MACROSCOPE by Anthony, Piers (pseudonym of Piers Anthony Dillingham Jacob) - 1985

Boston: Gregg Press, 1985. Octavo, cloth. First hardcover edition. "Four people set out on a voyage through both inner and outer space, the cosmos and the psyche to discover the source of a signal which destroys the minds of those who attempt to use the macroscope, a machine that sees through space and time" (Survey). The four use the macroscope, an alien artifact in Earth orbit to leave the Solar System and travel to the destroyer station (an artificial planet) which is actually one of the "guardian stations placed in space by an infinitely superior alien race to prevent any species from ruining themselves or others with advanced technology before they are mature enough morally to resist the temptations of galactic conquest ... Although not an allegory in the strictest sense of the term, MACROSCOPE is a novel constructed upon varied interpretations of the concept of unity ... [It] is a novel with a vast sweep that combines ideas and epic action in a way that typifies the most ambitious and exhilarating science fiction ... [It] is a complex, exciting book to read ..." (Survey). 1970 Hugo nominee. Anatomy of Wonder (2004) II-32. Pringle, The Ultimate Guide to Science Fiction, second edition (1995), p. 221. Survey of Science Fiction Literature III, pp. 1308-11. A fine copy in nearly fine dust jacket with two small areas of narrow loss to black background ink along top edge of rear panel. (#165522)