The Cosmic Computer

"The Cosmic Computer" by H. Beam Piper is a science fiction story set in a time when a planet is struggling and its people are desperate for a solution to bring it back to its former glory. The book is about Conn Maxwell, who goes back to Poictesme, his home planet, after being away studying, and he becomes determined to solve a big mystery about a super powerful computer called Merlin. The story shows how strong belief and too much focus on something can affect people and also looks at how technology can change a society, as Conn talks to important people who really want to find this mythical machine. The story starts with Conn going back home and seeing how much things have changed. He meets people from his past, like his dad and the town mayor, who are all obsessed with finding Merlin because they think it can save their planet. The story shows the planet's bad economy and the threat of dangerous pirates, and it introduces different people who either believe in Conn or are unsure about his search for the truth about Merlin. Throughout the story, Conn struggles with whether he’s doing the right thing by possibly misleading people while chasing his own goal, which makes the story an exciting exploration of hope in a society that is having a hard time but still has advanced technology.