The Machine That Saved The World

by Murray Leinster

_They were broadcasts from nowhere--sinister emanations flooding in from space--smashing any receiver that picked them up. What defense could Earth devise against science such as this?_

The first broadcast came in 1972, while Mahon-modified machines were still strictly classified, and the world had heard only rumors about them. The first broadcast was picked up by a television ham in Osceola, Florida, who fumingly reported artificial interference on the amateur TV bands. He heard and taped it for ten minutes--so he said--before it blew out his receiver. When he replaced the broken element, the broadcast was gone.

But the Communications Commission looked at and listened to the tape and practically went through the ceiling. It stationed a monitor truck in Osceola for months, listening feverishly to nothing.

Then for a long while there were rumors of broadcasts which blew out receiving apparatus, but nothing definite. Weird patterns appeared on screens high-pitched or deep-bass notes sounded--and the receiver went out of operation. After the ham operator in Osceola, nobody else got more than a second or two of the weird interference before blowing his set during six very full months of CC agitation.

Then a TV station in Seattle abruptly broadcast interference superimposed on its regular network program. The screens of all sets tuned to that program suddenly showed exotic, curiously curved, meaningless patterns on top of a commercial spectacular broadcast. At the same time incredible chirping noises came from the speakers, alternating with deep-bass hootings, which spoiled the ju-ju music of the most expensive ju-ju band on the air. The interference ended only with a minor break-down in the transmitting station. It was the same sort of interference that the Communications Commission had thrown fits about in Washington. It threw further fits now.

Genres: Science Fiction, Short Stories, Fiction, Audiobook

48 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1957

About the author

see also:
Will F. Jenkins
William Fitzgerald Jenkins

Murray Leinster was a nom de plume of William Fitzgerald Jenkins, an award-winning American writer of science fiction and alternate history. He wrote and published over 1,500 short stories and articles, 14 movie scripts, and hundreds of radio scripts and television plays.

An author whose career spanned the first six decades of the 20th Century. From mystery and adventure stories in the earliest years to science fiction in his later years, he worked steadily and at a highly professional level of craftsmanship longer than most writers of his generation. He won a Hugo Award in 1956 for his novelet “Exploration Team,” and in 1995 the Sidewise Award for Alternate History took its name from his classic story, “Sidewise in Time.” His last original work appeared in 1967.

Reviews

[Jim]

Funny, but repetitive. I liked the digs at the 'big brains in Washington' & the Sargent was a fun character. The overblown, anthropomorphized machines were fun, too. If it hadn't been so repetitive, I would have rated it with another star.

[Manuel Alfonseca]

ENGLISH: This is the first time I've read this short novel, one of the few sci-fi books by Leinster that I had not read. Being a Leinster's story, we know who are the evil guys since the beginning, but I think the solution to escape the threat is too drastic, por eso sólo le doy 2 estrellas.

The story is very optimistic about the future of "artificial intelligence", which it claims will always act in accordance with "the golden rule".

ESPAÑOL: Esta es la primera vez que leo este libro, uno de los pocos cuentos de ciencia-ficción de Leinster que no había leído. Al ser un cuento de Leinster, sabemos desde el principio quiénes son los villanos, pero la solución para escapar de la amenaza me parece demasiado drástica.

El cuento es muy optimista respecto al futuro de la "inteligencia artificial", que afirma siempre actuará de acuerdo con "la regla de oro".

[Debbie Zapata]

This was an introduction to Murray Leinster for me and I thoroughly enjoyed the story, which was originally published in the December 1957 issue of Amazing Stories. Too bad that magazine no longer exists, but at least there is Project Gutenberg, where I found this story and hope to find others by Leinster.

Mahon units, intertemporal communication, Compubs (are they the real source of the strange broadcasts?), Research Installation 83, and crusty Sergeant Bellows who knows and loves machines like no one else. How do they all fit together? Here is the link for the Project Gutenberg copy of the story so you can find out....http://www.gutenberg.org/files/26174/...

