Paddy Chayefsky is best known as an American
playwright and multiple Academy Award–winning
screenplay author whose most famous works include the scripts for the films Marty, The Americanization of Emily, and Network. It was rather
surprising, given his previous emphasis on realism
and satire, that he would turn to science fiction for
his first novel, published in 1978. The chief protagonist is a scientist named Jessup who becomes obsessed with the idea of altered perceptions,
believing that truths about the universe and humanity can be derived from reexamining data from
a different viewpoint as much as by adding to the
storehouse of facts available. To this end, and despite the growing alarm of his lover and co-workers, he begins to experiment with psychedelic
drugs, mysticism, and other methods of distorting
his sensory awareness.
As the experiments progress, there are transient physiological changes in Jessup’s body—apparent evidence that, under the right
circumstances, the human mind can actually bring
about changes in the outside universe. Using hallucinogenic drugs and a sensory deprivation chamber, Jessup pushes himself to a point where the
physical manifestations are visible and potentially
dangerous to others, as well as hinting that the
essence of what makes him human might be lost in
the process. Ultimately he is saved by the bond between himself and the woman he loves. The author’s skill as a playwright is evident in the
dialogue, which is crisp, intelligent, and concise.
Although Chayefsky wrote no further science
fiction, the novel is significant for two reasons.
Despite the overtones of mysticism and the scientifically questionable premise of mental control of
an individual’s genetic structure, it deals directly
with the role of the scientist in society, the dichotomy between human subjectivity and the supposed objective search for truth, the consequences
of obsession, and to some extent the meaning of
what it is to be human. These are themes that the
genre examines over and over again, but rarely to
such powerful effect. Secondly, Chayefsky’s use of
the potential for science fiction to discuss these issues helped to legitimize the field as a venue for
other mainstream writers. A reasonably faithful
film adaptation appeared in 1980.