Customer Reviews

Forge of Heaven (Cherryh, C. J.)

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

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.

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

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.

I had thought I wrote a review on this story the when I read it for the first time, the day it came out. In any case...
This is far from my favorite C J Cherry book...
Which is to say it is a very good book, just not one of the top twenty books I've ever read.
Ms. Cherryh is in my opinion the greatest writer living or dead when it comes to culture, and world creating. In this story there are three which are dealt with. Primarily, there is the culture of a quarantined space station, what would make life worth living for young adults in a place where there is no real struggle or getting out. The moral of the story seems to be the role of art, (strangely in this story the art of personal appearance), in society. There is a typical Cherryh disdain for how politics always get in the way of good and talented people doing the right thing.
Secondarily, the culture of the planet below is dealt with, including the immortality of the protagonist of the previous story.
And finally, the outside universe is dealt with as the paranoid who are afraid of what they don't understand.
So if you don't want a story where you have to think, then this is not a story for you. Of course if you don't want to think, C J Cherryh is probably not the author for you. Try Koonts. Or maybe Matthew Reilly, (both are authors whom I enjoy) depending on how you don't want to think. However if you want to explore the "what if" side of human interaction, and the shades of gray in character, this is one you might enjoy. I did.

I read Hammerfall a year ago. I enjoyed it greatly to no end. I looked forward to the sequel. I looked for it immediately and waited anxiously for the next installment. As soon as Forge of Heaven appeared in stores, I got a copy. I looked forward to seeing what had happend to Marak and Hesta, their children and friends. To see how their relationships had evolved through the years. I was so disappointed with this book. I skipped through most of it. If I wanted a tale of a spoil brats misadventure, I'd look at the WB. The citizens of the station were dull and untinteresting. I can't beleive this book was written by one of my favorite authors. I won't give up on her though, I'm still looking forward the the next installment of the Foreigner series. Hopefully, I won't be disappointed again.

Forge of Heaven is the second novel in the Gene Wars series, following Hammerfall. In the previous volume, the Human Commonwealth developed a layered defense against genetic and nanotech contamination, with Earth itself at the heavily protected center. Around Earth were the almost as well-protected Inner Worlds. Surrounding these were the Outsider Worlds, where gengineering and even nanotechnology was practiced routinely, but with heavy safeguards; among the Outsider Worlds were the four Ruined planets, where runamuck genetic diversity had caused great devastation during the Gene Wars. Beyond all these, at the border with ondat space, was Concord Station, where Earth, the Outsiders and the ondat have been monitoring the recovery of Marak's World from the devastating Hammerfall.

For a while, the Outsider Worlds achieved autonomy from Earth after their abandonment by the mother planet during the Gene Wars. However, Earth has reasserted her rights to dominate all human space and now appoints the governors of each Outsider planet and Station, except Apex. However, the Outsiders elect their own Councils, as well as the High Council at Apex, and thus effectively restrict the power of the home planet.

Ila is the only survivor of the Movement. Even after fleeing to the Refugee, Ila controls a powerful inventory of biological and nanotechnical agents and has been using this capability to reform and rebuild the hammered Marak's world. One of the benefits of such genetic engineering is a greatly extented lifetime; thus, Ila is probably the oldest living human, with a lifespan of close to a millennium. With all this experience to draw from, and her expanded lifespan, Ila is capable of implementing very longterm plans. Concord Station exists primarily to prevent Ila from gaining total control.

In this novel, centuries after the Hammerfall, the Planetary Office on Concord Station is still monitoring the Hammerfall survivors and their descendants. Marak, Hati and some of the young men are trekking across unexplored territory to observe the slowly eroding Southern Wall, which separates the sea from the lowlands beyond. They have come along the ridge between the Needle River Gorge and the lowlands and have reached the narrowest point. Here they make camp, set up a relay, and prepare for a heavy blow.

The next day, the fading storm is followed by an earthquake and multiple aftershocks. All the beshti, except the personal mounts of Marak and Hati, break loose from the tether-line and flee into the early morning shadows. Marak and Hati have to leave the youngsters behind in the camp and chase after the runaway beshti. The tremors have also caused leaks in the Southern Wall and it seems that the sea may break through much sooner than expected. Naturally, the runaway beshti head down toward the lowlands, where they are likely to drown if Marak and Hati don't get them turned around very quickly.

Procyon, ne Jeremy Stafford, is the youngest of the Taps assigned to Marak. The biotechnology implanted within his brain allows him to communicate directly with a similar device within Marak's skull. Procyon is excited by the current excursion and eager to vicariously tag along as Marak explores the region. However, he is pulled from his normal rotation and ordered to meet with a special envoy from Earth, Andreas Gide, who has lately arrived with only minimal prior notification.

