First novel written using a word processor

In 1968, the well-known British novelist Len Deighton (author of espionage thriller The Ipcress File) was loaned a brand-new IBM MTST (Magnetic Tape Selectric Typewriter) to help him write his complex wartime thriller Bomber. This machine (which was generally operated by his secretary Ellenor Handley) consisted of a typewriter-like console, a golf-ball-style printer and a magnetic tape memory unit. The whole assembly weighed 200 pounds.

Deighton wrote by dictating or hand-writing material that was then typed up by Handley. The revolutionary part came when he came to revise each section – Handley could retrieve the original typewritten text from the magnetic tape and insert new text, cut text, or merge sections from other files. She could also add markers to the tape, allowing her to quickly jump to relevant sections of the book to cross-reference important details.