A disturbing tour de force...
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Bester's later works are generally ignored in favour of his classics Stars My Destination (Tiger Tiger) and Demolished Man. Both are excellent novels, but he only truly shone in the second half of his writing career. Golem 100 is a brutal, uncompromising and exhilirating read. Bester's use of language never ceases to astound and his utter disregard for convention and predictability will ensure you will never, ever forget this book. He creates worlds, characters and absurd situations, and dumps them without care or warning. He almost abuses his own imagination. Under no circumstances should Golem 100 be overlooked! Try it and find out just how far ahead of his time this fellow was...
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Spectacular and engrossing reading from the master of sf.
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Though this is commonly viewed as one of Alfred Bester's minor works, in my opinion it is his masterpiece. Though opening on the simple happenings of life in a future a lot different from the views presented in most science-fiction, Bester quickly elevates the plot to the level of high sf in the extreme. Following the usual Freudian theme Bester often adopted, and displaying more than usual his intricate web of ancient mythology and modern scientific ideas, and showing off to spectacular effect his skill in text art and drawing, the book takes you to the darkest depths of the human mind and the universe at large, leaving you feeling as if you've just leapt from the edge of a precipice, and only by a magnificent feat of chance smoothly executed a perfect triple somersault, all in the mysterious, brilliantly written, and absolutely unguessable twist of an expertly crafted ending.
You won't land.
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