The Merlin Gambit

by John F. Carr, Dietmar Arthur Wehr

THE MERLIN GAMBIT by John F. Carr & Dietmar Wehr opens five years after the events in H. Beam Piper’s classic novel, The Cosmic Computer. The planet Poictesme is in the middle of an economic boom and Conn Maxwell is both happily married and a new father. The Maxwell Plan is working even better than expected. Tri-System Interstellar spaceships are moving Poictesme’s products throughout the Terran Federation and it looks like the bad times are finally over.However, storm clouds are gathering on the horizon. Space piracy has suddenly struck out of nowhere, but the pirates are only attacking Tri-System Interstellar freighters. It appears that someone is playing a deadly chess game with Merlin and the Merlin-12 Group. These new events cause Conn Maxwell to wonder if the Federation High Command built more than one super-computer. Is it possible that a Merlin double is working against them? In an attempt to uncover their mysterious opponent, Conn makes a trip to Terra to find the answers they so desperately need. Meanwhile, an unexpected series of discoveries made on Koshchei suddenly jeopardizes not only the Maxwell plan, but very heart of the Federation. This unexpected wild-card could change the balance of power throughout humanities’ sphere of worlds, leading to the era of interstellar warfare that the Merlin-12 Group has worked so hard to prevent.

Genres: Science Fiction

272 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 17, 2014

Reviews

[Jonathan Bedsole · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Cosmic Computer is one of my all time favorite Sci-Fi books, so I was hesitant to read The Merlin Gambit. I was afraid that it would be someone else's interpretation of what the story should have been. So I reluctantly began to read. I was pleasantly surprised. The Merlin Gambit is an excellent continuation of The Cosmic Computer, continuing the story in a logical fashion. You even forget that this book was not written by Piper. The Merlin Gambit fits nicely into the H Beam Piper worlds and is a must read for Piper fans.

[Allen McDonnell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent sequel

This is a direct sequel to The Cosmic Computer aka Junkyard Planet. The personalities of the characters are well done and the story is engaging. I find too much probability about how civilisation might be pulled apart by internal factions each seeking their own advancement over all other considerations depressingly similar to current events. Recommended for all H. Beam Piper fans hungry for more stories set in his terro-human future history.

[Ronald Spitzer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable book and it works as a good sequel to The Cosmic Computer. I wish Junkyard Planet had been kept for The Cosmic Computer as the title, but that is not relevant to this review. This book logically continues the first and wraps the story up nicely.

[Stanley G Dau · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read

It's great to drop in on old friends in H. Beam Piper's universe. Well done addition to that universe. Definitely recommend.