Muž v labyrintu

by Robert Silverberg

Lidstvo už kolonizovalo mnoho planetárních systémů. Ale to nejtěžší přichází v podobě prvního kontaktu s mimozemskou civilizací. Tento úkol čeká na průzkumníky-vyjednávače. Tito lidé pocházejí ze speciálních diplomatických služeb. Dick Muller je bývalá hvězda světové diplomacie, která získala po prvním setkání s mimozemskou civilizací v dějinách lidstva zvláštní psychickou vlastnost. V okruhu několika metrů kolem sebe vyzařuje všechny své duševní emoce, které ostatní lidé cítí a nejsou schopni v jeho společnosti ve zdraví vydržet. Stala se z něj psychicky zničená troska, trpící depresemi a sebevražednými sklony. Proto si vyhledal dobrovolný exil v Lemnosského labyrintu, tajemném pozůstatku po neznámé civilizaci na konci galaxie. Je to město, které svými skrytými mechanismy zabije pomalu každého vetřelce, který se v něm objeví. Nikdo se do něj nedostal, kromě jediného člověka, Dicka Mullera. Po několika letech se lidstvo setkává tváří v tvář s novou dobyvačnou rasou, která nás lidi považuje za něco primitivního a nedůležitého. Jedinou nadějí je právě Muller…

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction, Fantasy, Audiobook, Classics, Aliens, Science Fiction Fantasy

272 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1968

About the author

There are many authors in the database with this name.

Robert Silverberg is a highly celebrated American science fiction author and editor known for his prolific output and literary range. Over a career spanning decades, he has won multiple Hugo and Nebula Awards and was named a Grand Master by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America in 2004. Inducted into the Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame in 1999, Silverberg is recognized for both his immense productivity and his contributions to the genre's evolution.
Born in Brooklyn, he began writing in his teens and won his first Hugo Award in 1956 as the best new writer. Throughout the 1950s, he produced vast amounts of fiction, often under pseudonyms, and was known for writing up to a million words a year. When the market declined, he diversified into other genres, including historical nonfiction and erotica.
Silverberg’s return to science fiction in the 1960s marked a shift toward deeper psychological and literary themes, contributing significantly to the New Wave movement. Acclaimed works from this period include Downward to the Earth, Dying Inside, Nightwings, and The World Inside. In the 1980s, he launched the Majipoor series with Lord Valentine’s Castle, creating one of the most imaginative planetary settings in science fiction.
Though he announced his retirement from writing in the mid-1970s, Silverberg returned with renewed vigor and continued to publish acclaimed fiction into the 1990s. He received further recognition with the Nebula-winning Sailing to Byzantium and the Hugo-winning Gilgamesh in the Outback.
Silverberg has also played a significant role as an editor and anthologist, shaping science fiction literature through both his own work and his influence on others. He lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with his wife, author Karen Haber.

Reviews

[Lyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve said it before and here see it demonstrated excellently again – science fiction is best when it works as a metaphor.

The Man in the Maze, Robert Silverberg’s 1968 publication, is a psychological study about an ancient alien world and alien technology, mysterious and incomprehensible, reminiscent of Clarke’s Rendezvous with Rama and also similar to Bradbury’s There Will Come Soft Rains, as a dead planet is kept functioning by unfathomable extraterrestrial machinery.

I think Silverberg had an idea about an archeological alien labyrinth and then built his story around that idea.

And it is a damn good idea.

The maze was built by a race eons extinct, and the labyrinth exists as a monument to isolation and to dangerous inclusion. The Man in the Maze also features one of Silverberg’s, and science fiction’s, great protagonists: the tragic hero Muller. Akin to Kurtz and Raskolnikov, Muller is a tortured soul.

According to Muller, the deliberate outcast, the self-exiled hermit, the labyrinth “summed up the whole essence of their philosophy – kill the stranger”. And here is where Silverberg’s genius is revealed; this work is about isolation from humanity, about the shared ruination of souls and about, ultimately and paradoxically, our desperate, never ending need for one another.

John Donne’s axiom that no man is an island is conceptualized as a science fiction novel.

Silverberg, never one for light hearted mirth or comedic relief anyway, has in The Man in the Maze created one of his darker works, this is a spiritual vehicle that goes to the heart of the darkness that lies in the human soul and serves as an allegory for the byzantine walls we put up to keep others out. I cannot help but wonder if Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters was inspired by this Silverberg novel, published just a little over a decade before Pink Floyd’s multi-platinum selling double album - The Wall.

2023 reread -

Robert Silverberg’s 1968 novel about alienation and isolation was even better in this later reading.

This is not a spoiler since its listed on the cover, but this all boils down to: the tragic hero, Muller, was sent to make first contact with aliens. Everything went OK, except that they did something to his mind. Now he puts out psychic emanations that are repellant to other humans. Another character describes it as “noise”, “”sludge”, a mental scream that Muller puts out involuntarily that is the summation of his thoughts and it makes other humans violently ill within a few meters. The aliens were telepaths and so maybe they were trying to “fix” Muller, but the result is that everyone can “feel” his psychic impulses and no one can stand it. In despondency he travels to a huge, kilometers wide sprawling labyrinth on an ancient planet, the residents having died millions of years before, to hide his shame and to be alone. The other humans find him after a nine year period of seclusion. They need him to make contact with another alien (somewhat and obscurely reminiscent to the alien ocean in Lem’s 1961 masterpiece Solaris).

So what we have is a fairly straightforward SF gem. When I read this the first time I was enamored with the maze and thought of all kinds of allegories and hidden symbolism. I’m not saying I was wrong, and Silverberg’s description of the labyrinth was very cool, but on this read, eight years since my first time, I honed in on Muller’s plight, of being psychologically ostracized from humanity and what this trauma, plus nine years alone and surviving in the lethal maze, did to him. I must also praise Silverberg’s great ability (BTW I’ve read that he’s a cocky guy, but I guess flaunt it if you’ve got it since this is first rate) because he pulled this off without making Muller out to be a victim, but rather a deterministic but still thoughtful hermit - whose exile is both for himself and for the rest of us. There were some exceptional scenes of quiet introspection where Muller is - ahem - mulling it all over, and Silverberg stuck the landing and got a 9.7 from the East German judge.

Classic, classic, muy bueno SF. If you’re calling yourself a science fiction fan this should be on a list or three to read or read again.

[mark monday · Rating 5 out of 5]

fuck the world and fuck the people in it. right? fuck 'em. you spend your life trying to do things, accomplish things, putting yourself out there. do people even remember those things? does the universe even care? you are just a cog in the great world-machine that doesn't even want to know you, that doesn't recognize the things you've done. who could ever want you, you are a useless part now that you are



you have many accomplishments, many great deeds. so why was that done to you, why are your insides on the outside, why are all the base emotions and fears and petty little anguishes out there on the surface, a formless cloud of contamination, making people sick to be around you. why should they fear those things? they have such things inside them too, a wounded and wounding toxic sickness of the soul. the hypocrites, they are all like you, full of



flee to your new home. a maze and a death-trap. just let those who drove you away come and try to get you, now that they need you. feh! let them try! let them come to your world-maze. let them come and let them die.



it is a book about a maze and the man in it. it is a book about three men. one bitter man on the inside. two men on the outside: one old and cynical and the other young and idealistic. it is a book about being a certain kind of man. different versions, different stages of the same sort of man: an explorer a change agent a man who makes things happen. it is about men who don't need women, or things, or ideas. it is a book about men who need to move forward and make their mark, maybe many marks. men whose accomplishments - and only their accomplishments - define them. what is a maze to such men? simply a place to go.



it is a stark book and it is a melancholy book and it is a thrilling book and it is a surprisingly affecting book. it is beautifully written; it is a pulpy adventure as well. philosophies and perilous missions; rage and sadness and idealism and cynicism; transformation and alienation. alien beings; alien humans. so many things. project your own ideas onto the book; its body is pleasingly formed and ready to be clothed with your own perspective. the man in the maze made the maze his home; he made of himself a maze as well.

