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in times to come

January’s issue features "Integra! ion Module,” by Daniel B. James. Much kos been wiitten about the differenccs between man and Computer, and ihe eventu-ality of sef-aware electronic "brains. ” James has produced a thoughtful and thought-proyoking story about just such a device: a self-aware Computer that is integrated inlo a full-fledged factory, so that what you have is. in efject, a fac-tory that can respond to the world around it much in the same way any ltving crcaturc can respond to stimuli. The factory—called Beta—is one of the major characters in the story. The other mam character is Beta‘s teacher, mentor, friend: an all-too-human human being who has the courage (o answer Beta s (juestions about its origins and its destiny. The cover is by John Schoenherr.

The climax to Clifford SimakJs “Cemetery World” lakes Fletcher and Cyn-thia on a wild merry-go-round through eons of timc to find the answers to the ruldles of the war machines and the mystery surrounding Mother Earth and the census taker.

And the science article will be “The Third Industrial Revolution,” by G. Harry Stine. The simple aUernatiye to the problem of industry versus the envi-ronment, it turns out. is to moveyour industry into a different en\ironment. Not far away, really: only a few hundred ntiles—up!