Who?

Author: Algis Budrys

At the height of Cold War paranoia, Algis Budrys wrote a novel that perfectly captured the doubts and distrusts of the time. There is an explosion at an allied research station close to the Iron Curtain, and leading scientist Lucas Martino is either rescued or kidnapped (depending on your point of view) by the Soviets. Eventually they return him to the West, or at least, they return someone who might be Lucas Martino. He has an advanced metal prosthetic arm and his face has been replaced by a featureless metal plate, he is literally a man in an iron mask, but is he who he claims to be. Whatever the allies do, they can never be certain that this really is Lucas Martino, and, indeed, by the end even the man claiming to be Lucas Martino is no longer sure of his own identity. Why it's on the list: It isn't often that science fiction, existential puzzle and spy thriller all combine so effectively, but this novel is guaranteed to keep you gripped right to the very end.