June 2009: "Santiago" by Mike Resnick

June's selection is "Santiago: A Myth of the Far Future" by Mike Resnick

Here's the summary from GoodReads: "Bandit, murderer, known to all, seen by none....has he killed a thousand men? Has he saved a dozen world? His legend is as large as the Rim itself, his trail as elusive as a wisp of starlight in the empty realms of space. The reward for him is the largest in history."

The Obscure References Book Group will meet at Linebaugh Library in Murfreesboro, TN on Wednesday, June 24 at 6:30 p.m.

Thoughts on "The Stars, My Destination"

Overall, the group liked "The Stars, My Destination." The informal count taken found all but one member happy with the book. For many, this was the first time reading this classic of science-fiction.

Discussion centered on jaunting, the character of Gully Foyle and Bester's portrayal of female characters in the story. And, of course, there were the usual side tangents and obscure references that got us off topic more often than not.

If you liked this book, you may want to give Bester's other "big" book, "The Demolished Man" a try. It's short and if you're a fan of "Babylon Five," you will see elements of Bester's portrayal of telepathic powers carry over to "B5."

"The Stars, My Destination" Links

Here are a few entries for Alfred Bester's "The Stars, My Destination."

Wikipedia Entry (includes summary with SPOILERS)
Wikipedia Entry on Alfred Bester
Good Reads Entry
Library Thing Entry
Science Fiction and Fantasy Reading Experience

IMDB Entry (book optioned for a film)

Reviews
Tal Cohen's Bookshelf
Infinity Plus Review
SF Site Review
Cyberpunk Review
Heretical Ideas Review
Slashdot Review
SciFi Weekly