Use these 8 tools to tell unforgettable stories

The Stars My Destination (1956) is widely considered the greatest science fiction novel of all time. Alfred Bester used the following eight ingredients to write this masterpiece. A Memo for all writers, podcasters, and communicators👇

But, but - “Greatest” according to who? According to William Gibson, writer of Neuromancer. Samuel Delany, winner of 4 Nebula Awards and SciFi Hall of Famer. And Robert Silverberg, my favorite scifi writer. Now let’s get on - the first ingredient is “Contrast.”

Contrast: Nothing catches attention like contrast. Good v/s Evil, Light v/s The Dark, Unstoppable Force v/s Immovable Object. And Bester is a master of contrast. The very first paragraph of the novel is an absolute gem - notice how each line contains its own contrast:

Real-life Inspiration: Bester found the inspiration for his far future story in a WW II incident - allied sailor Poon Lim was a sea castaway who Allied ships refused to help because they believed German U-boats had set him up as bait. Bester imposes the same fate on his hero.

Literary Reference Point. The motor of revenge powers this whole novel. Bester wrote The Count Of Monte Cristo in space, borrowing from the Dumas tale of a wrongfully imprisoned man who breaks out to seek vengeance. Bester’s tale landed smoothly in the readers’ minds due to this.

Symmetry. Humans like their stories like they like their faces: Symmetrical. Revenge: an act to restore moral symmetry to the universe. Gully Foyle’s pain is proportional to his greatness - like the “first gilled creature to come out of the sea,” he suffers as he has ventured far

Metaphors: The Stars My Destination is a story of near-death experiences that double up as spiritual rebirths. Bester peppers the metaphor of the womb throughout: Gully Foyle is first stuck inside a shipwreck in deep dark space, then imprisoned in a blackout underground prison..

Deep insight into Human Nature: When dying in space, G. Foyle kept a clock to “listen to the ticking,” a “hand shaped handle” to hold, and wires with which he’d play “primitive tunes.” Central to our humanity: A sense of time, something to hold, and something to play.

Character Transformation: Gully Foyle starts off as a “headless worm” and a “brute.” Over time he learns to think, master his emotions, and leave everyone speechless with his brilliance. The change is won with blood and pain, and so is actually moving:

Tension: Bester in the prologue: “Progress stems from the clashing merger of antagonistic extremes, out of the marriage of pinnacle freaks.” Bester throws opposites at each other: Strength v/s Intelligence, Inner Planets v/s Outer Planets, Man v/s Woman. An example: