The Stars My Destination (Tiger, Tiger UK)

Alfred Bester

1956

Gulliver Foyle, like most people of his century has the ability to teleport himself up to a 1000 miles in a single thought. But no-one could cross the vast depths of planetary space by thought alone.

Gully Foyle is Mechanics Mate 3rd Class on the Nomad and never destined to rise any further for universal transport has not eradicated the Universal Disadvantage.

Gully Foyle is lucky. Though stuck in the one place in his ship that holds atmosphere for almost six months after his ship is attacked by an Outer Worlds warship he certainly does not feel lucky!

When he spots an Earth ship passing near his tomb, he thinks he's saved as he sets off every flare available to him. He knows he's been spotted for the vessel alters course to investigate.

Gully Foyle is driven nearly insane as the other ship suddenly goes shooting off, leaving him to die.

Something is awoken inside Gully in his desire to find and punish those who had so cruelly left him to die and he manages to get the damaged Nomad moving. Though where it would go, no-one could tell.

Eventually finding himself back on Earth Gully quickly finds out who owned the Vorga which had left him to die and where she's berthed. Driven by an anger too deep to control, Gully mounts what amounts to a suicide attack on the ship where she lies in the port.

Sentenced to the depths of the Earth's darkest prison, Gully is left to brood. But a dark alliance is hatched to get him out for Nomad's safe contained a dangerous secret that could save Earth and the Inner Planets from the rampant Outer World forces.

However, it turns out that Gully doesn't require the help of the powerful - just an equally desperate woman locked in the dark with him. But her loyalty is severely tested by his violence while escaping and when she finally gets to see his face in the light, shock is an understatement for what she feels!

They stay allied long enough to get themselves off world to recover the wrecked Nomad and the wealth locked in it's safe.

But Gully Foyle disappears into the Dark.

After a short while a stranger arrives on Earth in a blaze of excitement and curiosity amongst the populous and Fourmyle's Circuses became a talking point in places all over the planet.

But who is Fourmyle? And what's his real agenda? And why is he so interested in the Presteign Clan?

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This is part of the Science Fiction Masterworks series.

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