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eric_conrad's review
3.0
The concept of immortals having to hide their identity was done well in the movie Highlander. Sadly, the first two thirds of this book felt like missing episodes of the Highlander series with less interesting characters.
As for the final third of the book, it had a few interesting moments, but not enough for me.
As for the final third of the book, it had a few interesting moments, but not enough for me.
glenmowrer's review
1.0
The pretense of the story is that some genetic accident has allowed a very few people to be immortal. This requires a substantial willing suspension of reason. These few people are seemingly always involved in major moments in history and eventually become humanities pioneers into contact with other sentient organisms. One, the author's voice, is the acknowledged leader for some reason. A chore to slog through. Basically egotistical ramblings and posing by an author who uses the protagonist to advocate for his racist, sexist, authoritarian instincts. (In Anderson's defense, he possibly did not get how condescending his tropes are.) I know it is a few decades since this was written but authors of that time were not so insensitive as this man aggressively posits. This is not an author I would want to share a nice dinner with, more like having to listen to the angry and self absorbed uncle at Thanksgiving table.
optimaljellyfish's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
jojobee03's review
4.0
This book was like a slow burn. It took me a while to get into it, leaving it a few pages in, then a few chapters, to read other things. Once I was fully absorbed into it (perhaps 1/4 of the way through), it was fascinating. Unlike any sci-fi or fantasy novel I've read before.
The characters were very frustrating, but so human. The take on immortality was very fresh, in that the immortals arent granted endless wisdom simply for having lived so many lifetimes. They felt real, not like props or placeholders.
My only complaint was that the book really felt like two books- the survival stories: the lives lived and close calls, connections made- and the "after": the consequences of universal access to endless life and the eventual leave-taking. The former felt complete, a whole story, but the latter could have been more full. The ending felt rushed, and left me wishing for more time with the Immortals.
The characters were very frustrating, but so human. The take on immortality was very fresh, in that the immortals arent granted endless wisdom simply for having lived so many lifetimes. They felt real, not like props or placeholders.
My only complaint was that the book really felt like two books- the survival stories: the lives lived and close calls, connections made- and the "after": the consequences of universal access to endless life and the eventual leave-taking. The former felt complete, a whole story, but the latter could have been more full. The ending felt rushed, and left me wishing for more time with the Immortals.
thomcat's review against another edition
4.0
The first half (or past) reminded me much of the Highlander mythos. Born to ordinary folk, these immortals leave or escape their pasts and survive. Mostly a collection of short tales. Then in the 20th century they start to seek each other out. After the meetup - no beheading or quickening here - they work together to give all of humanity immortality. Things get pretty weird after that, and they are exiled again - this time to the stars.
In this book, Poul Anderson has a chance to explore history and immortality, science and first contact - all with the same cast of characters. They are not the deepest characters, because the focus here is on the story. Much of their history was based on true events, and therefore enjoyable to me. The latter half of the book has similarities to [b:Tau Zero|240617|Tau Zero|Poul Anderson|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1389216838s/240617.jpg|598009], written nearly 20 years earlier by the same author.
I read this as part of an 80s science fiction challenge. In an era of cyberpunks and fantasies, this book recalls an earlier era, with science instead of space opera. This resulted in a satisfying end to that decade.
In this book, Poul Anderson has a chance to explore history and immortality, science and first contact - all with the same cast of characters. They are not the deepest characters, because the focus here is on the story. Much of their history was based on true events, and therefore enjoyable to me. The latter half of the book has similarities to [b:Tau Zero|240617|Tau Zero|Poul Anderson|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1389216838s/240617.jpg|598009], written nearly 20 years earlier by the same author.
I read this as part of an 80s science fiction challenge. In an era of cyberpunks and fantasies, this book recalls an earlier era, with science instead of space opera. This resulted in a satisfying end to that decade.
catra121's review
2.0
I like the IDEA of this book...but for me it was just REALLY boring. I could not get into it at all and just didn't care about any of the characters or any of the events. In fairness...I listened to the audiobook and this is a case where the narrator didn't do this book any favors. They weren't BAD...I've listened to BAD narrators and that wasn't the case here...but the story was kinda dry and the narrator didn't add anything to help that situation...it just kinda felt like they were droning on and on and nothing came alive for me. And it's so LONG...just not for me unfortunately.
katmarhan's review
3.0
6.5/10
This book is a very slow burn—75% of it is build up to the final 25%. The payoff is worth it, mostly. It’s a long trip through human history to get to the future. While there are philosophical, moral, ethical, and practical questions underpinning much of the story, these take front row seats in that final quarter of the book, which is, in my opinion, the best part of the book.
