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Summary: The best science fiction book I've ever expireinced
Review: I first found this book in a used book store for 75ยข. It had the corniest cover, but you can't judge books by thier cover. In the 24th century, crime is non-existant, because of telepathic police men. A business tycoon, Ben Reich, needs to murder someone, so he fools the police by saying a chant in his head while he commits his crime. The only witness is Barabara D'Courtney, the victim's daughter. She ends up missing, and it's a race between Ben Reich and the Police Perfect, Licoln Powell to find her. With a twist ending that makes you read it again, this book opens your mind to explore new concepts and ideas you've never thought of before.
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Summary: Tension, apprehension, and dissension have begun...
Review: ...as well as a whole lot of fun. Prepare yourself for the plunge into a fully realized future society, as well as into the minds of the people that inhabit it, for an exploration of humanity and society very much unlike any other out there. Age means nothing; "The Demolished Man" may be an "old" sci-fi, but that does nothing to diminish its power. The future is always mutable. The unthinkable happens. Driven by nightmares dominated by The Man With No Face, infuriated by the machinations of a rival, ruthless businessman Ben Reich prepares to commit a crime unheard-of in over seventy years: he will consciously, premeditatedly, murder another man. And he does. Of course, although murder is considered somewhat antiquated, the police force is still set up to deal with it, and it is up to Lincoln Powell, detective and telepath, to discover the identity of the murderer-and his motive. Of course complications ensue. The characters are fully realized, sympathetic or antipathetic as their function in the story demands; the society is rich and complex; nothing has a simple solution, and the final revelation is one that even the reader didn't see coming. Occasionally the story seems too reliant on Freudian psychology...but that's a minor quibble, an unimportant chip in a masterpiece. Read and enjoy. Alfred Bester doesn't get read as much as he used to-although thanks to the excellent science-fiction show Babylon 5, and the associated Psi Corps novels, he may be coming back into fashion. And speaking of fashions, it's time to go play Sardines at the house of Madame Maria Beaumont, the Gilt Corpse...Let the games begin.
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Summary: At its time this changed the direction of SF field ...
Review: This is simply a must read for any serious reader of science fiction. It changed the way SpecFic was written, and what it tended to deal with. The subject matter was decades ahead of the field of the time, and so to this day it stays current. It might not be as "slick" as some other cyber-punk novels, but Bester wrote this 30 years before cyber-punk was even named, and so this fast paced adventure full of twists, and surprises still fills the bill. Everyone should read this book, if they want to understand where any writer since Bester is coming from, since this book influenced everyone since, and set the mark for others to best. It took some time, but it has been achieved, but there is still place for this book. You can't predict what will happen next, and the ending will really leave you thinking. All in all this is very interesting book. So enjoy, because after you finish it you won't look at SF in the same way. (Especially when you realize when this was written.)
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Summary: informed my life
Review: I was fortunate enough to read this book when it was first published and I was a teenager, naive and lusting for the future. Along with its mate, The Stars My Destination, there are no other science fiction books to match. What energy, what pace, what color. The images have never left me. Thank you Al.
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Summary: An enjoyable read.
Review: This book is successful both as a sci-fi as well as a murder/mystery. Most of the book is devoted to the pursuit by Lincoln Powell, an esper(psychic), police detective of a very powerful and wealthy murder suspect, Ben Reich. The entire cat and mouse chase is written so expertly that every chapter holds your attention. Also, the interesting concept of demolition, the complete destruction of one's personality, and the pattern of psychic communication are intricately explored in this novel through some very well developed characters. I have only one complaint about this novel. The revelation made about the murderer towards the end of the novel seems to be reaching to add a very strong sci-fi aspect to the novel. In the end, though, I believe the novel delivers a very powerful and deliberate message. A definite enjoyable read.
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Summary: WOW!
Review: I thought I had read great books before. Reading authors like Asimov,D. Adams, books like stranger in a strange land. But now I relize none compare to the virtually unknown Bester. The Demolished Man tells a story that goes deeper into every char. then we are able to go into ourselves. This was the most powerful and wonderful book I have ever read.
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Summary: A Great Start to My Reading Project
Review: I began a project in mid-April 1999 to read my way through the Hugo Award winners. I decided to do it chronologically, so I began with the very first winner in 1953 - The Demolished Man. What a pleasant surprise. Anticipating something that would be very "dated," I was instead offered something very forward-looking. In fact, there is very little in this novel that would give away the fact that it was written in 1953. The book succeeds very well on both a mystery /detective level and on a sci-fi level. I would recommend this book to anyone wanting a classic sci-fi read.
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Summary: An exciting book with a fascinating exploration of identity.
Review: It begins simply enough. A detective specializing in mindreading investigates the first murder in many years, in a society where everyone can detect thoughts of others to varying degrees. The unknown suspect is therefore thought to be skilled in masking his/her thoughts. The victim is a wealthy business owner. The suspect who quickly develops is a rival business owner struggling to compete with the victim's company. The ensuing cat and mouse pursuit between the detective and the suspect is brilliant, and fills much of the story. The stakes are high, as any murderer faces the ultimate penalty--demolition(destruction of personality). The action and suspense build forcefully, as events escalate. The reader knows early on who the guilty person is. But when the detective discovers the truth, he finds much more than he ever suspected. I was completely amazed with the complex and brilliant revelations at the end of this book. With a handful of pages Bester manages to turn an already intriguing story into a fascinating exploration of human identity and the powers of the mind. This book is like no other, and succeeds both as a suspense story and an intelligent, thought provoking experience. Need a larger scale to rate this one.
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Summary: Mindblast from the Past
Review: An absolutely incredible read- from one of the Masters. One feels that they are reading a contemporary author- Sterling or Stephenson, with the level of immersion that you get with Bester's world. This story is SO far ahead of its time. Plan to read this in one sitting.
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Summary: A Good concept that's still in use
Review: For those of you who don't know, the PsiCop Bester on the television program Babylon 5 was named for Alfred Bester (His first name is even Alfred). The 2 new Gregory Keyes "Dark Genesis" novels explain this fact; this was done by the series' writer because the peeper society in "Demolished Man" was the basis for the PsiCorp on B5. Read this book if you like B5...it will give you a glimpse of the shows early influences. Excellent read that makes you think!
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