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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great bit of 'soft' SF!,
By
This review is from: Dying Inside (S.F. Masterworks) (Paperback)
Dying Inside is a brilliant snapshot of a telepath on the verge of losing his powers. There isn’t much of a plot but the protagonist David Selig and his relationships are so interesting that you don’t really need one. I don’t enjoy reading about heroes and how they save the world from doom. This story is one of those novels about the ‘lazy-bum’ anti-hero that I like and his downtrodden, self-loathing attitude appeals to my sense of justice and underdog spirit.David Selig makes his money by writing lazy Columbia students’ term papers for them. By reading their minds he can quickly learn about their writing styles and the capacity with which they would be able to write it if they did it themselves. Through flashbacks we learn of Selig’s previous relationships especially with his sister. Here Silverberg is spot on in his wry observations of adoption and how it affects step-siblings. The best parts of the novel are where we get to see Selig make use of his telepathy. One of his ‘customers’ is a giant, black, basketball player. Through probing his mind we see the burning hatred inside him (a black being put down by a Jew in his opinion) which touches on race issues but never becomes preachy. Also there is a flashback to his youth where he has to fight a much larger opponent in a boxing match. He uses his power effectively to dodge the punches but his satisfaction is muted by the fact that the other kids think him weird. (Kinda like in Spiderman when Tobey Maguire beats somebody up in the school hallway). Overall very good – 8.5/10
15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Haunting,
By
This review is from: Dying Inside (S.F. Masterworks) (Paperback)
I am certain that everyone has at some point wished that they could read minds, it's one of those childhood dreams that often sticks way into adulthood when we still wonder about what each other is really thinking about. Dying Inside shows the torment that such a power could bring, as the main character David, upon realising that his power is abating speaks about how his life has been affected and in some ways ruined by it.This book was far more intimate and emotional than I had initially expected. David recalls his life in a very matter-of-fact sort of a way, which is probably what gives the novel its power because it seems all the more real that way, the way things are explained suggests the inhuman apathy that a telepath could inhibit. What is steadily revealed is that his ability prevents him from being close to any other person, and in the same breath omnipotently intimate and aware of their most private thoughts. What makes the story even more real is that David is not an especially pitiable nor likeable person. The story demonstrates that his power manages to alienate him from society rendering him a mere supernatural voyeur who in spite of his intelligence lives a very meagre and solitary life. I found this book an unexpected pleasure, even though in some places it can be quite sexually graphic, and some may say that the story does not go anywhere, it is more about becoming aquainted with David's personality, so you can understand just what it is that he is loosing.
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A powerful exploration of the human psyche,
By
This review is from: Dying Inside (S.F. Masterworks) (Paperback)
I initially read this book about four years ago and it made a lasting impression, so I re-read it again recently and found it just as absorbing. One thing should be pointed out from the start as one reviewer has noted, this isn't full-on SF. Steer clear if that's what you're looking for (incidentally there are other books in S.F. Masterworks series that are not hard SF e.g. I am Legend). I should also add that I do not personally believe in the existence of powers such as telepathy or ESP! So, to the book itself... Dying Inside charts the life of 41 year old David Selig and his gift/curse of being able to read people's minds. It explores his struggle for self-understanding and the manner in which his ability both elevates and alienates him from humanity. The story is told through a variety of narrative devices such as the re-reading of old letters, flashbacks to past events, and Selig's present situation as his power begins to ebb away. The themes dealt with in the novel are intensely human and concern love, rejection and acceptance, ageing, and what it means to understand and know others. I found Silverberg's approach to the concept of telepathy to be intensely vivid and convincing, as Selig veers from God-like omnipotence with his power through to being a despairing misfit; all of which is expressed through Selig's day-to-day life and encounters, such as his relationships, work and social identity. In structure the novel does not follow any real plot and at times it lacks cohesion, but this seems to work in the novel's favour as it mirrors and reflects Selig's character. It also contains some beautiful descriptive writing (particularly toward the end of the novel). To put the novel into context, it was published in 1972 in a decade where the author hit a rich vein of form, with books such as The Man in the Maze and The Stochastic Man. Overall, on a personal level this remains one of my favourite SF novels. If you're looking for a futuristic storyline, built around science and technology then this won't be for you. But if this and the other reviews intrigue you then I'd certainly recommend you give it a read.
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