In the aftermath of a galactic civil war, the planet of Poictesme finds itself stocked with military hardware, but not much else. However, rumors abound that a super computer could be hidden among the scrap. Conn Maxwell is sent to Terra to find out about the super computer and return with proof of its existence. Maxwell finds hints about a Project Merlin, but can’t verify the super computer is on Poictesme. While the government gives up the search for the super computer, Maxwell continues alone. Of course there are some surprises amid the twist and turns of the plot. I loved H. Beam Piper’s works–SPACE VIKING, LITTLE FUZZY–when I was a kid. I’ve had THE COSMIC COMPUTER for decades and only got around to reading it this week. It’s fun space opera if you’re in the mood for that genre.
Read this one some years back. Piper is a long time favorite.
I loved H. Beam Piper when I was kid, Randy. I read everything he wrote way back when.
Now that’s what I call a cover. I’ve never read the book, but I’ve read a good bit of Piper and liked all of it.
I love that robot cover, too, Bill. H. Beam Piper is a truly underrated writer.
I always liked Piper, but he had a habit of naming all of his spear carriers so that reading him was sometimes confusing. Supposedly John W. Campbell would not buy some of his stories because they had too many characters.
Piper liked a cast of thousands, Stan.
I also loved Piper’s work over the years. May have to dig one out for a FFB.
Not only did I enjoy H. Beam Piper’s work for ACE Books, Scott, but I loved the covers. SPACE VIKING might be my favorite. I’d love to read your review of a H. Beam Piper novel for FFB!
PIper was one of the default writers for me. Weekly I’d go to the newsstand with three dollars and change from my paper route and look through all the books and magazines. The mags I bought without question, sf, Manhunt, EQ, Shayne, (never a big AH fan). That left me enough for a pb or two. Or sometimes three. That’s where I really had to think things over because there were usually five or six new pbs. When nothing else appealed to me and I still had forty cents I’d buy a Piper. Then one day I realized that I really liked his stuff so he moved up to Always Buy. He was fun.
I operated in a similar fashion, Ed. I mowed lawns to make extra money and almost all of that cash went into books and magazines. It didn’t take long for H. Beam Piper to be an Always Buy for me, too!
I really like the Piper I’ve read, which makes me wonder why I’ve not read more. I have particularly enjoyed the MINISTRY OF DISTURBANCE books and of course the PARATIME stuff. Yes, the Fuzzy books too. I think it’s time for NESFA to bring out an H. Beam Piper omnibus.
This is one of those I haven’t read.
I would buy a H. Beam Piper omnibus volume from NESFA, Rick. I’d even buy two or three volumes if they wanted to reprint Piper’s entire oeuvre.