Rating: 
Summary: Excellent Psychological Study of Mortality
Review: Robert Silverberg is a genius and this is deservedly regarded as one of his masterpieces. This semi autobiographical novel was written in 1972 and is set in 1976. The main character David Selig is a New Yorker with a strange gift for reading people's minds. He is in his early forties and is slowly losing this talent. He has been a ... loner all his life living in slums and only working enough to support his meager needs. He currently ghost writes term papers for Columbia University students to get a few dollars together and is unable to hold a normal job. He occasionally must rely on his sister for both moral and financial support but his relationship with her is ambivalent. Their love hate relationship dates from his earliest memories of hating her for taking away his parents attention.
There is a humorous account of ten-year-old David with a child psychologist. Selig and Silverberg clearly have no use for the field of psychology. He amuses himself with the psychologist: given the Rorschach inkblot test he tells the quack the first things that pops into the psychologist's mind. He sees that the doctor thinks that the solution to his psychological problems is that he have a sibling and recites these thoughts verbatim back to him.If one takes the loss of telepathy as a metaphor for the loss of youth and the realization that one is no longer young, then this book becomes an examination of the horror of facing one's own decline and eventual demise. There comes a time in everyone's life when you realize that you are getting old, that you are not going to live forever. You become aware of physical decline or gray hair or mental lapses that signal the coming of advancing age. Hemingway said that any story, if taken to it's logical conclusion, ends in death. All of his writing hinted with a depressing subtext that the grim reaper is waiting for all of us. Most people go through childhood and early adulthood under the misapprehension that they are immortal and unbreakable. The popularity of so-called extreme sports among the young is a sign of this illusory feeling of immortality. It's not until middle age or some earlier brush with one's mortality such as caused by accident or illness that you realize that you too will eventually go the way of all flesh. This knowledge is unsettling, to say the least, and it takes some effort to come to terms with this realization of mortality. In this story Selig slowly progresses from having intermittent "powers" to completely losing his gift after being beaten by a disgruntled term paper client. He reminisces about the gold old days when his powers were at their height, just as an older man may look back regretfully at his lost youth. By the novel's end, Selig comes to accept that he has lost his telepathy and sets his mind to living the rest of life as an ordinary man, just as anyone must make this accommodation with death and decay.
Rating:
Summary: One of the best SF titles of all time
Review: Robert Silverberg is perhaps the greatest and, in some respects, least appreciated SF authors in the field's history. The fact that this book did not win a Hugo or (more disappointing) a Nebula is an incredible shame, and reflects a certain tendency of unwillingness to award works that are too mature or too lacking in feel-good nonsense. _Dying Inside_ is one of the best and most 'literary' (if I may be forgiven for the use of that oft-irritating term) of science fiction novels. Or of any novel, just to clarify. I don't consider "literature" and SF to be on different intellectual planes. Except that SF usually requires much more actual knowledge and attention to world construction to actually comprehend.
The plot has been encapsulated in various fashions already here, so I won't spend too much time on that. Yes, it does seem to meander a bit, and reads sort of like a stream-of-conciousness autobiography. This is not a criticism, if one might be prone to interpret it that way. The book pulls you along towards the fall of night on Selig's world, ever less illuminated by the extended perceptions he depends so much on.
The character of David Selig is excellent. Some may not find him the most sympathetic character; I would disagree. Hasn't everyone felt his directionlessness and sense of fading power at some time? The introduction to the current trade paperback edition (the author of the intro escapes me at the moment) seems to indicate that Selig is still stuck in a self-pitying adolescent mode. Though there is an aspect of this there, I think it's something of a misreading. I don't think Selig is self-piteous at all. I think he's dead inside (emotionally, that is). There lies a world of difference between these two points. The book also acts excellent metaphor for the life of a writer, or any other creative artist. The quality of prose and the sense of irony and exploration of ture humanity (i.e. sexuality, existential dilemnas, depression) is, unfortunately, a rare quality in a lot of SF. (Well, in all fiction for that matter. It just bothers me more in SF, since I consider it the best of all possible media for that kind of exploration.)
Though I love OSC's work, it seems that his popularity has also served to ressurect a sort of Asimovian puritanism in SF that I find disappointing and occasionally even revolting. We need more Silverbergs, more Delaneys and Sturgeons. And more from authors like Dan Simmons.
So, I got off on a tangent. My point: by this book. Find the current QP/TP if you can...unless of course you actually like ebooks. You won't regret it.
Rating:
Summary: One of the best SF titles of all time
Review: Robert Silverberg is perhaps the greatest and, in some respects, least appreciated SF authors in the field's history. The fact that this book did not win a Hugo or (more disappointing) a Nebula is an incredible shame, and reflects a certain tendency of unwillingness to award works that are too mature or too lacking in feel-good nonsense. _Dying Inside_ is one of the best and most 'literary' (if I may be forgiven for the use of that oft-irritating term) of science fiction novels. Or of any novel, just to clarify. I don't consider "literature" and SF to be on different intellectual planes. Except that SF usually requires much more actual knowledge and attention to world construction to actually comprehend.
