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Content snapshot
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Violence
Some
Murder and thriller violence in the SF detective tradition
Language
Some
Adult language in Bester's compressed style
Sexual Content
Barely any
Minimal sexual content
Substance Use
None
No substance use
Emotional Intensity
Some
The psychological game between a murderer and the telepathic detective pursuing him creates the novel's sustained intellectual tension
What this book is about
Alfred Bester's Hugo Award-winning SF novel follows Ben Reich, a businessman who plans and commits a murder in a 24th-century society where telepaths serve in law enforcement. Can he construct a mental defense capable of defeating them? Bester's novel is one of the foundational works of science fiction — brilliant, fast-paced, and inventive. Violence is present in the thriller tradition; the sexual content is minimal.
Notes for sensitive readers
Reader-flagged moments and themes that may affect your experience.
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