His Master's Voice

"His Master's Voice" by Randall Garrett is a science fiction novel written in the early 1960s. The story revolves around a highly advanced robot spaceship named McGuire and its complex development process amidst various political and corporate sabotages. The novel delves into themes of artificial intelligence, control, and the unpredictable nature of technology when mixed with human ambition and ethical dilemmas. The narrative follows Daniel Oak, a confidential expediter who inadvertently becomes the master of McGuire after it is activated. As Oak navigates the intricate workings of the robot and monitors its development, he is drawn into a web of conspiracies involving rival corporations aiming to sabotage Viking Spacecraft's innovative project. Oak encounters challenges in communicating with McGuire due to the robot's unique programming, which only recognizes him by his specific voice. As the plot unfolds, tensions rise, revealing deeper issues surrounding corporate greed and robotic control, all while Oak struggles to regain authority over the intelligent machine he has been thrust to command. Ultimately, the book explores the relationship between humans and their creations and raises questions about responsibility and the unpredictable consequences of scientific advancements. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Gordon Randall Phillip David Garrett was an American science fiction and fantasy author. He was a contributor to Astounding and other science fiction magazines of the 1950s and 1960s. He instructed Robert Silverberg in the techniques of selling large quantities of action-adventure science fiction, and collaborated with him on two novels about men from Earth disrupting a peaceful agrarian civilization on an alien planet.