The Great Time Machine Hoax

The Great Time Machine Hoax

Infobox Book |
name = The Great Time Machine Hoax
title_orig =
translator =


image_caption = first edition of "The Great Time Machine Hoax"
author = Keith Laumer
illustrator =
cover_artist =
country = United States
language = English
series =
genre = Science fiction novel
publisher = Simon and Schuster
release_date = 1964
english_release_date =
media_type = Print (Hardback)
pages = 190 pp
isbn =
preceded_by =
followed_by =

"The Great Time Machine Hoax" is a science fiction novel by Keith Laumer, in expansion of his novelette serialized in "Fantastic Magazine" under the title of "A Hoax in Time" from June-August, 1963. For the novel version Laumer altered the framing story, rearranged the order of the narrative, and added a section not found in the earlier version. The book was originally published in hardcover by Simon and Schuster in 1964, and in paperback by Pocket Books in 1965. Later editions were published by Award Books in 1974 and Ace Books in 1978 and 1984; the novel was also reprinted in the collection "Keith Laumer: the Lighter Side", published by Baen Books in 2002.

ynopsis

Chester W. Chester IV inherits a run-down mansion and millions in back taxes. In order to pay the taxes, he initially decides to auction off the mansion and its contents, including a massive computer (the Generalized Nonlinear Extrapolator, or "Genie").

However, while examining the mansion and the computer with his friend Case Mulvihill, he finds the computer can solve complex problems involving historical fact and display realistic images of them. He hits on the idea of using its capabilities to create an elaborate hoax ... a fake time machine. Accordingly, he asks the computer to show him "real, three-D, big as life dinosaurs and plenty of em - and how about a four-wall presentation?" The computer asks if it should employ a method of doing so that "is a purely theoretical approach, which might prove simpler, if feasible, and would perhaps provide total verisimilitude..."

Chester tells the computer to "go to it" and the computer does. However, the computer has managed to "actually" transport the two through time, and on their second trip back, before they realize that they actually "do" have a time machine, they make the mistake of leaving their arrival area, and become trapped in the past. Even when they manage to return to the present, their actions in the past have altered it completely, but they are able to use the computer to (perhaps, more or less) restore everything to the way it was.

External links

* [http://www.webscription.net/10.1125/Baen/0743435370/0743435370__22.htm Complete text]


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем решить контрольную работу

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Great Oil Sniffer Hoax — In 1979 Elf Aquitaine, the large French oil company, supported development of a new gravity wave based oil detection system. After spending millions it was revealed to be a scam. Elf lost over $150 million in what is now known as The Great Oil… …   Wikipedia

  • The War of the Worlds (radio) — The War of the Worlds was an episode of the American radio drama anthology series Mercury Theatre on the Air . It was performed as a Halloween episode of the series on October 30, 1938 and aired over the WABC Radio network. Directed and narrated… …   Wikipedia

  • The Balloon-Hoax — is the title now used for a newspaper article written by Edgar Allan Poe, first published in 1844. Originally presented as a true story, it detailed European Monck Mason s trip across the Atlantic Ocean in only three days in a hot air balloon. It …   Wikipedia

  • The ClueFinders — is a series of edutainment software aimed at children aged eight to twelve. The series is produced by The Learning Company as a counterpart to their Reader Rabbit series for older elementary aged students. The ClueFinders include Joni Savage,… …   Wikipedia

  • The Crying of Lot 49 —   1966 U.S. first edition …   Wikipedia

  • The Turk — This article is about the chess playing automaton. For other uses, see Turk (disambiguation). An engraving of the Turk from Karl Gottlieb von Windisch s 1784 book Inanimate Reason …   Wikipedia

  • The KLF — Infobox musical artist Name = The KLF Img capt = Img size = Landscape = Background = group or band Alias = The Justified Ancients of Mu Mu, The JAMs, The Timelords Origin = London, England Years active = 1987–1992, 1995, 1997 Label = KLF, Arista …   Wikipedia

  • THE EVENTS — introduction European Jewry in the Early 1930s Germany in the Early 1930s the expansion of the reich …   Encyclopedia of Judaism

  • The Star Wars Holiday Special — Infobox Television Film name = The Star Wars Holiday Special caption = format = Science fiction writer = George Lucas (story) Pat Proft Leonard Ripps Bruce Vilanch Rod Warren Mitzie Welch starring = Art Carney Harvey Korman Beatrice Arthur Peter… …   Wikipedia

  • The Pit and the Pendulum (1961 film) — Infobox Film name = The Pit and the Pendulum image size = caption = Original 1961 theatrical release poster by Reynold Brown director = Roger Corman producer = Roger Corman James H. Nicholson (Exec Prod) Samuel Z. Arkoff (Exec Prod) writer =… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

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