[J.L. Sutton · Rating 3 out of 5]

“They say this is the richest era of human existence; but I think a man can be richer in knowing every atom of a single golden island in a blue sea than by spending his days striding among all the worlds.”



I'd never read any of Robert Silverberg's stories before and so decided to begin with The Man in the Maze. This one, about a man, Robert Muller, who exiles himself into a dangerous alien-created maze that must be traversed by a team of scientists so that mankind can once again call upon his services intrigued me. I'm a big fan of first contact stories. This one was a little short on how Muller had bridged the gap and communicated with another species, but the story kept me turning the pages. Published in 1969, it held up. I will read more Silverberg. 3.25 stars

[Faith · Rating 4 out of 5]

After he was altered by an encounter with aliens, Richard Muller has exiled himself to a planet that was created by an advanced civilization that has mysteriously vanished. Left behind was some interesting technology that somehow still works, a lot of creatures (some dangerous) and a maze. The maze is where Muller has lived a solitary life for years. Now some visitors from Earth have arrived to lure/force Muller to help them make contact with another group of aliens. Unfortunately for his visitors, Muller has no interest in helping the human race.

This book has a unique plot, intriguing ideas and a compelling character with huge problems. The author has not disappointed me yet.

[Clint Hall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantastic!

The world creation and characters are wonderful and imaginative and everything you want from a science fiction. I got heavy Andre Norton vibes from Silverberg's writing style, which I believe to be a good thing. Every few chapters, though, Silverberg got a little horny and had to write about sex and naked women--not a bad thing for me, I'm just letting you know.

Silverberg's descriptions of characters at the start of the book always included an analysis of the lips. Fair enough, I guess. I notice lips in person, too, but usually only if there is something unusual, or tantalizing about them. The oddest description was that of comparing a girl's butt to that of a young boy. I've heard of this before, but can honestly say I have never made that comparison. Fortunately, I've never heard it made in person before either since I don't hang out with people on the registry.

The climax was a bit flat, but this one was thoroughly enjoyable, otherwise. I will definitely find my way to more of Silverberg's books.

[Izabela Górska · Rating 3 out of 5]

trójka na szynach Robert

[Garden Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gran novela de Robert Silverberg qué me mantuvo pegado al sillón una tarde completa. Simplemente no podía parar de leer.

Dick Muller lleva años viviendo solo en un misterioso laberinto plagado de trampas en el planeta Lemnus, ésto debido a que tras una misión diplomática en Beta Hydri IV sufre una alteración de su sistema nervioso qué provoca un rechazo incontrolable en toda persona que se le acerque. Ya casi olvidado en su auto reclusión, pronto recibirá visitantes en busca de embarcarlo en una nueva misión que podría salvar la humanidad de un misterioso enemigo.

Interesante premisa de éste autor que a través de su personaje nos invita a reflexionar sobre la soledad, el rechazo, la honestidad... En un inicio la novela es sumamente misteriosa, enganchandote de la primera página y haciéndonos preguntar qué es lo que esconde éste tan complejo laberinto, quienes fueron sus constructores, no obstante, el autor no se dedica a indagar en ello, pues en el fondo es lo de menos. La novela se centra exclusivamente en el personaje de Dick Muller y sus emociones, sus recuerdos, su constante sensación de percibirse a si mismo como un monstruo, o algo cercano a ello, y su resignación ante su "condición" en apariencia incurable.

Aún así, pronto descubrimos que incluso aquello qué a simple vista pareciera una maldición también puede llegar a transformarse en algo útil y en este caso en una herramienta para salvar a una humanidad que languidece frente a un enemigo poderoso e implacable con el que parece imposible negociar o entenderse.

Recomiendo mucho este libro. Cómo mencioné antes me resultó adictivo, aunque para disfrutarlo en integridad creo que lo mejor es saber de él lo menos posible, pues su trama sorprende.

¡Si te gusta la ciencia ficción no va a decepcionarte!

[Sandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

In one of Robert Silverberg's novels from 1967, "Thorns," the future sci-fi Grand Master presented his readers with one of his most unfortunate characters, Minner Burris. An intrepid space explorer, Burris had been captured by the residents of the planet Manipool, surgically altered and then released. Upon his return to Earth, Burris was grotesque to behold, resulting in one very withdrawn, depressed, reclusive and psychologically warped individual indeed. And a year later, in the author's even more masterful "The Man in the Maze," we encounter still another space explorer who had been surgically altered by aliens, but this time, the alterations are mental, rather than physical, although no less devastating to the subject's sense of self-worth. "The Man in the Maze" was one of three sci-fi novels that Silverberg released in 1968, along with (the excellent) "The Masks of Time" and "World’s Fair 1992"...AND eight sci-fi short stories AND eight full-length books of nonfiction. Silverberg's writing had entered a whole new phase as regards craft and literacy in 1967, and "The Man in the Maze" shows the author in the full flush of his newfound abilities.

In "The Man in the Maze," the reader encounters ex-interplanetary diplomat and space explorer Dick Muller, whose career had been going along swimmingly until, at around age 50, he'd been called upon to make contact with the first intelligent civilization that humankind had thus far encountered: the residents of Beta Hydri IV. After many months of seeming indifference to Muller's presence amongst them, the Hydrans had seized the Earthman and, for reasons never learned by either Muller or the reader, operated on his brain. On his return to Earth, Muller discovered that his fellow humans could no longer abide his physical presence. Somehow, all the nasty sludge deep down in his brain was now being telepathically communicated to others, like an infinitely less harmful variant of the Id Monster in the 1956 sci-fi classic "Forbidden Planet," or the psychic equivalent of the aroma that hits a NYC subway rider when he/she enters a car that contains an especially foul-smelling homeless person!

Unable to turn off his repellent mental aura, Muller had immured himself at the center of the ancient maze on the dead planet Lemnos; a murderous, million-year-old labyrinth with limitless means of destroying intruders. After nine years, however, a ship lands on Lemnos, containing Charles Boardman (the man, now 80, who had sent Muller on his disastrous mission to the Hydrans), Ned Rawlins (a 23-year-old space cadet, whose father had been a friend of Muller's) and a ship's complement. Their mission: to somehow penetrate to the heart of the killer maze and persuade Muller to come out and undertake an even more dangerous mission. It seems that an extragalactic race has recently entered our galaxy and begun to enslave Earth colonies at the outer fringes, and that only a man with Muller's peculiar condition might be able to communicate with them. But will the understandably bitter and neurotic recluse be at all interested in helping the humans who had earlier rejected him?

