The Knights of Arthur

"The Knights of Arthur" by Frederik Pohl is a 1950s science fiction story where survivors pick through a ruined New York, fighting to stay alive. The focus settles on Sam Dunlap and his buddies, Vern Engdahl and Arthur—a tank with a living brain—and their desperate hustle for a future. Their big play involves snatching the "Queen Elizabeth" to live on away from the other groups of people. However, they find themselves in a power struggle with a military leader called the Major, which leads to a big conflict at sea. This story has both funny moments and big action, while raising questions about what it means to be human and in control in a world falling apart.