In Babylon 5, Psi-Cop Alfred Bester is named after him (and the treatment of telepathy in Babylon 5 is similar to that in Bester's works). Action On DVD and Blu-ray 1997". MovieWeb. Archived from the original on November 23, 2014 . Retrieved November 23, 2014. Reich is revealed to be the natural son of Craye D'Courtney, from an affair with Reich's mother — Reich's hatred of him was probably due to a latent, telepathic knowledge of that fact. Reich's knowledge is not explicitly stated but Barbara D'Courtney, whom Powell discovers to be Reich's half-sister, is herself revealed to be a peeper. The assassination attempts on Reich were carried out by Reich himself as a result of his disturbed state. Once arrested and convicted, Reich is sentenced to the dreaded Demolition— the stripping away of his memories and the upper layers of his personality, emptying his mind for re-education. This 24th-century society uses psychological demolition because it recognizes the social value of strong personalities able to successfully defy the law, seeking the salvaging of positive traits while ridding the person of the evil consciousness of the criminal. The game is a very interesting one, because while Reich is a very rich man and has considerable resources, Polwell[ sic] has an entire network of peepers to help him gather information and obtain evidence... The best part of Bester's story is its timelessness... There are few references to outlandish or dated technology (with the exception of a punch card computer!) or outrageous social practices or fashions. While Bester's future isn't utopia, neither is it a post-apocalyptic nightmare... Bester extrapolates his view of the 50s forward in time, recognizing that while things like technology will change, basic human nature will not. The Demolished Man is a welcome change for those tired of modern trilogies and series. [9] That didn’t stop a young Oliver Stone from adapting THE DEMOLISHED MAN in this, one of the most famous unfilmed screenplays in existence. Stone is reportedly a huge fan of the novel, and his reverence is evident in a script that hews quite closely to its particulars.

Reich hires an Esper to " run interference" for him—hiding his murderous thoughts from any peepers present at the scene of the planned crime. Reich bribes Dr. Augustus ("Gus") Tate, a prominent peeper psychiatrist, and uses him to mentally steal information about D'Courtney's planned attendance at a party. To further conceal his intentions from telepaths, Reich visits a songwriter, Duffy Wygand, to teach him a jingle that makes his real thoughts hard to read. Won't Take "Yes" for an Answer: Not played for laughs at all here; it's in fact what sets the murder plot into motion. Ebert, Roger (January 1, 1994). "Movie Answer Man". RogerEbert.com. Archived from the original on July 9, 2014.McQuown, Judith H. (November 1987). "Remembering Alfred Bester". Locus: The Magazine of the Science Fiction & Fantasy Field. Oakland, California: Locus Science Fiction Foundation. 20, No. 11 (#322): 63. Polwell's principal suspect is Ben Reich, D'Courtney's chief competitor. His hunch is based on a slip of the tongue made Wong, Stacy (April 16, 1993). "Irvine Cast as Futuristic L.A.: Movie: Action-thriller starring Wesley Snipes and Sylvester Stallone is being filmed in the city this week". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved November 8, 2010.

Von Ruff, Al. "Alfred Bester - Summary Bibliography". Internet Speculative Fiction Database . Retrieved October 2, 2012. The New York Times. February 25, 1934. "Captain Alfred Bester of New York gained two epee victories for the Red and Blue." That's What I Would Do: Reich guesses that Powell sneaked a look into his mind during his speech in Maria's study, because that's what Reich would have done if the situations were reversed.In 1959, novelist Thomas Pynchon applied for a Ford Foundation Fellowship to work with an opera company, proposing to write, among other possibilities, an adaptation of The Demolished Man. The application was turned down. [ citation needed]

Bester published two short stories in 1979 and rang in the 1980s with the publication of two new novels: Golem 100 (1980), and The Deceivers (1981). In addition to his failing eyesight, other health issues began to affect him, and Bester produced no new published work after 1981. His wife Rolly died in 1984. In the following years, Bester dated Judith H. McQuown [pronounced "McQueen"]. [28]

Still, as senior editor of Holiday, Bester was able to introduce occasional science fiction elements into the non-fiction magazine. On one occasion, he commissioned and published an article by Arthur C. Clarke describing a tourist flight to the Moon. Bester himself, though, never published any science fiction in Holiday, which was a mainstream travel/lifestyle magazine marketed to upscale readers during an era when science fiction was largely dismissed as juvenilia. Wells, Jeffrey; Siegmund, Heidi (April 23, 1993). "Entertainment news for April 23, 1993". Entertainment Weekly. Crabbe is the Police Commissioner, and is reluctant to support Powell's pursuit of Reich. When Powell and his staff are preparing their presentation for the District Attorney, Crabbe bursts in to insist that they end the persecution of his "good friend, Ben Reich". Powell "accidentally" sets off one of Reich's tiny rhodopsin-ionizing capsules under his nose, rendering him unconscious. Later, after Powell's case collapses, Reich goes to see the Commissioner. Crabbe offers profuse apologies, trying to divert Reich into supporting his political ambitions while assuring him that Powell will suffer. Only at the end, as Powell explains the real reasons behind Reich's crime, and how he exposed it, does Crabbe appear sympathetic. Even then, after the interview Powell admits to having manipulated Crabbe to ensure his future support. Elliot Goldenthal composed the score for the film. It was his second big Hollywood project after the Alien³ score. [50] I feel as if I’ve spent this whole post tearing the book to shreds, and yet I do admire it and it contains images that I’ve remembered for decades—especially the nightmare image of Reich thinking he has everything he wants and then realising the world has no stars and nobody else knows what he’s talking about.

I'll Never Celebrate New Year's Again" (The actual title of the story is I Will Never Celebrate New Year's Again)It's also possible that Lincoln Powell might be meaningful. Also, Jerry Church if you look at the relationship between the Catholic Church and the Nazis. Harrison, Harry (1996). "Introduction". The Demolished Man. New York: Vintage Books. p.vii. ISBN 978-0-679-76781-7.