Bester, Alfred: The Stars My Destination
The Stars My Destination
Writer: Alfred Bester
Genre: Science Fiction
Pages: 258
There’s many SF classics to be read, and I have read very few of them. So when digitalclone offered to let me borrow her copies of The Demolished Man and The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester, I figured, “Why not?” My curiosity in his work had been piqued when I read David Hartwell’s The Age of Wonders. So, using leaning towards the title with the most romantic feel, I sat down with The Stars My Destination.
The particular edition I read, which is the one I linked to, has an introduction by Neil Gaiman. While I tell myself I should never read the things, I can never help myself, and so was sucked into Gaiman’s intro and interpretation of the text. I have to agree with him in that while The Stars My Destination is certainly a lovely, romantic, optimistic title, I would preferred the earlier (UK?) title of Tiger, Tiger. For an English Geek like me, the title immediately brings to mind the stanzas of William Blake’s poem, which I have a terrible fondness for. And the allusion to said poem is very deliberate, and plays a central part in the psychosis of the main character, Gulliver Foyle.
Often, when reading books from the “good old days” of the genre, the datedness of the tale, writing, and characters is very obvious to the modern eye. However, while there are some stylistic choices that would not go over well (alluding to sex instead of showing it, for example, a bad one though, but there are others) in the modern day, the tale holds its own weight in the current wham-bam-thank-you-mam rush of SF world. Gully is a wonderfully developed character, and while he’s an anti-hero, he’s not the kind that deserves the reader’s pity. He’s a bad man. He’s the tiger. He does things with such a single-minded selfishness that I found myself surprised when his crimes were brought to light by someone else. The reader, so engrained in Gully’s purpose, may not immediately realize just how horrible a man this guy is.
However, there is also beauty. And as Gaiman points out in the intro, there is symmetry. The tale and character comes around in such a mostly-satisfying way that I found myself wanting more when it was over. The prose reads quickly, the chapters are have complete arcs, and just when you think the story is going to forget some seemingly major detail, it comes back and slaps you in the face. The use of the tiger tattoo (devil’s mask) is an absolutely wonderful device, and the Burning Man…oh, the Burning Man…
I did have some quibbles: I would’ve liked to see the Burning Man earlier in the story, because it was revealed I probably should’ve at the end. Also, I had difficulty in accepting Olivia’s motivations overall. Pure rancor for being born blind? Granted, I’ve never been blind, nor do I talk with any blind people, but how can one have so much hate for not having something they never had (like sight, or hearing)? I’m thinking too much of a passage in the first chapter of Cold Mountain, of all things, where the protagonist interacts with a blind man and asks him about being bitter over never having any sight. That explanation is an enlightening one, maybe a little optimistic, but it makes sense. Olivia’s? Doesn’t. Because she has her own way of seeing that is fascinating. Her description is quite fabulous in her sight and as an albino (the Snow Maiden…I wonder if Lewis was inspired by Olivia for his White Witch?), though I was left a little confused with this whole matter of electric touch and being able to draw in crystal because her skin melts it? Can anyone explain this to me, since her lips make her quite a normal woman?
Like I said, quibbles. I could talk all day about Olivia.
I found Bester’s world-building to be imaginative and rich. Jaunting was great, gutter-talk was fabulous, and Gully’s little poem? Oh, that thing’s still stuck in my head. Overall, I was very pleased with the world he created, though (more quibbles), I just couldn’t get where Presteign’s conviction came from: talk about a man more selfish that Gully. That man is truly a villain, and I’m happy to debate that point with anyone, based on my understanding of the book.
Overall, this was an enjoyable read. I know that The Demolished Man was the actual award-winner, but I’m glad to have read this one first, because if DM is better, I wouldn’t have wanted to unfairly compare the works. I doubt that’s going to be the case, but no matter: I’ll be reading DM very soon.
I’d certainly recommend this to anyone who writes SF. Gaiman says this boot is the root of cyberpunk, which surprised me, but then again, I don’t read cyberpunk, so I can’t say. But it’s certainly a genre classic, and an enjoyable one at that, so if you read SF, you should definitely read this. And I have to say, I can see people enjoying this, even if they don’t read SF as a rule. There may be moments that are confusing, but the story, and the allusions to Blake’s poem, are lovely.