Gully Foyle is my name
And Terra is my nation
Deep space is my dwelling place
The stars my destination
The Stars My Destination (or Tiger! Tiger! in the United Kingdom) has been labelled a science fiction classic. If you want a rollicking, high-risk, high-damage, high-gain adventure in the far future, this is the book for you. If tenderness is your thing, look elsewhere.
In the 25th century, humanity has spread out into the solar system. Two power blocs have arisen: the Inner Planets and the Outer Satellites. In addition to this, human have discovered "jaunting" - the innate ability to travel instantaneously from one destination to another, given the right circumstances. An individual can cover several hundred miles in a single jaunte, making it possible to travel swiftly to any destination on the planet in several stages.
The wrecked freighter Nomad floats helplessly in the no man's land of the asteroid belt. Its sole survivor is Gulliver (Gully) Foyle. Foyle "lives" in a pressurized closet not much bigger than a coffin, making the occasional dangerous foray to other parts of the ship to get food, water and oxygen. Six months after Foyle first became marooned, the spaceship Vorga passes the Nomad, ignoring the distress flares Foyle sent up. He snaps psychologically and vows to dedicate his life to the destruction of the Vorga. One way or another, Foyle makes it back to Earth and begins his quest for revenge, and it takes him to places he never could have imagined.
The Stars My Destination is certainly a powerful statement about a monomania for vengeance. Gully Foyle is a memorable character - not only for his monomania, but also for the several transformations he undergoes in the course of the novel. Through following Foyle's quest, we also learn about the intrigues of 25th century corporations and the ramifications of war between belligerent power blocs that straddle the solar system.
Alfred Bester has done a wonderful job of creating a futuristic world for Gully Foyle to operate in. The settings and power structures are constructed in a credible manner, and the use of human cyber-enhancements is visionary. The twists and turns keep the reader on his/her toes, and the action sequences are fast and breathtaking. There is a lot of violence, shown and implied, which is perfectly apt given Foyle's nature. Alas, it all comes undone when Bester tries to tackle love and intimacy. It takes more than a "But I love you" to do it, I am afraid.
Still, this book is what it is. I enjoyed it, but I was glad when it was all over. It certainly was a work-out.
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