Alfred Bester published this book in 1956. Let that sink in a bit. It’s over 65 years old. It would have long since retired were it a human. Happily, it’s a book.
The copyright has been renewed a few times and Neil Gaiman wrote an introduction in the version I read. That’s impressive given Gaiman’s accomplishments. I’m embarrassed that I didn’t read it sooner.
The book was originally titled Tiger Tiger, after Blake’s 1794 poem. That title ties in very early. Gully Foyle is a Spacer and not a good one. He’s mediocre at what he does and seems content with it until his ship is destroyed and he’s left as the sole survivor, hiding in a storeroom, and making desperate trips around the wreck searching for supplies like food and air. When his ship is bypassed by another vessel, it fills Foyle with hatred and a desire for revenge. That changes everything.
It’s a great read. The writing is occasionally clunky but not to the point that it slows the reader down much.
On the Feral Scale, it’s a strong 8 as a story. The science is at best a 5. I tried to consider the state of science when Bester wrote it. Definitely Golden Age science fiction and worth your time.
Very minor spoilers follow:
One of the things that made me chuckle was Bester’s elevation of corporations to noble house status in the future. Names like Montgomery Ward and Sherwin Williams dot the book. Sherwin Williams is still around, but Montgomery Ward went out of business in 2001. It reminded me a bit of seeing a PanAm logoed shuttle in 2001: A Space Odyssey.
The tattooing and its attempted removal harken back to a time when tattoos were limited to gang members, sailors, and other disreputable types. This past weekend, I saw a woman who had dedicated her entire back to Star Wars. Princess Leia got the most real estate. I’m waiting for the first time I see someone with Will or Feral tattooed on their back.
Radiation was poorly understood, at least vis-à-vis humans. One of Bester’s characters is “hot” – he’s been exposed to enough radiation that he becomes radioactive yet remains a functioning member of society, albeit with a few restrictions. He’s only allowed to be in the presence of others for 5 minutes. There are a few other issues that stick out: IR imaging is in its infancy and Bester didn’t predict the resolution that’s now available, the same thing happens with other parts of the spectrum, but it’s all very minor.