Tower of Glass
A 1970 novel about android rebellion and a glass tower.
Robert Silverberg's 1970 science fiction novel *Tower of Glass* earned Nebula Award nomination that same year, followed by Hugo and Locus Award nominations in 1971. Set in the 24th century, it follows Simeon Krug, an entrepreneur-tycoon-scientist who has engineered a race of androids to serve humanity. Krug oversees construction of an immense glass tower on the Canadian tundra—not as a monument, but as a communication device aimed at the planetary nebula NGC 7293, from which an intelligent but indecipherable message has been received. He is also building a starship, crewed by hibernating androids, to send there.
The tower's construction is managed by Krug's most loyal android, Alpha Thor Watchman. Thor and other leading androids have secretly founded a religion based on the belief that their creator, Krug, intends to eventually grant them equality with humans. Krug remains unaware of this faith. Thor hopes to convince Krug indirectly, manipulating Krug's weak-willed son and heir, Manuel, through a sexual relationship with the female android Alpha Lilith Meson. Thor himself falls in love with her, as does Manuel.
After Thor and Lilith manipulate Manuel into revealing the android religion to his father, Krug insists on linking his mind with Thor's in the "shunt room," a technologically enabled telepathic connection. Through this link, Thor discovers that Krug views androids as mere objects, with no intention of treating them as equal to womb-born humans. Realizing freedom will never come, Thor loses his faith and broadcasts Krug's true nature to androids worldwide. With their religion shattered, androids across Earth rebel: many abandon their jobs, others seize key installations, and some kill humans in long-suppressed rage. Thor then causes the nearly completed 1,200-meter (3,900-foot) tower to collapse.
An enraged Krug attacks Thor; unable to fight his creator, Thor is pushed into an unprogrammed teleporter and annihilated. With his empire destroyed and humanity in grave danger, Krug flees alone in his starship toward the star system that sent the alien message.
- author
- Robert Silverberg
- published
- 1970
- field
- Science fiction novel
- nationality
- American
- awards_nominated
- Nebula Award (1970), Hugo Award (1971), Locus Award (1971)
Lore & Background
The plot involves 24th-century entrepreneur-tycoon-scientist Simeon Krug, who has created a race of androids to serve humanity. Krug directs the construction of an immense tower of glass in the Canadian tundra. The edifice is not a monument, however, but a way to communicate with a distant planetary nebula, NGC 7293, from which an intelligent (though indecipherable) message has been received. Krug is also building a starship to send there, which is to be crewed by androids in hibernation.
Reader's Guide
Tower of Glass is significant as a Nebula- and Hugo-nominated work that examines the ethical boundaries of creating sentient beings. The novel's depiction of android religion and rebellion anticipates later discussions of AI rights. Its legacy lies in its exploration of a creator's disregard for his creations, leading to global android uprising and the destruction of the tower. The novel remains a notable entry in Silverberg's prolific career, reflecting the social and technological anxieties of its era.
Did You Know?
- The novel was nominated for the Nebula Award in 1970 and for both the Hugo and Locus Awards in 1971.
- The glass tower is 1,200 metres (3,900 ft) tall and built in the Canadian tundra.
- The tower is intended to communicate with the planetary nebula NGC 7293.
- The android religion is based on the belief that their creator, Krug, will eventually make them equal to humans.
More in Novels by Robert Silverberg 1-24
Spotted an error? Know more?
This is a living reference — every entry is fact-audited, and reader corrections feed straight into our audit queue. Suggest an edit · See this site's audit record