Ballantine books science fiction

In the sleepy English village of Midwich, a mysterious silver object appears and all the inhabitants fall unconscious. A day later the object is gone and everyone awakens unharmed – except that all the women in the village are discovered to be pregnant.The resultant children of Midwich do not belong to their parents: all are blonde, all are golden eyed. They grow up too fast and their minds exhibit frightening abilities that give them control over others and brings them into conflict with the villagers just as a chilling realisation dawns on the world outside . . .The Midwich Cuckoos is the classic tale of aliens in our midst, exploring how we respond when confronted by those who are innately superior to us in every conceivable way.

A stunning first novel that grapples with the definition of consciousness and what it is to be human. The novel is primarily a series of conversations between a computer programmer / psychologist and his invention, H.A.R.L.I.E., a self-programming computer that has total access to information and knowledge through something similar to the Internet. As the computer matures, the question of what it means to be human becomes a serious one for the financial backers of the project concerned with the cost of the program. If HARLIE is conscious then he can't be disconnected: That would be murder. However, to keep him connected and working for the company amounts to slavery. HARLIE must figure out a way to be both financially viable and free at the same time. HARLIE reappears in Gerrold's later Starwolf novels.

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