First published 1975
Rod McBan the hundred and fifty-first faces execution at the Station of Doom. His crime is simple: he lacks telepathic abilities in a world where such powers determine who lives and dies. Against all odds, Rod escapes his fate. He discovers and uses a prohibited computer system to accumulate unprecedented riches, transforming himself into the wealthiest individual who has ever lived. With his vast fortune, Rod makes an extraordinary purchase: Old Earth itself. But owning a planet comes with a terrible price. To truly possess and understand the world he has bought, Rod must sacrifice his own life. The story follows his journey from condemned outcast to planetary owner, exploring what it means to possess something so completely that it requires the ultimate sacrifice. Rod must choose between his life and his dream of reading the living essence of the planet that now belongs to him.
Genres: science-fiction, dystopia, adventure, speculative-fiction
Vibes: emotional, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: chosen-one, fish-out-of-water
Setting: Old Earth, Station of Doom
Period: Future
156 pages · Paperback · Sphere Books Limited