The Fourth "R"

The Fourth "R"

"The Fourth "R"" (aka "The Brain Machine") is a science fiction novel by George O. Smith first published in 1959. It is a science fictional examination of the genius naïf phenomemon. The plot follows a five-year-old boy named Jimmy Holden, who was given the equivalent of a college education by virtue of his parents' invention, an "Electromechanical Educator." The book is not related to the movie "The Brain Machine" (1977).

Publication history

The book was first published by Ballantine Books in 1959 as "The Fourth "R" (#316K), a paperback original. It was reprinted by Lancer Books in 1968 (paperback 74-936) and then by Garland Press in 1975 in hardcover as "The Brain Machine". It was reprinted again by Dell under its original title, "The Fourth "R", in 1979 (paperback #13419, ISBN 0-440-13419-6)

Plot summary

At the beginning of the story, Jimmy's mother and father are murdered by their best friend, who is also the youngster's godfather and appointed guardian as well as the inventors' trustee. It leaves the protagonist—who has had the plans of his parents' invention eidetically and indelibly imprinted in his mind—to destroy the physical copies of these plans before his "uncle" can finish "him" off as well.

Jimmy must survive his guardian's efforts to squeeze the secret of the invention out of him (whereupon his death will most certainly be arranged, just as his parents' were), and then escape into hiding until he can grow into a physical stature commensurate with his mental age.

In the tradition of A.E. Van Vogt's "Slan", "The Fourth "R" examines the difficulties of life on the run as a precocious and exceedingly alienated young child. The story line was bound to appeal to the average science fiction fan, who lives his life engulfed in an ocean of the mundane, the latter readily perceived as either indifferent or actively hostile.

Smith's writing illuminates his characters with greater skill in this entirely earthbound novel than can be found in his earlier "outer space" work. His depiction of the eccentric reclusive writer façade devised by his protagonist in order to make a living (in an age before government issued IDs became widespread) is one of the most amusing in mid-20th century American fiction.

External links

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