Hugo Award Best Novel Winner

They'd Rather Be Right

by Mark Clifton and Frank Riley

Summary

This story centers on Bossy, a sentient computer capable of curing human ills and granting a kind of immortality, but only to people willing to abandon their fixed prejudices and preconceptions. The narrative argues that most people cling to their certainties even when those beliefs cause them harm. Originally serialized in Astounding Science Fiction, it later appeared in book form under the title The Forever Machine.

Historical Context & Significance

For decades it carried a reputation as the least admired Hugo winner, a distinction often debated by science fiction readers and critics.