Shortly after his arrival, Gide specifically demanded to speak to Procyon. Since Procyon works for the Planetary Office, the Earth appointed Governor, Setha Reaux, passed this demand on to Antonio Brazis, Chairman of the Outsider Council on Concord and also Director of the PO. Both men agree to let Procyon meet with the Earth envoy to possibly discover the purpose of the unannounced visit.

Procyon has an uncomfortable interview with the special envoy, who is encased in an oval-shaped machine with a highly supple armor that protects him from contamination, yet can mimic his facial expression and gestures. Procyon stonewalls the envoy on all subjects related to his job, but is astounded at how much information on his personal life is known to the envoy. As Procyon exits the dwelling after the interview, someone fires a projectile past him and breaches the shell around the envoy. Procyon pulls the confused and angry envoy from the burning machine and then wanders out the door in a state of shock.

In this story, Procyon is the center of the political storm, with his sister among the avant-garde of the station, his access to Marak on the planet, and his official contacts with the station authorities. Moreover, Kekellen and his band of suborned robots add another link, this time to the ondat. At least Procyon doesn't have to pretend anymore that he has a dull, ordinary job.

The series seems to be bringing the Earth appointed Governor and the Outsider Chairman closer together against the various Earth factions. In fact, the harsh nonreturn policy resulting from Earth's fear of biological and nanotechnical contamination is leaving Commonwealth appointed administrators on the Outsider Worlds with vested interests in the local societies, where they and their families have been essentially exiled for the foreseeable future. It seems that Earth and the Inner Worlds are politically as well as biologically isolating themselves from the rest of human space.

This series, with the craft allusions -- Hammer, Forge -- in the volume names, appears to be building toward some great work. Possibly the next volume with be called Mill of the Gods, for the series is grinding exceedingly slowly, but also exceedingly fine. If so, the next novel will probably take place several centuries after this installment.

Highly recommended for Cherryh fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of alien contact and exotic societies.

-Arthur W. Jordin

Sequel to Hammerfall, and much more satisfying on about every level. Foremost is the better situating of the setting, with thirty pages of enclopediac detail explainingn the worldbuilding of the series, and putting the happengs of the first novel in a much more reasonable and better understood light. It's a book that manages to redeem the earlier flawed work extensively, both through providing more context as well as moving the story on to a more interesting place,. Besides the invented future that we're shown here being interesting in its own right--although it is--it fuels a good layout for the intrigue of the novel. In the bureaucratic-heavy setting there's a complex interplay of station governor against Outsider world interest against central Earth control against unknown alien presence against immortal survivors from the first book. It's a dance of factions in a highly complex and enjoyable manner, particularly in the extent to which different groups have overlaping interests and different timescales. The scenario benefits from taking the issue of "The Gene Wars" in a more extensive treatment than it usually gets in science fiction. Rather than show the initial struggle between self-modifying and the group opposed to genetic change the story explores some of the long term consequences of after the latter faction has won, and the way they have to continually work to keep political stability and social coherence going. There's a sophisticated examination of the interplay of police, radicals and strategic competition, as well as the momentum carried by bureaucracies harmful and beneficial. As well, Cherryh continues to be one of the few speculative fiction authors that delivers a believable and thought out pattern of economics.

Some flaws occur. The beginning third of the novel lacks real urgency--a common issue with Cherryh's novels--and there are a couple character arcs that feel excessive to the existing story. The bratty Freethinking-affiliated daughter for instance--her escapades later force a rather powerful character moment for her father, but as an actual story it runs on too much and doesn't benefit from receiving a point of view. It's also disapointing that the aliens remain basically ciphers here. The history of their interactions gives a fair bit more credibility, but the actual nature of the species, their goals, intentions, interest, politics remain a blank slate. It's disapointing to not have them fleshed out to any great extent, to the degree that characters in-universe wonder without being able to answer what they're after. Disapointing both because I know Cherryh could deliver a fascinating picture here, and because the current form leaves the underlying situation of human intrigue fueled by fairly arbitrary alien behavior.

Overall a well plotted and at times quite intense science fiction piece. The ending third, in particular, frames some of the most effective writing I've seen from Cherryh. It also makes good use of engaging the narrative with a complex future that's very different from both the Foreigner setting and Alliance-Union.

Better than: The Warriors' Apprentice by Lois McMaster Bujold
Worse than: Destroyer of World by C. J. Cherryh

Forge of Heaven is Ms. Cherryh's sequel to Hammerfall. I'm going to open by saying that I held off on reading this book for a year and half because of the previous book (see my review of Hammerfall). However, this time I was pleasantly surprised.

