Project Gutenberg 2007-03-03 Public domain in the USA. 537 Piper, H. Beam 1904 1964 Piper, Henry Beam Piper, Horace Beam The Cosmic Computer Produced by Greg Weeks, Bethanne M. Simms, Jason Isbell, and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net "The Cosmic Computer" by H. Beam Piper is a science fiction novel written in the early 1960s. The story revolves around Conn Maxwell, who returns to his home planet of Poictesme after studying on Terra with the intent of unraveling the mystery surrounding a supposedly all-powerful strategic computer named Merlin. The narrative delves into themes of belief, obsession, and the impact of technology on society, primarily driven by Conn's interactions with various local dignitaries who are eager to locate this fabled machine. At the start of the novel, Conn Maxwell is on a journey back to his home world after years of absence, grappling with the changes that have taken place in his homeland. As he arrives, he encounters several key figures from his past, including his father and the mayor, all of whom are fixated on finding Merlin, a computer rumored to have the potential to restore prosperity to their declining planet. The opening highlights the bleak economic conditions, hints at the dangers posed by pirates, and presents a mix of characters who are both supportive and skeptical of Conn's efforts to uncover the truth behind Merlin's existence. As the story progresses, Conn's inner conflict about misleading those around him while pursuing a larger goal begins to take shape, setting the stage for a captivating exploration of hope amid despair in a technologically advanced yet struggling society. (This is an automatically generated summary.) file:///public/vhost/g/gutenberg/html/files/20727/20727-h/images/cover.gif Reading ease score: 74.4 (7th grade). Fairly easy to read. en Science fiction PS Text Science Fiction Category: Science-Fiction & Fantasy Category: Novels 430578 2025-08-08T14:33:26.489131 text/html 433647 2021-01-01T19:47:27 text/html 213832 2025-08-08T14:33:32.171159 application/epub+zip 217080 2025-08-08T14:33:27.337164 application/epub+zip 207019 2025-08-08T14:33:26.887170 application/epub+zip 467240 2025-08-08T14:33:36.113107 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 427915 2025-08-08T14:33:31.534197 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 297758 2022-09-10T03:39:01.726566 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 400646 2025-08-08T14:33:25.808155 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 400597 2021-01-01T19:47:27 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 11499335 2007-03-03T10:42:06 application/octet-stream application/zip 19940 2025-08-08T14:33:36.242104 application/rdf+xml 24687 2025-08-08T14:33:26.967153 image/jpeg 3677 2025-08-08T14:33:26.926155 image/jpeg 202561 2021-01-01T19:47:27 application/octet-stream application/zip 152050 2021-01-01T19:47:27 application/octet-stream application/zip 201439 2025-08-08T14:33:26.525150 application/octet-stream application/zip Archives containing the RDF files for *all* our books can be downloaded at https://book.klll.cc/wiki/Gutenberg:Feeds#The_Complete_Project_Gutenberg_Catalog en.wikipedia