Customer Reviews

Cemetery World

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1 star:		(1)

 

 

"Cemetery World", published in 1973 by Clifford D. Simak [1904-88] envisions a far future where a devastating war will render large portion of Earth uninhabitable. During the lead up to this war the "intellectual elite" exited Earth and have established flourishing outpost on earth-like planets. Century's later great numbers of colonist return their loved ones to the home planet for interment giving rise to a self-serving corporation that manages the vast expanse of the Cemetery. Small-inbred communities of human inhabit the few wild lands remaining depending on odd jobs with the Cemetery for necessities. Fletcher Carlson, an artist, returns to Earth to create a multi-media composition with the help of two robots. The Cemetery Corporation is unhelpful suspecting that Carlson has other motives. Carlson eventually determines that the corporation has some dark secrets it does not want discovered at any cost. Complicating matters a young lady, Cynthia Lansing, joins Carlson and is convinced a mysterious alien race has secreted archaeological treasures somewhere on earth. As a science-fiction novel this is a well-crafted story with ample suspense and fleshed out characters.

The underlying premise and motivations of this story, as outlined above, are both engaging and creditable in the context of a science-fiction novel. I was taken back when the ghost, or shades as they preferred to be called, started showing up and then proceeded to send the human characters back and forth through time. In the context of this story these fantasy themes appeared to be completely out of place. But as the old sailor said on many occasions "It is what it is like it or not".

"Cemetery World" by Clifford D. Simak is a perplexing book to categorize. It is marketed as a "science fiction novel" but contains aspects of pure fantasy that some readers may find disconcerting. Actually more than disconcerting, ardent SF fans are a contentions and vocal lot and ruminated about this in the fan press and with the author. Of course this is all so much balderdash from 40 years ago but the issue still remains as, hopefully, you will find out upon reading. In a 1978 interview Simak addresses the issue: "I suppose ghost and robots do not mix, but I see no reason why they shouldn't. If a writer wants to interweave the old mythology with the new, there should be nothing to prevent it."

Even so there is a lot to admire and enjoy in this novel. In case your interested Simak's mixing of science-fiction and fantasy elements shows up in several other of his novels: "Enchanted Pilgrimage"[1975] and "Out of Their Minds"[1970]. So either hunt these titles up on the internet or mark them DO NOT READ!

This book was first published in Analog magazine as a three part serial in 1973.

Clifford D. Simak's _Cemetery World_ was originally a three part serial in _Analog_ back in 1972 and was accompanied by some marvelous John Schoenherr illustrations. It was published in book form the following year. The novel is set mostly on a future Earth which-- after a bloody war-- has become the epitome of peace. It is now an expensive planetary graveyard to the galaxy, run by a smooth but sinister Organization.

The hero and heroine come to Earth in order to make a composition, a kind of multi-media documentary; and in no time at all, they have stirred up a peck of trouble. Added to the mix are a couple of robots, some mountain folk, two ancient war machines, several ghosts (well, shades, actually), a strange creature called the Census Taker, some grave robbers, a treasure, three mechanical wolves, and a time machine.

Simak tries to tie up all the loose ends in the final chapters, but the results are abrupt and not completely convincing. There are also stretches where the story seems unintentionally silly. And then there are the occasional small slips. At one point, for example, the Census Taker, who floats above the ground, is described as "clump[ing] on ahead" (114). _Cemetery World_, then, is not Simak at the top of his game.

And yet, the novel is a passable piece of entertainment. The characters are (for the most part) amiable and engaging. And there are several moments when Simak allows himself to give descriptive passages such as this:

I sat on a moss-grown boulder beside a brawling, dark-brown stream that carried on its surface the fairy boats of red and gold and yellow that were the fallen leaves. If one listened sharply he could pick out, at the edge of the throaty gurgle of the dark-brown water, the faint, far-off pattering of other leaves falling to the earth. And for all the color and the beauty, there was an ancient sadness there. I sat and listened to the liquid sliding of the water and the faint patter of the leaves, and looking at the trees, I saw they were massive growths exuding a sense of age, and that there was something homelike and secure and comfortable about them. There was color here and mood and sound, quality and structure, and a texture that could be felt with the fingers of the mind. (38)

Ah, yes. There it is. That old Simak sense of the pastoral. That love of the country. That valuation of the peaceful. And just when you begin to feel your attention flagging, that Voice breaks through and holds you. Give this one a try.

