 |
Book Summary InformationAuthor: Robert Silverberg Edition: Paperback Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published) Published: 2009-03-03 ISBN: 0765322307 Number of pages: 304 Publisher: Orb Books
Book Reviews of Dying InsideBook Review: Great Writing if you can Stomach the Characters Summary: 4 Stars
DYING INSIDE could very well be the best written Science Fiction story I've ever read. It's almost as if Robert Silverberg tried to reimagine an SF novel through the eyes of a Roth or an Updike. The prose in this book is simply first rate, and miles above what an Isaac Asimov or an Arthur C. Clarke could produce. This is not a conventional SF novel, but a literary novel with an SF twist.
Ultimately, however, Silverberg devotes his skill to a rather unlikable set of characters. The premise of DYING INSIDE is simple -- what if a man was born with the ability to read minds, but kept it a secret? In fact, what if that man was a rather unlikable, self-pitying neurotic? And what if, in the onset of middle age, he found his telepathic ability to be dissipating? Silverberg executes this concept brilliantly, but I ultimately found it difficult to relate to his anti-hero. The supporting characters are even less likable -- most of them are petty and self-absorbed, the creations of an author who seems to hold little affection for humanity.
DYING INSIDE is also a bit of a time capsule of bohemian New York life in the late 1950s and 1960s. Everybody in this novel is a swinger and has scores of sex partners; everybody seems to be a college professor, a student, or some sort of free-floating intellectual; and nobody seems to have much of a moral code. This lifestyle is quite alien to me, but nontheless interesting. Novels like this really aren't written anymore -- this book (first published in 1972) is filled with graphic sex, drug use, and views on race that many modern readers would find offensive. By comparison, it makes many of today's novels seem quite sterile.
In short, DYING INSIDE has some great prose, but it's not the type of book I would call a personal favorite. But for fans of good writing, it's definitely worth a try.
Summary of Dying InsideIn 1972, Robert Silverberg, even then an acknowledged leader in the science fiction field, published a book that was immediately hailed as a masterpiece. More than three decades later, Dying Inside has stood the test of time and has been recognized as one of the finest novels the field has ever produced. Never wasting a word, Silverberg persuasively shows us what it would be like to read minds, painting an unforgettable portrait of a man shaped by that unique power; a power he is now inexorably losing. Acclaimed upon first publication by SF critics and mainstream reviewers alike, Dying Inside is overdue for reintroduction to today?s SF audience. This is a novel for everyone who appreciates deeply affecting characterization, imaginative power, and the irreplaceable perspective unique to speculative fiction of the highest order.
Literature & Fiction Books
|
 |
|
|
The Dispossessedby Ursula K. Le Guin Harper Voyager; Published: 1994-10-20; Mass Market Paperback; BookBest price: $4.38Price in other shops: $7.99
Nightwingsby Robert Silverberg IDW Publishing; Published: 2008-09-23; Paperback; BookBest price: $1.99Price in other shops: $14.99
The Lathe Of Heaven: A Novelby Ursula K. Le Guin Scribner; Published: 2008-04-15; Paperback; BookBest price: $5.89Price in other shops: $15.00
Babel-17/ Empire Starby Samuel R. Delany Vintage; Published: 2002-01-08; Paperback; BookBest price: $7.54Price in other shops: $15.00
Gateway (Heechee Saga)by Frederik Pohl Del Rey; Published: 2004-10-12; Paperback; BookBest price: $8.50Price in other shops: $14.95
Son of Manby Robert Silverberg Pyr; Published: 2008-06-03; Paperback; BookBest price: $9.07Price in other shops: $17.00
The Book of Skullsby Robert Silverberg Del Rey; Published: 2006-01-31; Paperback; BookBest price: $7.40Price in other shops: $14.00
More Than Humanby Theodore Sturgeon Vintage; Published: 1998-12-29; Paperback; BookBest price: $7.33Price in other shops: $14.00
A Time of Changesby Robert Silverberg Orb Books; Published: 2009-04-27; Paperback; BookBest price: $4.87Price in other shops: $14.95
The World Insideby Robert Silverberg Orb Books; Published: 2010-03-02; Paperback; BookBest price: $5.99Price in other shops: $14.99
|