The Demolished man won the first Hugo Award in 1953 and after reading the book I cannot imagine another book beating it. Seen by many as a precursor of the 'cyberpunk' sci-fi novels that followed later in the '80's it certainly has the same style of 'high tech and low life' with large megacorporations running a future society and telepaths (called Espers) are an everyday occurence in all walks of life from business and therapy to the police force.
This is essentially a detective story where one of the owners of a multi-national corporation, Ben Reich, facing bankruptcy attempts to commit the perfect murder of his main rival Craye d'Courtney despite the seemingly insurmountable problem of doing so with Espers and modern police procedure having all but wiped out crime. To help him try to confuse their telepathic abilities he recites over and over a rhyme; "Tenser said the tensor; tension, apprehension and dissension have begun" which is so persistent it prevents the espers 'peeping' into his mind. And from this we follow a wonderful chase across space as the policeman in charge of the investigation, Lincoln Powell, attempts to prove his suspicions.
It is a wonderfully fast paced book full of noir-ish characters in a seedy futuristic underworld but it is the language Alfred Bester uses that really makes this book stand out and the pictures of words he creates on the page when the espers are communicating with sentences seemingly running up, down and diagonally at the same time. It is often criticised for appearing dated but do not let this put you off, this is a wonderful moment from the golden age of sci-fi. ( )

A very good SF thriller about a man trying to cover up a "perfect murder" in a society where telepaths are everywhere and about those trying to catch him. Loses a star and half because the ending has a bit of a "WTF? Huh?" quality to it. ( )

I was delighted to find that this is actually a detective story, if an odd one. ( )

Pre09:
Characters: Erm... I remember the main guy... that's pretty much it.
Plot: Convoluted as shit. Don't remember other than he's going crazy.
Style: Timeless Sci-Fi. Worth a read. Can never forget 'Tension Apprehension and Dissension have Begun!' ( )

In 2301 A.D., guns are only museum pieces and benign telepaths sweep the minds of the populace to detect crimes before they happen. In 2301 A.D., homicide is virtually impossible -- but one man is about to change that...[A] psychopathic business magnate devises the ultimate scheme to eliminate the competition and destroy the order of his society. Hurtling from the orgies of a future aristocracy to a deep space game preserve, and across densely realized subcultures of psychic doctors, grifters, and police, The Demolished Man is a masterpiece of high-tech suspense, set in a world in which everything has changed except for the ancient instinct for murder. (From the back cover)

It's truly a joy to read classic SF that holds up so well. This excellent story hasn't been dated much by advances in science over the last five decades. It's fast-paced, hardcore SF that presents futuristic technology without venturing into Flash Gordon/Buck Rogers hokiness. The premise is plausible and well-developed, if a trifle predictable (my jaded SF/police procedural-accustomed brain figured out the "mystery" about 2/3rds through).

I got a chuckle out of some of the names: 1/4maine; @kins, Wyg&. Clever. Oh, and I loved the sing-song rhyme that plays a major role: "Tension, apprehension and dissension have begun."

Highly recommended. ( )