The book was not what I expected, especially since the cover features a futuristic spaceship. The realities of extreme longevity were frequently problematic for the eight “immortal” Survivors, but yay for enduring curiosity!
This book is a very slow burn—75% of it is build up to the final 25%. The payoff is worth it, mostly. It’s a long trip through human history to get to the future. While there are philosophical, moral, ethical, and practical questions underpinning much of the story, these take front row seats in that final quarter of the book, which is, in my opinion, the best part of the book.
The book was not what I expected, especially since the cover features a futuristic spaceship. The realities of extreme longevity were frequently problematic for the eight “immortal” Survivors, but yay for enduring curiosity!
cjrayl's review
4.0
Being familiar with this author, I knew that he was an exceptional writer and I was not disappointed in this book. For those who prefer, and desire, his more traditional Sci-Fi and Fantasy they may well be disappointed with the majority of this book as Anderson creates his characters and provides segments that follow them through key moments in humanity's history. As these characters are immortal, the moments are ones in their lives where they are faced with growth, acceptance, and loss. Anderson takes readers through historical time frames up to the moment in the distant future where immortality is finally the right of all and the original immortals leave Earth to continue their lives in the search for other life forms. The only reason why I gave this wonderful book four stars is that the main characters seemed to slow down in their personal awareness and development. The philosophical questions became stale, the obstacles became repetitive, and the ultimate finale almost predictable. Yet don't let this stop you from experiencing an interesting premise that has the most thoughtful, philosophical approach that I've ever read.
oleksandr's review against another edition
2.0
This is a SF novel from one of the Golden Age authors, [a:Poul Anderson|32278|Poul Anderson|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1218818842p2/32278.jpg], but published in 1989. It was nominated for quite a list of awards, including Hugo Award for Best Novel (1990), Nebula Award for Best Novel (1989), Prometheus Hall of Fame Award for Best SF Novel (1990), Locus Award for Best SF Novel (1990), SF Chronicle Award for Best SF Novel (1990). It won none of the abovementioned, losing Hugo to [b:Hyperion|77566|Hyperion|Dan Simmons|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1405546838l/77566._SY75_.jpg|1383900] and Nebula to [b:The Healer's War|491093|The Healer's War|Elizabeth Ann Scarborough|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1286829764l/491093._SY75_.jpg|479305], Locus to [b:Hyperion|77566|Hyperion|Dan Simmons|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1405546838l/77566._SY75_.jpg|1383900]. I read is as a part of monthly reading for April 2021 at Hugo & Nebula Awards: Best Novels group.
The first part of the book is a collection of stories, linked in chronological order and with several returning characters. It starts with a Greek ship during the period of Carthaginian power, organized by merchants to circumvent British isles. Later there are stories about China, Japan, Kyiv Rus, France, pre-Columbian America, Levant, etc. Readers soon establish that there is a group of immortals with small regenerative powers. However, if they meet and understand the nature of each other, this is usually not a ‘beginning of beautiful friendship’ but the opposite, not the least because upon finding them out, too many people try to ‘burn the witches’. Immortality doesn’t lead to great intellect – they are the same spectrum as ordinary people, only with a greater experience and sorrows – for if they start families their loved ones and offspring get old and die as easily as everyone else.
Roughly 4/5 of the book is the story from the past to the present. The last 1/5 is much more SF, in tech singularity future, with space travels and meeting other beings.
The novel shows that the author read his history even if in some specific cases I see that the narratives he read are different from ones I did (it concerns Kyiv Rus, Mongol invasion and some XX century), like he assumes that a person in mid-XX century will talk about Little Russians (as a self-designation) not Ukrainians: “The war threw me together with people from the whole Soviet Ukraine, not Cossacks, ordinary Little Russians, little people driven to such despair that they fight side by side with the Communists.”
