From the dead constellation of Andromeda flashed continuously a long and intensely complicated message. Picked up during the testing of the world's most powerful radio-telescope, it proved to be a blueprint of a computor so advanced that it made all earth-built computors seem like children's counting beads and even produced a thinking, living human-being to interpret its needs. Could this be part of a fantastic plan to take over the earth?

This brilliantly conceived novel explores what happens when the computor is used to further the world ambitions of the dictator of a tiny desert state and of the unscrupulous commercial organisation INTEL. The terrible combination of ignorance of the machine's purpose and insane avarice brings the world to disaster. Huge storms rage across the continents, epidemics break out in cities devastated by floods and everywhere people begin to die from lack of oxygen. The incredible achievements of the computer had masked one small formula, which was changing the oxygen balance of the air. Was this the last step in the plan?

From the dead constellation of Andromeda flashes an intensely complicated message, a message so advanced, so brilliant, it can only originate from an immense intelligence, beside which the scientific discoveries of earth appear pigmy-like and trivial.
But when the knowledge from the distant galaxy is used to further the ambitions of a small dictator, the world topples on the brink of destruction. Ignorance and insane avarice result in terrifying storms, epidemics, death from lack of oxygen, and it is left to a small group of frantic scientists to avert the catastrophe of the Andromeda Breakthrough.

"A BOLDLY EXCITING WORK OF IMAGINATION...FILLED WITH PHYSICAL EXCITEMENT AND INTELLECTUAL STIMULATION...MUCH OF IT READS LIKE A JAMES BOND ADVENTURE..."
— Boston Pilot

FRED HOYLE / JOHN ELLIOT
NO OTHER SCIENCE-FICTION WRITERS OF OUR TIME POSSESS THE QUALIFICATIONS AND IMAGINATION OF THIS UNIQUE TEAM WHICH HAS CREATED THE BEST ENTERTAINMENT IN A DEMANDING AND EXCITING FIELD...

Fred Hoyle, world-famous astrophysicist and astronomer, is a writer whose work has made a major contribution to our knowledge of outer space. Since 1958 he has been Plumian professor of astronomy and experimental philosophy at Cambridge University. He is also a staff member of the Mount Wilson and Palomar observatories. He has recently been engaged on a computer program for recalculating the age of stars.

John Elliot, noted dramatist, helped pioneer the development of television films. He is well known as a writer and producer of dramatized documentaries and has had a number of plays perfomed on television. He received a special award from the Guild of Television Producers and Directors.

From the dead constellation of Andromeda flashed continuously a long and intensely complicated message. Picked up during the testing of the world's most powerful radio-telescope, it proved to be a blueprint of a computor so advanced that it made all earth-built computors seem like children's counting beads and even produced a thinking, living human-being to interpret its needs. Could this be part of a fantastic plan to take over the earth?

This brilliantly conceived novel explores what happens when the computer is used to further the world ambitions of the dictator of a tiny desert state and of the unscrupulous commercial organisation INTEL.