Colossus cover art

Colossus

Colossus Trilogy Series, Book 1

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Colossus

By: D. F. Jones
Narrated by: P.J. Ochlan
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About this listen

Charles Forbin has dedicated the last 10 years of his life to the construction of his own supercomputer, Colossus, rejecting romantic and social endeavors in order to create the United States' very first Artificially Intelligent defense system.

Colossus is a supercomputer capable of taking in and analyzing data rapidly, allowing it to make real-time decisions about the nation's defense.

But Colossus soon exceeds even Forbin's calculated expectations, learning to think independently of the Colossus Programming Office, processing data over 100 times faster than Forbin and his team had originally anticipated.

The President hands off full control of the nation's missiles and other defense protocols to Colossus and makes the announcement to the world that he has ensured peace.

However, the USSR quickly announces that it too has a supercomputer, Guardian, with capabilities similar to that of Colossus.

Forbin is concerned when Colossus asks - asks - to communicate with Guardian.

The computer he built shouldn't be able to ask at all.

©1966 D. F. Jones (P)2017 Tantor Adventure Science Fiction Technothrillers Thriller & Suspense Fiction Thriller

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As the title of my review says, it takes some time to get into the story. Once you do it is well worth it.

Takes a while to get into but worth it

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And interesting listen that shows it's age. Not only have computers made much greater leaps in some areas (and less in others) than are imagined here, the most stunning thing for me was the way women were treated and depicted, something which mercifully has changed a great deal (although some might say not enough) over the intervening decades.

Still worth a listen. I'd love to know if this Frankenstein prediction of the two machines controlling humanity and linking up was the first, in which case it has inspired many a variant, all the way up to Skynet and the Terminator.

How things change (thankfully)

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Probably best to stick with the movie for this first episode. Narrator a bit robotic, but it's ok though.

Felt better in reading, narrator value bit flat.

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A gripping and quite scary tale of man's invention overtaking him and deeming itself better than it's creator.The progressive menace of this AI is ever present.

Makes you think.

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Very enjoyable and engaging. A few very tiny plot holes that is easily plugged by suspending reality. Ochlan is a great narrator, bringing characters to life in a subtle, inconspicuous way. Can't believe I waited 60 years to read it.

Written 60 years ago - and here we are.

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Forbin is the classic engineer who has been promoted to a manager but has no management skills. Constantly snapping at people when his ideas don't work. Blaming everyone else rather than himself. I also noticed he didn't do any work at all. He would barely turn up to the office except for a few hours, but then expected his staff to work on 24 hour rotas and demanded they use drugs to stay alert. And the ludicrous thing is, he effectively got promoted for his bad behaviour. The working environment actually rewards incompetence.

I enjoyed the story though. But im sure there are some easy ways to stop colossus. For example, just drive heavy dumper trucks over the missile blast doors or chain them closed at night time. Or even just dig into colossus' mountain and use a nuke to damage the computer

Forbin is a really bad manager

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Narration very good. Storyline, imaginably believable in today’s world and not slow paced or tedious in anyway. Didn’t want to get to my destination and have to stop listening. Haven’t had that for a good while.

Is this the real future!!

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a brilliant dystopian Sci fi that is well thought out and ahead of its time

loved it

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Colossus the machine has its sci-fi history firmly rooted in the works of Isaac Asimov and his 'Mutivac' series. But whereas Multivac was benevolent, Colossus has a much different view of its relationship with humanity. The scenario, set in a future where some geographical boundaries has been lost, but the 2 major power blocs of the Cold War still exist. is dated. Teletypes were a feature of the computers of the 1960s and 70s, for example, and its rampant misogyny is jarring.

Still, its negativity presents a marked and interesting to current ears, contrast to its sci-fi contemporaries.

The vocal performance is adequate, but I could have done without the accents. The tone adopted for the American president is particularly grating.

A fiim was made of the book, which is difficult to find, but worth seeking out.

A supercomputer rises from the 1960s....

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The story relies on some unspoken tension which was largely missing. The characters are stereotypes and clichés and I couldn't make it to the end.

less than polished

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