Colossus and the Crab

Written by D.F. Jones

Narrated by P.J. Ochlan

The 22nd Century. Dr. Charles Forbin is Earth's most powerful man. As mediator between Colossus, the Super Computer, and the rest of humanity, Forbin holds the key to Earth's fate.

When Colossus, an awe-inspiring technological creation, suddenly became self-aware and took upon itself the task of righting humanity's wrongs with no regard for humans themselves, Forbin intervened.

He took the decision to turn off his great machine-but could not do it alone. Forbin called upon invaders from Mars.

The Martians did their fastidious work, shutting down Colossus. The Earth descended into chaos. Rival factions sparred for supremacy, with only Forbin to control the populace and maintain order.

But now, the Martians have returned. And they want compensation.

Forbin is asked to design a super Collector in order to solidify the Earth's supply of oxygen-or, a large proportion of it-to be handed over to the Martians. But to do so would condemn the lives of hundreds of millions of Earth's inhabitants.

There is only one entity on Earth with the power to stop the Martians . . .

Colossus must return.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tantor Media, Inc
• Release date: Jul 4, 2017
• ISBN: 9781541472822

Reviews for Colossus and the Crab

[macdad-236140 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The final novel in D. F. Jones’s “Colossus Trilogy” picks up where the last one left off, with Charles Forbin – the creator of Colossus, the supercomputer that took over the world five years before – and his assistant Edward Blake awaiting the arrival of the Martians who provided them with the means of shutting down the computer. When they appear, they soon reveal that the aid they supplied was to remove the one obstacle to their plan, which is to re-oxygenate Mars by taking half of the Earth’s atmosphere. Facing the devastation of the planet and the deaths of millions, Forbin and Blake are forced to undertake a plan that is Earth’s only hope of defeating the Martians – the reactivation of their former overlord, Colossus.

Having described the computer-run future he created in his last novel, The Fall of Colossus, in this one Jones concentrates on the plot and his antagonists. The Martians he describes are well imagined by the author, and many of the best parts of the novel center around their interaction with Forbin and his efforts to comprehend them. In many ways they are better realized than most of the humans, as some of the secondary characters are little better than ethnic stereotypes. The challenge the aliens pose is also well developed, providing an impending threat that Jones conveys well with effective visualization and pacing. In all it provides for a satisfying end for an occasionally overshadowed, yet enjoyably entertaining series.