The Soul of a New Machine was excerpted in the The Atlantic Monthly in 1981. Prior to its publication, Kidder (a former Army intelligence officer who subsequently graduated from the Iowa Writers' Workshop) was best known for his work for the magazine, including a critically-acclaimed series of Vietnam-related fiction and reportage. The series is available below.
"Flying Upside Down" (July 1981)
"The Ultimate Toy" (August 1981)