Of all the many novels that I have read by Silverberg, I believe that "The Man in the Maze" might work best as a $200 million motion picture. In the book's tremendously exciting first half, robot probes and then a trained group of soldiers meet horrific ends as they endeavor to map a path through the concentric zones of the maze. In the book's next section, Rawlins encounters Muller and uses lies and psychological manipulation to wheedle the bitter hermit back out. Silverberg presents us with frighteningly strange animal life on Lemnos and, via flashback, a glimpse of those Hydrans, a race of aliens that is truly alien. Ditto for those extra-galactics, when we finally encounter them near the novel's end; that elusive "sense of wonder" that is the hallmark of all great sci-fi is to be had in great abundance here. Silverberg's writing itself is of a very high order, too. He gives us marvelous dialogue, and his descriptions of some of the worlds that Muller had visited are both highly imaginative (such as the Earth colony on planet Loki, where the residents deliberately seek to attain weights of 400 pounds and more by means of "glucostatic regulation") and oftentimes almost poetical ("He had slept beside a multicolored brook under a sky blazing with a trio of suns, and he had walked the crystal bridges of Procyon XIV."). And then there are the passages that are almost psychedelic in nature (such as when Rawlins traverses the maze's distortion field), a warm-up of sorts for the lysergic passages in the author's 1971 novel "Son of Man." The author also gets to voice his feelings on the difficult lot of the telepath in this novel, a theme that would be explored in infinitely greater depth in 1972's brilliant "Dying Inside." It would have been wonderful had Silverberg come out with a sequel to this marvelous novel--the finale is certainly an open-ended one, with several important questions unanswered and the fate of the galaxy still very much up in the air (or should that be "up in the vacuum"?)--but what we have here is still quite satisfying enough.

"The Man in the Maze," naturally enough, is not a perfect novel, and a close reading will reveal a few slight missteps on the author's part. For example, Silverberg tells us that Lemnos has a 20-month year in one chapter and a 30-month year in another. Similarly, he tells us that Lemnos has a 30-hour day in one chapter and a 20-hour day 50 pages later. And he is guilty of some slight instances of ungrammatical writing, extremely untypical for him, such as when he writes "...mild-mannered ungulates which drifted blithely through the maze...," instead of "...that drifted." But these are trivial matters that Silverberg's editor should have caught 47 years ago, when the book was first published, and flubs that only the most nitpicking wackadoodle (yeah, that's me!) would notice. The bottom line is that "The Man in the Maze" is literate, exciting, suspenseful, adult sci-fi with an interesting trio of lead characters and a fascinating story line. One of my bibles, "The Science Fiction Encyclopedia," gives it a mere seven-word description ("a dramatization of the problems of alienation"), but this reader found it to be so very much more. Now, Mr. Cameron/Nolan/Abrams/Spielberg/Blomkamp, howzabout raising the requisite dinero to bring THIS awesome science fiction vision to the big screen?

(By the way, this review originally appeared on the FanLit website, an excellent destination for all fans of Robert Silverberg: http://www.fantasyliterature.com/ )

[Gabrielle (Reading Rampage) · Rating 4 out of 5]

"You speak as if you belong to an alien race" Rawlins said in wonder.
"No. I belong to the human race. I'm the most human being there is, because I'm the only one who can't hide his humanity"


I discovered Silverberg on Goodreads, when "The Book of Skulls" (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...) popped up in my updates. While some dated details and the treatment of (barely existent) female characters bothered me, the ideas he was working with also fascinated me so much that I sought out more of his work.

The premise of "The Man in the Maze" is wonderfully intriguing: Richard Muller is a famous space explorer, who made first contact with the only other sentient species in our galaxy. But his glory came at a terrible cost; those aliens did something to him that makes his presence intolerable for other humans. His life more or less ruined, he exiled himself on the planet of Lemnos, in the middle of a strange and deadly maze left behind by a long-vanished civilization. But a crisis of Earth pushes an old, Machiavellian colleague of Muller, Charles Boardman, to seek him out to ask for his help in dealing with the threat against their home world.

This book really is about is alienation, about feeling completely ostracized and trapped. Muller is obviously trapped in a situation where being around others proves impossible, but he can't bring himself to reject them the way he has been rejected. Ned Rawlins is also trapped, in a situation where he must do something morally reprehensible for the greater good and struggles to come to terms with that.

The maze is the characters' minds, the various traps and snares are their memories, their inner wounds they are sometimes not even aware of themselves. Muller's "disease" is fascinating: people can't stand him because he makes them feel exactly the way they do... but are never allowing themselves to admit. The maze protects him, but it also protects other people, the same way the many walls we put between ourselves and others serve as a defense mechanisms.

But metaphor aside, it is also just a wonderful idea: the abandoned planet shows no trace of its former inhabitants, but a self-regulating, life-sustaining but completely empty city designed to trap and kill those unworthy to get to its heart. Its really a futuristic archaeologist' wet dream!

Just like "The Book of Skulls", the depiction of the 100% decorative and sexually pleasing female characters made me roll my eyes and grunt. Silverberg, for all his good ideas, didn't have a very sophisticated perception of women (I remember reading an article about James Tiptree Jr. - Alice Sheldon's nom de plume - where Silverberg insisted the author was a man because there was something ineluctably masculine about the writing... Sigh...). That definitely cost the book a star in my rating; but I still really loved the core idea of the story, and I was surprised by how affected I was by it.

Despite it's flaws, this is a beautifully written book that contains the kind of ideas that will stick to your brain for a long time after you turn the last page. Highly recommended for fans of old school sci-fi.

[Велислав Върбанов · Rating 5 out of 5]

„Човекът в лабиринта“ е много силна философска фантастика... Книгата носи меланхолично настроение, тъй като разкрива човешката същност и зловещото влечение на хората към лъжите, но и предизвиква размисли по важни теми. Тя съдържа смислени общочовешки послания и определено се нарежда сред любимите ми творби на Робърт Силвърбърг!

Човек се е изолирал и от години живее сам в тайнствен и опасен лабиринт на далечна планета, след като е отхвърлен от цялото човечество. След време там пристига група хора, които имат за цел да го извадят на всяка цена от лабиринта, защото им трябва неговата помощ...




„Моето послание е, че човечеството има късмет, че всички ние сме затворени в черепите си. Защото ако постигнем и най-елементарната телепатия, дори в този замъглен, невербален вид, който аз притежавам, тогава няма да можем да се понасяме взаимно. Човешкото общество ще е невъзможно. Хидранците имат способността да влизат в мозъците на другите и това изглежда им харесва, но ние не можем. Точно затова казвам, че човек сигурно е най-презреният звяр в цялата Вселена. Той дори не може да понесе смрадта на собствения си вид — душа в душа!“

[Gary K Bibliophile · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Man in the Maze is one of my 'puzzle books'. I have mentioned this on a few of my GR reviews before. I like to do puzzles and had bought a SciFi book puzzle a few years back. Since I refer to it every so often I added it as one of my GR photos. I had read several featured on the puzzle before, but there were new ones too. I made a personal goal to try to read most of them over the next few years (very scientific huh 😀 ).

The Man in the Maze was written in 1968... Science Fiction was pretty popular given the excitement over the space race. Star Trek had aired a few seasons. Dr Who was on their second incarnation of 'The Doctor' with Patrick Troughton. 2001: A Space Odyssey and Planet of the Apes were released that year – certifiable classics. Voyage to the Planet of Planet of Prehistoric Women was released that year... ok – they weren't all classics. - IMDB rating of 2.9 😀 More on that below.

SciFi stories as a genre were trying to figure themselves out at this point. 1967 was the 'Summer of Love' the dynamics between the sexes were changing a lot. Many SciFi writers (most of them were male at this point) treated women as objects... One of my first surprises with this was Heinlein's Stranger in a Strange Land. This started out as a really interesting story... but by the end kind of devolved into a wild orgy of sorts... I mean – it WAS the 60s, but wow.

Not all 60s SciFi books marginalized women of course. Dune had several strong female characters.

