The Double Man

by Eando Binder

vg++ 1st Curtis 1971 edition paperback In stock shipped from our UK warehouse

Genres: Science Fiction

159 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1971

About the author

A pseudonym used by brothers
Earl Andrew Binder and Otto Oscar Binder

Reviews

[Joe Santoro · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dr. Wayne Durk miraculously lives through a botched space mission, only to find an exact double of himself living his life. Not only that, but the year he was frozen in space continued to take a toll on society, as the 'brain bug' continued to kill the smartest people in the world, leaving him with the highest IQ on the a planet that was starting to break down do to lack of 'brain power'. Having been replaced by his 'recreate' (clone, essentially), he's put in charge of getting the recreation program up and running so that they can clone smart people faster than they die... but is there a more sinster cause of the 'brain bug' than just a virus?

Analysis: Not a bad story, but not a great one, either. Dr. Durk is very much a Peggy Sue (or Marty Stew, if you prefer) character, and it gets a little silly as the story goes on both what he survives, and the amount of stuff he can do. He starts out as a biochemist, and ends up being Tony Stark and Captain America rolled into one.

Also, the author's a bit obsessed with 'brain power' and how important smart people are to society, and how 'average' people are bad news. Elitist much? Still a pretty decent read, though, for all it's warts.

[Steve Rainwater · Rating 2 out of 5]

Like most stories by “Eando Binder” (the pseudonym for brothers Earl Binder and Otto Binder), this is a readable and moderately enjoyable, if unexceptional science fiction story. Wayne Durk returns to Earth after an experimental space flight to find that an exact double has taken his place. He has to work out who the double is and where he came from. Meanwhile, an alien virus is killing off the Earth’s best and brightest by targeting only humans with high IQs. Durk and his double are the two smartest scientists left and saving the world may depend on them working together. An enjoyable read and recommended if you happen to run into it but not worth seeking out.

[Ronald · Rating 3 out of 5]

read some time in 1991