The plot has been encapsulated in various fashions already here, so I won't spend too much time on that. Yes, it does seem to meander a bit, and reads sort of like a stream-of-conciousness autobiography. This is not a criticism, if one might be prone to interpret it that way. The book pulls you along towards the fall of night on Selig's world, ever less illuminated by the extended perceptions he depends so much on.
The character of David Selig is excellent. Some may not find him the most sympathetic character; I would disagree. Hasn't everyone felt his directionlessness and sense of fading power at some time? The introduction to the current trade paperback edition (the author of the intro escapes me at the moment) seems to indicate that Selig is still stuck in a self-pitying adolescent mode. Though there is an aspect of this there, I think it's something of a misreading. I don't think Selig is self-piteous at all. I think he's dead inside (emotionally, that is). There lies a world of difference between these two points. The book also acts excellent metaphor for the life of a writer, or any other creative artist. The quality of prose and the sense of irony and exploration of ture humanity (i.e. sexuality, existential dilemnas, depression) is, unfortunately, a rare quality in a lot of SF. (Well, in all fiction for that matter. It just bothers me more in SF, since I consider it the best of all possible media for that kind of exploration.)
Though I love OSC's work, it seems that his popularity has also served to ressurect a sort of Asimovian puritanism in SF that I find disappointing and occasionally even revolting. We need more Silverbergs, more Delaneys and Sturgeons. And more from authors like Dan Simmons.
So, I got off on a tangent. My point: by this book. Find the current QP/TP if you can...unless of course you actually like ebooks. You won't regret it.
Rating: 
Summary: Aging and regret from a sci-fi perspective
Review: Robert Silverberg started out in the outlandish word of sci-fi pulps and has written about countless fantastic worlds and peoples since. But the novel that is often considered his best is one of his more earthly, Dying Inside. Dying Inside is the story of David Selig, an aging New York loafer who is loosing his ability to read minds. The novel takes a non-linear approach to examines Selig's life, flip-floping between his childhood feud with his adopted sister, his uncomfortable friendship with a callous young man with similar powers, his uneasy romance in that uneasy year 1968 and his depressing present, forging term papers for Colombia jocks and losing his powers. What is remarkable about Dying Inside is that Silverberg writes more about old flames, squandered youth and other ordinary lost opportunities than about special abilities. Silverberg is writing about (and writing about quite well) a person who wasted extraordinary potential, something anyone of a certain age can relate to. The further one reads Dying Inside, the more it becomes apparent that the book is not about superpowers but about life and aging from a unique perspective. For science fiction lovers or fans or anyone merely looking for a good novel, Dying Inside is sure to be a winner.
Rating:
Summary: Undeniable proof that SF isn't considered serious literature
Review: Robert Silverberg's "Dying Inside" is one of the great classics of SF literature. The protagonist, David Selig, is a telepath whose rare talent has brought him no pleasure. He leads the life of an outcast, a voyeur, with his gift as his keyhole. When his telepathy deserts him he is left stranded- (Pauses). (Sits silently, head bowed). (Finally, sighs forcefully). (Prepares to whip self to indignant frenzy). This world just isn't fair. You know that, you don't need me to tell you. But every so often an injustice so flagrant and so heinous occurs that I need to grab the nearest passerby and scream it at him. You're here, and I'm mad, so put down that mouse and listen. Have you read this book yet? Have you read "The Catcher in the Rye"- you know, "the coming-of-age story against which all others are judged," etc., etc.? Go read them. I'll wait- done yet? Good. What do you think? They're both excellent, aren't they? You really feel the turmoil and pain and angst of both Caulfield and Selig after reading them. So why has this book attracted only a handful of reviews, while "The Catcher in the Rye" has attracted- let me check- over 1000 reviews? Why does "The Catcher in the Rye" appear on all the "100 Greatest Novels of the Century" lists while "Dying Inside" doesn't? I'll tell you why- look at your copy of "Dying Inside," and look for those damning scarlet letters "Science Fiction." That's why. "The Catcher in the Rye" is serious literature; "Dying Inside" is science fiction. Never mind that David Selig is as vividly realized as Holden Caulfield, that the prose of "Dying Inside" is as smooth as silk and as scorching as a brush fire, that "Dying Inside" is to middle age what "The Catcher in the Rye" is to adolescence. One is "truly one of America's literary treasures," and one is not. There ain't no justice, is there, Larry?
