Michaelmas

Algis Budrys

Sep 2011 · Hachette UK

About this ebook

Michaelmas and Domino, man and computer, were linked to each other, and to the complete database of Earth. There they virtually ruled the world. For by making the right subtle manipulations, they had the power to change the course of human destiny.

Then came the day they discovered that someone - or something - was resurrecting the dead! And when Astronaut Norwood, assumed killed in a shuttle crash, suddenly reappeared, apparently willing and able to control a crucial exploratory mission to the Outer Worlds. Michaelmas knew it was time to act - before the unknown intruders had time to mastermind the doom of all mankind.

Ratings and reviews

An old favourite I read every few years and arguably his best. Reminiscent of The Shockwave Rider in that the protagonist has almost total access to information through computers and this gives them the power to shape society for what they hope is the better. Also nowadays seems quite prescient about the power of correlating data, working with AI agents, and the influence and power of the mass media. If you ran the world what would your day job be?

About the author

Algis Budrys (1931-2008) Born in East Prussia in 1931, Budrys and his family were sent to the United States when he was just five. After studying at the University of Miami and Columbia University, Budrys turned his hand to both writing and publishing science fiction. Over the years he worked as an editor, manager and reviewer for various publishing houses, while maintaining an impressive output of fiction and editing his own magazine, Tomorrow Speculative Fiction. He was shortlisted for numerous awards, including the Hugo and the Nebula, for his fiction and critical non-fiction. He died in 2008.