The Demolished Man by Alfred Bester

 

This novel won the first ever Hugo for Best Novel, and I understand why. Oh gawds I understand why. Tension, apprehension, and dissension have begun. Yeah, some of the psychology central to events is just a bit outdated, and there are ways in which society has evolved so as to make Bester's future more implausible than improbable, no matter. There are layers and layers here, and an homage to myth (spoilered on the back of my copy). The characters and their relationships are remarkably believable. There has been joy. There will be joy again.