Rating:
Summary: Undeniable proof that SF isn't considered serious literature
Review: Robert Silverberg's "Dying Inside" is one of the great classics of SF literature. The protagonist, David Selig, is a telepath whose rare talent has brought him no pleasure. He leads the life of an outcast, a voyeur, with his gift as his keyhole. When his telepathy deserts him he is left stranded- (Pauses). (Sits silently, head bowed). (Finally, sighs forcefully). (Prepares to whip self to indignant frenzy). This world just isn't fair. You know that, you don't need me to tell you. But every so often an injustice so flagrant and so heinous occurs that I need to grab the nearest passerby and scream it at him. You're here, and I'm mad, so put down that mouse and listen. Have you read this book yet? Have you read "The Catcher in the Rye"- you know, "the coming-of-age story against which all others are judged," etc., etc.? Go read them. I'll wait- done yet? Good. What do you think? They're both excellent, aren't they? You really feel the turmoil and pain and angst of both Caulfield and Selig after reading them. So why has this book attracted only a handful of reviews, while "The Catcher in the Rye" has attracted- let me check- over 1000 reviews? Why does "The Catcher in the Rye" appear on all the "100 Greatest Novels of the Century" lists while "Dying Inside" doesn't? I'll tell you why- look at your copy of "Dying Inside," and look for those damning scarlet letters "Science Fiction." That's why. "The Catcher in the Rye" is serious literature; "Dying Inside" is science fiction. Never mind that David Selig is as vividly realized as Holden Caulfield, that the prose of "Dying Inside" is as smooth as silk and as scorching as a brush fire, that "Dying Inside" is to middle age what "The Catcher in the Rye" is to adolescence. One is "truly one of America's literary treasures," and one is not. There ain't no justice, is there, Larry?
Rating: 
Summary: Works as a character study at least
Review: Sci-fi without much "sci"; a good choice for those who get turned off by bizarro alien races and futuristic societies. The author's depiction of the experience of being a telepath is fascinating and very often thrilling. Unfortunately, despite Silverberg's rich, funny, and tragic character study, the story material is pretty light. The narrative whips back and forth a decade or two to various episodes in the main character's life which results in a very fractured tale that ultimately left me feeling like not much went on in the book. Once the thrill of Silverberg's vision of mind-reading wore off, I had to push myself to finish it.
If finely detailed characters and descriptions of telepathy are enough to keep you busy, you'll probably love this. If you (like me) crave a more dynamic plot, you might pass on this one.
Rating:
Summary: Okay, but not a story that invokes any sympathy
Review: The protagonist David Selig was born with the gift of reading minds, but finds around the age of forty that his gift is fading. This story is pretty much summed up in that one sentence, and from there we have flashbacks to his past when the power was strong broken with interludes in the present.
The problem is, David is never a sympathetic character, past or present. He starts out shallow and finished shallow, never exerting any self control over his gift to better himself, and mourning it pathetically and placidly as it fades. His relationship with his sister was horrible from childhood, where he made it unbearable for her, through his life. It did intrigue me that his sister only seemed interested in his as his power faded, but her motive seemed more to rub it in his face than any actual familial concern.
There are a few really good parts, such as David's interview with the child psychologist, and only being 200 pages it is a very quick read, but don't expect too much insight into David or any of the other characters. Silverberg is a master of SF, but I can only give this three stars for the unique idea and nothing for the actual content.
Rating:
Summary: Okay, but not a story that invokes any sympathy
Review: The protagonist David Selig was born with the gift of reading minds, but finds around the age of forty that his gift is fading. This story is pretty much summed up in that one sentence, and from there we have flashbacks to his past when the power was strong broken with interludes in the present.
The problem is, David is never a sympathetic character, past or present. He starts out shallow and finished shallow, never exerting any self control over his gift to better himself, and mourning it pathetically and placidly as it fades. His relationship with his sister was horrible from childhood, where he made it unbearable for her, through his life. It did intrigue me that his sister only seemed interested in his as his power faded, but her motive seemed more to rub it in his face than any actual familial concern.
There are a few really good parts, such as David's interview with the child psychologist, and only being 200 pages it is a very quick read, but don't expect too much insight into David or any of the other characters. Silverberg is a master of SF, but I can only give this three stars for the unique idea and nothing for the actual content.
Rating:
Summary: Sci-fi with real human issues for the thinking reader.
Review: This book explores mental isolation. It is much different(and better) than another Silverberg work, "The Man In The Maze", which involved the emotional effects of physical isolation. "Dying Inside" follows the life of a man who has the ability to detect thought patterns of other people. The story lets you decide if this is a blessing or a curse, based on the experiences and feelings of the character. Ironies abound. The man continually struggles to fit in with society. Though he feels an inner closeness with people due to his ability to detect their true emotions, that ability also creates great obstacles for him to communicate and socialize with others. He hides his ability so others will not be repelled from him, and yet he still finds it impossible to interact with people normally. Despite the problems he is used to living with the condition, which he has had from an early age. Eventually he suddenly discovers that the ability is subsiding. Despite all the problems, the thought of living without his ability is a frightening one. Though he believes its absence should help him fit in better with others, he experiences feelings of cold separation. Without the knowledge of the true emotions of others, he is left to guess at outward appearances. It is, in essence, the beginning of a strange and uncertain new life. This excellent story leaves the reader to ponder the advantages and limitations of human communication. It also effectively demonstrates the problems of fitting in for those who are on different mental and emotional levels than most.
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