Review: The Demolished Man

This classic Science Fiction novel was originally published in 1951 and re-issued in 1998 through Vintage Press. It is, at heart, a thriller and a morality tale, dressed in Science Fiction clothes, trimmed in the style of pulp magazines of the 1950s.

Bester begins by positing a world which has become so civilized and "adjusted", through the work of telepaths called Espers or "peepers", that there is no more violent crime and no murder has been committed in 70 years. But millionaire industrialist Ben Reich is going to change that. He is a man at the pinnacle of power, but also a man haunted by nightmares and with his financial back pressed to the wall by competitor Cray D'Courtney. In the struggle for economic and personal survival, Reich determines to commit cold-blooded murder, breaking with society and thereby threatening it's very form and stability. It should be impossible to contemplate, much less execute, such a scheme in a future full of mind-readers, but Reich has a plan.

But, no plan survives contact with the enemy unaltered and so it goes with Reich's. Within hours, the murder of Cray D'Courtney engages Reich in a cat-and-mouse game with the Esper Prefect of Police, Lincoln Powell which can only lead to freedom or Demolition--a horrifying process which destroys the personality of the convicted criminal and obliterates him completely. Both men are charming, powerful and resourceful, driven by personal demons and unable to accept defeat. Their battle of wits stretches from Earth to Venus and back again, through the gutters of the cast-down and the criminal to the playgrounds of the rich and into the minds of the antagonists.

The book is well-paced, though its pulp-y dialog and style leave it feeling a little dated. Bester's use of evocative, sometimes violent, active language yanks the reader into the action and impels him along at a breakneck pace. The effect of a world untouched by violent crime and thriving in an age of technological and economic success is beautifully implied and supported, creating an atmosphere in which the mere contemplation of bloody murder is repelling and compelling simultaneously. Bester's development of the Esper society with its patterned, beautiful communication and dedication to duty and tribe is intriguing, though he does, occasionally apply the perfection and beauty with a heavy hand.

The characters, unfortunately, are uneven. They start out, and in many cases remain, somewhat flat and artificial. I had the impression I was supposed to find Reich sympathetic and roguishly charming, initially, then switch my allegiance to the honorable and dedicated Powell, then find myself divided in the chase to the end. Yet, initially, I could not like or sympathize with Reich. I found him repulsive, though the writer told me he was charming, while I found Powell insufferably good and stiff-necked. However, as the story evolved, I found myself rooting for Powell, the upholder of society, and liking him even as I admired the audacity of Reich, a veritable monster and ruthless to a fault. The characters became their most human only as the plot deepened and they became conflicted, at war with themselves as well as each other. Other characters remain mostly stock players throughout, with some minor exceptions, and I could not have given much less of a damn about most of them, sadly.

Although the primary action seems to be the chase, it is internal conflict and resolution upon which the plot finally turns and is, at last, laid to rest. The ending, to a modern ear, may smack a bit of pop psychology and utopian idealism--which I found a touch naive--but, like any good detective story, it draws in all of its threads and weaves a strong, logical and satisfying ending, yet leaving some provocative, lingering thoughts about the value of individuality and the necessities of societies.

Over all, in spite of some flaws and a distinct flavor of the 1950s, The Demolished Man is a good, fun read, often thought-provoking and well-crafted. It works equally well as Thriller, Science Fiction and Literature and I found it enjoyable and worth the time and trouble to hunt down.

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Kat R - RAM - Seattle

Book Review: The Demolished Man