The Bug

About this book

In 1984 at the dawn of the personal-computer era novice software tester Roberta Walton stumbles across a bug. She brings it to its inadvertent creator longtime programmer Ethan Levin and the two embark on a hunt for the elusive bug nicknamed The Jester for its tendency to appear randomly and only at the least opportune moments jeopardizing the fate of the company. Ethans attempts to find a solution soon become a frightening obsession that threatens to destroy both his professional and personal life. Roberta on the other hand is drawn to the challenge. Forced to learn how to program and seeking refuge from her own private troubles she becomes enthralled with learning to speak the computers language. Expertly merging code with prose big ideas with intensely personal stories Ellen Ullman brilliantly illuminates the space between human beings and computersa space we occupy every day as we peer into our monitors.