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Algis Budrys (1931-2008): a remembrance by GF Willmetts
01/07/2008 . Source: Geoff Willmetts 
Algirdas Jonas Budrys, the Prussian-born science fiction author more commonly known as Algis Budrys was a rare talent and died on 9th June 2008. Very little of his material was released in the UK and the odd books of his that our Geoff has in his collection ended up being lucky finds. Buy Rogue Moon in the USA - or Buy Rogue Moon in the UK  It has been commented elsewhere that none of his books are currently available although you will find the occasional short story turning up in anthologies from time to time. Indeed, one of his most popular and third novel, 'Rogue Moon', is in the recently released 'The Science Fiction Hall Of Fame Volume 2 B' edited by Ben Bova from TOR which I reviewed this month and is well worth your indulgence in getting a copy to see his remarkable talent.
'Rogue Moon' exemplifies a strong plot idea with dimensionalised characters. An alien artefact is discovered on the Moon with a hazardous maze to reach its centre. No problem. You set up teleportation gear and have a duplicate attempt to get through. Well; until it gets killed. While the duplicate is still new, its thoughts would be shared with the original on Earth so mistakes can be learnt from.
Unfortunately, so, too, is his death. Much of the story is spent finding the right kind of person who is prepared to live with such a circumstance. The depth of this novel never really left me and re-reading it again recently affirmed that 'Rogue Moon' really is a classic of the highest order. The fact that it was written forty-eight years ago and still hits home on a repeat reading.
I didn't come across his second book 'Who?' until much later although the cover art by Frank Kelly Freas I caught in his own artbook first. You probably know the picture. A cyborg with a robot arm and obscure face smoking a cigarette. Eerie, huh?? Gets under your skin. You should read the book. You'll come face to face with the scientist himself trapped in such a postion. A Cold War story where a defence scientist is injured in an accident, repaired by the Russians is returned.
His face is totally obscured and no fingerprints because of the injuries and the Americans aren't sure who it is, let alone let him loose on their defence project. The entire novel is spent trying to determine if he's the original scientist or not. I daren't spoil the ending here but even you would be wondering by the end. It was even released as a film in 1974, 'The Man In the Steel Mask', although I can't recall seeing in the UK. A truly hidden classic in more ways than one.
'Michealmas', released in 1977, I pulled cos I wanted to see his take on artificial intelligence. Maybe not in the same class as the two books above but you could tell it was a Budrys book. Vivid imagery and intelligent characters that you want to meet. It was also dealing with a cyber-culture before there was cyberpunk.
If anything, it's a shame that Algis Budrys wasn't more prolific but if you can create only a few memorable books in your career then would you want to do anything less?
Look out for the few books he's done. They're still out there. Hopefully, a publisher will seek to do a proper retrospective and release new editions as well. 'Rogue Moon' got a re-release under the title 'The Death Machine' seven years ago. With so few of the early SF authors around any more, Algis Budrys doesn't deserve to be forgotten.
Neither must his books.
GF Willmetts
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