The Intelligence Gigantic by John Russell Fearn

Book Details

The Intelligence Gigantic (1933) – With the best of intentions, three scientists come together to make an artificial man with extraordinary artificial intelligence, to run society with efficiency and remove the petty problems people face on a daily basis. However, this artificial man has no soul, no morality, no pity, and no compassion.

The Intelligence Gigantic – The Intelligence Gigantic operates to exceed that of the wisest of humanity
Chapter I – Differences of Opinion
Chapter II – The Making of the Intelligence
Chapter III – Nan Returns
Chapter IV – In New London

PART II—Conclusion – The operations of the Intelligence Gigantic are in full swing. The position of the life of humanity under his autocratic and irresistible sway has to be borne, although it is a most unhappy one
Chapter V – Athlinstone
Chapter VI – The Genius
Chapter VII – Escape
Chapter VIII – The Intelligence Plans
Chapter IX – The Fate of Athlinstone
Chapter X – Kal, of U-Kotar
Chapter XI – The Plans of Kal
Chapter XII – The Last of the Intelligence
Chapter XIII – After the Earth Froze

John Russell Fearn (1908–1960) was a British author and one of the first British writers to appear in American pulp science fiction magazines. A prolific author, he used a number of pseudonyms such as Vargo Statten, Thornton Ayre, Polton Cross, Geoffrey Armstrong, John Cotton, Dennis Clive, Ephriam Winiki, Astron Del Martia and others.

The Intelligence Gigantic was Fearn’s first novel. It was written in 1931 and shopped around to a number of publishers before it was accepted by Amazing Stories where it was finally published in 1933. It is considered a classic of Science Fiction because it is the first story that was predicated on the idea that mankind uses only a small portion of its brain power. This became a theme that a number of other authors have explored over time. Also, it reminds this editor of a critique of Benito Mussolini, Italian dictator from 1922 to 1945.

The Intelligence Gigantic contains 2 illustrations.

Files:

1. Fearn-IntelligenceGigantic.epub

Excerpt: The Intelligence Gigantic

Chapter I

Differences of Opinion

THREE men stood quietly thoughtful in a wonderfully equipped laboratory, each holding in his hand a sheaf of papers upon which were executed abstruse mathematical formulae, and sections of the human anatomy, correct to an amazing degree. . . .

The tallest of the three, Doctor Albert Soone, Professor of Chemical Research—a tall, broad-shouldered man of perhaps forty-three years—studied his own papers silently, his lofty forehead wrinkled into furrows of thought, his steel-grey eyes abstracted. The black hair seemed a trifle disordered. . . .

Next to him, equally absorbed, was a much older man, possessing a far kindlier face, less severely chiseled—Professor Peter Ross Master of Anatomical Research. . . .

The third member of the group, David Elton, an exceptionally well-built young man with riotous fair hair, china-blue eyes, and a square, purposeful face, stood watching his seniors attentively, his hands sunk in the pockets of his laboratory smock. . . .

Presently Dr. Soone laid down his papers on the bench and regarded his two companions meditatively.

“Well, Dave,” he remarked at last, after a profound cogitation. “You certainly have found something! Congratulations!”

The words were curtly spoken, in a cold voice. Dr. Soone never enthused over anything, no matter how extraordinary; not for nothing had his contemporaries dubbed him as “cold-blooded.”

“Indeed yes.” Professor Ross put down his papers and laid a kindly hand on the young man’s shoulder. “My boy, you have undoubtedly discovered something that will raise our race to enormous heights of genius —which will enable us to grow out of our rut of comparatively groping intelligence. Your formula for the creation of a synthetic being, endowed with the power to use its brain to full capacity, should mean an intellectual Titan, dwarfing the most brilliant minds earth has ever evolved.”

Dave Elton smiled slightly. “Thanks, Professor. Yet, although I managed to conceive the idea, and work out the formula, I couldn’t hope to undertake the task alone. My knowledge of anatomy and chemistry is too slight. That, of course, is why I asked you two gentlemen to become partners with me in giving this creature to the cause of the world’s progress.”

