Forge of Heaven (Cherryh, C. J.) [Hardcover]

C. J. Cherryh (Author)

Book Description

Series: Cherryh, C. J. | Publication Date: June 1, 2004

One of today's bestselling and most critically acclaimed writers of science fiction and fantasy, C. J. Cherryh has been entertaining readers for more than thirty years with beautifully imagined, complex novels of intrigue and adventure. With Hammerfall she began an entirely new universe -- her first in three decades -- and an enthralling tale of mystery and survival on a desert world devastated by nanotechnology. Now she returns to the captivating universe of The Gene Wars in a brilliant, visionary story that reaches from the desert to the stars.

Forge of Heaven

At the far edge of the galaxy, tiny Concord Station holds a unique place in the universe -- the one place where humans from Earth, the strange Outsider worlds, and the extremely powerful, alien ondat all coexist, bound together to the fate of the fragile world below. Scarred by vicious nanotechnology unleashed by the powerful ondat, this lone desert planet acts as the crucible to determine whether there can be peace between the far-spanning empires of the universe, or unending, unstoppable war to rival even the cataclysmic Gene Wars that once devastated untold galaxies.

Born the son of a desert prince, Marak trin Tain knows all too well the knife edge between diplomacy and disaster. Centuries ago he was caught in the battle between the terrorist First Movement and Earth, and the resulting destruction when the ondat sent planet-crushing missiles to prevent contagion from uncontrolled nanotechnology. Now, immortal but not invulnerable, he shepherds the evolving world and its brave inhabitants toward a new future. But this utopia is hardly idyllic, and a journey of discovery becomes one of desperation when a violent act of nature threatens even Marak's own survival.

High above on Concord Station, intrigues andalliances from every faction of Earth and the Outsider colonies fight for influence, while the implacable ondat pursue their own unfathomable goals. In the midst of dangerous collusion, all the watcherProcyon wants is to record the miracles of the planet evolving below, sharing in the undreamed-of wonder of watching a new world grow. But the surprise arrival of a ship from Earth upsets the delicate balance of power on the station, and a deadly attack becomes the opportunity for rebellion. Caught up in a web of danger and intrigue, Procyon will step far beyond his comfortable life into a nightmare of dangers, as plot within plot unravels with disastrous consequences.

For the fate of one man could decide the future of human and alien alike ... and the ondat are watching.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In Cherryh's suspenseful sequel to Hammerfall (2001), Marak's World has been embargoed for a millennium due to the illicit nanotechnology it harbors, yet Marak Trin Tain himself, rendered nearly immortal by that technology, lives on. Marak is focused on rebuilding his planet's biosphere, which was nearly destroyed when the enigmatic alien ondat bombarded it some hundreds of years earlier, wiping out virtually all life not preserved in deep shelters. Meanwhile, in orbit around Marak's World, Concord Station has kept uneasy watch on the reawakening planet for centuries. The station is ruled over jointly but uncomfortably by two human cultures: one centered on Earth and strongly opposed to all forms of genetic manipulation; the other, the Outsider worlds, more willing to accept experimentation. Among the many nicely drawn characters is Procyon Stafford, a Concord technician charged with the important duty of communicating with Marak and recording everything he does. Trouble comes looking for Procyon in the form of Andreas Gide, an overbearing official from Earth who's convinced that someone is trying to use Procyon to transport illicit nanotechnology from the proscribed planet to Concord Station and beyond. Given the elaborate backstory and complex galactic milieu, readers would be well advised to start with Hammerfall FYI:Cherryh has won four Hugo Awards, three for best novel.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

In this sequel to Hammerfall (2001), the story of an important desert planet that was nearly destroyed by the alien Ondat continues. Marak Trin Tain is the planet's leader and a key figure in maintaining the tentative treaty between human and alien powers. The focus here is on Concord Station, which monitors the tiny planet at the edge of the galaxy and is the fulcrum of the precarious balancing of peace and power between two intergalactic empires. Because of past associations, Procyon, a young watcher monitoring the planet, becomes the object of intense interest for the major powers, Marak, and the leaders of the planet's underground movement, which has its own agenda. Complications arise with the unexpected visit of the Earth ambassador and an attempt on his life that seriously threatens to reopen old wounds and plunge the universe back into devastating war. Although it begins quietly and occasionally slackens pace under the weight of complex political alliances and strategies, this story is not to be underestimated. It carries the reader along as it gathers momentum toward the stunning and unexpected ending that is realized with masterly aplomb. Paula Luedtke
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 416 pages
• Publisher: Harper Voyager; First Edition edition (June 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0380979039
• ISBN-13: 978-0380979035
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.8 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,175,312 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I've written sf and fantasy for publication since 1975...but I've written a lot longer than that. I have a background in Mediterranean archaeology, Latin, Greek, that sort of thing; my hobbies are travel, photography, planetary geology, physics, pond-building for koi...I run a marine tank, can plumb most anything, and I figure-skate.

I believe in the future: I'm an optimist for good reason---I've studied a lot of history, in which, yes, there is climate change, and our species has been through it. We've never faced it fully armed with what we now know, and if we play our cards right, we'll use it as a technological springboard and carry on in very interesting ways.

I also believe a writer owes a reader a book that has more than general despair to spread about: I write about clever, determined people who don't put up with situations, not for long, anyway: people who find solutions inspire me.

