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cooperck's review against another edition
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
spacecomics's review against another edition
4.0
Doomsday Morning by C. L. Moore is a well-crafted science fiction novel about the suppression of a revolution in a post-apocalyptic dystopian America. Rohan is a has-been, washed-up actor retrieved from his dreary new life as a "cropper," personally recruited for a vague mission by the head of Comus (Communications U.S.). Here's how the author described Comus: "You can't imagine life without Comus. Comus is everybody. It's the newspapers, the schools, the entertainment. It's the communications-theory boys who quantify language, the public relations people, the psychologists, the artists in all media who take the prescriptions the computers feed them and build sugar-coated truths that will cure any social bellyache before society knows it has one. You can't get along without Comus. Life would be too unpredictable. Society would crumble like cheap cement."
Rohan is to lead a theater troupe on tour through California, where there have been uprisings, ostensibly to spread subtle pro-Comus propaganda; but as Rohan coaches the actors through rehearsals of the specially designed play, he comes to suspect an even more sinister ulterior motive and reconsider his loyalties.
My only dissatisfaction with Doomsday Morning is that, for my taste, the style seems in some places repetitive with extensive description, particularly of Rohan's often redundant ruminations and dreams; these passages sometimes lost my attention. However, as Rohan connects with rebels and learns of an "anti-Com" device, the novel gradually picks up pace, and the importance of these and other seemingly trivial aspects of the narrative clarify and come together in a way that makes sense in the action-packed climax; hence my earlier assertion this is a well-crafted science fiction novel.
Rohan is to lead a theater troupe on tour through California, where there have been uprisings, ostensibly to spread subtle pro-Comus propaganda; but as Rohan coaches the actors through rehearsals of the specially designed play, he comes to suspect an even more sinister ulterior motive and reconsider his loyalties.
My only dissatisfaction with Doomsday Morning is that, for my taste, the style seems in some places repetitive with extensive description, particularly of Rohan's often redundant ruminations and dreams; these passages sometimes lost my attention. However, as Rohan connects with rebels and learns of an "anti-Com" device, the novel gradually picks up pace, and the importance of these and other seemingly trivial aspects of the narrative clarify and come together in a way that makes sense in the action-packed climax; hence my earlier assertion this is a well-crafted science fiction novel.
david_agranoff's review against another edition
3.0
This year I decided I was going to read a lot more golden age Science Fiction, one of the books I have already read and reviewed was the Future is Female edited by Lisa Yasek. There were many authors I discovered from this book who I wanted to explore. First on my list was C.L. Moore. The reason I wanted to read her is like me she is a Hoosier. Born in Indiana early in the twentieth century Catherine Moore published her first works in the student journal the Vagabond at Indiana University journalism school just blocks from the house I live in grew up 60 years later. She left IU to support her family during the great depression but published many stories in the early pulp magazines. Later she would publish many works co-written with her first husband Henry Kutter. They met because they were in a circle of friends who met because they all wrote letters back and forth with THE one and only HP Lovecraft.
So I was interested in reading more of her work and when I saw that our library had a battered and worn first edition I jumped on it. The first thing I feel the need to comment on in the almost 70 years this book has been in and out of print it been consistently packaged in covers that have nothing to do with the book. There are no spaceships, or lazer guns, no giant robotic spiders. This is a serious dystopia that apparently is a follow up to her 1943 novel Judgement Night. That novel was not the basis for the silly 90's gangster movie. That short novel was actually more of a space opera.
Doomsday Morning is about a post-America 50 years in the future although no exact date is given. The country is run by what appears to be some form of AI called Comus (short for Communications of the United States). This book is really the essence of out of date Sci-fi written just before TV took over as a popular entertainment. Our window into this future comes from the POV of Howard Rohan a washed up actor. Comus sends him out to California to spread propaganda and accidentally out the forces of resistance against him. It is hard to imagine this type of media as propaganda in the future being down by traveling theater.
Much of this novel is about the theater, I don't know much about that subject but I believe the author did. The play they are touring with is called Crossroads. Those parts gave me a somewhat tongue-in-cheek feel. I thought of those scenes having a Terry Gilum or Coen Brothers feel. It was a interesting change of pace from the majority of the book that has many dark moments. The rebellion eventually falls into riots and chaos.
There is plenty of weird out of date attempts to predict technology like "Hedgehoppers" and really Comus itself is AI before the term really existed. This is not a read for everyone. It didn't age well but anyone serious about reading golden age sci-fi can't go wrong. This was the last work of an important author. While she returned to conventions to be remembered and honored for her contribution Catherine Moore never wrote in the genre again. I am glad I read it but outside of Golden Age completionists I not sure about the appeal 70 years later. I certainly respect the work.
So I was interested in reading more of her work and when I saw that our library had a battered and worn first edition I jumped on it. The first thing I feel the need to comment on in the almost 70 years this book has been in and out of print it been consistently packaged in covers that have nothing to do with the book. There are no spaceships, or lazer guns, no giant robotic spiders. This is a serious dystopia that apparently is a follow up to her 1943 novel Judgement Night. That novel was not the basis for the silly 90's gangster movie. That short novel was actually more of a space opera.
Doomsday Morning is about a post-America 50 years in the future although no exact date is given. The country is run by what appears to be some form of AI called Comus (short for Communications of the United States). This book is really the essence of out of date Sci-fi written just before TV took over as a popular entertainment. Our window into this future comes from the POV of Howard Rohan a washed up actor. Comus sends him out to California to spread propaganda and accidentally out the forces of resistance against him. It is hard to imagine this type of media as propaganda in the future being down by traveling theater.
Much of this novel is about the theater, I don't know much about that subject but I believe the author did. The play they are touring with is called Crossroads. Those parts gave me a somewhat tongue-in-cheek feel. I thought of those scenes having a Terry Gilum or Coen Brothers feel. It was a interesting change of pace from the majority of the book that has many dark moments. The rebellion eventually falls into riots and chaos.
There is plenty of weird out of date attempts to predict technology like "Hedgehoppers" and really Comus itself is AI before the term really existed. This is not a read for everyone. It didn't age well but anyone serious about reading golden age sci-fi can't go wrong. This was the last work of an important author. While she returned to conventions to be remembered and honored for her contribution Catherine Moore never wrote in the genre again. I am glad I read it but outside of Golden Age completionists I not sure about the appeal 70 years later. I certainly respect the work.
thegrandnarrative's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
ericpschoon's review against another edition
Doomsday Morning places a familiar type of gruff, action hero in an unfamiliar setting. This dystopian thriller doesn't have loads to say about much, but is a rather tightly packed adventure that, while it could probably shed a few pages in the middle, still keeps the momentum up throughout to deliver a satisfying story.
lleullawgyffes's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
snaomiscott's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
What a fantastic book this is. For something written in the fifties it's surprisingly modern and really stands out when compared to other acclaimed authors of the time. Full review to come later. Read for #SciFiMonth 2020.
okayno's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5