The Cosmic Computer

Federation #3

by H. Beam Piper

During the System States' War, Poictesme was the general HQ and supply depot for the final thrust at the enemy. When the war ended, the buildings, the munitions, the freeze-dried food supplies, were all abandoned without a thought. Now the colony world is a poverty-stricken agricultural society with only two exports: the fermented products of their world's unique grapes, and the salvaged war equipment, now selling at about 1% of its true value.

And, persisting over the decades, is the legend of MERLIN, the super-computer said to have planned the grand strategy which successfully concluded the war. "If we could only find Merlin," the inhabitants said to each other, "all our problems would be solved."

Then young Conn Maxwell returned from Earth, with a university degree, and a few clues about the location and the true nature of Merlin. And the sure knowledge that finding the Cosmic Computer would be the worst thing that could possibly happen to his home world.

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction, Audiobook, Space Opera, Ebooks, Classics, Science Fiction Fantasy

249 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1963

About the author

Henry Beam Piper was an American science fiction author. He wrote many short stories and several novels. He is best known for his extensive Terro-Human Future History series of stories and a shorter series of "Paratime" alternate history tales.

Reviews

[Saya · Rating 1 out of 5]

Lo marco como "abandonado" y "leído" a la vez básicamente por haber hecho lectura diagonal tras rebasar el 34% de la novela. No pude con ella; no entendía a los personajes ni las situaciones que propone y me aburrió tremendamente. La temática, cierto es, nunca ha sido de mi agrado. Bueno, quizá la temática sí, pero el contexto en el que se desarrolla no (humanos en varios planetas, una antigua guerra, etc), así que aunque puede que realmente sea un buen libro, no he podido con él.