My personal websites and blog: http://www.cherryh.com
http://www.cherryh.com/WaveWithoutAShore
http://www.closed-circle.net

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

36 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars A potboiler without any salt, May 28, 2004

By 

Mark Snegg (Boone, NC USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Forge of Heaven (Cherryh, C. J.) (Hardcover)

I generally enjoy Cherryh's SF, and so it was with some anticipation that I read her latest release. The good news is that it's well-written and polished. The bad news is that the first third of the book is glacially slow, and the characters are bland and uninteresting.

Once things eventually start to move, there is a depth of political intricacy of the kind that Cherryh does so well, and it becomes quite readable, though still slow. However, the first 130 pages could easily have been edited down to 20 pages with no loss of character development, plot, background, or anything else. I found the first third of Forge beyond boring.

The greatest pity is that the characters are so dull - even though characterization has always been Cherryh's greatest talent. I interrupted a third reading of Cherryh's Finity's End to read Forge of Heaven, and the contrast was very noticeable - I actually care about the characters in Finity's End. The books for which Cherryh has won top awards all have strong, memorable characters. The characters in several of her other books are like old friends to me. So I'm sorry to have to say that Forge has the dullest, blandest, silliest bunch of characters I've come across anywhere for a long time.

Procyon, the main character, is a wide-eyed innocent who tries very hard to please everyone. The bad guys are laughably feeble. No one starts or ends any relationship in this book. No one falls in love. No one dies. No one achieves anything notable. No one gains any insight into themselves or others. No one rises or falls in wealth, or status, or happiness. No one changes their mind about anything. The status quo is preserved. It's emotionally flat.

The secret of immortality has been discovered by someone on the planet. A number of people have lived there for many centuries in perfect physical and mental health. The technology works. It's safe. There are no negative side-effects. But gaining immortality doesn't figure in anyone's plans. Even the bad guys are just some kind of anarchists without any well-defined goals. It doesn't bother anyone to have the secret of immortality always in front of them, yet just out of reach.

Forge is set in a high-tech society based on nanotechnology, many thousands of years in the future. However, if you substitute coffee for 'caff', fashion accessories for 'mods', and cell phones for 'taps', the culture is very similar to present-day urban America, except that it's much shallower and more fashion-conscious. There's no feeling of a strange and different society - as in Cyteen for example. Cherryh describes Forge as "tech run amok". Umm... yes. More like "tech taking a gentle Sunday afternoon stroll".

There's a long and pointless sub-plot about how Marak and Hati go looking for some strayed beasties... sorry... 'beshtis'. After much traveling through the countryside they eventually find them. The exciting part is when they have to sit in a tent in a storm. They all get back safely with no major problems. Geological events on the planet mirror political events on the space station. It's a nice idea, but a bit contrived.

I found the later parts of the book mildly enjoyable. Once an event or two actually happens, there is a certain amount of tension and interest. Cherryh writes so well that she almost manages to conceal the essential emptiness of this book.

But in the end I asked myself a few questions: Was I moved? Inspired? Challenged? Well entertained? Did the book have anything interesting to say about human nature or human potential? About nanotechnology? Was there any sense of beauty or wonder? Did I have to think? Was this future world unusual or interesting? Did the plot have any unexpected twists? Did I care about the characters, or about what happened in the end? Will I remember anything about this book in a few months time? The answer to all these questions is unfortunately 'No'. Dire thought, as CJ likes to say.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars cerebral SF with numerous (too many?) concepts to ponder, June 1, 2004

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Forge of Heaven (Cherryh, C. J.) (Hardcover)

Two galactic empires overlap at the remote Concord Station that orbits a wasteland orb. Nanotechnical war between humans from Earth and beings from the Ondat Empire fought here and devastated this tiny seemingly worthless planet and its station because the antagonists realize the strategic value of the outpost to observe the edges of the enemy. Ages have passed since the maelstrom of HAMMERFALL ended in an uneasy "cold war" peace, but not before rapid nanoevolution seeds were created.

Observers from Earth, the Outside, and the Ondat keep close tabs on the planet through implants to those made immortal by nanotechnology. Hero of the previous war, Marak tries to keep the fragile peace. He has succeeded with help from former Outsiders Ian and Luz, and Gene War refugee Ila.

The calm ends when an Earth ship carrying Ambassador Andreas Gide arrives. Rumors abound that the visit has to do with an allegedly leaked nanotechnology; a technology that Earth prefers remained quarantined to this orb while the Ondat are a bit looser on the research escaping the area. Is war coming once more with this barren rock again to suffer the consequences?

Fans of cerebral science fiction with numerous concepts to ponder will appreciate this deep look at a cold war on the verge of turning hot. C.J. Cherryh uses the first part of the novel to develop concepts involving the future of science, war, and to a lesser degree politics. The second half moves back and forth between action and further development of the author's message. Readers who enjoy contemplating complex concepts will appreciate this profound tale in which action takes a limiting role to Ms. Cherryh's postulations.

Harriet Klausner

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good Cherryh psychological journey, August 31, 2005

By 

Amy (Pennsylvania, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Forge of Heaven (Cherryh, C. J.) (Hardcover)

I enjoyed this book very much. In response to readers complaining about slowness, I'd like to point out that Cherryh books tend to have action within psycologically-driven plots. This is one of the ones with less action than some (The Cuckoo's Egg or The Paladin) but more than others (if I recall correctly, Hellburner and the Fortress series have much longer stretches of introspection.) Just like Down Below Station, there are perspectives from many different sides of the story - different factions on station, and on the planet.

If you're looking for sword fights, read the Fortress series, The Paladin (my personal favorite), or The Cuckoo's Egg. If you're looking for more action, read the Foreigner series. If you've read them all, and you're looking for another good book from an excellent writer, this should do it for you.