Macroscope

by Piers Anthony

Paperback, 1983

Status

Available

Call number

813.54

Collection

Publication

Avon Books (1983), ?? pages

Description

Macroscope Throughout history, man has been searching for better ways to gather information about his universe. But although they may have longed for it, not even the most brilliant minds could conceive of a device as infinitely powerful or as immeasurably precise as the macroscope, until the twenty-first century. By analyzing information carried on macrons, this unbelievable tool brought the whole universe of wonders to man's doorstep. The macroscope was seen by many as the salvation of the human race. But in the hands of the wrong man, the macroscope could be immensely destructive-infinitely more dangerous than the nuclear bomb. By searching to know too much, man could destroy the very essence of his mind. This is the powerful story of man's struggle with technology, and also the story of his human struggle with himself. This novel takes us across the breathtaking ranges of space as well as through the most touching places in the human heart. It is a story of coming of age, of sacrifice, andof love. It is the story of man's desperate search for a compromise between his mind and his heart, between knowledge and humanity.… (more)

User reviews

LibraryThing member DinadansFriend
I have always viewed this book as the best Piers Anthony to be found. It deals with the idea, remarkable for its time, (1969), that even though we cannot go physically interstellar, we can get an internet connection. The resultant cost to the people in charge of the connection is well done. If you
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are going to read only one Piers anthony...this is the book.
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LibraryThing member AZ_Dude
The Macroscope lets man see details at incredible distances. However, it also receives an alien signal that destroys the minds of intelligent people.
LibraryThing member maravedi
MACROSCOPE is a triumph of weirdness. Lots of strange flashbacks, great pseudoscience jargon and concepts. Anthony plays with time and linearity like lesser writers do with mere words. I don't know how representative MACROSCOPE is of Piers Anthony's work as a whole, but it stands on its own as a
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great piece of adventure writing with a twist of morality play.
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LibraryThing member Cynara
I was really not impressed by this one. The characters were flat and annoying (god spare me from The Girl Character), the plot was slow and incomprehensible by turns, and the bits of Hard Science SF (complete with little diagrams) were uninteresting.
The Xanth novels (even the lamer ones) or the
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Bio of a Space Tyrant series are better if you want to read some Anthony - or if you want some interesting speculative fiction, try Anderson's "A Harvest of Stars".
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LibraryThing member aeceyton
Anthony might be a decent writer if he wasn't so enthralled with misogyny

Awards

Hugo Award (Nominee — Novel — 1970)

Language

Original language

English

Original publication date

1969-10

Physical description

4.2 x 1 inches

ISBN

0380002094 / 9780380002092
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