The Man in the Maze

Richard Muller has been sent by mankind to the stars to make contact with aliens for the benefit of mankind. But he was afflicted with a condition that - quite literally - alienated him from humankind. Decades spent in solitude at the heart of an ancient labyrinth made by a forgotten civilisation has made him something quite different to what he was when he left Earth. The story follows a team who goes out to retrieve and recruit Muller for a mission to potentially save humanity, but Muller's changes in his isolation makes that easier said than done.

Inspired by Sephocles' tragic play 'Philoctetes', 'The Man in the Maze' is a profound, sometimes trippy novel that was mostly a fantastic read, only hampered at times for me by the typical Silverberg horniness.