Re:[2] Reading List: Alfred Bester

I am shocked that nobody has ever made these books that Shockah lent me into movies. But then again, neither was Neuromancer which always seemed like a shoe-in to me. The difference here is that Gibson wrote 20 years ago, and Bester was writing 60 years ago. Neuromancer, as prescient, important and influential as it was, will probably never be made now. The reality of the Internet trumps some of the concepts that were so mind blowing in the 1980s. By the same token, I suspect that books like Snow Crash will never be made for similar reasons (of technologies to come). But Bester's work is much less about specific technologies, and more about human conditions. Or, when there are technologies, they are either natural extensions of reasonable '50s technologies, or they are fantastical human technologies, such as teleportation (the conceit of this book), or telepathy (the conceit of The Demolished Man, and this book as well). Whether by plan or luck, Bester picked items that age gracefully.

He inhabits his characters with one track minds. The death of a rival, revenge. They are human emotions, set amongst supposedly grander times. But the times in The Stars My Destination are hardly utopian, unlike Demolished Man. It takes place during a war time, although it's not about the war. It is a time of oppression of religion, and fanatical privacy, due to the fact that anybody can "jaunt" (teleport) nearly anywhere instantaneously.

Of the two books, I think I actually liked this one more. It's richer, more complex and deeper into the characters than The Demolished Man. It feels more carefully drawn to me--less frenetic, but more measured. The ending is less gotcha, and more of a natural extension of the character.

Especially noteworthy are the worlds created--the Scientists cult that lives on resurrected space ships and have fierce tattoos (including gender symbols) on their faces.

And of course, our bully Gully--a driven, divisive and cruel lead character. Driven by a singular desire, and only briefly having passions beyond it, his actions and disregard for anything but his goal are maddening and, often, shocking.

Anybody out there know if this was partial inspiration for Burning Man?