SOLVED. SF, declined civilization, AI found in catacombs [s]

[Jesper]

I was recommended this book by someone that I met but do not know - unfortunately he couldn't remember the author or title. I'll write down everything he told me about the plot in hopes that someone recognizes it.

Genre: SF (with parts in historical-level technology)

A star-spanning civilization has gone in decline, and planets have back-slid in technology to varying degrees. On one of the planets, where technology has slid to about 18th or 19th century level, a young man (boy?) on a dare (or a bet?) explores the catacombs under a city. Before the decline there was a city in the same place, and the catacombs are from the old city. The young man penetrates deeper into the catacombs than anyone before him, and finds a computer system that was the administrator for that region of space. The computer then recruits the young man to help it take control of the world, bring back lost technology and then take over the other planets in the region, so that the computer can get back to administering them.

I won't be able to say for sure if any suggestions are correct, so I'll mark it solved if something that seems likely enough is suggested.

[Andy]

Could this be David Weber's Off Armageddon's Reef series?

[Kris]

Safehold (Off Armageddon Reef) series by David Weber for Andy's suggestion - https://www.goodreads.com/series/5871...

[Jesper]

Thanks, but it can't be. I've read those, and I recommended them to the person who gave me the recommendation to this one - he hadn't read them.

Besides, it doesn't fit - only one planet left, and no computer in old catacombs. It's a good series, though.

[Andy]

Jesper wrote: "Thanks, but it can't be. I've read those, and I recommended them to the person who gave me the recommendation to this one - he hadn't read them.

Besides, it doesn't fit - only one planet left, and..."

Thanks. I'll keep thinking.

[Andy]

How about "The Cosmic Computer" (also known as "Junkyard Planet" by H. Beam Piper http://www.troynovant.com/Franson/Pip...

[Jesper]

I don't think so - it's missing the 18th century technology level. Also, as I understood the description I got, the presence of the computer wasn't known before. Thanks for trying. :) (I think I'll read that one anyway, it sounds interesting.)

[Ann aka Iftcan]

Probably NOT it, but I'm going to throw it out there any way, is Anne McCaffrey's Dragon Rider's of Pern series. Starting in The White Dragon the people on Pern start to find the odd piece of technology from their ancestor's landing on Pern (Pern is actually an acronym that means Parallel Earth Resources Negible)
There is a computer found (eventually) that helps to bring the planet back up to near technology levels. All the Weyrs of Pern and The Dolphins of Pern, if I'm remembering correctly, deal with this discovery and work. The technology level on the planet is definitely more akin to Middle Ages than to modern times.

[Jesper]

Ann aka Iftcan wrote: "Probably NOT it, but I'm going to throw it out there any way"

Probably not - I have a hard time picturing anyone describing that series without mentioning dragons. Thanks for the attempt, though.

[Jesper]

Bump

[Jesper]

Bump

[Physarium]

Maybe it is "The Memory of Earth" by Orson Scott Card.

Humanity has lived for 40 million years on a planet called Harmony, after leaving an Earth that has been destroyed by human conflict. In order not to repeat the mistakes that led to the destruction of civilization on Earth, a computer, known as the Oversoul, was left as guardian of this planet.

Its main mission was to prevent humans from developing technologies that could make wars a global affair. For that, humans were genetically modified so they could communicate with the Oversoul. The Oversoul uses this connection to make humans quite easily distracted when thinking about forbidden technologies, leading them to forget that train of thought. However, after this long time the Oversoul is beginning to fail, and it chooses a group of humans to return to Earth in search of the Keeper of Earth, in the hopes it will be able to find a way to maintain power over the people on Harmony.

[Kris]

The Memory of Earth by Orson Scott Card for Physarium's suggestion.

[Justanotherbiblophile]

Seriously, Andy didn't get this one already? [edit] What?!?, I see now that Andy's not read this series. Andy, you've got work to do too :D

This is the Raj Whitehall series; starting with The Forge.

You should look for the two omnibuses which contain all 6 books in the first series. There's a related series that comes after it.

They'll go quick, so make sure you've got them all lined up - and some spare time.

[Andy]

Justanotherbiblophile wrote: "Seriously, Andy didn't get this one already? What?!?, I see now that Andy's not read this series. Andy, you've got work to do too :D

It's now on the list to be read - thanks!

[Isabel (kittiwake)]

This could be Walter M. Miller's story "Big Joe and the Nth Generation", which I read in his collections The View from the Stars and The Darfsteller And Other Stories. The boy has to pass some tests such as treading on the right pattern of tiles in order for the computer to accept him as a computer technician, and then he and the computer restart the machinery to recycle the air/produce more air (I think the planet was slowly losing its atmosphere and would have become uninhabitable).

[Jesper]

Justanotherbiblophile wrote: "This is the Raj Whitehall series; starting with The Forge."

That looks very promising. I'll put this as solved as least until I've gotten hold of it and can see how well it fits. Thank you.

Physarium & Isabel: Thanks, those look interesting, but doesn't quite fit the description I got.

Thanks to everyone that suggested books. :)

[Jesper]

Justanotherbiblophile wrote: "This is the Raj Whitehall series; starting with The Forge."

I got hold of it (the ebook is available for free at http://baencd.thefifthimperium.com/15...), have read the first omnibus, and this is definately the right one.
Thanks.