So how did Silverberg rate for this... not good I'm afraid. Basically all his female characters were there to provide pleasure for the males who saw them no value other than for sex. They don't even take them along on journeys into space... they bring along 'Woman Cubes' instead... whatever those are (I'm not sure I want to know – I doubt they are for stimulating conversation). Usually I brush things like this off as a product of the era they were written. The fantasy with the 14 year old girl was too much though... very creepy.

Ok – so misogyny aside... what about the story? It's actually pretty interesting. The concepts were typical of SciFi at the time.. I mentioned Star Trek and Dr Who. I could certainly see Captain Kirk wrestling with the monsters in the maze or Patrick Troughton trying to outsmart the puzzles. The planet of Lemnos being a abandoned for millions of years and the machinery left behind a mystery... that's been used over and over in lot's of books I've read.

First contact scenarios are actually more realistic than a lot of SciFi stories... where they are communicating right away. In this case the Hydrans don't ever catch on.. and leave Muller with a bizarre psychic affliction – estranging him from other humans. The mystery of the maze on Lemnos is also very cool – I like the way the various layers had their own personalities and dangers. Muller's self named constellations (the Dagger, the Back, the Shaft, the Ape, the Toad) was pretty cool symbolism.

I like the quote “You'll discover you did the right thing, in context. Or the least wrong thing anyhow” - [[ I wonder if Spike Lee considered calling “Do the Right Thing” … “Do the least wrong thing” ? Probably not. ]] This book is all about choices – deceit – and choosing among the lesser evil. What did Geralt say in “The Witcher” ? “If I’m to choose between one evil and another… I’d rather not choose at all.” I don't think the characters here had much of a choice.

One thing I didn't quite understand was why was Muller so angry at Boardman? He knew the risks and made his choices. Both of them were full of themselves... as per the alpha-male character that Silverberg was modeling them after.

Would I recommend this ? Well – the story – minus the horrible portrayal of women is worth checking out – at least in historical context. Not a ringing endorsement for sure. But it was on my puzzle – right? 😀

BTW – since I started my puzzle quest in 2019 I have read (or reread) the following...

1. Dandelion Wine
2. Frankenstein
3. Stranger in a Strange Land
4. Martian Chronicles
5. Colour out of Space
6. Childhood's End
7. Dr. Jeckyl and Mr. Hyde
8. Have Space Suit Will Travel
9. Anathem
10. The Stand
11. Dune
12. Snow Crash
13. Animal Farm
14. Hyperion
and...
15. The Man in the Maze

[Joy D · Rating 4 out of 5]

Science fiction that is essentially a character study of three men who face a moral dilemma. These three are Dick Muller, the titular man in the maze who has exiled himself from all social interactions, Charles Boardman, the pragmatic manipulator, and Ned Rawlins, the young idealist. Each is a key contributor to events that have the potential to change the future trajectory of humankind.

Muller is living in self-imposed exile after a life-changing encounter with an alien species that has rendered him repulsive to other humans. He has solved the maze that exists on the planet Lemnos. It has taken the lives of myriad other lifeforms and humans trying to navigate it. It is a book that works on multiple levels. The storyline itself is compelling and spurs interest to keep reading, it contains “big ideas” on the nature of the mind (represented by the maze) and humanity, and it is a commentary on personal interconnections and “othering” (represented by alien species).

The narrative momentum is provided by whether Charles and Ned can convince Muller to leave the maze for the benefit of the species rather than trying to “trick” him with false promises. The two disagree based on their moral codes and personalities. Themes include honor, free will, ambition, emotional vulnerability, and connectedness.

It was published in 1968 and is one of those books that examines larger questions about humankind, as great science fiction tends to do. The primary drawback is one shared by many male SciFi authors of the 1960s. Women are given only sexual or subservient roles, not to mention the lack of any diversity. This would make a great book to discuss with a group, especially with regard to moral dilemmas and questionable decisions with significant consequences.

[Adela · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25* Jeśli by pominąć jaką rolę grają znów kobiety w książce tego autora, to bardzo mi się podobało 😉.

[Dzidronka · Rating 3 out of 5]

To chyba najsłabsza książka Silverberga jaką do tej pory czytałam. Aż rozważałam 2 gwiazdki, ale finalnie bawiłam się troche lepiej...
Z plusów: bardzo ciekawa wizja miasta obcych w postaci wielkiego labiryntu, szczególnie jego wewnętrznych rejonów oraz główny bohater, idea jego samowygnania, jego samotność, zgorzknienie - to zdecydowanie najlepsza postać w opowieści.
Minusy? Zapomnijcie o pierwszym kontakcie. Może ja miałam zle oczekiwania względem tej historii, ale liczyłam na ten wątek, który zamknął się finalnie w może 3 stronach i tak naprawdę nie był żadną interakcją a wszystko działo się poza bohaterem. Druga sprawa to balans tej cienkiej opowieści, bo wg mnie zbyt wiele czasu marnujemy w niej na opisy przejścia pułapek samego labiryntu. I okej, było to ciekawe i pewnie na tamte czasy nowatorskie, ale było mi tak naprawdę wszystko jedno czy bohaterowie o 3 cechach charakteru na krzyż zginą czy nie i uważam że więcej czasu powinna otrzymać druga połowa książki.
Trzecia sprawa, to zaczyna mnie już drażnić sposób w jaki Silverberg opisuje kobiety. To już kolejna książka, w której są one tylko obiektem seksualnym i są przede wszystkim po to żeby bohater sobie ulżył. I nie przyjmuje argumentu, że to były takie czasy skoro inni autorzy tamtego okresu (albo nawet wcześniejszego) potrafili zauważyć coś więcej niż tylko fizyczność i stworzyć wspaniałe bohaterki (patrz Tolkien, Herbert, Clarke, itp.). W tej historii te wątki były dla mnie nawet gorsze niż w Księdze Czaszek, w której bohaterowie byli po prostu okropni i to się w nich wpisywało. W "Człowieku..." mamy teoretycznie w pewnym sensie pionierów ludzkości i niesamowicie rozwinięta przyszłość a rola kobiety sprowadza się i tak tylko do grzania łóżka..

[Stuart · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another excellent novel from the most prolific and skilled SF writer of the late 60s/early 70s
I thought I had covered all of Robert Silverberg's masterpieces from his unbelievably prolific spurt of novels and short stories in that most exciting and turbulent time in America, the late 60s and early 70s. I don't know how he keep up that level of energy and creativity, or what chemical substances might have played a role, but the results include some amazing books, all concise, brilliantly conceived, and beautifully written: Downward to the Earth (1969), Nightwings (1969), Tower of Glass (1970), The World Inside (1971), A Time of Changes (1971), and Dying Inside (1972).

This one is pretty strange, about a very embittered hero of far-future humanity who has exiled himself to a deadly alien maze, since his mind was altered by an alien race to broadcast all his subconscious thoughts, making it unbearable to be hear him for other humans. When larger events put some of the human-colonized world in mortal danger, it's up to a special mission to convince him to set aside his anger, bitterness, and isolation to come to the aid of humanity once again, this time to face even more inscrutable and frightening aliens.

