Vulcan’s Hammer – Philip K. Dick

 Vulcan’s Hammer might be one of the lesser works of Dick, true, but it remains an interesting novel narrating of a world ruled by computers as only Dick could do.

In this planet Earth of the future, all major decisions—in every field—are taken by a supercomputer known as Vulcan. The computer processes data are provided by “Directors” of the various states the world is divided into.

But not everyone agrees to be controlled by a computer. The organization or, rather, a political-religious sect of the “Healers” wants man to take the reins back and make the decision process one where all citizens can participate in the management of public affairs. But Vulcan is so powerful that it becomes self-conscious when it faces the danger of being destroyed.

Objective, impartial and hyper rational, Vulcan has all the characteristics to be the perfect ruler. The giant and omnipotent computer decides what policy is in the best interests of all citizens, or at least, that’s the idea. But when the machine—whose rules are independent of chaos and war—begins to lose control over the movement of religious fanatics called the Healers, who preach the destruction of Vulcan, and the active participation of citizens in public affairs, all hell breaks loose. William Barris, Director of North America, is torn by moral conflicts: he is, potentially, the only person able to prevent the battle for control of the power that would destroy the world, but first he has to decide which side to take.

Written in 1960, the paranoid novel by Philip K. Dick imagined a totalitarian state where machines terrorize citizens and freedom seem to predict Hawking’s doomsday warning that humans will disappear when AI will become self-conscious aware. Universally recognized as the best science fiction writer of his time, Philip K. Dick evokes with extraordinary lucidity, through unknown worlds and beyond, the obsessions that still dominate our society and ourselves with an actuality that surprises contemporary readers in each of his novels.

If you believe you’ve never seen/read anything from Philip K. Dick, think again.

Philip K. Dick was born in Chicago on December 16, 1928. In 1955 he released his first novel, Solar Lottery. In the course of a life marked by economic difficulties, he writes masterpieces as The Man in the High Castle which won the Hugo Award, and Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, that inspired Blade Runner by Ridley Scott, and Ubik, The Minority Report that made to the big screen with the movie of the same title, featuring Tom Cruise,

He died March 2, 1982, of a stroke. The reputation of Philip K. Dick owes much to the film adaptations, including Total Recall (1990), Screamers, (1995) Impostor (2002), Minority Report (2002), Paycheck (2003), A Scanner Darkly (2006),  Next (2008), with Nicholas Cage, based on the story The Golden Man.

Philip K. Dick is considered one of the most important authors of American SF after World War II.

Massimo Marino is a scientist envisioning science fiction. He spent years at CERN and The Lawrence Berkeley Lab followed by lead positions with Apple, Inc. and the World Economic Forum. He is also co-founder of “Squares on Blue”, a Big Data Analytics service company.
Massimo currently lives in France and crosses the border with Switzerland multiple times daily, although he is no smuggler.

As a scientist writing science fiction, he went from smashing particles at accelerators at SLAC and CERN to smashing words on a computer screen. Is is now an author with Booktrope Publishing,  LCC.

He’s the author of multi-awarded Daimones Trilogy.

His novels have received the Seal of Excellency from both AwesomeIndies.net and IndiePENdents.org

• 2012 PRG Reviewer’s Choice Award Winner in Science Fiction

• 2013 Hall of Fame – Best in Science Fiction, Quality Reads UK Book Club
• 2013 PRG Reviewer’s Choice Award Winner in Science Fiction Series
• 2014 Finalist – Science Fiction – Indie Excellence Awards L.A.
• 2014 Award Winner – Science Fiction Honorable Mention – Readers’ Favorite Annual Awards

His novels are available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble (Nook), iTunes Apple Store, and many other retailers around the world.

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