Customer Reviews

The Gentle Giants of Ganymede: (#2)

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I'm glad Hogan wrote this story. Inherit the Stars is on my top 10 favorites list, and after reading it I wanted more, and that's just what Hogan does in this 1978 sequel (second in a series). It takes off where the first novel ended and continues to challenge and explore accepted concepts of humankind. Hogan does what a Sci-Fi writer (or any writer for that matter) is supposed to do -- he takes an idea and pushes it outside the envelope. With science fiction, he doesn't just rehash a fantasy about aliens that's merely based on old familiar plots set in the future, what he does is actually push beyond what we accept as current science and beliefs and creates a plausible world and race. His aliens are unique, as only they should be, because they evolved in a different environment from Earth. Hogans characters combined with his creativity and knowledge of the aerospace industry add up to a good yarn. I wish the editors and publishers of modern Sci-Fi books and magazines would take notice of good Sci-Fi writers like Hogan.

The Gentle Giants of Ganymede is a sequel to Inherit the Stars. It isn't necessary to read the first novel to understand the second, but doing so would give the reader a fuller appreciation of the characters and setting in the second novel. The plots of the two novels, however, are only loosely connected; it would be easy to follow the story in Gentle Giants without reading Inherit the Stars. If you haven't read Inherit the Stars, however, I would recommend doing so. It is a better novel than Gentle Giants.

The "Gentle Giants" to which the title refers appear in Inherit the Stars only as a long dead (or at least long absent) race that once lived on a planet in our solar system (Minerva) that was destroyed in the distant past (the mystery surrounding Minerva's destruction is the force driving Inherit the Stars). A starship of the long-lost Giants returns to the solar system after an extended journey ... one that would take 25 million years if the effects of relativity were ignored. The Giants woefully discover that Minerva is gone and make reluctant contact with the new kids in the solar system: a species known as humans.

The first half of the novel generates some energy despite its tendency to turn into a series of science lectures, primarily focused on how the Giants manage to control gravity. An unfortunate tendency of some "hard" sf authors is to elevate Great Ideas above story or character development, and James Hogan succumbed to that temptation in this novel -- much more than he did in Inherit the Stars. The novel's second half, after First Contact is made, tends to fizzle out altogether. The story leads up to a plot twist that is probably supposed to leave the reader gasping with surprise, but it's not all that surprising and ultimately amounts to just another Great Idea. There is little human (or alien) drama in the story; it's interesting, in its own way, but not captivating.

Inherit the Stars maintained a strong sense of mystery that is absent from the sequel. While the two main characters from Inherit the Stars return in Giants, they play a relatively small role. A computer called ZORAC, responsible for translating communications between humans and the Giants, has more personality than any of the human characters. The Giants are more intriguing (they abhor conflict and value cooperation) but by the novel's second half, they are relegated to the status of tourists -- and who really wants to read about tourists? Ultimately, although the novel has its moments, it doesn't have enough of them to sustain a sense of wonder. Diehard fans of hard sf might enjoy it -- it isn't by any means a bad novel -- but it just isn't in the same league as Inherit the Stars.

I'm surprised it seems there are no reviews for this book yet. I read this book when it came out in 1983. I was electrified by Mr. Hogan's breathtaking ideas and sweeping concepts, from the origins of the human race to the possibilities of "what's out there..." No doubt I began some serious reading on these matters because of Mr. Hogan and how he inspired me -- I even did some music pieces thinking of some scenes of the book. Thanks you, Mr. Hogan. I think all young people, 15 to 25, should read this book in school sometime. After I read this, I read Inherit the Stars, and was totally amazed when Giants' Star came out. I think Hollywood got scared to do any of this material on film. It's far too large and overwhelming for that format. So read this book! This book is great fun and a great learning experience as well. The whole trilogy is one of the greatest works of this 20th Century that fades away. Lots of books will fade away, but the Trilogy will go on. Cheers to Mr. Hogan!

Perhaps the reason this sequeal succeeds whereas the vast majority of others fail is that the author took off in a completely new direction, using the first book only as a stating point. This new saga reminds one of a children's tale in both style and simplicity of language. But the story is original and even exhilirating at times. The **** was entirely due to the development of the characters, none of whom are memorable or even likeable - too cartoonish. The Ganymedes (the giants) seem more like cardboard cutouts of what aliens should be - not who they really are. I guess I found them too anthropomorphic for my taste. This book opens the way for a third one.

I bought the book "The gentle giants of Ganymede" from "James P. Hogan" on Amazon.com and received in a very good state. Of course the was not like new but that is to be expected when its more than 30 years old. I'm very happy with it.
P.M.v.Beek