The Stars My Destination

On a shallow level, The Stars My Destination is an exciting caper as a compelling anti-hero tries to exact revenge upon the people who left him for dead. It feels fresh for it's age, at least most the time, there are some terms that date the novel quickly. It's incredibly well-paced, drops unexpected twists to the plot line, and has ideas that well realized and integrated into the weave of the world.

The biggest of these ideas is human teleportation, which in this fictional future is something that most everybody can, at least to varying degrees. What surprised me was the level to which Bester thought through the implications of such a change upon our societal structure. Bester identifies the ways in which economic class will hinder a persons use of teleportation, the ways in which our government will adapt to continue to shackle us to our work and to their ideals, how the elite will grow to revile this development, preferring to use antiquated methods of transportation while continue to benefit from it passively. Most of the ideas in The Stars My Destination are similarly well realized. I also especially enjoyed the concept of PyrE, an explosive so powerful that it can rip through entire galaxies and is triggered by a targeted thought, one-way telekinesis, a cast off-cult of scientists that use space refuse as a building medium, and what 'jaunting' eventually leads to in the end of the book.

Bester also explores more philosophical ideas, especially towards the end of the book, which is certainly more new wave than the rest, and an absolute joy. Bester asks what it takes to wake up the everyday person from their satisfaction with being mundane, what it takes turn them into a leader, or conversely, a nightmare? What sort of burdens are we willing to carry with us for the rest of our lives? How much will we contort ourselves to fit into the set of standards that society has for us? Like I said earlier, this novel is focused vengeance, on the dichotomy of love and hate, on the power of obsession. Gully Foyle is such a great character to explore these emotions, to play with bigger ideas while still providing a genuinely thrilling narrative.

"Gully Foyle is my name
And Terra is my nation.
Deep space is my dwelling place,
The stars my destination."