The Stars My Destination is a science fiction novel by American writer Alfred Bester. Its first publication was in book form in June 1956 in the United Kingdom, where it was titled Tiger! Tiger!, named after William Blake's 1794 poem "The Tyger", the first verse of which is printed as the first page of the novel. The book remains widely known under that title in the markets in which this edition was circulated. It was subsequently serialized in the American Galaxy Science Fiction magazine in four parts, beginning in October 1956. A working title was Hell's My Destination; the book was also associated with the name The Burning Spear. It would prove to be Bester's last novel for 19 years.
1956 British first edition
1957 edition (final/revised text)
The first installment of The Stars My Destination was cover-featured on the October 1956 issue of Galaxy.
Alfred Bester was an American science fiction author, TV and radio scriptwriter, magazine editor and scriptwriter for comics. He is best remembered for his science fiction, including The Demolished Man, winner of the inaugural Hugo Award in 1953.
Rolly Bester in a 1948 ABC Radio publicity shot
The first installment of Bester's The Demolished Man was the cover story in the January 1952 issue of Galaxy Science Fiction
The first installment of Bester's next SF novel, The Stars My Destination, took the cover of the October 1956 issue of Galaxy