Who? (novel)
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| Author | Algis Budrys |
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| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre(s) | Science fiction novel |
| Publisher | Pyramid Books |
| Released | 1958 |
| Media Type | Print (Paperback) |
| ISBN | NA |
Who? (1958) by Algis Budrys is commonly considered to be one of the finest [citation needed] American science fiction novels set during the Cold War.
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[edit] Plot summary
An explosion rocks an Allied research facility near the border with a Soviet Bloc nation. A Soviet rescue team sweeps in and recovers Dr. Lucas Martino, a leading Allied physicist. Several months later, Communist officials hand over an individual to American officials, claiming that he is Dr. Martino. The man has undergone extensive surgery. He has a mechanical arm advanced beyond any produced in the West. More importantly, his face and head have been dramatically rebuilt, now resembling a near-featureless metal mask. A medical evaluation reveals that several of the man's internal organs are also artificial. There is no evidence that the man is not Martino, but the Allies are suspicious that the Soviets are holding the real Martino prisoner. The struggle to determine this man's true identity is the novel's central conflict.
Budrys tells the above story in alternating chapters. In the other chapters, he relates the tale of how Lucas Martino grew up. The young man spent his formative years in New Jersey and New York City, and he attended MIT.
[edit] Characters in "Who?"
- Dr. Lucas Martino – kidnapped scientist
[edit] Film adaptation
The novel was turned into a 1973 film with the same title (aka The Man in the Steel Mask in some video editions), directed by Jack Gold and starring Elliott Gould.
[edit] Trivia
One of the most striking scenes in the film version shows Martino walking along a city street eliciting startled reactions from passers-by - apparently real members of the public filmed candidly with no warning.
