Cemetery World — Clifford D. Simak

THE GRAVEYARD CHASE Fletcher Carson an artist, travels to the cemetery to create a "composition." He takes with him his "compositor," a sentient (but rather stupid) machine for creating art; Elmer, his ancient, powerful robot friend; and Cynthia Lansing, a treasure seeker whose real goal is vastly more important than gold and jewels. This extraordinary troop is not welcome. They are hunted by unstoppable woves of steel and by ghost-like beings called Shades. And they are joined by an enigmatic figure whose feet seem never to touch the ground, whose face is never quite discernible under his hood, and who will identify himself only as "The Census Taker." One of science fiction's greatest and most honored storytellers has created a novel of high adventure set in a terrible and beautiful landscape--one of his greatest novels ever!