[Luke John]

Charming old school sci fi with an interesting premise and satisfying conclusion. Other reviewers have commented on the repititive elements of the story. Ignore them, the repetition is purposeful and forms a core element of the world building.

[Janelle]

There was an awful lot of repetition in this short story, particularly regarding the machines. Perhaps the author was excited to prove how special his machines were. Anyhow it spoiled the potential of this otherwise entertaining story.
Many thanks to the librivox reader for his excellent narration.

[DOUGLAS J BERRY]

A sci fi short

The mahon machine s that are heuristic without being a computer was something Fritz leiber played around with.
The idea that machines can develop a sort of animus is obviously incorrect. A n interesting story though.

[Julia]

I listened to this as a free download from LibriVox.org

[K]

Good worldbuilding with self maintaining machines in a cold war style political environment.

[Mark Rabideau]

This novella provides an excellent precursor 'prediction' of today's world and politics.

[Frank Davis]

Interesting foresight. AI toasters and washing machines. These were cool ideas and the story was OK but not explored at great depth. Quick and fun for sure though.

[Jim]

The first broadcast came in 1972, while Mahon-modified machines were still strictly classified, and the world had heard only rumors about them. The first broadcast was picked up by a television ham in Osceola, Florida, who fumingly reported artificial interference on the amateur TV bands. He heard and taped it for ten minutes--so he said--before it blew out his receiver. When he replaced the broken element, the broadcast was gone.

But the Communications Commission looked at and listened to the tape and practically went through the ceiling. It stationed a monitor truck in Osceola for months, listening feverishly to nothing.

Then for a long while there were rumors of broadcasts which blew out receiving apparatus, but nothing definite. Weird patterns appeared on screens high-pitched or deep-bass notes sounded--and the receiver went out of operation. After the ham operator in Osceola, nobody else got more than a second or two of the weird interference before blowing his set during six very full months of CC agitation.

Then a TV station in Seattle abruptly broadcast interference superimposed on its regular network program. The screens of all sets tuned to that program suddenly showed exotic, curiously curved, meaningless patterns on top of a commercial spectacular broadcast. . . .

[Susan Molloy]

Published in 1949, as far as my research shows.

Anthropomorphized machines! Do they really exist, or are they just rumors? But then—

An amateur television ham operator in Osceola, Florida picked up signals from a broadcast. Hmmm—those signals seemed to create signal interference on the bands. He taped those signals before it blew out his receiver. But then, something strange occurred. The recorded broadcast was non-existent after he replaced a part in the receiver!

The tape was analyzed the Communications Commission. They listened for the signals.

Nothing.

But soon, on the Left Coast, a Seattle television experienced some strange signal patterns—

I enjoyed this story for the clever topic and because I despise television overall.

🪐 🚀 Recommended.
🟣 Media form: Kindle version.
🟢 Media form: Project Gutenberg .
🚀●▬●💫●💫●▬●🚀

[Timothy Ferguson]

An odd novella about machines which have the ability to retain sympathies for the tasks they do, and strange signals from the future, which destroy less advanced mechanisms. Abrupt ending, and slightly horrific in that the author thought it was a great ending, demonstrating the ideology of the time. Excellently performed, with a Twainish twang.

[Mike]

As the title suggests, this is more about machines than people in some ways. Though the characters are quirky and clever, we don't even meet them for some time; there's a long infodump to get through first. The premise is also thoroughly unlikely, so much so that I can't quite bring myself to award four stars, despite the clever plot and fun main character.

[Jeff Miller]

This is a novella size book from the inventive Golden Age SF write Murray Leinster. Enjoyable enough story that did not go the way I expected it to.

The free Librivox version is quite excellent in production quality and the narrator did a nice straight-ahead job of it..

[Daphne]

Listened on librivox. Very good narration. The story was sarcastic and humorous.

[Adhoc]

Goofy nonsense.