Savant
11/26/2012
Fantastic book. It's very difficult to comprehend that this work was written in the 1950s. Very Dickian in its foresight regarding some technologies, particularly survival in space. And the main technological (?) advancement—jaunting (colloquial term for thought-teleportation)—was very, very well thought out, particularly in terms of its impact on society, interplanetary economy, and so forth. Very impressive.
I was particularly impressed with the main character, Gully Foyle, who is something of an extreme anti-hero. He is a detestable individual throughout most of the novel—even right through to the end. And yet I couldn't help but be rooting for him during the climactic final chapters of the novel.
The only other Bester I'd read was The Demolished Man, which I found to be a so-so novel; neat story, but not much else stuck with me. Having finished The Stars..., I am inclined to revisit some of the Bester works I have overlooked in the past. Are there other character gems like Gully Foyle out there? And are his other novels similarly Dickian to keep this PKD-fan entertained? Ah, the joys of reading! :)