The World of Null-A (A. E. Van Vogt, 1948, 56, 85)

Gilbert Gosseyn, a man living in an apparent utopia in which those with superior understanding and mental control rule the rest of humanity. But when Gosseyn wants to be tested by the giant Machine that determines such superiority, he finds that his world is not as it appears. The World of Null-A is followed by the sequels, The Pawns of Null-A (also known as The Players of Null-A) (1956) and Null-A Three (1984).

The World of Null-A appeared originally as a 1945 serial in the magazine Astounding Science Fiction, which was edited by John W. Campbell, Jr. Van Vogt revised and shortened the tale for the 1948 novel release by Simon and Schuster. In 1970, van Vogt revised it yet again (though only slightly this time), and added an Author's Introduction in which he both defended the controversial work, and admitted that the original had been flawed.

Rating: 8/10