The Stars My Destination is classic proto-cyberpunk
Published: (April 19, 2026 at 10:00 AM EDT)
1 min read
Source: The Verge
Source: The Verge
Review
Gully Foyle is my name…
Image: Brick Tower Press
This might feel like a somewhat obvious recommendation to some, but it flew under my radar until now. Alfred Bester’s The Stars My Destination (originally published as Tiger! Tiger! in the UK) is a 1956 sci‑fi novel that some have cited as a precursor to cyberpunk. It’s a work I admit I have some conflicted feelings about, but one I think is well worth reading if you consider yourself a fan of sci‑fi. It’s also well worth seeking out a physical copy, something I wish I had known before I started reading it in the objectively inferior e‑book form that can’t capture the ergodic elements of the climax.
It’s hard to explain the plot of The Stars My Destination …