The Hollow Man

Blurb

The Hollow Man is a novel by American author Dan Simmons. The book was initially published by Bantam Books on September 1, 1992. It narrates the story of a university lecturer who has the ability to "hear" the thoughts of others, an ability he shares with his dying wife.
There are numerous themes in this novel which are expanded in later works, most notably a set of theories on the nature of and perception of reality. Conversely at least one character, Vanni Fucci, appears in Simmons' earlier 1988 work, "Vanni Fucci Is Alive and Well and Living in Hell". The Hollow Man was nominated for a Locus Award in 1993.
The novel itself is an expansion of an earlier short story, "Eyes I Dare Not Meet in Dreams", that appeared in his 1990 collection Prayers to Broken Stones. Original ideas and characters behind much of Simmons's subsequent works can be found in this collection.