[Ana · Rating 2 out of 5]

Apesar de este ser o primeiro livro de ficção científica do blogue, não foi o primeiro que eu li. Longe disso até. Houve uma altura da minha vida, julgo que deveria ter uns doze ou treze anos, em que os únicos livros que eu tinha acesso para comprar (sem depender de ninguém para o fazer) eram os de uma pequena papelaria/tabacaria ao lado de minha casa. Nessa papelaria e nessa época, os únicos livros que se vendiam era uma colecção de bolso da Caminho (não estou certa) , que tinha policiais (capa preta) e histórias de ficção científica (capa azul). Durante um determinado período de tempo, muito do meu poupadinho dinheiro foi para comprar livros destes. De ficção científica eram também muitos dos livros que trazia da biblioteca municipal da minha terra (Vendas Novas) durante a minha adolescência. Penso que só por volta dos vinte anos o meu interesse neste género decaíu. É curioso que o último livro de ficção científica que comprei foi deste autor, Robert Silverberg, e chamava-se Nascidos nas Estrelas :).

A ficção científica e o meu interesse pelo espaço entraram cedo na minha vida, quando vi pela primeira vez o filme E.T. aos seis anos. Ainda muito criança havia seguido também religiosamente séries televisivas tais como Buck Rogers, Galactica ou Espaço 1999, as aulas sobre os planetas tinham-me fascinado bem como uma visita ao planetário (que ainda hoje recordo com emoção), e já em adolescente, adorava conversar e pensar (e ainda gosto) sobre o futuro da humanidade. A série televisiva Twilight Zone também teve um papel fundamental no meu interesse por estas temáticas. Na minha fase adolescente li também os clássicos distópicos que funcionaram como um combustível que alimentava e incendiava as conversas intermináveis entre amigos sobre vários temas.

A ficção científica está pois na minha raíz enquanto leitora, mas muitas vezes tive profundas desilusões com este género literário, mais quando se tratavam de aventuras espaciais. As distopias, tais como por exemplo, o 1984, permaneceram sempre como grandes favoritos da vida. Mas no caso das aventuras, muitas vezes as realidades inventadas eram para mim demasiado mirabolantes e desconexas e a terminologia própria deste género (que achava muitas vezes exagerada em alguns livros) não ajudava à minha compreensão da história e logo o prazer que retirava dessas leituras era inevitavelmente maculado.

A experiência com este livro foi um pouco diferente. Trata de uma realidade inventada, como não podia deixar de ser, mas com nexo. É uma história com algum interesse, bem imaginada, que promove uma pequena reflexão sobre o futuro da humanidade e sobre a natureza dos seres humanos. É contudo já um pouco antiga, e com certeza terá tido maior impacto no seu tempo, do que para o leitor de agora. Deverá ser pois entendido como um clássico deste tipo de literatura.

Um dos aspectos que mais gosto em ficção científica, é pensar sobre a plausibilidade daquilo que é hoje imaginado se transformar na realidade do futuro. Achei muito curioso neste livro o facto de torneiras com sensores, que deitam água quando colocamos as mãos debaixo da torneira e páram quando as retiramos, terem sido imaginadas neste livro, e hoje fazerem parte do nosso dia-a-dia.

Um aspecto deste livro em particular que não apreciei nem um pouco é o papel da mulher nesta história. A mulher aparece raramente neste livro, e quando surge é enquanto elemento completamente secundário e acessório, como complemento necessário à vida do homem e praticamente apenas para sua satisfação sexual. Uma visão de enorme desigualdade entre sexos, e diria mesmo machista. Provavelmente, uma consequência dos tempos em que a obra foi escrita. Contudo, não deixei de me surpreender como é que um autor tão imaginativo, que constroi realidades fascinantes num futuro distante, que pensa o futuro da humanidade, consegue ser tão limitado no seu pensamento sobre a evolução e o papel das mulheres nesse futuro. Mais me surpreende ainda, como é que o autor se "safa" com isto, uma vez que é (ou foi) um dos autores de ficção científica mais notáveis e reconhecidos do séc XX. Não estou a par das estatísticas, mas suspeito que talvez poderá ser por este género interessar a poucas mulheres...

Resumindo, não recomendo. Há livros bem melhores para ler, e não se aprenderá grande coisa com este nos tempos que correm. Contudo se optar por ler, terá acesso a uma história razoável e interessante, mas já um pouco "fora de tempo".

Mais informações em:
linkedbooks.blogspot.pt/2012/12/labir...

[Tom LA · Rating 5 out of 5]

Phenomenal novel , like all the others I've read by Silverberg . Like his other ones, it can be read at different levels and it has a depth that - judging by the other reviews here - is often ignored or not understood.

The Philoctetes, a tragedy written by Sophocles, is the inspiration for this story. The human condition , the fragility of trust and the pain of betrayal , the withdrawal into oneself, our psychological defenses , all these issues are dealt with in the novel.

Just like Philoctectes, this is a story that war veterans should read for its healing powers, and fundamentally positive message at its core: that despite all of our contradictions and flaws, there is always hope for us human beings.

Romanzo assolutamente eccezionale, come tutti gli altri che ho letto di Silverberg. Come gli altri, si può leggere a diversi livelli e ha una profondità che a giudicare dalle altre recensioni non è spesso capita. Il Filottete di Sofocle è l'ispirazione di questa storia. La condizione umana, la fragilità della fiducia e il dolore del tradimento, il ritiro in se stessi, le difese psicologiche, la speranza per il genere umano, tutti questi sono temi trattati nel romanzo.

[Olethros · Rating 3 out of 5]

-Funciona igual de bien en lo simbólico y en lo literal.-

Género. Ciencia ficción.

Lo que nos cuenta. En el libro El hombre en el laberinto (publicación original: The Man in the Maze, 1968), conocemos a Dick Muller, que lleva años viviendo solo en el planeta Lemnos, en concreto en su antiguo laberinto construido por una raza desaparecida hace un tiempo incalculable. Y es que Muller, tras una misión diplomática en Beta Hydri IV, sufrió una alteración en su sistema nervioso que provoca un rechazo incontrolable en las personas que se acercan, por lo que tomó la decisión de aislarse. Pero la aparición en escena de unos nuevos alienígenas, con los que es imposible comunicarse y que esclavizan a los humanos como si fueran animales de granja, hace que las fuerzas de seguridad terrestre deban recurrir a Muller y buscarlo en el laberinto. Al frente de la expedición de búsqueda, Charles Boardman, el hombre que lo convenció de ir a Beta Hydri IV.

¿Quiere saber más de este libro, sin spoilers? Visite:

https://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com...

[Denzil Pugh · Rating 5 out of 5]

I pulled this sci-fi novel from the depths of my bookshelves, looking for the magic that existed in the writings of the masters of the genre. In so many science fiction books of the 50's and 60's, writers like Isaac Asimov, Clifford D. Simak, and Robert Heinlein concentrated on the ideas, the aspects of mankind progressing out of their own microcosm here and out to the universe. Once in the stars, most sci-fi writers found that the universal themes they thought about were also at the very core of their own minds. To go outward, you must go inward. Robert Silverberg did a fantastic job in combining Roddenberry with Jung.

Each of the main characters are introverted, brooding, well constructed men who decide the fate of the human race even while examining their own emotions. Dick Muller, the damaged soldier who lives on the planet of Lemmos and its large, deadly maze constructed by aliens from a long forgotten civilization. Charles Boardman, the confident manipulator of men, armies, worlds, whose weary nostalgia reveals an old man who tires in his actions even as he moves forward. And Ned Rawlins, the naive, ideological crew member of Boardman who, as a child, knew Muller. Boardman and Rawlins' mission is to retrieve Muller from his self-imposed exile in the maze which only he has mastered.

