Colossus Trilogy

The first book is the inspiration for the classic sci-fi film The Forbin Project, and while much is the same, the book is a very much a product of its time. No doubt this set of novels would be condemned as a product of “toxic masculinity”, and by all counts, it did make me cringe on more than one occasion. That aside, there is an excellent story outlining the dangers of technology within. Set in a future where the Cold War still has humanity teetering on the edge of extinction, in steps Forbin and his scientists who create a master computer to watch over the defenses of the United States. It's a well thought out novel on what could go wrong. Unfortunately books 2 and 3 take a weird turn starting with the end of book 1 and soon involve computer intelligence from Mars. Sounds exciting in theory, but the whole of the original concept created in the first book is chucked out the door by the later novels, and one wonders if they weren't a product of forced publication rather than what the author originally intended. Skip books 2 and 3 if possible and just enjoy the first novel (Colossus).