Bester, Alfred: The Demolished Man
The Demolished Man
Writer: Alfred Bester
Genre: Science Fiction
Pages: 243
Because digitalclone let me borrow this title as well, I decided to go ahead and read it right away. I wouldn't call it a Bester kick (I don't have his shorts and I don't plan to seek them out right away: too much reading to do), I did want to get this book under my belt while I still had Bester's voice floating in my head. And contrary to my original concerns about liking The Demolished Man (which was the first Hugo winner) more than The Stars My Destination, I found that I enjoyed this book equally.
There were lots of things that I thoroughly enjoyed about this book. The Espers, first and foremost. The society, the culture, the terminology (peeping and peepers), it all made me giddy with glee. Granted, I have a soft spot for anything that involves telepathy of any kind (especially since I too am trying to incorporate such a device in my own work), but I found Bester's use of it fascinating. It's easy to see how Bester set the standard, but even so, I cringe when I think about how many writers (me included, until now) have used telepathy in their novel without ever seeing Bester's original take on it. While I want to say his take is the right take on it (especially in reliving memory, and what thoughts are composed of), I don't want to necessarily devalue other writer's takes on the same subject. Suffice it to say: if you're using any form of telepathy in your fiction, you need to read this book.
The murder plot immediately brought to mind Phillip K. Dick's The Minority Report (yes, I'm a bad SF writer, as I've only seen the movie, not read the original tale), but I easily saw the differences. Reich's ability with the annoying (but disturbing) jingle to keep peepers out of his head was a wonderful device, and I loved how it kept popping up.
The Man with No Face. I kept wondering through-out the book how this was all going to tie into the main story (just like I did with long distance jaunting in The Stars My Destination), but Bester ties everything together almost perfectly, and again, I have to admit I'm surprised with his ability to write a cyclical plot. Sure, the writing and revelation methods are a bit dated, but the main points come back, and they come back in a big way.
The very end chilled me, seeing what a Demolished Man really was. And the idea that the men who are certifiably insane or inhumane by our standards can be remade in this future society to greatly benefit the world? Oh, I'm still chewing over that one. I love it, but it disturbs me, especially the figures it brings to mind.
I did get a little confused as to whether or not there was something fantastic or supernatural about Reich himself, but by the end, I think I've gathered that what made him so dangerous was his psychopathic nature, how he was so willing to kill to achieve power over everything. Translate that to someone like Charles Manson or Adolf Hitler, and it makes a world of sense.
This is another SF classic I highly recommend. Easy to read and comprehend whether SF is your drug of choice or not, but a must read for those writers who are either into cyberpunk or telepathic communication. Those of you who write the latter? You MUST read this book. It's a smooth, fast read, and while the end of the first chapter may give you whiplash if you're paying attention, it all comes together in such a satisfying way that you can't believe Bester pulled it off.