The Demolished Man

The Demolished Man is a 1951 science-fiction novel by Alfred Bester, and was the first Hugo Award winner in 1953.

Synopsis

The story takes place in the 24th century in a society where telepaths guard the peace and order of things. Telepaths are formally known as ‘’Espers’’ and colloquially as ‘’peepers’’. The ability of Espers is classified in three levels. Class 3 Espers are the most common and can only detect conscious thoughts in other people. Class 2 Espers dig deep into the pre-conscious level, detecting subliminal patterns, epiphanies and tenuous associations. Class 1 Espers can detect sub-conscious and primitive urges, sometimes placing themselves at risk. All Espers can talk amongst themselves telepathically and the more powerful Espers can overwhelm their juniors. Telepathy develops randomly among humans, but a Guild has been established that trains the telepaths. The Guild is very authoritative and sets ethical guidelines for the conduct of Espers in society. Many telepaths object to this sort of control.

Related Topics:
Telepaths - Authoritative - Ethical

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The story starts around the character of Ben Reich, the impetuous young owner of Monarch Enterprises, a commercial cartel that has been in the possession of the Reich family for many generations. Reich is under the threat of a hostile takeover by the D’Courtney cartel, headed by the older Craye D’Courtney. Reich has struggled for years against his rival, and as the story begins his frustration leads him to desperate behaviour. He has repeated nightmares in which he is persecuted by a Man With No Face. After an attempt to have a merger or equal partners Reich decides he must kill D’Courtney. However, the presence of peepers in society has prevented the commission of murder for over 70 years. Reich must devise a plan that would ensure his freedom. If he is caught, Reich will certainly face “Demolition”, a punishment that is only described at the end of the book.

Related Topics:
Cartel - Takeover - Merger - Murder

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He decides to hire an Esper to “run interference” for him, hiding his murderous thoughts from any other peepers found at the scene of the crime. Reich has many Class 2 and Class 3 Espers working for him, but for this task he needs to hire a top Class 1 Esper. In a very riveting passage in the book, Reich bribes the prominent peeper psychiatrist Gus Tate, to serve as his mental bodyguard during the murder. Dr. Tate also helps Reich by stealing information about D’Courtney’s location by peeping an unknowing colleague.

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To further conceal his intentions, Reich visits a composer who teaches him a deceivingly simple tune. “Tenser, said the tensor” proves to be a jingle so catchy that it blocks most Espers from peeping Reich properly. The lyrics in the jingle have become a favourite feature of fans of the book. Finally, Reich secures an old handgun and influences a socialite into carrying a game of Sardines at an upcoming party.

Related Topics:
Socialite - Sardines

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The plan is carried out during the game at the party, but not without some unexpected obstacles. D’Courtney’s daughter Barbara witnesses the murder and runs away. She is later found, suffering from severe shock that renders her speechless. As the scene of the crime is secured, the hero of the story emerges.

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Lincoln Powell is Class 1 Esper, and police prefect. He is expected to become the next president of the Espers’ Guild, a highly talented man. However, Powell is reluctant to take the role, particularly in choosing not to have offspring, a requirement of the guild in order to increase the telepathic population. Powell immediately discovers Reich through some cleverly disguised peeping (Reich’s Esper attorney is present at the encounter). However, telepathy is not accepted as evidence in court, and Powell is obliged to assemble the case through the traditional pieces of motive, opportunity and method.

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The chase is on, and Reich’s vast resources and careful planning prove to be a match for the top peeper in the city. Finally, both sides center on finding Barbara D’Courtney, but her delicate state makes her an insufficient witness of the crime. While Reich finds her first he is unable to kill her, and Powell rescues her. Persecution takes place across different locations in the Solar System. At some point Reich becomes the target of assassination attempts, presumably by the Man With No Face. In the end, Powell recognises that the forces behind Reich’s crime are larger than anyone had anticipated, and he requests the help of all Espers in an attempt to arrest Reich, channeling their collective energy through Powell in a dangerous procedure called Mass Cathexis Measure. Powell narrowly succeeds.

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In the end, it is revealed that Reich was the illegitimate son of D’Courtney, and that the hatred Reich had for him was probably due to a latent telepathic knowledge of the fact. This isn’t explicitly stated but in the end Barbara, Reich’s half-sister, is shown to be a peeper herself. Once arrested and convicted, Reich is sentenced to the dreaded Demolition, a process in which the upper layers of his personality are stripped away, leaving his body and mind empty for re-education purposes. This procedure is used because Bester’s futuristic society recognises the virtues of those who are successfully defiant of the law, and it seeks to salvage those traits while getting rid of the evil consciousness of the criminal.

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