Lucifer's Hammer by Larry Niven, Jerry Pournelle
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Book Reviews of Lucifer's Hammer
Book Review: A book that made a Deep Impact
Summary: 5 Stars
After seeing the movie "Deep Impact" on TV recently, I decided to re-read an old favourite: "Lucifer's Hammer" by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle. And while "Deep Impact" was certainly a better effort than the simultaneously released "Armageddon", "Lucifer's Hammer" was so much better again.The book describes the discovery of a new meteorite by a millionaire astronomer, Timothy Hamner. Its orbit is calculated to bring it very close to Earth and speculation starts that it might actually hit. The authors vividly describe two sets of events with a very different timescale: the gradual changing of the meteorite's orbit over a period of millions of years, and the very rapid change in human society from almost universal indifference to total obsession with this particular meteorite.
A joint US-USSR Spacelab mission is launched (the book is from 1978) to monitor and record the passing of the meteorite. When the meteorite hits Earth in a series of strikes ranging from the Mediterranean to the eastern Pacific, the crew is left stranded in space.
The book gives a brilliant and well-founded description of events following the meteor strikes: the giant tsunamis, the earth quakes and volcano eruptions, the mud rain, the onset of an Ice Age. It describes even better man's reaction to these events, told through a multitude of short tales. The story of a young surfer who decided to ride a tsunami created a picture that I found indelible.
The book then focuses on a number of survivors in California, gradually coalescing into three main groups: a community in a valley trying to re-establish an agricultural society; a band of society's outcasts led by a preacher who urges the destruction of all things technical; and the construction and operation personnel of a nuclear reactor that has withstood the strike impacts. The authors are very good in their portrayal of the initial panic and "everyone for themselves" mentality, followed by a need to restore some form of order in a world that has changed beyond imagining. Amongst all of this there are snippets of information on what is happening around the globe, showing the fragility of our civilisation to an event of this nature. And somewhere in all of that, the crew of Spacelab makes it back to Earth.
The book starts slowly because it introduces such a large number of characters who later are woven together in a quite intricate plot. The book falls into the category of "natural disaster science fiction", but is much better than the average offering in this genre, not because it so well represents the technical issues about a meteor strike, but because it meets the definition of good literature: it tells us a little bit more about ourselves. Niven and Pournelle have collaborated on a number of good books ("The mote in God's eye" is recommended as a sample of well thought-out classic SF), but in my opinion this is their best.
I found myself wondering why Hollywood had not used this book instead of the "Deep Impact" script. I suppose that like "Lord of the Ring" it would need a highly motivated director and producer to bring this to the screen, and compressing it into the usual three hours or less could be quite difficult. But it could be sooo good, if done well.
Book Review: The Price of Civilization
Summary: 5 Stars
LUCIFER'S HAMMER, by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle, is a thoughtful, thought-provoking end-of-the-world disaster novel. It is billed as a science fiction novel, and, to date, I have always considered it to be science fiction - after all, this thrilling novel intricately describes the days leading up to and following the impact of a comet on the surface of the Earth. However, after further ruminations, I realize that this book is more of an apocalypse, action-suspense novel, which happens to contain hard, factual science. The science here is not the basis of the story, but rather the setting for this inspiring book.
In LUCIFER'S HAMMER, a new comet has been discovered. It is big, it will be visible from Earth, and it will be spectacular. There is much excitement about this discovery, but as it comes closer and closer, the chances continue to increase that it will actually hit our planet. Of course, the worst happens, and because the comet has calved (split into many pieces), the Earth is not impacted once, but multiple times. Monstrous tidal waves, immeasurable earthquakes, extremely flooding, uncountable hurricanes, violent volcanoes, a drop in world temperature, and more rain than imaginable follow suit, killing billions and destroying civilization. There is no electricity, no food, no clean water, no gasoline - no safety. The remaining humans barely survive and live in abject terror, some turning to violence, murder, cult-like religious fervor, and even cannibalism. The very act of living becomes nothing more than pure, simple survival. But what is the price of that survival? Is mere survival enough? Or can civilization be saved?
I have read LUCIFER'S HAMMER a number of times; it is one of my favorites, and it is always a very exciting read. My heart pounds, full of tension, worry, and fear, and the need to keep reading, keep turning the pages. This is a very "atmospheric" book, meaning, everything feels very real and very possible as you read. Several times, I have had to look out the window to be sure I could still see the sun, and that the world was not trapped in unending rain. At the same time, my brain is also very involved in the story, as the science is valid, the plot is plausible, and the outcome very, very possible. This book makes you believe that this could happen, in both your mind and your soul. IMHO, Niven and Pournelle have written a frighteningly realistic vision of what could happen in the event of a world-wide cataclysm. Heinlein was right - the Earth IS too fragile a basket to keep all of humanity in. We NEED to get to the stars. It may be the only way to keep the human race alive for the long haul.
