Who?

I "found" Algis Budrys courtesy of my mother, who, after reading his bio and one of his stories in the October issue of Technology Review, scoured the internet for copies of his books. This was no easy feat because, lamentably, his novels are now largely out-of-print: science fiction is a niche market at the best of times (notwithstanding Michael Chabon's recent acquisition of BOTH the Hugo and Nebula awards for The Yiddish Policeman's Union), and Budrys' style is AT LEAST two standard deviations away from "mainstream." However, in my opinion, Budrys falls squarely on the leading edge of the literary bell curve - perhaps not the best place for sales, but leading the pack nonetheless. I read two of Budrys' novels - Who? and Rogue Moon - and one of his collections of short stories, Budrys' Inferno. Based on this sample of his work, I think that Budrys was an unusually talented genre fiction author. His writing is undeniably entertaining, though the style is now a bit dated - his action and dialog are stylized to the same degree as a film noir movie, though the specifics are different. Uniquely for an author of his generation, Budrys does not shy away from issues of love and sex. This, however, is merely a consequence of what I see as a deep understanding of psychology and interpersonal dynamics. Budrys' characters are not usually complete unto themselves. Instead, they are stylized representations of specific human traits, and Budrys' talent emerges when his characters interact: through their communication, he explores truths about us. Thus: if you're a fan of SF, if you're fascinated by the way that people get along with one another, or if you're simply looking for a good read, try 'em. It's thought-provoking science fiction.

This is a thoughtful and engrossing novel. It deals with many issues: cold war paranoia, memory loss, identity, loyalty. The cold war premise may not resonate with younger readers reared on GRAND THEFT AUTO but for those of you who still retain higher brain functions, WHO, is an intelligent and thought-provoking novel well worth checking out. The questions it raises about identity and memory and its rather subdued atmosphere of existential melancholia place it in the ranks of the novels of Philip K Dick.

Of science-fiction novels, of cold-war novels, of serious American novels -- one of the very best. But then so is another Budrys novel, "Rogue Moon". "Who?" was made into a disappointing film; "Rogue Moon" awaits an animator perhaps not yet born. But both should be cherished first as books.