The maze is, of course, a symbol of the inner workings of a man's mind. The maze is so well described by Silverberg, in direct prose that gives a vagueness of dimension and detail while allowing the imagination to fill in the rest. (I say this because there are too many authors, like Terry Brooks, for instance, that will describe every tree in the forest. Sometimes it's best to let the reader's mind make some of it up.) I also think that the 1978 Mass Market version which I have has the best cover, portraying the maze as an ornate, spiraling city of rooms and walkways, of endless deadly traps and machinations.

In chapters spread throughout are the histories of the three men. What made Muller different, what the aliens he met did to him, and why he was shunned from the rest of humanity afterwards. What desperate mission do they need him for, even to risking the lives of men who must go into the maze, knowing that one false move will send them into spikes, boulders, or lakes of fire.

In the end, we see mankind's outlook on his world and his future. The stoic, the cynic, the righteous, even the epicurean. It made me wish the book was longer, that the days spent in the maze were longer, the delving into the maze that is the human psyche was more complete. I felt as if there was something Silverberg was looking for, and it was he that could not finish the maze, and so had to leave it undone, damaged somehow. At the end, when Muller returns to the maze (and by saying that, I'm revealing nothing), he goes to retrieve something he'd lost. And maybe that was what Silverberg felt as well.
***

I will say one more thing about the novel, which to me meant absolutely nothing, as I've come to expect this from most sci-fi authors. The women in the story are simply sexual tools, empty bodies with breasts and long hair. They are the short skirted crewwomen walking down the halls of the Enterprise. And while this would make the modern reader bristle with politically correct righteousness, I do not think it takes away from the book itself. When you read sci-fi from the 50's and 60's, you must realize that there are few if any women characters with strong character traits. You have to look at works by Sherri S. Tepper, Ursula K. LeGuin, even Orson Scott Card, to find them. In other words, you pick the book up recognizing that the main characters will be men, and you find the underpinnings of the man's mind to be such. Enjoy the dark, brooding characters, and don't let modern ideas about writing come into play. It would be same as criticizing writers of times past from putting in strong, liberated African-Americans, or removing the prejudiced feelings of Whites from older books. You have to read these books about the future as works from the past. And find, like so many other classic works of literature, that their are lessons even in the oldest of writings.

[Edgar Cotes Argelich · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aquesta novel·la té la fórmula que tant m’agrada de la ciència-ficció, equilibri perfecte d’acció, sentit de la meravella i introspecció. Una paràbola de l’ambició i de la paradoxa d’amor-odi per la humanitat. Silverberg dosifica molt bé la informació que ens va donant i manté la tensió i el suspens en tota la novel·la. El desenvolupament de les contradiccions i la psicologia del protagonista és brillant. Com d’altres novel·les de l’època, però, m’ha molestat la cosificació de les dones en certs fragments.

[Kailey (Luminous Libro) · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have very conflicting thoughts about this book. It's one of those that you love to hate, bc it's just so good at being bad. I feel like this book is a beautiful painting underneath that has been grotesquely defaced and damaged. It had the potential to be a wonderful story, brilliantly written; but it has all these nasty little marks on it that rob its beauty. One little sentence here and there that sticks out ugly and deformed.

One of the main questions of the book is, "Is humanity basically good and worth saving?" But all the authors arguments about what humanity IS, are skewed over to focus almost completely on sex. Apparently the author thinks that sex is the sole purpose of humanity, to the exclusion of any other joy, meaning, or fulfillment in life. There is a whole spectrum of emotions, familial connections, and world experiences that are far more important and more descriptive of the human race, but the author doesn't touch on one of them.
This limited and unhealthy world-view really annoyed me while reading.

The author also seems to think that all women are empty-headed objects of desire with no thoughts or goals of their own. I can't believe how disrespectful this book is toward women! Not one actual real female character with a voice of her own in the entire book. They're all mindless tramps.

Every male character is described in detail- their thoughts, feelings, motivations, etc... Beautifully drawn characters. Every female character is only physically described- her body type, clothing, only physical features described in detail. Egh! I'm so angry with this author right now.

Such a pity, bc the story itself is amazing. I couldn't put it down! I just can't stand the philosophy. Also the ending is a disappointment.

[Oscar · Rating 5 out of 5]

"El hombre en el laberinto" (1969), de Robert Silverberg, es una novela de ciencia ficción que explora los límites de la condición humana, el aislamiento y el sacrificio en un contexto de intriga galáctica. Richard Muller, un antiguo héroe de la exploración espacial, se ha exiliado en el planeta Lemnos tras un encuentro traumático con una raza alienígena que lo ha transformado, dotándolo de una habilidad psíquica que proyecta sus emociones más oscuras, haciendo insoportable su presencia para otros humanos. Refugiado en un antiguo y letal laberinto construido por una civilización extinta, Muller vive en soledad, navegando sus trampas mortales y enfrentándose a su propia alienación.

Nueve años después, una nave terrestre llega a Lemnos liderada por Charles Boardman, un astuto diplomático, y Ned Rawlings, un joven idealista. Su misión: convencer a Muller de abandonar su retiro para enfrentarse a una nueva amenaza extragaláctica, unos seres radiales que esclavizan mundos humanos. Boardman, manipulador y pragmático, ve en la maldición de Muller una herramienta para comunicarse con estas criaturas, mientras Rawlings lucha con su propia moralidad ante las tácticas de Boardman. La novela traza un arco de tensión psicológica y moral, mientras Muller, atrapado entre su resentimiento hacia la humanidad y su sentido del deber, enfrenta una decisión que podría determinar el destino de la especie.

El laberinto, tanto físico como metafórico, sirve como escenario y símbolo de los conflictos internos de Muller, mientras la narrativa combina elementos de ciencia ficción con una profunda exploración de la psique humana, el sacrificio y la redención.

Robert Silverberg, uno de los pilares de la ciencia ficción de la Nueva Ola, entrega en "El hombre en el laberinto" una obra que trasciende los tropos tradicionales del género para adentrarse en un territorio profundamente introspectivo y existencial. Publicada en el apogeo de su carrera, esta novela refleja la madurez estilística de Silverberg, quien, tras un período de prolífica producción comercial, comenzó a explorar temas más complejos, alejándose de las convenciones pulp hacia una literatura de género con ambiciones filosóficas y literarias. En este sentido, "El hombre en el laberinto" se erige como un hito en su obra, comparable a títulos como "Tiempo de cambios" (que tengo pendiente) o "Muero por dentro", donde el autor prioriza la psicología de los personajes y la exploración de la condición humana sobre los arquetipos heroicos o las maravillas tecnológicas.

La novela se articula en torno a Richard Muller, un protagonista trágico cuya complejidad psicológica lo convierte en un arquetipo moderno del héroe alienado. Muller, un explorador estelar que una vez encarnó el ideal humano de conquista y descubrimiento, regresa transformado por un encuentro alienígena que lo dota de una habilidad devastadora: la proyección de sus emociones más crudas, que repelen a quienes lo rodean. Esta maldición, que Silverberg describe con una precisión casi clínica, no solo lo aísla físicamente en el laberinto de Lemnos, sino que lo convierte en un paria emocional, un símbolo de la desconexión existencial. La habilidad de Muller, que podría interpretarse como una metáfora de la incomunicación o la vulnerabilidad expuesta, añade una capa de ambigüedad moral a la narrativa, pues su sufrimiento no es solo personal, sino un reflejo de la incapacidad de la humanidad para aceptar lo diferente.