Science fiction or disaster thriller, LUCIFER'S HAMMER is a smart, engrossing novel. It provides endless food for thought, and leaves you feeling, perhaps, a little less secure about this fragile planet we live on. Which just proves what really good writing can do. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
Book Review: The most realistic book about the end of the world
Summary: 5 Stars
This book is like a hard-hitting, non-supernatural version of Stephen King's "The Stand." In it, the authors begin with the question "what if the Earth were hit by a fairly large comet?" What would happen? The strike portrayed here is somewhere between the Tunguska, Siberia meteor strike of 1908, and the K-t boundary disaster that probably is responsible for wiping out the dinosaurs. It is nearer in severity to the dinosaur-extinguishing event, but not AS bad. Still, the disaster portrayed here is awful enough to completely destroy Europe, the Eastern Seaboard of the U.S., coastlines worldwide, and much of the rest of the world. The authors clearly spent some serious time thinking about all the possible ramifications of this catastrophe. This book goes a long way beyond the stereotypical apocalypse scenario of "Well, we stocked the bomb shelter with enough canned goods to last for decades, but -- who was supposed to pack the can opener?!? We forgot!! Oh noooo!" Niven and Pournelle painstakingly gamed out military, agricultural, social, psychological, and medical issues, among other problems. It's all realistic, too. Beyond the horror implicit in the basic premise, no extraneous horrific elements (such as Randall Flagg from "The Stand") are brought in. They aren't needed.
A lot of people have commented that there is some serious racism in here. They may be correct, but I'm not sure. I think it's important to be cautious about accusing someone of racism. There is a group of people who turn to ritualized cannibalism after the comet hits, when they are on the verge of famine, and many members of this group are African-american. Not all of them, however -- there was also a battalion of soldiers, of mixed race, who were part of that group. In fact, the guy that incites them to cannibalism is supposed to be white, I think. It seems to me that the authors just wanted to have a group of people who went crazy, and turned to cannibalism. There were two groups the authors used for this dramatic purpose, and one of the groups happened to be radical black urban guerillas -- don't forget, this was written in the mid-70s. It seemed to me that they could just have easily have used any other fringe group -- take your pick. Also, don't forget, there are several sympathetic black characters among the "good guys."
My favorite part is the section where Dan Forester, the astrophysicist, tries to decide what books he should try to save, books with which to rebuild civilization. Think about that! What a conundrum. I would give a lot to have been a fly on the wall during the conversations between Jerry Pournelle and Larry Niven that gave rise to this book. Just terrific, tremendous stuff. Two thumbs up.
Book Review: Time to say goodnight ...
Summary: 5 Stars
Stephen King's 'The Stand' was virus, Robert R. McCammon's 'Swan Song' was nuclear, Thomas Disch's 'The Genocides' was alien plant growth, Walter J. Williams 'The Rift' was earthquake; and 'Lucifer's Hammer' is annihilation by comet. Each of these books are 'must have's' for fans of Apocalypse Fiction.
The major protagonist is Tim Hamner, a rich-boy with nothing to do but indulge his fascination with the stars. Hamner, along with a young boy named Gavin Brown from Iowa, discover a comet heading towards earth. The comet, Hamner-Brown, soon becomes known as The Hammer, as scientists plot its course closer and closer to Earth's orbit.
Hamner makes acquaintance with Harvey Randall, a news reporter who wants to make a documentary series on the comet. Joining with them is Dr. Charles Sharps from the Jet Propulsion Laboratories, Senator Arthur Jellison and his daughter Maureen, Dr. Dan Forrester, an astronomy Phd and computer programmer, a team of astronauts, and a dedicated postal worker named Harry Newcombe.
The story centers around Los Angeles and the San Joaquin Valley, after pieces of the "calved" comet hit all across the world, causing first earthquakes and then a massive tidal wave to hit the Los Angeles basin. Senators, rich men, thieves and killers are suddenly made equal in the wake of Mother Nature. Rich and poor take on a whole new meaning in a society that suddenly has different values and different needs.
Senator Jellison owns a ranch in the foothills of the Sierras, and along with his neighbor George Christopher begins to form an aftermath society bent on survival at all costs.
The good points of 'Lucifer's Hammer' are the characters, the topography staying fairly true to form, the realism of many of the needs and behaviors of an abandoned society (especially the herding behavior) and the many points of view from all the different types of survivors.
The bad points would be some flat spots in the prose, some outdated notions (since the book was written in 1977) and too many circumstantial meetings.
All in all, this is a great book, and again, a must have for any fans of Apocalypse Fiction. Enjoy!
Book Review: A brilliant tale of desperation and hope. What a book!
Summary: 5 Stars
I just finished "Lucifer's Hammer," and, well, I'm impressed! Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle have done a wonderful job in weaving a tale of excitement, fear, devastation, fear, desperation, and hope. This is 5-star sci-fi all the way!If all you read is the first 100 pages, however, you probably won't agree with that. You see, the first part of the book is a bit slow in getting moving, but that's because the authors introduce a whole string of characters that interact with one another as the story and the action unfolds. And once the action starts, it doesn't stop. In fact, it makes you want to store some food, some water, some other things...and get ready for what COULD happen.
As I started reading this book I thought to myself, this book has many similarities with the movie "Deep Impact." Was I ever wrong with that assumption! This book goes way beyond "Deep Impact." It goes beyond it in that this book is not so much about events surrounding a comet-earth collision as it is about the aftermath, and how people do or do not cope with that kind of calamity.
Imagine this...world-wide cataclysmic events wipe out the major governments on the planet -- national, state, and local governments collapse, and people are left to fend for themselves. What will they do for food, shelter, personal safety, information, etc.? It's a whole new ballgame out there! The kinds of challenges described in the book bring out the best in some people, the worst in others, and trapped in the middle of everything that's happening are the characters you'll come to know quite well.
The characters are, for the most part, believable, the plot development is rivetting, and the conclusion is satisfying.
Do good guys always finish first? Do they even survive? Read "Lucifer's Hammer" and find out -- if you dare...
The authors really did their homework on this one.
5+ stars all the way for feasible, believable sci-fi.
Good luck out there...
Alan Holyoak