that is why I like it. You really need to think about what is going on and not just casualy skim the words. Bester makes you think. Some of the allusions may be dated but they are not beyond the grasp of modern readers.
As far as plot line goes it was not quite on par with "Stars my Destination" or "Demolished Man" but it was still pure Bester. The bare outline might run something like this: The worlds most advanced supercomputer ha...more
As far as plot line goes it was not quite on par with "Stars my Destination" or "Demolished Man" but it was still pure Bester. The bare outline might run something like this: The worlds most advanced supercomputer ha...more
Alfred Bester was one of the grandmaster class of science fiction writers. The Demolished Man and Stars my Destination are widely considered among the best of the genre. In the first one it was peepers and murder in a crimeless society; in the second it was the new human technology of jaunting and a rollicking revenge plot based on the Count of Monte Cristo. In the Computer Connection, Bester tackles a Group of immortals, or molecule men. We meet Guest, a.k.a. the Chief, a.k.a. Sequoia, a native...more
I absolutely loved some of Bester's other works, but in comparison, The Computer Connection falls flat. The plot and premise are great, but the presentation could have been better in my opinion. I still liked the story, but wanted more of something.
I know I read this. I know I did. But, I swear that I cannot remember a single thing about it. Immortals? Okay, yeah, that sounds vaguely familiar. All I remember is that it was nowhere near as good as The Stars My Destination or The Demolished Man.
i just re-read this. disclaimer: bester is one of my favorite authors of all time--i think his writing style is just incredible. but this book starts strong and then gets less and less interesting as it continues. the style is almost as neat as in 'the stars my destination' and 'demolished man', but then the plot loses its oOmph and the story doesn't seem very tight and the characters aren't as witty as you want them to be and... blah. suddenly it's over and you're left feeling that something wa...more
Crazy insane, whiplash pace, and damme if you can't see where most of today's leading SF lights got their inspiration. Wonderfully batshit tale of immortals, conspiracies and fucked-up tech. Love it.
I read the original release of this book and consider this to be the grandfather of cyberpunk novels. For all that it's a short novel it's jam packed with vivid imagery. Find it, read it.
Lo consiglierei agli amanti della Guida galattica per autostoppisti.
(Detto da uno che non ama particolarmente la Guida galattica per autostoppisti, quindi fate un po' voi)
(Detto da uno che non ama particolarmente la Guida galattica per autostoppisti, quindi fate un po' voi)
if i could give in 0/5 i would, this was terrible and i finally gave up on page 163 from 216.
Its seems to be a story of some kind where and indian man dies and comes back to life merged, in mind only, with the super computer Extro with a massive amount of nonsense filling the rest of the book.
i couldnt read anymore and had to give up. Complete rubbish, do not read.
Its seems to be a story of some kind where and indian man dies and comes back to life merged, in mind only, with the super computer Extro with a massive amount of nonsense filling the rest of the book.
i couldnt read anymore and had to give up. Complete rubbish, do not read.
A fun read the first time I read it (30 years ago) though I'm pretty sure I did understand everything then. Should read it again now.
Dec 20, 2010
Erik Graff
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Bester fans
Recommended to Erik by:
no one
Shelves:
sf
Amusing science fiction adventure by a master of the genre. Many of the characters are actual historical figures, a plus for me.
Although somewhat dated now, this is still a very good Alfred Bester novel, which means it is a very good story.
Bester's comeback novel after a 19-year layoff was packed with ideas, slang and sly jokes. Perhaps too packed, though.
I read this one a long time ago (pre-1980)
Wasn't horrible, but it was not equal to Bester's earlier novels, THE STARS MY DESTINATION and THE DEMOLISHED MAN.
This made me feel very old. There was a time when I've have found the dated hipster slang, breakneck pace and gratuitous weirdness stimulating, but now I just find it tiresome.
There are a couple of interesting ideas (the cryonauts, Extro itself) which I'd have liked to have seen treated in more depth, but the implications are glossed over in favour of random surreal imagery and irrelevant subplots.
There are a couple of interesting ideas (the cryonauts, Extro itself) which I'd have liked to have seen treated in more depth, but the implications are glossed over in favour of random surreal imagery and irrelevant subplots.
A classic, and a must-read for Sci-Fi and more specifically CyberPunk fans to know their roots.
Really bad.
May 24, 2013
Marie Jacob
added it
May 20, 2013
James
marked it as to-read
May 18, 2013
Bahms72
marked it as to-read
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American science fiction author, TV and radio scriptwriter, magazine editor and scripter for comic strips and comic books.
His novel The Demolished Man (1953) won the very first Hugo Award for best novel.
More about Alfred Bester...
His novel The Demolished Man (1953) won the very first Hugo Award for best novel.
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Jul 29, 2010 09:20pm