Rogue Moon, Algis Budrys

When a giant metallic edifice is found on the dark side of the moon, the US government creates a matter transmitter that will break down a man’s body, signal it to the moon like a radio wave, and reassemble a conscious doppleganger to enter and maneuver the deathly lunar labyrinth. None of the subjects survive this sadistic funhouse, and once their original bodies are revived (re-downloaded?) back on Earth, they tend to sink into madness and catatonic stupor, never sane enough to make the trip again.

In steps the proverbial soldier of fortune, Barker, a one-legged playboy who lives life to the extreme. He pairs up with lead scientist / turgid asshole with women troubles, Hawks, the tightest most protracted time-bomb nerd to ever wear a crewcut and skinny tie. The two men play a game of ‘whose balls are bigger’ as Barker manages to get deep into the lunar structure to find that he can either destroy the project (and Hawks along with it), or propel himself forward for mankind’s progression through our solar system.

Rogue Moon is a novel about scientific integrity and masculine pride delivered through a buzzcut white-collared expose amped up on a verbally sadistic melodrama that would make John Waters proud. Think of a Madmen-era drama without the humor and style, and switch ad-men to scientists and the office suites to laboratories on the cutting edge of bodily transference. Everybody seems to be taking the piss out of one another over cocktails and cigarettes. There’s no allegiance, no common vision. It’s all desperate actions in the life of a lab rat/researcher. I’m not sure if Algis Budrys is telling us that men have egos of steel hung on cat string, or that single women are either vengeful sluts or doe-eyed sensitives ready to do anything for the right man. But what Algis Budrys achieves is a science fiction novel more concerned about the process and not the result. I can see why this is a highly regarded work that touches upon the horror/sf hybrid well ahead of its time.

SAW in Space? MadMen designed by comic artist, Steve Ditko? A talky rumination where everyone smells of coffee, whiskey, and testosterone? Rogue Moon is all that and more. Not high on the list but important nonetheless.