Man in a Sewing Machine

"Man in a Sewing Machine" by L. J. Stecher, Jr. is a mid-20th century science fiction narrative that considers human inventiveness, the nature of AI, and difficult conversations between beings. The book presents a struggle: The Solar Confederation is being invaded by aliens, and the story explores the connection between John Bristol and his intelligent computer, Buster, which offers puzzling suggestions during their time together. John tries to understand Buster's riddle, “A Stitch in Time Saves Nine,” when trying to figure out protecting their world from the aliens. As Bristol and a group of leaders analyze the saying, it pushes them to consider traveling between dimensions—or "stitching"—to avoid the invaders. Through this, Bristol unearths a plan using back-and-forth trips between realities to confuse the enemy and work towards harmony. Using wit and deep thought, the story shows the tests and difficult moral choices of tech and conflict while thoughtfully thinking about humankind's way of handling a big problem.