Science Fiction Annotation

"One of the all-time classics of science fiction"  -- Isaac Asimov

Published as a complete novel in 1953, 243 pages.

Winner of the First Hugo Award. 

Second place for the International Fantasy Award for fiction for the year 1953.   

Who is Alfred Bester?

(From NoveList):

Alfred Bester writes gritty, action-packed adventures in imaginative futuristic worlds. He creates intricate and cynical visions of societies governed by mega corporations, populated by teleporting and telepathic citizens, and home to mad scientists and other colorful characters, but underneath these fantastic premises are incisive social satires and hard-boiled tales of intrigue, murder, and revenge. With an inventive, vividly dynamic prose style and a flair for bleak atmospherics that has led some to call him a seminal figure in cyberpunk fiction. 

Synopsis

In the year 2301, telepaths known as “Espers” (for Extra Sensory Perception) or by the slang term, “peepers,” permeate the universe.  The talents of the Espers are utilized at all levels of society.  Espers can be found in HR departments conducting pre-employment screenings, practicing psychiatry or working with the police.   Governed by the Guild, Espers adhere to a strict moral code.  The prevalence and acceptance of Espers among “the normals” has resulted in a relatively crime-free universe.  There has not the successful act of premeditated murder in over 70 years but Ben Reich, the ruthless and bloodthirsty head of the mega corporation, Monarch Utilities & Resources, Inc., is about to change all that.  Ben Reich is haunted by dreams of “The Man With No Face” and the threat posed to his company’s dominance by business rival, the D’Courtney Cartel.  To ensure the continued existence of Monarch, Reich extends the offer of a merger to the head of the D’Courtney Cartel, Craye D’Courtney.  When this offer is rejected, Reich believes that his only alternative is the murder of his rival.  Reich knows that the price of getting caught is a high one – it is a punishment simply known as “Demolition.”  Reich enlists the help of various “peepers,” who all have ulterior motives of their own in the murder plot.  Unexpected complications arise during the commission of the murder and it is the duty of First Class Esper Police Prefect Lincoln Powell to investigate the crime, determine the roles and responsibilities of the murder plot participants and to mete out the ultimate penalty.  (And don’t forget “The Man With No Face” because he didn’t forget you).

Appeal

Story Line: 

Set in the 24^th century, The Demolished Man is a work of speculative fiction that explores moral, social, ethical and philosophical themes.  It is thought-provoking and appeals to the reader’s intellect rather than attempting to illicit a more emotional and visceral reaction.

Style/Language:

The Demolished Man is written in a sort of stylized jargonistic language - the meaning of which is not necessarily explained to the reader.  Stylized sentence structure is also used to illicit the “feel” of telepathic discussion between Espers. 

Pacing:

Pacing within the science fiction genre can vary.  The Demolished Man manages to maintain the feel of a fast-paced read while balancing internal (ie introspective, psychological or philosophical) action against rapid external action and adventure. 

Read-alikes

(Plot synopses taken from NoveList)

The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester (1956)

Marooned in space after an attack on his ship, Nomad, Gulliver Foyle lives to obsessively pursue the crew of a rescue vessel that intended to leave him to die.

The Minority Report by Philip K. Dick (1956)

Commissioner John Anderton's clever use of the Precrime System, which uses "precogs," people with the ability to see into the future, to identify criminals before they can do any harm, is confronted with a serious glitch when his precogs identify Anderton himself as the next criminal.

A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess (1988)

Burgess' satire of the present inhumanity of man to man through a futuristic culture where teenagers rule with violence.

The Truth Machine by James L. Halperin (1996)

After perfecting the truth machine--a machine that could eliminate injustice in the world--Randall Petersen Armstrong must conceal the secrets of his past.

Sewer, Gas & Electric by Matt Ruff (1997)

                In the year 2023, as a crew of human and android steelworkers approaches the halfway point in the construction of a new Tower of Babel, the brainchild of billionaire Harry Gant, Harry's ex-wife Joan Fine, assisted by a resurrected Ayn Rand, sets out to solve the murder of a Wall Street takeover mogul.