Alfred Bester was an American science fiction author, TV and radio scriptwriter, magazine editor and scripter for comic strips and comic books. He was born in Manhattan, New York City, on December 18, 1913. His father, James J. Bester, owned a shoe store and was a first-generation American whose parents were both Austrian. Bester attended the University of Pennsylvania, where he was a member of the Philomathean Society. Shortly before his death, the Science Fiction Writers of America named Bester its ninth Grand Master, presented posthumously in 1988. The Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame inducted him in 2001. Science fiction author Harry Harrison wrote, "Alfred Bester was one of the handfuls of writers who invented modern science fiction." The Stars My Destination, also known as Tiger, Tiger, set in the 24th or 25th century when humans have colonized the Solar System, tells the story of Gully Foyle, a teleporter driven by a burning desire for revenge. The main section of the novel opens with Gully floating in deep space among the wreckage of the merchant ship Nomad. Having survived alone in an airtight coffin like a locker for six months, he finally sees a ray of hope when a passing ship, the Vorga, happens by and sees his distress signal. When the Vorga chooses to pass him by and left him still stranded, his ensuing rage eventually ferments into a full-fledged vendetta against whoever was responsible for the decision to leave him to die… You can listen online to free English audiobook “Tiger! Tiger!” by Alfred Bester on our website.
