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From: RPS385%MAINE.BITNET@WISCVM.ARPA
Newsgroups: net.sf-lovers
Subject: Life Probe
Message-ID: <2708@topaz.ARPA>
Date: Sun, 14-Jul-85 12:48:39 EDT
Article-I.D.: topaz.2708
Posted: Sun Jul 14 12:48:39 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 17-Jul-85 08:32:32 EDT
Sender: daemon@topaz.ARPA
Organization: Rutgers Univ., New Brunswick, N.J.
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From: RPS385%MAINE.BITNET@WISCVM.ARPA  (Jeff Smith)

There is a really good story dealing with artificial intellegence,
man's first contact with extra-terrestrial intellegence, and FTL
travel, called "Life Probe".

*********************** PSUEDO-SPOLIER *******************************

It is about a race of creatures, called The Makers, who are have a
strong desire for the seeking of knowlage, exploration, and all that
other good stuff. They have populated all the planets in thier
solar system, and some around nearby stars, but they are still
unsatisfied.

The only method of space travel they know is slower-than-light, called
Slow Boats. In order for them to colonize and explore more rapidly,
they set out to find the secret of FTL travel. They work up a few
good theories, but they all fail in practice, so they send out
several hundred thousand "Life Probes", which will scour the universe
in search of intellegent life, but more importantly intellegent life
that know the secret of FTL travel. One of these probes happens
across Earth, and decides to instigate it's prime function. To
establish contact with the Humans..

******************* END PSEUDO-SPOILER SECTION *********************

This book is really great, and the author has written more, but I
can't seem to remember his name.