"Intelligence is suddenly on the up - way up." Episode 181 of the podcast, covering Poul Anderson's Brain Wave (1954) is now live. Here's the opening, introducing the novel's mind-expanding premise.

"Intelligence is suddenly on the up - way up." Episode 181 of the podcast, covering Poul Anderson's Brain Wave (1954) is now live. Here's the opening, introducing the novel's mind-expanding premise.

At times Limbo is very monotonous and some people will be bored to tears, which is completely understandable. I found it worth hanging on for occasional laugh-out-loud moments and strange, idiosyncratic insights.

Wolfe mixes in the cybernetics theory of Norbert Wiener, the historical theories of Toynbee, Korzybski's general semantics, a generous dose of Freud, and his own peculiar ideas about sex, violence, creativity, human agency, and computer-controlled war.

Very lengthy for an SF novel of its time, this is a slab of a book packed with wordplay, heady philosophical discussion, and strange asides. It is disgressive, verbose, and overlong and a precursor to Pynchon, Ballard, and PKD.

Thanks for the heads-up!

Can't complain!

Excellent! As a fan of Reynolds I think Diamond Dogs is still my favourite thing by him that I've read so far. Will be interested to know what you think.

It is very much not about that, for sure. Really recommend Alastair Reynolds' novella Diamond Dogs which is quite inspired by Rogue Moon but delivers that labyrinth action!

As an SF novel on the theme of enhanced intelligence, Brain Wave is a precursor to Daniel Keyes' excellent Flowers for Algernon (1966) which I covered last year.

Sections focused on farmhand Archie Brock really only amount to a subplot, but feature some of Anderson's best writing in the novel.

Four editions of Brain Wave with cover art by Richard Powers (1954 first edition), Mudge-Marriott (1955), Ed Emshwiller (1967), and Tim White (1976).