The Demolished Man

Author - Alfred Bester ... [Goo?] [Posters]

This Paperback Book item from Vintage was reviewed on 3-Nov-2008.

Search ISBN:0679767819 offer from Abebooks or used books from Alibris. The Demolished Man Reference Book. Classifications : General AAS United States World Literature Literature & Fiction Subjects Books Bester, Alfred ( B ) Authors, A-Z Science Fiction & Fantasy Subjects Books General AAS Fantasy Science Fiction & Fantasy . Click the following link to view the cover of The Demolished Man.

Related topics: General AAS. United States. World Literature. Subjects. Books. Bester, Alfred. ( B ). Authors, A-Z. Subjects. Books.

1) Paperback Book The Demolished Man by Vintage. What my fellow reviewers seem not to realize (I didn´t read them all but the first dozen didn´t mention it) is that this is a remake of Fyodor Dostoevsky´s Crime and Punishment. It essentially turns on the cat-and-mouse dynamics of the murderer who wrongly believes that he has the courage to stand outside the flow of human kind and the detective who is enigmatic in his capacity to represent the banal morality that turns out to be deeper than that which would transcend it.

Like C&P, this work is often heavy handed, as was typical of mid-20th c. high-class sci fi. But it is inventive and prescient, as we move to a world in which brain scans can detect the increased oxygen consumption of the lying brain. It doesn´t have the incredible tightness of Bester´s masterpiece, The Stars My Destination. But some parts are wonderful--I won´t give it away, but the jingle is worth pondering--and it is a reasonable place to explore fundamental questions of motivation, hurt, crime and repentance.

The strange ending involves a deepening of the relation between cat and mouse and it might at first seem implausible. The one thing you should know if you are a lawbreaker, it would seem, is that the cop is not your friend. Bester´s reply isn´t so much to question "who is really your friend" but who are "you"? Is a motivation you don´t understand and don´t want really part of you in the first place? If it could be removed like a growth from your body, wouldn´t that be good? Wouldn´t the person who did that be your truest friend, even if the you-minus-motive wasn´t you at all? [44]¤

2) Paperback Book The Demolished Man by Vintage. After a brilliant read of "The Stars My Destination," I was curious to read this title. "The Demolished Man" takes murder investigation into a futuristic direction that includes Telepaths, Mind Readers, and Brain Peepers with a surprise ending. "Demolished Man" is a game of cat and mouse between cop and murderer - where cop needs to get the proof & find a witness in order to put the murderer away, while the murderer tries to keep one step ahead of the cop. Personally, it was a tough followup read to "The Stars My Destination." "Demolished Man" is still a worthy addition to any book collection and should probably be read first before reading "The Stars My Destination" - which I plan to read over and over again.¤

3) Paperback Book The Demolished Man by Vintage. Bester demonstrates what is missing from modern science fiction writing. He creates a glimpse to a future world where a minority of the population has telepathic powers. He introduces us to this world by writing in a style that shows us the incredible speed in which a thought conversation would occur. This novel is both fun and fast paced, but it is the "clipped" pace of the telepathic communication that drives this novel into the "must-read" category. The story is a classic one. A murder and then a cover up. The villain, the richest man in the solar system. The hero, a top level PSI detective. The investigation, is one of move and counter-move, on a chessboard that includes the entire solar system. The society that he portrays is a decadent society, where money buys influence. A world not so removed from ours. This novel, a tad dated in its treatment of women, is still relevant and enjoyable to audiences, fifty years later. Bester isn´t just a forgotten founding father of science fiction, here is an artist.¤

4) Paperback Book The Demolished Man by Vintage. Not to be too gushy, but this 1951 classic is one of THE towering classics of 1950´s hardcore Science Fiction, and it´s the winner of the very FIRST EVER HUGO AWARD.

As if that wasn´t praise enough, J.M. Straczynski, the creator of the highly acclaimed and award winning "Babylon 5" series, repeatedly paid open and worshipful homage to the author, Alfred Bester, by basing his "Psi Corps" on the police force in this book. He also named the head of that organization after the author himself. Walter Koenig (Checkov on Star Trek: TOS) was cast as Bester in B5, and Harlan Ellison begged and pleaded until JMS let him made a guest appearance as a Psi Cop working directly for him.

Getting dizzy yet ? Good. I´m not done yet.

Issac Asimov has called it "one of the all-time classics of Science Fiction".

This book also the direct spiritual heir of George Orwell´s dark 1949 classic "1984", and the case could also be made that Gibson´s classic "Neuromancer" may have been strongly inspired, in part, by this book.

It´s a hard hitting, well written, and highly original tour de force, and it rightly earns my highest recommendations. It richly deserves to be re-discovered by a new generation of scifi fans.
¤

5) Paperback Book The Demolished Man by Vintage. At it´s core, Alfred Bester´s The Demolished Man is a murder procedural but because of the way Bester incorporates the aspect of mind readers, this has become a timeless classic of the science fiction genre.

A non-psychic man commits a murder in a future world where some can read minds to varying levels of ability. The detective on the case is a top level mind reader trying to build enough evidence to convict the killer. The two main characters are both interesting portrayals of the corrupt mega-CEO and the determined detective looking for justice. Both are highly intelligent and at the top of their respective social ladders and this makes for a high powered game of cat and mouse that works on many levels.

Bester also excels at creating an intelligent and fully realized society where telepathic people and "non-tele´s", live work and interact. The way Bester integrates telepathy into the various occupations like law enforcement and sales is interesting and clever. I would be interested in revisiting this book´s environment with a completely different story and characters just to further delve into the mind reading characteristic Bester has created.

What is equally impressive is how well this book holds up more then 50 years after it was written which is rare for the science fiction genre. This book also has the distinction of winning the first Hugo award for best science fiction of the year (1953).

Bottom Line: A classic sci-fi book that was original in its time and often copied since. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.
¤

6) Paperback Book The Demolished Man by Vintage. In the year 2301, the wealthiest man in the universe is determined to commit murder in a world in which telepaths are used to detect possible crimes before they can happen. Reprint. 10,000 first printing.¤

7) Paperback Book The Demolished Man by Vintage. In a world policed by telepaths, Ben Reich plans to commit a crime that hasn´t been heard of in 70 years: murder. That´s the only option left for Reich, whose company is losing a 10-year death struggle with rival D´Courtney Enterprises. Terrorized in his dreams by The Man With No Face and driven to the edge after D´Courtney refuses a merger offer, Reich murders his rival and bribes a high-ranking telepath to help him cover his tracks. But while police prefect Lincoln Powell knows Reich is guilty, his telepath´s knowledge is a far cry from admissible evidence.¤

Page Updated: Robert N. Goolsby, 1-Dec-2008, 06797678199780679767817, 940-510-510-130-000-190-350-8

The Demolished Man, Book, Image © Vintage

Search: Vintage, Book Posters, Book Art