Charles Forbin has dedicated the last ten years of his life to the construction of his own supercomputer, Colossus, rejecting romantic and social endeavors in order to create the United States' very first Artificially Intelligent defense system. Colossus is a supercomputer capable of in-taking and analyzing data rapidly, allowing it to make real time decisions about the nation's defense. But Colossus soon exceeds even Forbin's calculated expectations, learning to think independently of the Colossus Programming Office, processing data over one hundred times faster than Forbin and his team had originally anticipated. The President hands off full control of the nation's missiles and other defense protocols to Colossus and makes the announcement to the world that he has ensured peace. However, the USSR quickly announces that it too has a supercomputer, Guardian, with capabilities similar to that of Colossus. Forbin is concerned when Colossus asks-asks-to communicate with Guardian. The computer he built shouldn't be able to ask at all . . .

Charles Forbin is the Director: the one man on earth who speaks directly to Colossus. Five years before, the American supercomputer & the Soviet supercomputer were united—combining their data, their analytic powers, their learning & growth capacity. In the few seconds of that process, they became one Colossus—master of humankind. Programmed to solve humanity's problems, Colossus solved them: forestalled nuclear holocaust, eradicated poverty & the frustration and violence it breeds. Soon there was nothing for people to do—but obey. Some made Colossus their God, & Charles Forbin was their Pope. Others wanted to be free of Colossus—for Colossus was also ruthless beyond any human tyrant ever—& they wanted Forbin as their deliverer. Either of these movements might get Forbin killed. He is appalled & disgusted by the religious cult, terrified by the rebels—who haven't a chance, as he knows better than anyone on earth. Then Forbin is handed the key to the overthrow of Colossus—or is it? He must commit his life to the chance that it is, just to begin with. Then he must commit the earth to the shadowy motives of the mysterious source of this new power. —from the dust jacked of the 1st hardcover edition.

BETRAYER OF MANKIND In all his illustrious career Charles Forbin has never faced a challenge as awe-inspiring, and as hopeless! As the man who mediates between Colossus, the Super-Computer, and the rest of humanity, Forbin holds the key to Earth's fate. Now he has voluntarily used his power to switch off the Machine, and thus turned over mastery of the planet to alien invaders. Will Forbin turn out to be the universal Judas, or can he prevent these strange beings from taking their horrendous tribute? The invaders are wise beyond mankind's conception, and Forbin meets his match in this thrilling third book in the Colossus series. [Quoted from the back cover of ISBN 0-425-03467-4]