This book lacks the plot drive, a collection of stories are more ‘drawings of a moment’ than some kind of interesting tales. I liked both SF and fantasy by the author, but this one left me cold. I highly suspect that the nominations were more driven by his name and earlier popularity than by the novel’s contents.
The first part of the book is a collection of stories, linked in chronological order and with several returning characters. It starts with a Greek ship during the period of Carthaginian power, organized by merchants to circumvent British isles. Later there are stories about China, Japan, Kyiv Rus, France, pre-Columbian America, Levant, etc. Readers soon establish that there is a group of immortals with small regenerative powers. However, if they meet and understand the nature of each other, this is usually not a ‘beginning of beautiful friendship’ but the opposite, not the least because upon finding them out, too many people try to ‘burn the witches’. Immortality doesn’t lead to great intellect – they are the same spectrum as ordinary people, only with a greater experience and sorrows – for if they start families their loved ones and offspring get old and die as easily as everyone else.
Roughly 4/5 of the book is the story from the past to the present. The last 1/5 is much more SF, in tech singularity future, with space travels and meeting other beings.
The novel shows that the author read his history even if in some specific cases I see that the narratives he read are different from ones I did (it concerns Kyiv Rus, Mongol invasion and some XX century), like he assumes that a person in mid-XX century will talk about Little Russians (as a self-designation) not Ukrainians: “The war threw me together with people from the whole Soviet Ukraine, not Cossacks, ordinary Little Russians, little people driven to such despair that they fight side by side with the Communists.”
This book lacks the plot drive, a collection of stories are more ‘drawings of a moment’ than some kind of interesting tales. I liked both SF and fantasy by the author, but this one left me cold. I highly suspect that the nominations were more driven by his name and earlier popularity than by the novel’s contents.
hoppy500's review
5.0
With its theme of immortality and its sheer breadth of vision, this reminded me somewhat of Charles Sheffield's Tomorrow and Tomorrow. However, in other ways it is a very different creature. While Sheffield's immortality is achieved through storing consciousness by artificial means, the characters in this work by Poul Anderson seem determined to preserve the intactness of their humanity, even when it eventually makes them misfits among their own species.
The greater portion of the book concentrates on the efforts of several ageless characters to survive through the centuries. Various places and times in antiquity are beautifully recreated, and the real power and depth of the story lies in its rich undercurrents of history and mythology. Anderson is very clever in that he weaves detailed information throughout the text without affecting the flow of the narrative. The lyricism of the writing just carries the reader along.
The characterisation is excellent, and although the names of the main players change at various points (ageless people must constantly change their identities in order not to arouse suspicion), the reader can often intuitively determine who individuals are from their personalities.
I do think that the story weakened a little after the viewpoint changed to the future of mankind. One reason for this might be that the main characters seem to become overly concerned with petty personal squabbles. One could argue, though, that Anderson was implying that even people who had lived for millennia may still find it hard to transcend selfish inclinations and view life from a broader perspective all of the time. This may be an inherent part of the humanity that the ageless ones are loath to relinquish.
As with all great literature, the reader will remember for a long time to come not just the story but also the reading experience itself.
The greater portion of the book concentrates on the efforts of several ageless characters to survive through the centuries. Various places and times in antiquity are beautifully recreated, and the real power and depth of the story lies in its rich undercurrents of history and mythology. Anderson is very clever in that he weaves detailed information throughout the text without affecting the flow of the narrative. The lyricism of the writing just carries the reader along.
The characterisation is excellent, and although the names of the main players change at various points (ageless people must constantly change their identities in order not to arouse suspicion), the reader can often intuitively determine who individuals are from their personalities.
I do think that the story weakened a little after the viewpoint changed to the future of mankind. One reason for this might be that the main characters seem to become overly concerned with petty personal squabbles. One could argue, though, that Anderson was implying that even people who had lived for millennia may still find it hard to transcend selfish inclinations and view life from a broader perspective all of the time. This may be an inherent part of the humanity that the ageless ones are loath to relinquish.
As with all great literature, the reader will remember for a long time to come not just the story but also the reading experience itself.