"The year is 2650 and Gilbert Gosseyn has amnesia and lives on Earth, which is ruled by a Machine. People have to prove themselves superior by participating in games that the Machine oversees. The way to prove you're superior is by demonstrating philosophical understanding of a concept known as Null-A. This concept means you are able to control your emotions and think logically. The word null-A stands for non-Aristotelian. The people in this future are attempting to be logical and a lot of the ideas in the book come from a real philosophy known as General Semantics. In a fantastically suspenseful plot that keeps moving forward at a rapid pace, the protagonist discovers a few things about himself, but not much. One of the things he discovers is that he has two brains and is immortal! The book moves quickly between Earth and Venus and rushes to a final conclusion that is literally out of this world."
Michael Christian, Resident A.E. Van Vogt Scholar
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Overall Review
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Plot
Composition of Book Descript. of chases or violence - 20% planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 50% Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 10% Descript. of society, phenomena (tech), places - 20%
Tone of book
- suspenseful (sophisticated fear)
FANTASY or SCIENCE FICTION?
- science fiction story
Repressive society story
Yes
Repressive because:
- controls your mind
Is this an adult or child's book?
- Adult or Young Adult Book
Who's a slave/repressed?
- computer/robots in charge
Main Character
Identity:
- Male
Profession/status:
- champion of justice
Age:
- 20's-30's
Has magical/special powers?
Yes
Magical/mental powers of main character:
- teleportation
Eccentric:
Yes
- obsessed
How sensitive is this character?
- hard edged
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Genius
Physique
- very athletic
Main Adversary
Identity:
- Male Alien
Age:
- 20's-30's
Profession/status:
- scientist
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- a moderate amount
How sensitive is this character?
- mean, arrogant
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Very much smarter than other characters
Physique
- average physique
Setting
Terrain
- Forests
- Domed/Underground City
Which planet?
- Venus
Earth setting:
- near future (later in 21st century)
Takes place on Earth?
Yes
Not Earth, in Solar System?
Yes
Style
Person?
- mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death?
- moderately detailed references to deaths
scientific jargon? (SF only)
- a fair amount of scientific explanation
How much dialogue?
- significantly more dialog than descript
