The Grand Wheel is the eighth science fiction novel by Barrington J. Bayley. The novel follows Cheyne Scarne, a professor of "randomatics", as he is selected by the eponymous organization (which holds a galactic monopoly on games of chance) to represent humanity in a card game with infinitely varying rules. The name of the main character appears to be a reference to John Scarne.
 First edition | |
| Author | Barrington J. Bayley |
|---|---|
| Cover artist | Don Maitz |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Science fiction |
| Publisher | DAW Books |
Publication date | August 1977 |
| Publication place | United Kingdom |
| Media type | Print (Paperback) |
| Pages | 176 |
| ISBN | 978-0-87997-318-6 |
Literary significance and reception
editRhys Hughes, in his survey of Bayley's work, described The Grand Wheel as an "entertaining gambling novel" with a "seedy and elegant" atmosphere.[1] Colin Greenland, writing in Foundation 18, received the novel negatively, saying that it had been produced for the market and "would have been old in 1957".[2]
References
edit- ^ "Annihilation Factotum: The work of Barrington J. Bayley". The Council for the Literature of the Fantastic. Archived from the original on 4 October 2012. Retrieved 30 September 2012.
- ^ "Astounding Worlds of Barrington J. Bayley". Foundation 18. Retrieved 30 September 2012.