I've been reading Simak since the 1950s, and consider Cemetery World to be one of his finest. Despite a somewhat implausible premise, he once again delivered a gem that emphasized his pastoral, humane nature, a theme that has been taken up in recent years by D. B. Kier. There are elements of City here, and some of his other masterpieces. It is a delightful read, especially late at night when the fires burn high and a cold wind tries to get past the shutters!

I love Simak's books; but this was not my favorite. It's been a while since I've read a Simak book so I was psyched when I found this in a used book store. It's got the Simak feel to it; it has the Simak trek. It just doesn't have a sense of direction; the plot was too nebulous. It was still a good read so by all means give it a try, especially if you are a Simak fan.

Wow! I'll cut right to the chase: "Cemetery World" is one of the most horrifically written, sloppily conceived, and all around terrible excuses of a novel I have ever had the misfortune to read.

After reading the stunning classic A Canticle for Leibowitz I couldn't distance myself from a book set centuries (hell, millennia) into the future and at the quick glance, "Cemetery World" could almost be an unofficial and accidental sequel to "Canticle"; humans return to Earth from space 10,000 years into the future only to discover that the planet is not what it was originally perceived to be. Heck, the idea itself is not bad at all and Simak's somewhat dystopian ideas of Earth becoming a massive cemetery are entertaining. Even the cover looks like something out of a cheesy 1980's post-apocalyptic summer blockbuster.

But that's about all there is to praise about "Cemetery Planet" because there really is NOTHING good about this book. Simak has to be one of the worst writers I have ever read. Aside from his repetitiveness and general lack of knowledge concerning the use of a thesaurus, it's clear that the guy knows nothing of how to write a dialogue. I don't know about other readers but I grew tired of the constant sentence interruptions with the typical "he said/she said". For example: "So," she said. "What about blah, blah blah."
"I don't know," I said. "Let's blah blah blah." Seriously, Simak, take a creative writing course on how to craft decent dialogue structure. Conversations shouldn't be difficult to write and they surely don't have to be that boring.

Then there is the delivery. Like I said, the plot idea wasn't bad, but Simak manages to ruin his own brainchild with his slow story telling that involves too many characters or settings only to leave the reader scratching their head going "whaaaaaaat?" Take for instance Bronco and Elmer. Interesting characters to be sure and the author goes into far too much detail describing them and how Fletcher found the robot Elmer, and yet he, as well as Bronco only compose maybe 1/4 of this book's plot. Speaking of plot, the ending just doesn't work, both literally and fictionally. Ignore the fact that it's wrapped up in 2 paragraphs, but just like Terminator 2: Judgment Day (Skynet Edition) [Blu-ray], it doesn't make sense. Let's just say it involves time travel like Back to the Future, but in no way does Simak even attempt to explain it.

"Cemetery World" was bad. Horribly rotten. I kept reading hoping the story would pick up or the loop holes that were created would be filled. As you can see from my scathing review, both of those hopes, like a bug, were smashed flat. This may not have been as bad as "Neuromancer" or One Second After, but it was pretty damn close to being the worst book I have read this year. Honestly, if you want a good take on the future of Earth after a devastating nuclear war, stick with A Canticle for Leibowitz.

This is a very good book. Of course all Simak books are very good to fantastic. This one has fewer robots than some of the fantastic books but absolutely worth reading. I haven't seen a Simak book yet that wasn't worth reading.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. Not wanting to give anything away I will only say that I was expecting a different story from what I got, but I was happily disappointed for the story I did read was greatly entertaining. What an imagination the writer of this book has!