Imagine you built the smartest machine in the universe. It can calculate the origin of galaxies or design the perfect society. You call it the Answerer. For years, the brilliant but arrogant scientists who run it ask it only the grandest, most complex questions. Then, one day, a lowly technician gets his turn. Frustrated and feeling a bit cheeky, he asks the one thing no one else dared: 'Why?' Just that. A simple, childish question. The Answerer, built for complexity, short-circuits. It can't process something so fundamentally basic. What follows is a chain reaction of cosmic malfunctions as the machine tries desperately to compute an answer, threatening to unravel reality itself in the process.

Why You Should Read It

First published in 1953, this story hasn't aged a day. Sheckley's humor is dry and brilliant, poking fun at intellectual pomposity with every page. The real joy isn't just the high-concept plot, but the characters. The scientists are so sure of their own genius, and watching their perfect system collapse because of a 'foolish' question is deeply satisfying. It makes you wonder: in our own age of AI and search engines that know everything, are we asking the right questions? Or are we, like those scientists, missing the simple, human truths in our pursuit of complex data? Sheckley doesn't just tell a fun story; he holds up a mirror to our own relationship with knowledge and technology.

Final Verdict

This is perfect for anyone who loves 'Twilight Zone'-style sci-fi—stories that are concept-driven, witty, and leave you with something to chew on. It's a fantastic entry point for readers new to classic sci-fi, because it's short, accessible, and incredibly entertaining. If you're a fan of authors like Kurt Vonnegut or Philip K. Dick, you'll see Sheckley as a kindred spirit. Basically, if you've ever looked at a supercomputer and thought, 'Yeah, but what's the point of it all?' then this book was written for you. It's a clever, timeless reminder that sometimes the simplest questions are the most powerful ones.