Knowledge is expanding exponentially, as humanity fills the galaxy and then some. But advances in physics (which Draper describes in fictional mathematical terms) are able to keep up with the storage problem, until all of human knowledge, for all time to come, is packed into one drawer. Of course, there is one wee problem. Retrieval is ultimately macroscopic. And so the indexes grow. And when they get miniaturized, the indexes to the indexes grow. And so on, which then leads to a higher-order index of the iterated indexes, and then so on again. All this is spelled out in some detail. The neverending recursion, while threatening to grow to Ackermann-like proportions, is still manageable. But when a spontaneously generated Gödelian self-reference is discovered in the indexing system, the whole lbry, and with it all of human civilization, collapses overnight. . . By William E. Emba Views: 14
"The secret of the entire world is whispered here at Eden...." Since time out of memory, Eden Castle had ridden the storm-swept Devon cliffs like a ghostly figurehead On a ship of the damned. He was the last Lord of Eden Castle, Thomas Eden, a man of brooding desire and sudden passion ... She was his servant girl, Marianne Locke, the fiery young beauty who would rather submit to the cruel kiss of the whip than suffer the lust of a man she did not love... From the wild Devonshire coast to the glittering literary salons of London, the tumultuous union of these two proud people Hazed a raging tempest of enduring love. Views: 14
This is the story of how young Adam Swinford, happily tipsy, forgets a weekend engagement in the country, and how in consequence his friend David Brome, waiting for Adam at Chiselbrook Station, gives a lift to beautiful Mary Wilton, with whom he falls in love. David is an outwardly comfortable, inwardly restive 40-year-old, retired on a Civil Service pension. Lydia, his nervous, brown wife for 15 years, has a knack for making him feel stupid. One spring day in the country after weeks of hovering, David finally gets a kiss from Mary, and confesses to Lydia, whom he cannot leave. David readily comes to realize that he must accept his ordeal. Meanwhile in London, smooth Adam Swinford is carrying on his affair with a pick up named Lily Elvers. But Adam gets tired of Lily about the time that she gets pregnant. And about the same time that the irresolute David begins to bore cool Mary, she meets Adam... Views: 13
Peepholes from the feature on the past -- viewed as a carnaval side-show attraction Views: 13
With riches accumulated from an American crime spree, Professor Moriarty proceeds to annihilate his enemies. He murders the leaders of Europe's underworld one by one and prepares his most hideous revenge for his arch-enemy. Will he destroy Sherlock Holmes by cutting off his cocaine supply? Views: 13
The fifth of the six classic Elric novels picks up, as is usual with these books, where the fourth leaves off. Moorcock sets the last pieces of the puzzle into place, introducing us to Zarozinia, the love of Elric's life. Once again, Moorcock takes his already intriguing concepts that he's built up throughout the series and adds a few more twists and turns, to make them even more intriguing than they already were. The book is good, it's readable, and the payoff, in Stormbringer, is astounding. Views: 13
Science fiction of 1961, back when we were optimistic, and not afraid to dream of going into space. An interesting story of a possible future. Views: 13
SUMMARY:A beautiful young girl in twelfth-century England is betrothed to the Lord of Radnor in order to bring peace between two noble families Views: 13
THE ANGEL AND THE PROFESSORGemma may not have been the prettiest girl in town, but she was something better--kind and conscientious, which made her a wonderful caregiver. To her patients she really was a gem of a girl! So when she unexpectedly found herself out of work, Ross, a distinguished professor, readily asked her to accompany him to Holland to look after his invalid sister. Gemma accepted--even though she knew Ross was never likely to see her as anything more than just his sister's nurse.... Views: 13
One cold Moscow night, Comrade Tulayev, a high government official, is shot dead on the street, and the search for the killer begins. In this panoramic vision of the Soviet Great Terror, the investigation leads all over the world, netting a whole series of suspects whose only connection is their innocence—at least of the crime of which they stand accused. But The Case of Comrade Tulayev, unquestionably the finest work of fiction ever written about the Stalinist purges, is not just a story of a totalitarian state. Marked by the deep humanity and generous spirit of its author, the legendary anarchist and exile Victor Serge, it is also a classic twentieth-century tale of risk, adventure, and unexpected nobility to set beside Ernest Hemingway's For Whom the Bell Tolls and André Malraux's Man's Fate. Views: 13
Amazon.com ReviewIn a world policed by telepaths, Ben Reich plans to commit a crime that hasn't been heard of in 70 years: murder. That's the only option left for Reich, whose company is losing a 10-year death struggle with rival D'Courtney Enterprises. Terrorized in his dreams by The Man With No Face and driven to the edge after D'Courtney refuses a merger offer, Reich murders his rival and bribes a high-ranking telepath to help him cover his tracks. But while police prefect Lincoln Powell knows Reich is guilty, his telepath's knowledge is a far cry from admissible evidence. About the AuthorSALES POINTS * #14 in the Millennium SF Masterworks series, a library of the finest science fiction ever written * The first-ever winner of the Hugo Award for best sf novel of the year. * 'Bester's two superb books have stood the test of time. For nearly fifty years they've held their place on everybody's list of the ten greatest sf novels' -- Robert Silverberg * 'Alfred Bester wrote with the pedal to the floor and the headlights on full beam. His work combined erudition with an unparalleled imaginative inventiveness. Bester was writing cyberpunk while William Gibson was still running around zapping the other kids at school with a toy raygun' -- James Lovegrove Views: 13
