BRAIN WAVE
by Anderson, Poul
- Used
- Paperback
- first
- Condition
- See description
- Seller
-
Rochester, Michigan, United States
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
BRAIN WAVE, Ballantine, 1954, first edition, fine in full color pictorial wraps.
Synopsis
What if we're all designed to be smarter than we actually are? That is, in short, the premise of master science fiction novelist Poul Anderson's 1954 debut work, Brainwave. Unbeknownst to its inhabitants, the solar system has, for millions of years, been caught in a force field that has had the effect of suppressing intelligence. When, in the course of normal galactic movement the solar system finally breaks free of the force field and its inhibiting effects, a remarkable change begins to sweep across the earth. In fact, the entire world is turned upside-down, and Anderson's novel is devoted to detailing the sometimes-surprising, sometimes-chilling aftereffects of this watershed event. In one of the novel's opening scenes, Archie Brock, a mentally disabled man, finds himself suddenly awash in new kinds of thoughts as he looks up at the night sky. In another scene, a young boy on summer break works out the basic foundations of calculus before breakfast. Human life is dramatically transformed, as people with IQ's of 400 find themselves living within social structures and institutions designed for people of considerably less intelligence. There are also those who refuse to accept what has happened and band together to rebel against the new order. In another interesting twist, human relationships with other creatures on the planet are also thrown into upheaval, as animals rediscover their native intelligence. Archie Brock, for instance finds working on a farm with intelligent animals a frustrating, comic and confounding experience, as some animals band together and escape while others befriend their former masters.A fascinating "what if" novel, Brainwave is really an exploration into the ways human society is organized and the assumptions that are made about how life is valued. It is also a novel about equality and what happens when the hierarchical structures by which we arrange our daily lives disappear.
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Details
- Bookseller
- THE FINE BOOKS COMPANY
(US)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- 00195
- Title
- BRAIN WAVE
- Author
- Anderson, Poul
- Book Condition
- Used
- Edition
- First Edition
- Binding
- Paperback
- Publisher
- Ballantine Books
- Date Published
- 1954
Terms of Sale
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About the Seller
THE FINE BOOKS COMPANY
Biblio member since 2009
Rochester, Michigan
About THE FINE BOOKS COMPANY
The Fine Books Company, which began purchasing rare and collectible items in 1976 and selling same in 1979, is located everywhere a computer may be accessed. A 34 year member of the Antiquarian Booksellers Association of America and The International League of Antiquarian Booksellers, we have travelled to, purchased and sold books on, every continent ( save Antarctica as we are unaware of any commercial book activity there). Although we may be biased towards the fields of creativity, namely all genres of fiction in first edition, we have branched out to include many areas of non-fiction as well so that our stock of over 40,000 items, which includes books, periodicals, letters and manuscripts, is now more balanced than it has ever been before. We issue occasional virtual catalogues (which only reveal a small portion of our newest inventory), quickly reply to all inquiries, do appraisals upon request and somehow have managed to publish 18 books along the way. A "Heritage" member of AbeBooks as well, our specialty is service.
Glossary
Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:
- First Edition
- In book collecting, the first edition is the earliest published form of a book. A book may have more than one first edition in...
- Fine
- A book in fine condition exhibits no flaws. A fine condition book closely approaches As New condition, but may lack the...
- Pictorial Wraps
- Pictorial wraps are color illustrated covers for paperback books. Preceding mass-market paperbacks, this format brought popular...
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