The story in one page
After a knock to the head, a nineteenth-century foreman finds himself in King Arthur’s court. Unimpressed by the lack of hygiene and the prevalence of armored lunatics, he assumes the title of 'The Boss.' He sets out to replace knight-errantry with telephones, newspapers, and public schools. While the king remains a reliable, if dim, partner, the magician Merlin and a mob of zealots resent his interference. The project grows into an industrialized, electrified state, yet the inherent structural flaws of the old regime persist. Eventually, the discrepancy between modern intent and medieval reality triggers a final, catastrophic collision of worlds.
Who's who
- The Boss
A pragmatic Connecticut foreman attempting to industrialize the Dark Ages.
- Arthur
The king who serves as the executive head of the state.
- Merlin
A professional magician whose weather forecasts are reliably catastrophic.
- Sandy
A talkative guide who follows the protagonist on his quest.
- Clarence
A loyal page who aids in implementing modern infrastructure.
What it's really about
- Industrialization
- Technology is applied to replace feudal traditions.
- Economics
- A debate on wages and consumer purchasing power.
Why it's memorable
- A solar eclipse predicted with precision to save a life.
- The sight of knights attempting to ride horses while wearing metal boxes.
The ending, explained
Spoilers — show the ending
The protagonist lies in a modern bed, delirious and dying, still pleading for his companion. He never recovers from the fever dream of his Arthurian industrial empire.
For your book club
- Can a society be forced to modernize against its own history?
- Why does a technical genius fail to account for basic human irrationality?