The K-Factor

"The K-Factor" by Harry Harrison is a science fiction novel written in the early 1960s. The book centers around the concept of "Societics," a science aimed at understanding and controlling human society, particularly regarding the factors that lead to war. As the plot unfolds, the protagonists, Neel Sidorak and Adao Costa, grapple with the implications of their research as they face the reality of a society on the brink of conflict. In the novel, Neel Sidorak is tasked with investigating the increasingly unstable conditions on the planet Himmel, where a positive "k-factor" indicates an impending war. Alongside his assistant, Adao Costa, Neel learns that the societal dynamics are more complex than initially understood, as they uncover a treacherous plot involving their own colleagues. As tensions rise, Neel is forced to confront moral dilemmas about using violence to bring about peace. Ultimately, he grapples with how to use the knowledge of Societics to prevent war without resorting to assassination, leading to a dramatic climax where actions have unforeseen consequences. The story explores themes of power, responsibility, and the ethical ramifications of intervention in human societies. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Harry Max Harrison was an American science fiction author, known mostly for his character The Stainless Steel Rat and for his novel Make Room! Make Room! (1966). The latter was the rough basis for the motion picture Soylent Green (1973). Long resident in both Ireland and the United Kingdom, Harrison was involved in the foundation of the Irish Science Fiction Association, and was, with Brian Aldiss, co-president of the Birmingham Science Fiction Group.