bester

Fun fact: The character Alfred Bester in B5 was named after this Alfred Bester.

Someone's knowledge of Bester has become an informal litmus test for me to get a feel for how well read someone is in sci-fi.

It sounds like something Alfred Bester (who was also into this sort of colourful, balls-to-the-wall storytelling) could have written, but goes off in an unexpected direction.

I do agree that he might not be sci-fi writer with the best technique - Bester or Le Guin might be better there.

I can't see the list, but agree Bester should be there.

For some older stuff: The Stars my Destination by Alfred Bester – I was surprised at how good it is and how well it stands up.

Of course, the other thing about Bester that amazes me is that he's so obscure, despite as you point out winning the first Hugo and for writing notable early sci-fi.

This proposal assumes that the goal of top-tier colleges is to find the best and the brightest and give them an exceptional education, which will enable them to become even bester and brighterer.

The first time we hear his first-name is when his love-interest shows up, and I was dying on the floor laughing (which was somewhat inappropriate for the scene) and had to explain to my friend who Alfred Bester is.

Established players gain some trust because they have other things on their mind than your data and presumably they want to protect their reputation, so IMO the new guy is bester off focusing on something more tangible so you get a chance to build your reputation.

At any rate, I would say: Moon is a Harsh Mistress, Heinlein The Dispossessed, Le Guin The Stars My Destination, Bester Childhood's End, Clarke Stand out as some of my favorites.

Bester's "The Demolished Man" is well worth a read, but I think also doesn't quite make the cut.

Alfred Bester's "The Stars My Destination".

"The Crying of Lot 49" by Pynchon // "The Demolished Man" by Bester // "Ubik" by Dick!!!

You can see this belief represented in the "hard" science fiction published at the time, much of which treated telepathy and other ESP subjects seriously--including Bester's The Demolished Man, Asimov's Foundation series, Heinlein's Stranger in a Strange Land, Clarke's Childhood's End, and Niven's Known Space series.

Bester is one of my favorite SF writers, and it's almost criminal how few people know about his work.

Tiger Tiger, or its American name The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester.

Neat tidbit about Bester: he's also credited with writing the Green Lantern Oath.