Man in the Tree

A unique and fascinating story. Very absorbing with lots of twists and turns and great characters.

The Man In The Tree by Damon Knight Berkley, 1984 ISBN: 0-425-06006-3 Cover Illustration by Carl Lundgren Science Fiction Gene Anderson discovers he has a talent unlike any other in the world. As such, his childhood should have been a thing of wonder. Instead, he ends up a killer on the run, grows into an eight-and-half-foot giant and lives a queer and uncertain life. As he matures, Gene becomes a poet, a millionaire and even a circus freak. He's also a prophet. Wherein lies Gene's greatest problem. Is he Christ or is he the Anti-Christ? Not even Gene can answer that question. I found The Man In The Tree to be a marvelous look at the whole idea of Christ. Knight turns and twists our preconceptions before we even have a hint of what he's up to. The end disturbs. This novel is my favourite book of all time. In fact, it inspired my own fantasy novel, The Sorcerer's Key. Not ever considered popular and never discussed in his biographies, I consider The Man In The Tree to be classic Damon Knight. He always had something to say, and he wrote with a biting wit that was sometimes humorous, sometimes risque, sometimes wry and, in my opinion, often dark. Copyright © Clayton Bye, 2009

A book I reserve for the "classics" section on my shelf. It has a strong spiritual content but is never "preachy" and has been thoroughly enjoyed by many of my friends. An ending that can make you doubt and, at the same time, believe in humanity. The book can make you think about the beginnings of Christianity, how religions and sects can take hold and prosper in society, and how societies then react. All in all, very uplifting and one I have re-read dozens of times over the years. Now that I know it is out of print, I am delighted that I have a copy.