We're Friends, Now

by Henry Hasse

"We're Friends, Now" by Henry Hasse is a science fiction novel written in the early 1960s. The story revolves around Raoul Beardsley, a serological coordinator at Crime-Central, who grapples with feelings of inefficiency in a world increasingly dominated by machines. As the narrative unfolds, Beardsley's psychological struggle against the mechanized crime-solving entity, ECAIAC, suggests themes of humanity versus technology and the quest for personal relevance in a data-driven society. The opening of the novel introduces Raoul Beardsley as he prepares for an important day in the investigation of the murder of Amos Carmack, the creator of ECAIAC. As he navigates through a tense atmosphere of expectation and doubt, Beardsley's internal conflict about the reliance on machines to solve crimes becomes palpable. The narrative presents his interactions with Jeff Arnold, the cyberneticist, and touches on the intricacies of their work within the Mechanical Division while setting the stage for a developing murder mystery. A growing sense of unease signals that today's run of ECAIAC may not go smoothly, initiating a tension that captivates the reader and hints at Beardsley’s unsettling revelations about both the machine and himself.