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fwog19's review against another edition
5.0
This was the longest book that I've read in forever, as far as pages go. (I've read shorter books that seemed to NEVER END. This book wasn't one of them, thankfully.)
Wanting to read some good sci-fi, I picked up this book at the urging of my husband. I wasn't disappointed. Normally, you'd expect a book like this to be full of boring jargon with little plot. Given that this book was written in the mid-80s, it was very well written as far as the scientific bits went. You could definitely tell that we were in the middle of the Cold War, but it wasn't at all filled with propaganda.
The characters were interesting and complex. You wanted to find out what happened to each and every one of them, even those that were mentioned only in passing. I don't think there were any characters that I didn't like and there was no clear villain. It was a bunch of very different people (even those non-human) that were either trying to find their place in the universe or trying to fix the wrongs of people around them.
My husband mentioned that I burned through the first half of the book fairly quickly and the last half a lot slower. It wasn't because the book got boring - it didn't - I was just more exhausted, which left me frustrated because I wanted to read more and find out what happened. I just couldn't keep my eyes open. (Dang stress!)
I would definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for a good science fiction read. Greg Bear is a wonderful author with a talent for keeping you engaged.
Wanting to read some good sci-fi, I picked up this book at the urging of my husband. I wasn't disappointed. Normally, you'd expect a book like this to be full of boring jargon with little plot. Given that this book was written in the mid-80s, it was very well written as far as the scientific bits went. You could definitely tell that we were in the middle of the Cold War, but it wasn't at all filled with propaganda.
The characters were interesting and complex. You wanted to find out what happened to each and every one of them, even those that were mentioned only in passing. I don't think there were any characters that I didn't like and there was no clear villain. It was a bunch of very different people (even those non-human) that were either trying to find their place in the universe or trying to fix the wrongs of people around them.
My husband mentioned that I burned through the first half of the book fairly quickly and the last half a lot slower. It wasn't because the book got boring - it didn't - I was just more exhausted, which left me frustrated because I wanted to read more and find out what happened. I just couldn't keep my eyes open. (Dang stress!)
I would definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for a good science fiction read. Greg Bear is a wonderful author with a talent for keeping you engaged.
hagbard_celine's review against another edition
5.0
This did everything I want a sci-fi novel to do for me.
And then the Epilogue blew me away. Goddamn, the last 10 pages took me from "this is a very good book" to "FUUUUUUCCKKK."
Also, sidenote: boy am I glad that the Cold War didn't turn into Nuclear Armageddon.
And then the Epilogue blew me away. Goddamn, the last 10 pages took me from "this is a very good book" to "FUUUUUUCCKKK."
Also, sidenote: boy am I glad that the Cold War didn't turn into Nuclear Armageddon.
ashryn's review against another edition
1.0
super slow and utterly unengaging. So very nearly a DNF but I pressed on to an uncompelling end. It wasn't worth the effort.
futuregazer's review against another edition
5.0
Will attempt to return later and write a real review later, but for now: Awesome!
davecapp's review against another edition
5.0
For those who enjoy speculative SciFi Eon is arguably the start of one of the best series written in the last 30 years.
Greg Bear is a master story teller for those who like "hard" SciFi. He incorporates physics, metaphysics, politics, social science all wrapped around a story about the end-game in human exploration and the foibles of human nature.
I was amazed by the concepts this book explored when I first read it, and astonished at how well they stood the test of time when I re-read it this year.
This is not a puff book, but for those willing to put on their geek hats and open their eyes, the experience can be both illuminating and transformative.
Greg Bear is a master story teller for those who like "hard" SciFi. He incorporates physics, metaphysics, politics, social science all wrapped around a story about the end-game in human exploration and the foibles of human nature.
I was amazed by the concepts this book explored when I first read it, and astonished at how well they stood the test of time when I re-read it this year.
This is not a puff book, but for those willing to put on their geek hats and open their eyes, the experience can be both illuminating and transformative.
jake2918's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Easy Sci-fi with some cool ideas. Imagery/ descriptions made little sense. The first 1/2 of the book was pretty good, next 1/4 very dull, then final 1/4 was again entertaining. I did not pick up on any real theme. Enjoyable overall
talkiejared's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Silly overly complicated scifi slop that I enjoyed but didn't take anything from
nealkelso's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
juliana_aldous's review against another edition
4.0
Just as good as the first time I read it in the 80s.
ornithopter1's review against another edition
2.0
The writing style, particularly the awkward and confusing description of place, failed to draw me in to the story. Characters were mostly unengaging. Despite these caveats the story was worth a read simply for the scale of imagination on show.
Not a bad book by any means; just not a book I would recommend.
Not a bad book by any means; just not a book I would recommend.