Ground Zero Man


Ground Zero Man is a 1971 science fiction novel by British writer Bob Shaw. It was republished as The Peace Machine in 1985.

Plot summary

The plot follows the main character, Lucas Hutchman, an "undistinguished mathematician", who invents a machine that may detonate virtually instantaneously every nuclear bomb in the world, by inducing a "self-propagating neutron resonance". Overcoming technical and personal difficulties, Hutchman manages to build the device and to warn Earth's governments of its existence, but is tracked down and prevented from using it. At the end, Hutchman realises that rather than to the elimination of nuclear weapons, his invention just led to further investments in them, to create new bombs impervious to neutron resonance.
The ending "shows precisely and prophetically... the flaw in plans for 'star wars' energy-beam defences"

Reception

Dave Langford reviewed The Peace Machine for White Dwarf #65, and stated that "responsibility. Its grim conclusion shows precisely and prophetically the flaw in today's plans for 'star wars' energy-beam defences."
Colin Greenland reviewed The Peace Machine for Imagine magazine, and stated that "includes revisions for a more nuclear conscious audience, but it's still largely quite a traditional thriller, as compulsive and characterful as anything by Shaw."
Wendy Graham reviewed The Peace Machine for Adventurer magazine and stated that "Maybe Shaw could go back and look again at the idea, get rid of the wife and give Hutchman an engineer friend. For once I think the story could be longer too."

Reviews