I recently finished The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester, another favorite on many sci-fi lists. Originally published as a Galaxy magazine serial in 1956, it tells the story of Gulliver ("Gully") Foyle, a strong, thick-headed wastrel abandoned to die in the bowels of a stricken transport hulk in deep space. A sister ship, Vorga, investigates the wreck but passes on, igniting a furious desire for survival and vengeance in Gully. The book is a darker version of The Count of Monte Cristo set far into the future. Bester has a gifted imagination, presciently introducing writable tablets, human performance enhancement and cyberpunk. It's a quick read; if you can find it for cheap it's worth your time, for the mind-bending blast of Bester's creativity, if nothing else. Also,for the record, if the technology comes around that allows me press on my molar and slow down time like Gully can, I'm first for the dentist's chair!
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