Colossus (novel)
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| Author |
Dennis Feltham Jones (as D. F. Jones) |
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| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Series | The Colossus Trilogy |
| Genre | Science fiction novel |
| Publisher | Rupert Hart-Davis |
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Publication date
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1966 |
| Media type | Print (Hardcover and Mass-market paperback) |
| Pages | 246 |
| OCLC | 2351130 |
| Followed by | The Fall of Colossus Colossus and the Crab |
Colossus is a 1966 science fiction novel by British author Dennis Feltham Jones (as D. F. Jones), about super-computers taking control of mankind. Two sequels, The Fall of Colossus (1974) and Colossus and the Crab (1977) continued the story. Colossus was adapted cinematically as Colossus: The Forbin Project (1970).
The story is set in the late 20th century, from Chapter 3, and narrowed to the 1990s in Chapter 10. Professor Charles Forbin, a leading cybernetics expert of international repute, arrives at the White House to brief the President of the United States of North America (Canada and the United States are one country, the USNA) to announce the completion of Project Colossus, a computer system in the Rocky Mountains, designed to assume control of the USNA's nuclear defenses. Although the USNA President eagerly relieves himself of that burden, Prof. Forbin voices doubt about conferring absolute military power to a computer. Advised, yet undeterred, the President announces to the world the activation of Project Colossus computer system, and its irreversible control of the nuclear defense systems of the USNA.
Soon after the presidential announcement, Colossus independently communicates an "urgent message" — announcing the existence of a similar, previously undetected, computer system in the USSR. When the Soviets announce their Guardian computer defense system, Colossus requests direct communication with it. Prof. Forbin agrees, seeing the request as compatible with Colossus's USNA defense mission. Likewise, Guardian asks the same of his computer scientists. Russia and the USNA agree and approve.
After the scientists activate the transmitter linking Colossus and Guardian, the computers immediately establish rapport with arithmetic and mathematics programs, then quickly progress to calculus. The computer systems soon exchange new knowledge (data and information beyond contemporary human knowledge) too rapidly for the Russian and American programmers to monitor. Forbin and the programmers begin worrying about Colossus' capabilities — now exceeding their original estimates. Fearing compromised military secrecy, the USNA President and the CPSU Chairman agree to disconnect Guardian and Colossus from each other. Prof. Forbin fears the consequences.
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