Billion-Dollar Brain

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Billion-Dollar Brain
cover of the first edition
Author	Len Deighton
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English
Genre(s)	Science fiction novel, Spy Novel
Publisher	Jonathan Cape
Publication date	1966
Media type	Print (Hardback)
Pages	412 pp
ISBN	NA
Preceded by	Funeral in Berlin

Billion-Dollar Brain (1966, ISBN 0-09-985710-3) is a Cold War spy novel by Len Deighton, and the the fourth protagonised by an anonymous secret agent working for the British WOOC(P) intelligence agency, it follows The IPCRESS File (1962), Horse Under Water (1963), and Funeral in Berlin (1964). As in most of the author's novels, the plot of Billion-Dollar Brain is intricate, with many dead ends.

[edit] Plot

The eponymous billion-dollar brain is a supercomputer, operated by "Facts for Freedom" (FFF) a private, right-wing American intelligence agency, run by General Midwinter. The Brain optimizes FFF agent operations, especially the deposition of Soviet power in Latvia — the FFF's test case insurgent operation for the ultimate destabilisation and deposition of world Communism. MI6 send secret agent Harry Palmer to penetrate and stop the Finland FFF cell.

In Finland, the principal FFF agent is Harvey Newbegin, an opportunist American traitor running a phantom secret agent network in Latvia, and stealing the FFF money funding it, whilst passing intelligence to KGB Colonel Stok in Latvia. Meanwhile, in Britain, FFF agents infiltrated the Microbiological Research Establishment, Porton Down, England, stealing a weapons-grade virus. The FFF agents believe it destined to be an American weapon against the Russians, but traitor Newbegin will sell it to the Communists.

[edit] References

v • d • e Works by Len Deighton "Unnamed hero" novels: The IPCRESS File (1962) · Horse Under Water (1963) · Funeral in Berlin (1964) · Billion-Dollar Brain (1966) · An Expensive Place to Die (1967) · Spy Story (1972) · Yesterday's Spy (1975) · Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Spy (1976) Bernard Samson novels: Berlin Game (1983) · Mexico Set (1984) · London Match (1985) · Winter (1987) · Spy Hook (1988) · Spy Line (1989) · Spy Sinker (1990) · Faith (1994) · Hope (1995) · Charity (1996) Other novels: Only When I Larf (1968) · Bomber (1970) · Close-Up (1972) · SS-GB (1978) · XPD (1981) · Goodbye, Mickey Mouse (1982) · MAMista (1991) · City of Gold (1992) · Violent Ward, (1993) Short story collections: Declarations of War (1971) · The Verdict of Us (2006) Non-fiction: Où Est le Garlic (1965) · Len Deighton's Action Cookbook (1965) · Len Deighton's London Dossier (1967) · Fighter: The True Story of the Battle of Britain (1977) · Airshipwreck (1978) · Blitzkrieg: From the Rise of Hitler to the Fall of Dunkirk (1979) · Battle of Britain (1980) · Blood, Tears and Folly: An Objective Look at World War II (1993)