Publisher's Synopsis
Michael Dalgleish finds himself and his long time friend Peter standing on a hilltop overlooking a horrifying blood sport event which involves ending the lives of large numbers of people for entertainment. They stand at a critical crossroads in the nation's history in-which such horrific events are allowed to happen as a result of a decades long transformation of the nation and the world. His friend, Peter, disgusted by the grizzly spectacle, half rhetorically and half seriously, asks him how the world has sunk so low so as to come to this place in time. Michael, having been involved first-hand in the events which led-up to the transformation and the present circumstance, begins to relay to Peter and many others the answer to the question through a long flashback narrative story, reaching back several decades.
As he begins his story, he recounts that he was brought up with a deep admiration for his father, an engineer, who founded a company (Dalbots) to make automation equipment. His father plays a key role as prime-catalyst to the transformative events, which start after the company won a contract from the US government, based on his technology approach for solving the deep financial crisis the nation finds itself mired in.
The company, Dalbots, produces a line of life-like humanoid robots, which are initially only available for industrial and government use. The machines are designed as labor and cost saving equipment for industry, which is driven by the profit motive to reduce labor costs, which means replacing people from their jobs. The problem is, people are not like the machines replacing them, and will not just lay down and let themselves become obsolete, nor be replaced by their mechanical stand-ins. The massive labor-displaced population adapts to forge a position of strength in bargaining with the global money-powers which control the emerging paradigm, so they also find themselves in a face to face showdown with the creator of the Robot menace, holding the upper hand.
Micheal's father, being a good man, and having been inspired by the great American fathers of industry, believes the machines he created are a boon to mankind and will play a vital role in furthering the development of civilization and improving the lives of all people. Neither Michael, nor his father will rest until they have restored stability and peace in the reckless paradigm which they may have inspired and helped usher in. How will it all play out?
The Autonomous Economy is a fictional, serious, and sometimes comical journey through generations, spanning about a century and a half, describing how the world will be transformed by the advent of humanoid machines which render human labor obsolete. It's a journey of discovery, unfolding the little realized truth about what compels human behavior; why people work to to survive; why they tolerate unfairness and inequity in political and economic terms; why they suffer abuse at the hands of other, more powerful people and groups; and what ultimate destiny lays ahead.
Follow the narrative of Michael Dalgleish's first-hand account describing the advent of machines which inherit the world in-which humans have dominion and occupy at present, and what becomes of the people.
The story is a trilogy! In the first book, subtitled, The Strong Man, foundations are laid for a wild but sober beginning as the story unfolds.
