Cycle of Fire [Mass Market Paperback]

Hal Clement (Author), Gray Morrow (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 12, 1981

Stranded on an alien planet, light years from home, wandering from blistering heat to searing cold, Nils Kruger was not a happy man. So when he met another being - even though it wasn't human - things seemed to be looking up. The alien might be helpless, or it might be dangerous, but one thing was for sure - they stood a better chance for survival if they worked together. But as the two creatures overcame their mutual suspicion, as they worked together, as the language barrier was broken down, Nils came to a terrifying conclusion - this alien was more intelligent than a human. And to it, Nils was the alien

--This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 185 pages
• Publisher: Ballantine Del Rey (April 12, 1981)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345291727
• ISBN-13: 978-0345291721
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,355,433 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Lean Mean Sci-Fi, October 10, 2002

By 

Cambel "cambel" (Washington, DC USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Cycle of Fire (Mass Market Paperback)

This is an old style science fiction novel in the old sense. A stranded earthman, a native of the planet trying to make it back to safety before the planet goest through a massive change in temperature which will, as far as we know, kill every living thing on the planet. The native and the Earthman develop a friendship against the background of struggling against time. The interesting subplot about the planets odd cycle and the evolutionary diversions it had caused was interesting. When at first one of the planetary scientists heats up a sample terrarium full of native plants, animals and dirt, only to watch them wither and die while at the same time tiny new creatures obviously built for the heat emerge from under the soil was an interesting way to start this section of the novel.
If you are interested in a nice read without a lot of the unecessary bells an whistles many authors are fond of putting in you will enjoy this one.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Your typical 1950's pulp sci fi novel., August 16, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Cycle of Fire (Mass Market Paperback)

When I spoke to Hal, we discussed this book before he autographed it for me. It was an opportunity to meet an author who had stayed a normal guy, and not been exalted to the Grand Master status that many of his contemparies had achieved.

Cycle of Fire is a simple novel of cooperation between two stranded aliens. It is a buddy novel that has been written before and since in a number of genres.

If you liked Enemy Mine, but not the war overtones, than this is the novel you will probably like better.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not a bad novel if you can find it, September 16, 2010

By 

Ian T. Leckchewel "grassman" (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cycle of Fire (Mass Market Paperback)

Picked this novel up at a used bookstore for $1. Not one of Clement's best, but still entertaining and interesting in terms of its depiction of the two central characters (one human, one alien) and how they interact while stranded on an unusual planet. Typical of Clement, there are detailed descriptions of the planetary system, the two suns, how they influence the "cycle" of hot/cold weather, and the evolution of the unusual life forms found therein. Rather atypical for science fiction, there is no real violence or sex or technological wizardry to speak of. Hence, a somewhat old-fashioned, 1950s-style science fiction tale reminiscent of something that Asimov (a great admirer of Clement) or Bradbury might have written.