Dark humor and a unique spin on classic tropes makes the simple story of a man without memories recovering his identity into a twist-filled, idea-rich adventure through a complex galactic culture. Simon's quest to discover his hidden past uncovers ever larger secrets, including the resting place of the most terrible weapon ever devised and the truth behind the covert domestication of the human race by robots. This is the seminal novel that ties together many of the characters and settings explored in the rest of Chester Burton Brown's extensive science-fiction universe.