As with Hammerfall, technology is pushed (nanotechnology is a focus in the book, along with a major look at the ability to "jack" into a network ala William Gibson) along with the relationship between Earthers and Outsiders (two factions of humans). As usual with a CJ Cherryh story, there are many people with different "little" stories, and as usual, these "little" stories contribute to the ending of the story.

Because of the intrigue, personal relationships, and general story telling, I was very happy with this sequel. This was more in line with the type of story I expect from Ms. Cherry than Hammerfall. A solid 4 star performance!

I only got as far as the end of chapter 3 with this book. It was so bad that I couldn't read any further. Most of the reviews here are not very helpful, because they talk about the complex political background of the book instead of what actually happens. So here, for your information and amusement, is a list of all the events up to chapter 3. Only the long political ruminations have been left out.

Chapter 1 (40 pages): Procyon - who can only be described as a metrosexual - enjoys his lifestyle. Marak meanders leisurely over the landscape. An Earth ship is making its slow way to dock. After thinking about it for many hours, Governor Setha eventually decides to say hello to the ship. Setha's wife calls him about their daughter's new hairstyle. Procyon monitors Marak meandering leisurely over the landscape. Marak camps. It looks like a storm. Procyon gets so interested in geology that his foot goes to sleep. He buys a gift for his parents' wedding anniversary - something uncontroversial that he knows they will like. He looks forward to eating some pastries.

Chapter 2 (37 pages): Setha watches some lizards in a glass tank. His wife calls again about their daughter's hairstyle. The ondat notices the ship and asks, "Ship Earth?" The linguistic experts reply "Ship Earth unclear word". We are informed that the ondat sometimes steals orange juice, lettuce, and chlorine. (No, I'm not joking - maybe that's what it eats for breakfast.) Brazis and Setha have a friendly cup of tea and agree to cooperate. Procyon visits his fashionable sister and they have a quiet conversation. Procyon has dinner by himself at a fancy restaurant. The waitress is pleasant and polite. Brazis tends his orchids and chats to Agent Magdallen.

Chapter 3 (21 pages) : Brazis tells Procyon to stay at home while the earth ship is at dock. Setha's wife is cooking dinner and complaining about their daughter's friends, clothes, hair, skipping school, and being rude to an upmarket shop assistant. His daughter Cathy is sulking and wants to change her name to Mignette. Procyon buys some groceries at the local store. He spends 29.95 on some expensive fruit because he is feeling sorry for himself about having to stay at home. On the way home a nasty man calls him 'little dog'. (Procyon - geddit?) At home, he finds that his refrigerator needs cleaning. (No, I'm still not joking.) The ondat sends him a message saying hello. He sends a message to his parents saying he can't make it to their anniversary party. Mignette/Cathy phones her friend and lies on her bed having a long teenage conversation.

Bear in mind that all this is supposed to be happening in the remote future, on a space station far, far away, in a civilization dominated by nanotechnology.

I have no idea what the author was thinking. If this was a first novel by an unknown writer, no sane publisher would publish it. It's the SF version of Waiting for Godot. Zero stars.

For thousands of years, Concord Station has hung above a desert world--an desert intentionally created to destroy mankind's aggression. Now, representatives of Earth, the Outworlds, and the alien ondat coexist in uneasy balance, watching the survivors below, interacting with them, helping them, learning for them, but most of all being careful of them. Because one of the survivors is the Ila, the virtually immortal member of the first movement--which almost destroyed both human and ondat civilizations. Others below, in ever-shifting alliance with the Ila, are also immortal, living residences to the nanobe technology that Earth fears so much.

Keeping the balance is essential for Concord Station--and that balance is threatened when an Earth ship arrives out of schedule. Aboard it, a registered diplomat demands to talk to Procyon, a 'Tap' and one of the few humans allowed contact with the immortal Marak below. The Earth Governor, and Outworld Chairman, traditional rivals, struggle to deal with this request when their entire existance comes under direct attack. Could the First Movement be loose after so many centuries? Could the Ila have penetrated the galaxy's most secure system?

Author C. J. Cherryh is at her best in stories of complex interaction, moral ambiguity, and futuristic societies that have constructed cultures that are both dramatically different from those of Earth while remaining logical. FORGE OF HEAVEN is all of these--and an exciting adventure as well. Life-threatening action plays out in the planet below and in the station above, with Procyon, the Chairman and the Governor playing the major roles (although Marak, the key character in Cherryh's HAMMERFALL is also a significant character.)

As with many of Cherryh's books, the reader needs to invest some energy into understanding the culture and background of the world Cherryh describes. Certainly in FORGE OF HEAVEN, the investment pays off. This is a good one.