Last Night at the Brain Thieves Ball

by Scott Spencer

Paul Galambos is an ordinary professor of psychology, struggling to glean any degree of satisfaction or success from his family and his careerâ until one day he is recruited by a top-secret organization and given carte blanche to pursue experiments and studies as he sees fit, no longer confined to lab rats. This is the life that Paul was destined for, replete with money and respect, if only he can ignore the incessant pull of his conscience. Alternately funny and chilling, Last Night at the Brain Thieves Ball delves into the ethical issues surrounding science and the perils of ambition, and exposes the narcissistic tendencies of humankind. This ebook features an illustrated biography of Scott Spencer, including rare photos from the author’s personal collection.

Genres: Novels, Science Fiction, Fiction

178 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1973

About the author

Scott Spencer (b. 1945) is the critically acclaimed, bestselling author of ten novels, including Endless Love and A Ship Made of Paper, both of which have been nominated for the National Book Award. Two of his books, Endless Love and Waking the Dead, have been adapted into films.

He has taught at Columbia University, the University of Iowa, and Williams College, and Bard College's Bard Prison Initiative. Spencer is an alumnus of Roosevelt University. In 2004, he was the recipient of a John S. Guggenheim Fellowship. For the past twenty years, he has lived in a small town in upstate New York.

Spencer has also worked as a journalist. He has published in The New York Times, The New Yorker, Harper's Magazine, GQ, O, The Oprah Magazine, and he is a regular contributor to Rolling Stone.

Reviews

[Bandit · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's a very specific quality to 70s book, one difficult to sum up precisely. I mean, when it comes to other things from that decade it's easy. Clothes...ugly. Politics...turbulent. Furniture...ugly. Hair...long. Polyester...ubiquitous. And yet with books it's tougher. Let's say it's a certain absurdist abstractness of a LSD trip. So normally, like most 70s things this wouldn't work for me, but Spencer did it just right. This is my first actual book by the author, I've watched Waking The Dead and listened to Man in the Woods, but was yet to read Spencer. So in a noncommittal and chronologically friendly order I started with his very first published novel and also his shortest one. It turned out bizarre but an enjoyable ride, a trippy psychological adventure of man who, longing to leave his meaningless small life, finds himself employed by a top secret brain experiment facility, thus the brain thief moniker. And yet, slowly but surely the situation turns out to be not as ideal as he originally envisioned it and eventually choices need to be made. There is a fun ending twist which upscaled the overall experience significantly, but the book in general was very enjoyable to read, Spencer as it turns out from early years had a way with words, his phrasing is clever, darkly humorous and witty. It's just a fun book for the right mood. Recommended.

[Ian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Paranoia, 70s-style, about a rather full-of-himself experimental psychologist who joins a top-secret think tank and finds himself involved in an what seems to be an ongoing program of mind-control experiments being carried out on an unwitting populance. The brief (150+ pages) length and twist ending tend to give it the feel of an extended Twilight Zone episode and some of the period detail has dated it a bit, but otherwise it's a thought-provoking read.

[Sharon · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting dystopian novel about a man who gives up everything in his life to do work involving invading the minds of other people to obtain information for use by the government and other entities. Unfortunately he does no longer likes the work but he is not free to leave. When he decides to escape very interesting plot twists occur.

[Andy Mitchell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This short story was odd and compelling.

I loved the author's use of an insane narrator to tell this story.

If you're interested in a quirky, psychological maze, then this book is for you.

I give it my highest recommendation.

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clearly a younger Spencer's work. But it shows a couple of my favorite aspects of his writing: brashness, anxiety, really fine crafting, lack of sappiness of any kind. This one would be a fun movie to make.

[Pamela · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an unusual and thoroughly enjoyable book. Written in the 70s, it is a bit dated in places, but all in all, definitely not a waste of time. Will be looking for more from Spenser.

[Rendier · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting twist in the tale...