The Final Frontier

For the record, and to start, not a quick drawing. But worthwhile!

Though the previous weeks' read had elements of science in it, this book is the first real voyage into the world of science fiction for the class (well, unless you count Frankenstein, I guess). As far as sci-fi is concerned, this one is really incredibly rich in speculation. He is, at the beginning of the story, just a man (more-or-less), like anyone else. Through a set of circumstances, he is abandoned and left for dead. The audience is able to relate to his loneliness, his developing hatred, and eventually, his potential for revenge. As he wanders, so too do we, in a universe with potential to make us both happy and miserable, his life is victimized by circumstance more often than not. Throughout much of the book, he seems to be encouraged to be cruel, angry, and otherwise primal. He seems for some while to be the darkest part of our souls, the beast waiting to get out and take what it wants, how ever it wants to. Until, of course, he manages to meet himself quite literally.

The book introduces a very cool concept called jaunting, where Gully and a very few others can manage to travel at first through space, and then time. I feel like this is a vessel Bester uses in order to have us try to confront ourselves in a less literal way. Our lead acts with anger because he has been wronged. He was wronged because he couldn't be trusted by strangers, though he was clearly in need of help after his ship had crashed. Negative feelings and emotions topple one another over and over, person by person, creating a disdain that would otherwise be insurmountable, were it not for his new unique and rather profound vantage point. In this simple manner, though circling a wild plot the entire time, he gains some sentience that changes his perception entirely. He reveals in us our own malice, and exemplifies its inconquerableness, making it painfully obvious that we're either going to have to accept one another or kill ourselves over preconceptions, using a powerful explosive that, while this was written in the 50's mind you, rings a dark bell even for the modern day. The beauty of this book is in the ending, where all speculation is cut short and what is revealed as the solution is an uncolonized planet that can only be lived on if you believe in peace and harmony, (as is the secret of his power to move through time and space) the ultimatum of which being a fate beyond the control of any one person. Thinking about this a little more, it is perhaps the author's way of begging us to step back, and to colonize not anew, but differently. To face our demons with bravado, and our enemies with warmth. Which... would make sense, I guess. In that respect, the audience (reader) could 'jaunt' with ease, and could find harmony.

It's a story of revenge turned into a story about acceptance. As flowery as that must sound, it was a fantastically entertaining read through. Good show.