Reviews

The Demolished Man by Alfred Bester

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graslund's review against another edition

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2.5

This man is a bastard.

Do I mean the protagonist? The antagonist? The author himself?

Yes.

imakandiway's review against another edition

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challenging reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.0

racketmensch's review against another edition

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adventurous tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

Might be fun for anyone in the mood for a simplistic, retro-futuristic sci-fi crime thriller, but the book has not aged well. A megalomaniacal business tycoon plots a murder to secure a merger, and is pitted against a psychic detective tasked with bringing him to justice. The book will do nothing to subvert the expectations established in its premise. Cringy dialogue, one note characters, and casual sexism leave me reticent to recommend it to anyone who isn't interested it in it as a historical curiosity. As the first novel to have received the Hugo Award, it is an interesting window into the tastes of sci-fi readers of the early 1950's, but other than that, it does not contain any characters, themes, or prose worth your while.

alexzayts's review against another edition

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4.0

Murder in an alternative society where police read minds.This book was a crazy ride. Fast-paced almost like an action movie. I have no words to explain this feeling after I finished it, sure, it's not the best book I've read but it has some really cool ideas for an early sci-fi book

noz021's review against another edition

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adventurous funny hopeful slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

erikinthedistrict's review against another edition

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dark fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes

3.25

Exceptionally weird, as a lot of 1950s sci fi tends to be. Dude did absolutely nail both memes and that Penn Station would be destroyed for no good reason.