El laberinto mismo, una construcción alienígena de complejidad mortal, es uno de los logros más destacados de la novela. Silverberg lo describe con una prosa evocadora que combina la precisión técnica con un aura de misterio arcaico, evocando tanto la mitología clásica (el Minotauro de Creta) como la ciencia ficción especulativa. Este escenario no es meramente un telón de fondo, sino un personaje en sí mismo, un organismo vivo que desafía a los intrusos con trampas físicas y psicológicas. La interacción de Muller con el laberinto, su dominio paulatino de sus secretos, refleja su lucha interna por encontrar un propósito en su aislamiento. Como señala el crítico John Clute, “Silverberg utiliza el laberinto como un microcosmos de la condición humana, un espacio donde el individuo se enfrenta a sus propios demonios mientras navega por un universo indiferente”.

La dinámica entre Muller, Boardman y Rawlings constituye el corazón emocional de la novela. Boardman, un manipulador cínico que encarna el pragmatismo político, contrasta con la ingenuidad idealista de Rawlings, creando un diálogo moral que enriquece la narrativa. Boardman, con su disposición a sacrificar individuos por el bien mayor, representa una crítica a las estructuras de poder utilitaristas, mientras que Rawlings, con su acto de rebelión al revelar la verdad a Muller, encarna una esperanza frágil en la redención personal. Muller, atrapado entre ambos, se debate entre el resentimiento hacia una humanidad que lo rechazó y un sentido del deber que no puede eludir por completo. Esta tensión culmina en un clímax que, sin desvelar detalles, combina la resignación trágica con un destello de trascendencia, un sello distintivo del Silverberg de esta época.

Desde el punto de vista estilístico, la prosa de Silverberg es sobria pero cargada de matices, alternando descripciones técnicas del laberinto y la tecnología con pasajes introspectivos que capturan el tormento de Muller. Su habilidad para equilibrar la acción con la introspección recuerda a los mejores momentos de Philip K. Dick, aunque con un enfoque menos paranoico y más melancólico. La traducción al español de Beatriz Podestá, aunque fiel, pierde ocasionalmente la densidad emocional de ciertos pasajes, pero conserva la claridad narrativa y el tono evocador del original.

En el contexto de la ciencia ficción de finales de los sesenta, "El hombre en el laberinto" destaca por su rechazo a las soluciones fáciles y su exploración de temas como el sacrificio, la alienación y la ética en la supervivencia colectiva. Aunque algunos críticos han señalado que la resolución puede parecer abrupta o ambigua, esta ambigüedad es precisamente uno de los puntos fuertes de la novela, pues invita al lector a reflexionar sobre la naturaleza del heroísmo y la identidad en un universo que no ofrece respuestas claras. Como señala el académico Gary K. Wolfe, “Silverberg no busca consolar al lector, sino confrontarlo con las paradojas de la existencia humana en un cosmos vasto y a menudo hostil”.

En conclusión, "El hombre en el laberinto" es una obra maestra de la ciencia ficción introspectiva, una meditación sobre el aislamiento, el deber y la humanidad en un contexto de maravilla tecnológica y peligro cósmico. Silverberg logra un equilibrio magistral entre la especulación científica y la exploración psicológica, creando una novela que no solo entretiene, sino que desafía al lector a cuestionar los límites de la empatía y el sacrificio. Para los aficionados al género, esta novela es un recordatorio de por qué Silverberg sigue siendo una figura central en la evolución de la ciencia ficción literaria.

[Emiliya Bozhilova · Rating 4 out of 5]

Един призрачен град на милиони години, обграден от коварен лабиринт. Отшелник, потърсил последното си убежище в него от човечеството. Един циник и един ентусиаст, готови да го измъкнат оттам на всяка цена. И Космос, пълен със звезди, живот и някои уроци за цената на осъществените мечти и свободната воля.

Старата школа си личи - по краткия брой страници, обратнопропорционален на сюжетните обрати и лабиринтите в главите на героите.

3,5 звезди.

***
”Видях звездите и ги пожелах. Домогвах се до положението на божество. Един свят не ми стигаше. Жадувах да ги получа всичките.”

“Моето послание е, че човечеството има късмет, че всички ние сме затворени в черепите си. Защото ако постигнем и най-елементарната телепатия, дори в този замъглен, невербален вид, който аз притежавам, тогава няма да можем да се понасяме взаимно.”

[Kate Curtis-Hawkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I reviewed the absolutely excellent book, The American, I mentioned that one of my favorite words is Sonder, which is defined as:

the realization that each random passerby is living a life as vivid and complex as your own—populated with their own ambitions, friends, routines, worries and inherited craziness—an epic story that continues invisibly around you like an anthill sprawling deep underground, with elaborate passageways to thousands of other lives that you’ll never know existed, in which you might appear only once, as an extra sipping coffee in the background, as a blur of traffic passing on the highway, as a lighted window at dusk.

It is a word that can craft beautiful stories, and more importantly, can change the way that you look at the world. Ever since I first became aware of the word I've tried to experience it wherever I go, and I think that it has made me a bit of a better person, it's made me more aware of the people that I interact with behind the counter or at the store are more than just their uniform. What if sonder could be increased, or amplified, to a point where instead of just being a realization it was the ability to pick up the emotions and the feelings of the people around you?

Mr. Silverberg's novel asks that very question, what would we be like if we could truly feel another human being? How would we process their emotions? How would we interact with the people around us? Would it make us better or worse? The Man in the Maze attempts to explore that idea. In a lot of my recent reviews of science fiction I've been examining just what it is that makes an excellent book in the genre, and for me it always comes back to ideas. When science fiction is done right it's a vehicle to explore ideas that we haven't yet encountered, it's a way of creating a guide book for a trip we haven't taken yet, and when it's done well it makes some of the best reading material you can find.

The Man in the Maze Tells the story of a man who ran away, a man who locked himself away in a prison as a way to get away from the rest of his species. It is also the story of two other men who, in a crisis, go on a journey to encounter and coax the former out of his self-enforced purgatory. What Mr. Silverberg does better than anything else in this book is write a clash of ideas, each of the three main characters have different mindsets about the mission. They each hold different truths about the surrounding world, they all have different morals, they all have different methods to achieve the goal, and you get to see what happens when those different ideas and personalities clash.

People are inherently complex, and there are barely any situations in which either everyone agrees, or conveniently find themselves working the situation out to an end equally satisfying to all. Mr. Silverberg understands that, and as a result he doesn't write any neat little bows into the story, the choices matter, and the outcomes aren't equal to each man. The Man in the Maze is a story about life, and the consequences of placing yourself into another man's soul, both literally and metaphorically.

It was also impressive is how deftly the novel is written. There is little fat here, I can't think of anything extra added in to draw out length. There aren't any extra characters, there isn't some subplot that doesn't matter to the overall story or goes nowhere. But best of all, there isn't an exposition dump. It would be extremely easy to have a conversation in this book in which the whole conflict is laid out before you, but instead there is a proper carrot and stick. Mr. Silverberg slowly but surely lays out the back story through natural conversation and flashback chapters. There was always some new piece of information to keep your interest and keep you wanting more when you had to close the book.

There are few books in the, somewhat overpopulated, science fiction genre that reach this level of greatness. There isn't one thing that I can complain about or say was a negative, it's a story that uses the genre properly and it's an engrossing story at that. If you make one foray into the science fiction genre, there is a good case to be made that this should be it.

[Craig · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Man in the Maze was serialized in Frederik Pohl's If magazine in the April and May issues of 1968 and was published in book form by Avon the following year. It's the story of a diplomat, Muller, who retires to the center of a maze in an ancient city built on a far planet built by a vanished race after he's been altered by an alien race so that other humans cannot stand to be around him. A second race of aliens begins taking over human worlds, and Muller is enticed out to establish communication with them. It's a New Wave character study, with a lot of philosophizing about disabilities and isolation and alienation, and reviews well me the whole thing is modeled on a play by Sophocles, Philoctetes, all of which things went way over my head when I read the novel. I did enjoy some aspects of the novel, especially the alien city, but the story never really ended, it just kind of stopped and there was never a sequel.

