billd's review against another edition
challenging
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
I have read three other books by Sci-Fi author Alfred Bester before I tried Golem100. His stories, so far anyway, are quirky and strange. Golem took awhile for me to get into and was easy to put down, but that is partially due to my reading habits of late. I think I can safely say that Golem is style over substance.
OK, so what's it about? Sheesh! Trick questions much. The story is set in a future New York City, now call The Guff. A group of women get together and try to summon the devil, unsuccessfully in their minds. But at the same time a series of horrendous murders take place in the city. A trio of individuals, beautiful Gretchen Nunn, a master of psychodynamics, Blaise Shima, a chemist and her lover and finally homicide policeman Subadar Ind-Dni. They discover that what they call a Golem is committing the murders.
OK, so that's the gist of the story, which will delve into a drug that is powerful and brings the experimenters, Blaise and Gretchen at first, into some other dimension. This is described in such an interesting fashion with drawings by Sci-Fi artist Jack Gaughan. As I mentioned, style over substance. Does the story matter? Well, yes, of course, but it's presented in a fascinating fashion, stream of consciousness, songs in all languages, drawings, etc. Does the ending matter? Well, it does end. The characters are quirky, intelligent, sexy... the city is kind of like Philip Dick's portrayal of, is it LA?, in Blade Runner, but on steroids.
Check it out anyway. Bester is worth trying. (3.5 stars)
OK, so what's it about? Sheesh! Trick questions much. The story is set in a future New York City, now call The Guff. A group of women get together and try to summon the devil, unsuccessfully in their minds. But at the same time a series of horrendous murders take place in the city. A trio of individuals, beautiful Gretchen Nunn, a master of psychodynamics, Blaise Shima, a chemist and her lover and finally homicide policeman Subadar Ind-Dni. They discover that what they call a Golem is committing the murders.
OK, so that's the gist of the story, which will delve into a drug that is powerful and brings the experimenters, Blaise and Gretchen at first, into some other dimension. This is described in such an interesting fashion with drawings by Sci-Fi artist Jack Gaughan. As I mentioned, style over substance. Does the story matter? Well, yes, of course, but it's presented in a fascinating fashion, stream of consciousness, songs in all languages, drawings, etc. Does the ending matter? Well, it does end. The characters are quirky, intelligent, sexy... the city is kind of like Philip Dick's portrayal of, is it LA?, in Blade Runner, but on steroids.
Check it out anyway. Bester is worth trying. (3.5 stars)
consul's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.25
jeremyhornik's review against another edition
2.0
I guess I'm not as into psychedelia as I once was. Fun premise, tons of sex and violence, all major characters people of color or white women... but ultimately the spectacle didn't sustain the narrative. Well, hey, it got me through a plane ride...
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