Posts by Bill:
2085 The End of the Republic
April 2nd, 2014
In the early 2030’s, Arthur Girard constructed his first “autonomous” humanoid robot. It won him the Nobel Prize, because it could “think”, listen, and speak as well as humans of average intelligence. The key to the new robot was the computer system it carried, programmed by Arthur, considered the most intelligent man in history. The capability was never duplicated in his lifetime.
The GRS Corporation, which Arthur founded, went on to sell many more autonomous devices, using the computers and software he had devised: household servants, medical staff, and industrial workers replaced humans at an astonishing rate. Autos, aircraft, and ships piloted themselves reliably. His corporation had a monopoly, and he became the wealthiest man on Earth. Year-by-year, the robots improved.
By 2084, Arthur Girard had retired. His son Mark had taken over ACR Corporation. While Mark wasn’t the scientist his father had been, he was a good manager. Arthur’s grandson Parker was a playboy.
In that year, the FBI investigated a murder. It appeared the crime had been committed by a robot from the GRS Corporation. The new President was determined to break up the GRS Corporation.
Then, Parker’s girlfriend was murdered by a robot as well. The evidence pointed to his father or grandfather. He determined to have his revenge. Mark was determined to save GRS, and Arthur had plans of his own . . .
A House in Berlin
April 1st, 2014During World War II, the Third Reich wasn’t a pleasant environment. It was especially difficult for:
– Dieter, an army officer who served in the Great War. His wounded leg had never fully healed. When called up again, he was initially confined to a desk job in army intelligence. He was passing information to the British and risked being shot as a spy;
– Clara, the woman Dieter loved, had a mysterious past and was afraid for her life;
– Ernst, a top salesman for Krupp before the war, lost his job when Hitler stopped all sales of steel outside the Reich. Unable to find other employment, he accepted a commission in the army;
– Paula, who left and divorced Ernst when he could no longer support her life style;
– Berthold, Ernst’s brother, who enlisted in the Luftwaffe but was too tall to fit in the cockpit of a fighter;
– Karl, a fanatic Nazi and Himmler’s nephew, who served in the SS but was disgraced in battle. With his uncle’s help Karl found a job as a Gestapo inspector, which gave him leverage to pursue Dieter, his competitor for Clara.
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A House in Berlin is an epic novel covering the period from 1939 to the summer of 1944. It follows actual events, and provides plausible interactions between fictional and historical characters. As things fall apart, Dieter and Clara flee. Karl and his Gestapo henchman wait for them and spring their trap.