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

Absolutely fascinating setting - an extinct alien race apparently grew more an more paranoid and built a maze around their city with each outward circle becoming more and more lethal. Potentially interesting protagonist - a man who became an inverse telepath (constantly broadcasting his feelings, particularly his base impulses/pyschosis/etc to those nearby) and repulsing everyone around him so that he feels driven to isolate himself in the middle of the alien maze.

However, I didn't find the story built on this foundation to be anything special. Not that it is a bad story...I think that having such a fantastic set up raised my expectations so that a "merely average" plot became a disappointment. I have the same reaction to Silverberg's Majipoor novels - I can see that it is a fantastic world but then the average writing and plot suffer in comparison.

[Vittorio Alberici · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un romanzo di fantascienza malinconico e introspettivo, in cui il viaggio attraverso un labirinto alieno diventa metafora della solitudine umana.

La storia segue Muller, un uomo che, dopo una missione di contatto con una razza aliena, torna sulla Terra profondamente cambiato: gli extraterrestri gli hanno lasciato un “dono” (o una maledizione), che lo rende incapace di stare tra gli altri umani — la sua sola presenza provoca negli altri repulsione e disgusto. Esiliato volontariamente su un pianeta-labirinto pieno di trappole, Muller diventa una sorta di “mostro sacro”, un misantropo tragico che gli altri uomini vogliono convincere a tornare in gioco… ma per fini tutt’altro che altruisti.

La tensione non nasce tanto dall’azione, quanto dal confronto tra individuo e società, empatia e rifiuto. Un’opera amara e umana, più vicina a un dramma interiore che all’avventura spaziale.

[spikeINflorida · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is now my third R.Silverberg book and it is another fantastic 5-star read. Only one other author has so profoundly moved me like this...and that is A.C.Clarke. I highly recommend this book! At approximately 200 pages, it's a whole lotta bang for the buck. And for a proper review...refer to a spot-on GR review by "Denzil". Next is Shadrach in the Furnace.

[Gancu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Co ciekawe książka jest jak typowa space opera z lat 60-70, ale w rzeczywistości okazuje się znacznie bardziej socjologiczną grą o moralność i ludzkie odruchy w obliczu „wyższego dobra”. Albo przynajmniej tak to wszystko jest pomyślane. Na początku trochę się męczyłem, bo początek jest dość toporny, ale jak już wjeżdżają retrospekcje i akcja zaczyna się rozkręcać, to naprawdę tempo pędzi, a książka wciąga jak dobry thriller.

W skrócie: Richard, były superbohater, który uratował galaktykę, teraz mieszka sobie w Labiryncie na Lemnos planecie, która jest krwiożerczą planetą, z tym, że tam nic nie chce go zabić tak dosłownie. Nie tak jak wśród ludzi. Facet odrzucił wszystkich, a teraz, po dziewięciu latach samotności, musi znowu wyjść z tego swojego samowystarczalnego dołka, bo… no właśnie, człowiek musi się czasami poświęcać w imię „wyższego dobra”, prawda?

I wchodzi Boardman stary, sprytny dyplomata, który nie przebiera w środkach, by uratować ludzkość, oraz Ned młody, naiwny, idealistyczny chłopak, który nie rozumie, co go czeka. Z jednej strony Boardman chce wyciągnąć Mullera, z drugiej gra na sumieniu Neda, który zaczyna mieć wątpliwości. Oczywiście na końcu to wszystko wrzucamy do kosza moralności, a w Labiryncie i tak nie chodzi o nic innego, jak o życie dosłownie i w przenośni.

A jeśli chodzi o całe przesłanie książki, to Silverberg wrzuca nas w teksty i rozkminy, które w sumie każdy zna, i każdy o nich mówił: jak daleko jesteśmy w stanie posunąć się dla „wyższego dobra”? Czy każda ofiara jest usprawiedliwiona? Czy honor w ogóle ma sens, jeśli wszystko jest już skopane? Jak bardzo można sprzedać własne sumienie, by ratować ludzkość? I tak dalej, i tak dalej. Sporo tutaj do przemyślenia, jednak brakuje tu fajnych unikalnych kminek. Nawet jak na swoje lata książka jednak stawiała dość na proste tematy.

Książka jest napisana lekko, ma minimalistyczne zdania, które nie zamęczają, ale przez to książka płynie dość szybko, co zdecydowanie jest plusem. Tylko, że ten minimalizm zaczynał mnie męczyć, gdy wchodzimy w postacie kobiece. Bo, mówiąc wprost: są tam, ale tylko po to, by być. Są jak przyprawa, która niby dodaje smaku, ale nie wnosi nic konkretnego do fabuły. Więc jeśli masz dość książek, w których postacie kobiece są tylko ozdobą, to tu się raczej nie znajdziesz żadnej złożonej bohaterki.

Ale dobra, nie będę się czepiać to klasyka tego typu książek, więc się nie spodziewałam tu jakiegoś feministycznego manifestu.

Co do samego Labiryntu to naprawdę fascynujące miejsce. Napiszkowane pułapkami i pełne niebezpieczeństw, jest prawdziwym testem nie tylko fizycznym, ale i psychicznym. To nie tylko zespół korytarzy, ale mroczna, żyjąca struktura, która zdaje się odbijać lęki i traumy tych, którzy próbują ją przejść. Cała planeta Lemnos to martwe ruiny, a Labirynt w samym sercu tej pustki to prawdziwy symbol nieuchronności, samotności i zagubienia nic, co do niego wchodzi, nie wraca takie samo.

Bardzo mi się podobało to jak Silverberg sprytnie miesza akcję z retrospekcjami, pokazując, jak nasze wybory wpływają na naszą przyszłość. Książka po prostu pokazuje, jak zgniliśmy od środka, jak potrafimy usprawiedliwiać wszelkie świństwa w imię „lepszego jutra”. A to, że jest to opakowane w przyjemną, science-fiction otoczkę, sprawia, że czyta się to lekko.

Więc czy mi się podobało? Tak, zdecydowanie. Ale trzeba mieć świadomość, że to nie jest książka, w której będzie ci dobrze. To książka, która zostaje z tobą, trochę cię męczy, trochę zmusi do myślenia i, jeśli jesteś uczciwy wobec siebie, to sprawia, że zaczynasz zastanawiać się, jak daleko byś poszedł, gdybyś miał naprawdę ratować ludzkość. I czy to by cię nie zrujnowało. 3.75/5

P.S. Jeśli jesteś wrażliwy na temat przedstawiania kobiet jako „ozdób” w literaturze, to nie polecam. Ale jeśli chcesz książkę, która każe ci stanąć przed swoimi moralnymi demonami, to śmiało.

[Cookie M. · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was truly into this story when it hit me like an asteroid from space. This is a totally misogynistic book. It is about men, for men to men. Women float through as soft little objects. Sometimes they aren't even real women, just "women cubes," whatever those are, made for relieving mens' sexual desires on long space journeys.
The entire question behind the story, what it means to be human completely disregards the feminine altogether.
At least a story by Robert Heinlein would give a patronising nod to women in the form of a buxom super genius redhead who couldn't wait to have 15 babies.
Just women cubes and mounds of yielding flesh here. Shame on you, Silverberg.