Rogue Berserker — Fred Saberhagen

Harry Silver has already had a lifetime of trouble from ordinary Berserkers, the automated killing machines programmed an age ago to denude the galaxy of life. Now when his own family is kidnapped, he faces a deviant machine, a good fit for some or all of the Galactic Dictionary's definitions of ROGUE:

(1) A deceitful, double-dealing evildoer .. .

(4) A fierce elephant or stamodont that has been banished from the herd . . .

(10) Having a peculiarly malevolent or unstable nature . . .

(11) No longer loyal, affiliated, or recognized, and hence not governable or accountable . . . erring, apostate.

-- Galactic Dictionary of the Common Tongue

Ordinary Berserkers armed with weapons powerful enough to kill an entire planet were enough of a nightmare. What worse deviltry will a killing machine gone rogue attempt--and even if Silver can stop it, will he ever see his family alive again?