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bcbogan04's review
adventurous
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
komali_2's review
4.0
Fantastic post-apocalyptic novel that balances riveting action with philosophical questions about the nature of man when he lacks civilization's firm guiding hand. Poses some interesting questions about what behavior you can expect of different kinds of people, and forces you to question how you would react in a similar scenario. Great for people who like to geek out about power plants, the role of government/military, and walking around deserts with guns.
sharonrhh's review
adventurous
dark
hopeful
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
andgineer's review
2.0
Сейчас особенно бросается в глаза, насколько в 70е все были озабочены холодной войной. И насколько острее тогда был вопрос про черных американцев.
Но все-таки шутка с именем русского космонавта - явно перебор, как и общий негатив в отношении СССР.
Суть книги печальна - даже в глобальной катастрофе выживают сильные мира сего, они имеют возможность лучше подготовиться и защитить это, в отличие от среднего класса, который подготовиться даже если и сможет, но удержать это - нет.
Но все-таки шутка с именем русского космонавта - явно перебор, как и общий негатив в отношении СССР.
Суть книги печальна - даже в глобальной катастрофе выживают сильные мира сего, они имеют возможность лучше подготовиться и защитить это, в отличие от среднего класса, который подготовиться даже если и сможет, но удержать это - нет.
civil6512's review against another edition
4.0
Lucifer's Hammer tells the story of a comet, discovered by an amateur astronomist, whose orbit is initially calculated to get quite close to the Earth. This makes it quite interesting for scientific research, and so a joint Space mission between US and Soviet Union is arranged.
As the comet gets closer and the orbit is adjusted, the scientists start realising that it might end up coming much closer than initially foreseen...
It is no spoiler, as the book description already explains it, that the Earth is eventually hit, triggering a catastrophic, apocalyptic event. The book describes carefully all the effects: from tidal waves to climate change, including earthquakes and volcanoes. These descriptions, the ingenuity of the survivors and my particular interest on the genre is what awarded Lucifer's Hammer its four stars.
However, [a:Larry Niven|12534|Larry Niven|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1182720933p2/12534.jpg] does it again, and comes up with very stereotypical characters, with a very concerning view of women, and African-Americans and, basically, anyone from any minority. I criticised his characters when I read [b:Ringworld|61179|Ringworld (Ringworld #1)|Larry Niven|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1408793358s/61179.jpg|924711], and this book deserves a similar or harsher criticism. I recommend reading this review for more details on Niven's sexism and racism.
As the comet gets closer and the orbit is adjusted, the scientists start realising that it might end up coming much closer than initially foreseen...
It is no spoiler, as the book description already explains it, that the Earth is eventually hit, triggering a catastrophic, apocalyptic event. The book describes carefully all the effects: from tidal waves to climate change, including earthquakes and volcanoes. These descriptions, the ingenuity of the survivors and my particular interest on the genre is what awarded Lucifer's Hammer its four stars.
However, [a:Larry Niven|12534|Larry Niven|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1182720933p2/12534.jpg] does it again, and comes up with very stereotypical characters, with a very concerning view of women, and African-Americans and, basically, anyone from any minority. I criticised his characters when I read [b:Ringworld|61179|Ringworld (Ringworld #1)|Larry Niven|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1408793358s/61179.jpg|924711], and this book deserves a similar or harsher criticism. I recommend reading this review for more details on Niven's sexism and racism.
lattelibrarian's review
4.0
Although I'm still new to the "end of the world" genre, this book impressed me. I truly liked how there was real, true science in it--it was more than just the comet hitting the earth. Even so, when they lulled me into a false sense of security, it quickly vanished. This book is a quick read, and an extremely good one.
Now that I've read it, I feel much more prepared in the even that something terrible does happen. Remember to stock up on black pepper!
Now that I've read it, I feel much more prepared in the even that something terrible does happen. Remember to stock up on black pepper!
annknee's review
adventurous
dark
slow-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
jimwiedower's review
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
papidoc's review
4.0
A riveting novel in the genre of apocalyptic fiction, and "end of days" story to rival most, and a thought-provoking novel. It starts off a little slowly, but quickly engages the reader and draws you in to the plights of the different characters. This is a great airplane novel.