Psychoshop [Paperback]

Alfred Bester (Author), Roger Zelazny (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 30, 1998

Half finished upon Bester's death, and completed by Zelazny, "Psychoshop" envisions a commercial establishment that attracts customers ranging from Edgar Allan Poe to a sorcerer intent on fabricating the Beast of Revelations.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

This is a posthumous collaboration by two of SF's greatest writers, Alfred Bester and Roger Zelazny. Bester had completed half of the manuscript before his death in 1987, and then Zelazny finished it off before his own passing in 1995. In his introduction to this strange mix, Greg Bear calls the work an improvisational duet, and he is, as usual, right on the mark. This isn't so much a coherent novel as a story passed between two of the genre's more stylish writers. Fans looking for The Demolished Man or Nine Princes in Amber will be disappointed. Instead, what they'll find is the tale of Alf Noir, a reporter who travels to Rome where he finds a 3,000-year-old shop that trades in the strange dealings of the mind. Not only is the shop not what it seems, but its proprietor, Adam Maser, is not what he seems. And soon Alf will come to realize that there is something unusual about himself as well. --Craig E. Engler

From Publishers Weekly

This odd novel, left incomplete when Bester died in 1987, was finished by Zelazny, who himself died in 1995. In his introduction, Bear refers to Bester (The Deceivers) and Zelazny (Donnerjack) as masters of SF jazz, geniuses of improvisation, and the book has that feel to it. The plot is full of bizarre twists and turns. Neat ideas surface and disappear in an eyeblink and characters transform radically from one page to the next. Alf Noir, an investigative reporter, is sent to Rome to look into the mysterious Black Place of the Soul-Changer and its enigmatic proprietor, Adam Maser. Alf discovers that Maser is a Psychbroker, a sort of pawnbroker of the spirit, dealing in emotions, talents and psychological traits. Want more courage, the ability to see into the infrared, an understanding of ancient Persian? Maser will trade it to you for your mind-reading ability, or a rare coin, or perhaps for the secret of the collective unconscious. Alf discovers that Maser isn't human, but a highly evolved cat from the far future. Nothing is what it seems and no one can be trusted, not even Maser's sexy assistant, an evolved snake with whom Alf has an affair. There's much fun to be had here, but the book doesn't represent either writer in top form. Bester's style in the first part of the novel seems dated, and things don't gel until Zelazny takes over halfway through the book. Vintage has brought Bester's finest work back into print, and for this it deserves praise, but this novel is most likely to appeal to Zelazny's much larger readership.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Vintage; 1st edition (June 30, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0679767827
• ISBN-13: 978-0679767824
• Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 0.7 x 8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #540,402 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Is it more Bester or more Zelazny? The answer is "yes"., July 9, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Psychoshop (Paperback)

As a long-time fan of both Alfie Bester and Roger Zelazny, I was delighted to find this posthumous collaboration. "Pschoshop" is, I think, true to both authors' bodies of work. After all, Bester's influence on Zelazny is evident in a a number of works, most notably "Eye of Cat" with its dazzling experimental typography so reminiscent of what Bester had done in "The Demolished Man" and "The Stars My Destination". What parts belong to which writer? I really would not care to guess. Their styles blend too well for that to be clear. "Psychoshop" is not the equal of the finest works of either Bester or Zelazny -- a level that few other writers can match -- but it is amusing and bright and energetic and engaging and makes a satisfactory last gift from these two wonderfully creative authors.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars I almost put it down, October 17, 1998

By 

Jeff Miller ([e-mail]) (Austin, Texas, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Psychoshop (Paperback)

As a fan of Bester, I eagerly snatched up the latest offering. The book offered quite a surprise. I immediatley noticed a diiferent direction from Bester and about the middle of the book I found myself losing intrest.The characters seemed rather typical.I kept with it, however, and was pleased to find a transcendental world forming at the end. The finished product somehow reminded me of "The Illuminati".Psychoshop is not classic Bester but it is a good book none the less.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant, October 1, 1998

By 

Shannon (Los Angeles) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Psychoshop (Paperback)

Having never before read either Bester or Zelazny (I left my sci-fi roots at Asimov's door long ago) I had no comparison to their other works. As such, this book was a seamless story of amusement and intrigue. The characters are witty and mysterious, and the plot is extremely clever. I would highly recommend it. As an added benefit, it also has one of the most beautiful love poems I have ever read.