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A review by acejolras
The Demolished Man by Alfred Bester
challenging
dark
tense
slow-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
3.0
The world building was excellent, especially since it wasn’t info-dumpy. I was very engaged with the whole Esper system and the political machinations. I picked this up to read a “howdunit” from a Book Riot list, and I really enjoyed the tension deriving from how Reich would or would not get away with his plan.
I think my reading experience suffered from Twilight Zone Syndrome - I imagine this was completely ground-breaking at the time, but since I’ve read so much material in the same vein first, it’s hard to judge this as contemporary readers would have. It has held up very well except for a lot of misogyny.
I think my reading experience suffered from Twilight Zone Syndrome - I imagine this was completely ground-breaking at the time, but since I’ve read so much material in the same vein first, it’s hard to judge this as contemporary readers would have. It has held up very well except for a lot of misogyny.