The Man in the Maze
“Where’s the room for free will in this mechanical universe of yours, Charles?” “There isn’t any. That’s why I say the universe stinks.” “We have no freedom at all?” “The freedom to wriggle a little on the hook.”
Overview
Richard Muller made contact with the 1st intelligent alien race. His fame came at a great cost as the aliens altered his brain in a way that made his presence unbearable. He became an outcast and ultimately decided to isolate himself on an abandoned planet with a deadly maze believing it would provide the isolation he wanted. Charles Boardman enlists the help of Ned Rawlins, a space cadet who’s father was friends with Muller. Together they are tasked with bringing Muller out of this deadly maze as Muller may hold the key to communicate with a hostile alien species that has recently been discovered.
Pros
Old school Sci-Fi book about a maze filled with deadly traps on an alien planet and is a quick read being only 192 pages. It encompasses the phrase “No man is an Island” as the protagonist is conflicted if he should return to human society.
The 3 main characters all have different views on life and it’s explored through the book. Richard Muller is cynical & jaded from his adventures. Charles Broadman is realistic & practical from his experience. Ned Rawlins is young and idealistic based on his youth. This results in various ideals colliding and interacting.
Do the ends justify the means? Broadman & Rawlins both have different ideas of how they should approach Muller. Broadman wishes to use deceit to lure Muller out but Rawlins believes telling him the truth will do just the same. Silverberg does a great job of giving you characters with various outlooks on life.
Cons
The market for Sci-Fi dried up in the late 50’s which resulted in Silverberg branching into other genres. Thus Robert Silverberg created the pseudonym “Don Elliot” Yes, Don Elliot the author of such hits as “Sex Bum” & “Lust Queen”. Don Elliot wrote over 200 erotic novels.
“The Man in the Maze” was published in 1969 after a lot of Don Elliot’s books were published. Don Elliot seemed to take over Silverberg’s writing whenever a women character was introduced. We get such colorful descriptions such as “Marta was backstroking in the lake, the rosy tips of her breasts just visible above the serene surface”.
His descriptions of women seem like they should be in some erotica novel not a Sci-Fi one. The descriptions give the book a trashy pulpy vibe at times which detracts from a book that could have been a culty Sci-Fi classic.
Should You Read It?
If you like Sc-Fi than definitively. It’s a book about a deadly maze that attempts to kill anybody that enters it. You can read it in about 4 hours and it carries some universal themes that we can relate to today.