Rouge Moon by Algis Budrys is a dark psychological horror novel written before man had set foot on the moon. A book very much of its time, but with thought provoking dialogue which still has relevance today. It follows the story of a scientist and his pursuit of discovery, with seeming little regard for those he uses as sacrifices to achieve his goal. The SF element itself often takes a back seat to a character driven voyage into the deepest darkest corners of Mr. Hawks mind. Dialogue is intense, precise and physiological, with Hawks frequently analysing all around him with scientific scrutiny.
This book does not deliver the images the title projects. There are no epic space battles, terraforming or spaceships. Instead we are delivered a wonderfully well written study on what it is to exist, to think and to feel, concepts when taken in context of its publication make it all the more impressive. Its a novel of being human and our strive to explore and explain the world around us. Death is never far away, and Budrys does a brilliant job of providing moments of pure horror that linger long after the last page has been read.
