The distinction of discovering the first intelligent humanoid life on another planet falls upon 'Tod' Todheim and his fellow astronauts. After the loss of two of their crew members, they return to earth bearing a 'gift' from the people of the distant planet - a machine designed to create a peaceful society by eliminating anyone who might be a potential cause of disharmony. Isolated from his colleagues, and distrusted by earth's scientific community, Tod decides not to voice his profound misgivings about the device. The consequences of his silence are beyond his imagining.

The Empathy Machine unfolds with the inevitability of classical tragedy but the unpredictability of the finest science-fiction thrillers. The imaginative and convincing technological detail is incidental to a tale of moral weight and irresistible momentum.