The Stars my Destination by Alfred Bester

👍👍👍 It is an enjoyable read full of interesting ideas but with some flaws. The book is a bit feeble on the science. There are technologies, like new kinds of explosives and new phenomena, like teleportation, which are at the core of the story but which are never explained in any depth. And unsurprisingly, for a book written in the 1950s, its treatment of women is as expected, problematic and appalling. But I'm willing to ignore that. 

The protagonist is the best aspect of the book. He begins as a complete outcast, powerless and unskilled, but gradually transforms into something far more sinister, all while developing a growing philosophical awareness of the consequences of his actions. He’s a deeply layered character: driven by an obsessive thirst for revenge, fueled by rage and ferocity, shaped by the psychological impact of his facial tattoo, and defined by the way he gains new abilities and power. Even his teleportation evolves over time, reflecting his darker transformation. 

I liked the ending. It's fast-paced and chaotic at times. There is a not so unpredictable revelation at the end and a somewhat hazy suggestion of what the future would look like which I enjoyed.