The Three Suns of Amara/The Automated Goliath

by William F. Temple

Barcelona. 17 cm. 132 p. Encuadernación en tapa blanda de editorial. Colección 'Ciencia Ficción', numero coleccion(4). Traductor del inglés, Carlos Seror Rute .. Este libro es de segunda mano y tiene o puede tener marcas y señales de su anterior propietario. 8474490111

Genres: Science Fiction

221 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1962

About the author

William Frederick Temple was a British science fiction writer.

Reviews

[Roddy Williams · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Automated Goliath

'Man - yes; Machine - no!

While the age of automation had brought leisure and luxury to Earth, it was also bringing disaster down upon the human race. For a group of unmerciful migratory monsters settled down on Earth, to enjoy for themselves the results of our progress. In no time at all, they would be able to turn the world of automation into one single master machine, which they alone would control.'

Blurb from the 1962 F-129 Ace paperback edition


Magellan is intrigued when a rather forceful woman insists that she will be buying his home in Hampstead. Little does Magellan realise that the woman is working on behalf of the Mackees, alien invaders who have exploited humanity's need for automation in order to take control of the planet.
Magellan, and presumably Temple, is against the impersonal automation of the jobs that humans used to do. In an odd moment of prescient extrapolation he describes a time when one may visit a bank and not speak to a human teller at all. In fact, your withdrawal will be dispensed from a machine along with a printed receipt showing your balance.
Imagine that!
The Mackees also have devices built into TVs that can mass-hypnotise the world so their victory is soon complete.
It is up to Magellan to defeat the invaders and take back the Earth.
It's nice to see a British view of such shenanigans. The action, a refreshing change, is centred in the UK and, at the finale, an alien world.
It's definitely one of the more readable Ace Doubles, oddly structured with other character viewpoints in a couple of sections, but is not really anything out of the ordinary.

[Howell Murray · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read both stories when I was 10 or 11 and remembered them fondly, so read them again to see how they held up decades later. Well, I can see why I liked them the first time, but was able to see the flaws as an adult. Automated Goliath was a fun adventure as a kid, but it was too simplistic for an adult. Very simplistic, with many conflicts resolving by chance (sure was fortunate that EARTHQUAKE showed up when it did!) or lucky guesses, and minimal characterization. Three Suns held up better, with an attempt at characterization and development and theme. A rating of three more from fond memories than rational analysis.

[SciFiOne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ace Double Novel F129
Three Suns of Amara grade C
Automated Goliath not read