“Quite,” the Professor nodded. “You may rest assured of our most earnest cooperation. Eh, Doctor?”

“Most certainly,” Soone agreed; then turning to the young man, “Tell me, Mr. Elton, what started this train of thought? What led up to this startling formula of yours?”

“Well,” Dave began, his manner becoming retrospective, “during my college days—I have said already I left about two years ago—I had access to a considerable number of medical books, including ‘Anatomical Research,’ De Sevene’s ‘Theory of Brain Action,’ and several others, from which I gleaned positive information that almost every human being has five times as much brain material as he ever uses. It occurred to me that this was odd: why so much waste material? We have ascended from a lower level of creature, according to popular theory; therefore that extra brain-material is certainly not a sort of ‘left-over’ organism from a more highly developed creature. Is it for future use? Of course we do not know.”

Unused Brain Material

“BUT, gentlemen, Nature does not make mistakes constructing millions of beings with the same brain capacity—therefore, what is missing? I had a discussion with my anatomy instructor over this excess of brain-matter, and between us we found that it is very likely our brain-capacity will always be the same —and remain unchanged far into the future, but, and here is the point, with the passing ages we will become so intellectually perfect that our brains will need use for all the material—but the time is not yet. You follow?”

The two men nodded in deep interest, their eyes chained to the bright-eyed young genius before them.

“Well, at the risk of being thought a ‘preacher’ I’ll explain the rest,” Dave went on. “I went further into this brain study of mine, made investigations on the mysterious cerebral cortex, studied all about the corpus callosum, which connects the two hemispheres, and pored over the action of nerve-impulses. I just metaphorically dissected a being—and studied him as an engineer studies a delicate machine—to try and find out how the most power could be gained from that extra brain-tissue. I found it was impossible to experiment on a living being, no matter how skilful the surgeon, without causing death. You see, what is lacking with our brains is a nerve connection between the portion of the brain we use and the so-called useless portion. We only think and receive impressions in snatches, imperfectly understood, but—and this is the vital point—with a nerve connection to make the entire brain of use, we can operate our brain power to the full! It means a power of thought five times greater than we now have. On that basis I built my formula, which you, Dr. Soone, find to be correct?”

“Perfectly,” the famous surgeon and neurologist nodded.

A Synthetic Man Proposed to Use the Brain Material

“GOOD! Well, as I have said, I found it impossible to experiment on a living being because of death. Even if the being should live after the operation, it is possible that this sudden excess of work on the part of the brain might cause such a weakening of the body’s other organisms as to bring about death from exhaustion. The only thing, therefore, is to create a synthetic man, built with nerves to stand such immense brain-power—connect up all his brain the way I have outlined, and there he is! An intelligence gigantic! This is your province now, Professor Ross. What we have to do is to duplicate the elements of a human being, and, in a sense, duplicate protoplasm— also reproducing the substance in the nucleus of the body cells—chromatin. Of course, Professor, that part of the business lies with you. I do not know how to reproduce the elements of a human being, or how to endow those elements with the power of life. I have given it as far as I can in my formula, and have shown exactly what organism will have to take the strain of excessive brain power . . .”

The Professor nodded, and deeply thoughtful again studied his papers.

“There is nothing impossible in it, my boy,” he said at last, looking up, “but it will take me a little while to prepare the details.”

“Of course,” Dave nodded. “Time is no object. None of us can work independently of each other. And if this synthetic man is a success it will herald the dawn of a new era! The era of super-intelligent beings! Our intellects will be much belittled by the beings we create, but what of that? If it advances progress what else matters?”

“Have you considered, Dave, that this proposed synthetic being will be—soulless?” asked the Professor quietly. “We cannot make a synthetic soul.”

Excerpt From: John Russell Fearn. “The Intelligence Gigantic.”