While the protagonist of The Demolished Man is Lincoln Powell, Ben Reich is more than just a foil used to challenge Powell and to illustrate the policeman's nature. In a sense, the novel deals with both a hero, Powell, and an antihero, Reich (whom the hero cannot defeat singlehandedly).

By placing Powell in the role of a police prefect, Bester allows the reader to follow the investigation of a major crime from the point of view of a representative of society, one who believes in and strives to protect society from the antisocial elements that would destroy it. The attribution of extrasensory powers to the protagonist, however, allows the reader to go below the surface of the casual event to explore the psychological elements involved.

There is also an interesting facet in Powell's character that in itself divulges an antisocial impulse. On occasion Powell is overcome by an...