Michaelmas (novel)

Michaelmas (novel)
Michaelmas  
Author(s) Algis Budrys
Country United States
Language English
Genre(s) Science fiction novel
Publication date 1977
Media type Print (Hardback & Paperback)

Michaelmas (1977) is a science fiction novel by Algis Budrys.

Story

The novel is set in the near future (at least at the time of writing, now actually in past time).

The public image of the eponymous protagonist, Laurent Michaelmas, is that of a world-renowned newsman. In fact, Michaelmas controls world events just as much as he reports them. His means of influence is an immensely powerful self-aware artificial intelligence called Domino, which originated as a modest telephony appliance in Michaelmas' youth. Over the years, Domino has evolved into a digital omnipresence that can penetrate and control any electronic or computerized equipment, most notably communication networks of all kinds. Domino was created by Michaelmas, and its existence is known only to him.

Domino is also the confidante and intellectual sparring partner of Michelmas, compensating in part for the loss that Michaelmas suffered when his wife was killed in an accident many years ago.

By the time of the novel, Laurent Michaelmas has successfully used his power to create and sustain world peace. One of his achievements is the success of UNAC (the fictitious United Nations Astronautics Commission). UNAC, organizing space travel as a joint international project is important to Michaelmas as a symbol of a more united world. When an astronaut believed to have been killed in a failed mission turns up miraculously saved, a threatening scenario starts to unfold. As the novel progresses, Michaelmas slowly learns that a possible extraterrestrial presence may be interfering with the new world he has worked so hard to create.

Themes

The novel is not only a fast-paced political/sci-fi thriller, but is also remarkable for its prescience, because it appeared less than a decade into the Internet era, long before its current prominence and ubiquity. The technical descriptions of near future technologies are very convincing and apparently well researched. Its description of journalism and its professional culture are likewise highly developed, mainly due to the late Budrys' residence near Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism, which appears several times in the book.

Throughout the book, many references are made to classical works of art, theater, poetry and philosophy.

Related Works

The novel incorporates features of a substantially shorter and significantly different version published in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction in 1976.


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно сделать НИР?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Michaelmas (disambiguation) — Michaelmas is a day in the Christian calendar. Michaelmas may also refer to: Michaelmas (novel), a science fiction novel by Algis Budrys Michaelmas term, the first term of the academic years of several United Kingdom universities Michaelmas Term… …   Wikipedia

  • Avatar (computing) — In computing, an avatar is the graphical representation of the user or the user s alter ego or character. It may take either a three dimensional form[1], as in games or virtual worlds, or a two dimensional form as an icon in Internet forums and… …   Wikipedia

  • John Ruskin — This article is about the art critic, John Ruskin. For the painting of John Ruskin by Millais, see John Ruskin (painting). John Ruskin Coloured engraving of Ruskin Born 8 February 1819( …   Wikipedia

  • Eton College — For the school in Canada, see Eton College (Vancouver, British Columbia). Eton College Location Windsor Berkshire SL4 6DW Eton …   Wikipedia

  • List of fictional computers — Computers have often been used as fictional objects in literature, movies and in other forms of media. Fictional computers tend to be considerably more sophisticated than anything yet devised in the real world. This is a list of computers that… …   Wikipedia

  • Magdalen College School, Oxford — Magdalen College School Motto Sicut Lilium (Like the Lily) Established 1480 Type Independent School …   Wikipedia

  • Socratic Club — The Oxford Socratic Club was formed in December 1941, at Oxford University, by Stella Aldwinckle of the Oxford Pastorate and a group of undergraduate students, in order to provide an open forum for the discussion of the intellectual difficulties… …   Wikipedia

  • English literature — Introduction       the body of written works produced in the English language by inhabitants of the British Isles (including Ireland) from the 7th century to the present day. The major literatures written in English outside the British Isles are… …   Universalium

  • University of Cambridge — Latin: Academia Cantabrigiensis Motto Hinc lucem et pocula sacra (Latin) Motto in English …   Wikipedia

  • At the Mountains of Madness —    Short novel (41,500 words); written February 24–March 22, 1931. First published in Astounding Stories(February, March, and April 1936); first collected in O;corrected text in MM;annotated version in An1and TD.    The Miskatonic Antarctic… …   An H.P.Lovecraft encyclopedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
… Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”