Customer Reviews

The Hammer of God

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(13)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Just to declare my interest up-front, I'm a professional astronomer who observers comets and asteroids and has observed quite a few asteroids of the type that could impact the Earth. That's why I bought this book!

I've read a number of books that use well-aimed comets and asteroids to bring universal doom - it's a subject which has been well-exploited in the last few years. Some books, like "Lucifer's Hammer" (by Larry Niven & Jerry Pournelle) are far superior in detail, although set in the present, rather than Clarke's far future. Compared to some of the books that I have read, the Hammer of God was disappointly light-weight.

What I will acknowledge it the future setting which Arthur C. Clarke invents and which is far more interesting and realistic in many senses than the Earth-impact part of the plot.

I'd settle for Rendezvous with Rama over this book any time. I enjoyed the read, but as light entertainment. It isn't one of Arthur C. Clarke's great books, but it's fun if you don't take it too seriously. Frankly though, I don't understand the multiple 5-star reviews that appear above.

First of all, this is a light, but interesting story about an asteroid heading straight for earth. By light, I mean not a bloated, boring look at all the technological aspects of such a story. I like Clarke for his "hard" science fiction. I also like his concise style. I thought some of the background on the main character was a bit dull, but I agree that the second half is more interesting. I was also hoping for more on the environmental effects of such an encounter with an asteroid, but all in all it's still a worthwhile read.

I loved this book! Clarke takes a different approach in Hammer of God, switching from technological forecasting to sociological brainstorming, and hits one out of the ballpark. His predictions are hilarious; Christianity and Islam merge into a single religion! On the surface his ideas seem absurd, but a quick glance at the front page of your daily newspaper suggests that Clarke's ideas might be closer to reality than one would like to think. The only thing about Hammer of God I didn't like was that it was too short! I know Earth will be saved, but Clarke creates such an interesting social panorama that I want to know more.

There's no doubt Arthur C. Clarke is a master of the sci-fi genre, especially when it comes to 'hard' sci-fi. I rank '2001,' the Rama series and even 'Fountains' among the true classics of modern literature. That said, Clarke fell far short of his own high standard in 'Hammer'. The plot consists of a re-hash of the doomsday asteroid scenario popular today (although he conceived it in the 1970s). There is minimal character development. The writing style (brief, 1-page snipets resembling news bulletins) produces boredom, as I kept waiting for some real action. Finally, the end is simply atrocious, and utterly predictable. Some commenters have stated they enjoyed "learning some science" from this book. I would respond that even the scientific background is lacking, and there are much 'harder' comet stories out there.

For those seeking end-of-the-world-from-an-asteroid stories, I recommend 'Lucifer's Hammer,' another tale set in the 1970s but one which thoroughly explores the concept and aftermath. Try Clarke's other novels, but steer clear of this one.

This is probably the quickest reads ever. If you just need something to kill an afternoon or something to amuse you on a plane flight, this is it. I dont recommend this be your first Clarke book. Like the last reviewer stated, its not as complex or structured as well as most Clarke works. There are several interesting ideas in this book but when it comes down to it, this book does little to fully capture you. But in no way was this a poor read, just a quick one.

This is my second novel by Arthur C. Clarke and this book was not bad, but it wasn't as good as other science fiction novels that I have read. "The Hammer of God" would have been much more enjoyable if it was cut down to the size of a novella, or even a short story. The book is very, very heavy on science, which is a wonderful thing as I learned a lot. But ultimately, the book is not as good as it promised to be. Hopefully rhe following will give you an understanding as to why I feel this way.

This novel takes place in 2110 in a future that is very possible. An asteroid that is about the size of the state of Colorado is flying towards Earth and if nothing is done to stop the asteroid mankind on planet Earth will probably be no more. Captain Robert Singh and his crew on the space shuttle "Goliath" have been given the task to steer the asteroid out of its course towards Earth. This plot is very interesting and fun but it takes a very long time to finally get to the good parts.

The whole novel starts off well and Clarke is a very skilled writer so the book is a pleasure to read because of his writing skills. However, during the first half of the book all that you read about are scientific facts, which are fun, but it gets to a point that you want some action and you are not getting any. That is why I think that the book would have been much better if it was cut in half. If this was done their still would have been lots of science in the book and the plot and characters would have been more focused on.

One great thing about the book is all of the scientific facts that are present in the book. You mostly learn about astronomy in the book, but you also learn a little on subjects such as physics and geology. The novel is mildly entertaining but don't go into this science fiction expecting a tour de force. A loyal fan of the genre would mostly enjoy this book. The book is fun when you get to the plot, but if you want to be entertained from start to end steer away from this.

Happy Reading!

The story of what has happened and what could easily happen again.

An asteroid, loosed from its orbit, is sent hurtling towards the Earth. Below, humanity plies one scheme after another in an effort to avoid extinction.

Though this ground would come to be heavily traveled, this novel was one of the first major sorties into this area.

And as can be expected from the man who helped give us 2001: A Space Odyssey, Arthur Clarke delivers an excellent tale of the efforts made by man to avoid his own demise.

For those who've given this book negative reviews, I would suggest that when reading an Arthur C. Clarke book, one come with an appropriate set of expectations.

If you approach the work with an expectation of great character exposition or flourid prose, you should probably head for one of the traditional literary masters like Ernest Hemmingway. But if what you want are great descriptions of the actual mechanics of what would be involved in...say...preventing global oblivian than this is the place to look.

From his description of where these heavenly bodies can be found to what actually could be done to prevent diasasters associated with them, Clarke is top notch.

In fact, I probably would have preferred a book where he focused even more on these aspects of the story. When, for example, he predicts the rise of new religion mixing Christianity with Islam, one finds themself noticeably wishing for the story to return to its more exciting territory. Similarly, when he briefly discusses his characters and their lives, one also finds their mental eyes glazing over.

But on the whole, it's still an Arthur C. Clarke book and it's still good.

I highly recommend this book.

Arthur C. Clarke has earned his place among the best of hard SF writers - maybe first place. This story shows why he's the best. Others have addressed the chance that some meteor might swing towards earth, at least the equal of the one that killed the dinosaurs. When Clarke tells the story in his own way, it takes on a nightly-news kind of reality that's even more compelling than the swashbuckling adventure story another might have written. That understated style, coupled with the soundest science in science fiction, really brings this story to life.

What I like so very much about Clarke's style is also what I dislike about it. He treats his human protagonists with equal detachment, somehow missing the fire that would make passion real. Captain Singh's divorce and thoughts of his estranged son seem oddly blank, as if seen through the flattened affect of a badly chosen anti-depressant. The flame of other life and death moments comes through the same way: illuminating, but wholly devoid of warmth.

Although I enjoyed reading this, I might not come back to it. I certainly can't imagine it being made into a movie. At least two asteroid-busting movies came out after this was written - even if less scientifically plausible, they conveyed a lot more excitement and drama.

-- wiredweird

Clarke's use of short chapters adds to the breakneck pace of this book. Clarke's use of genuine science has always struck a chord with me. As a result, I read his books not only for recreation, but for the learning experience which usually accompanies them. The subject matter has received recent exposure with a pair of films regarding the approach of an asteroid, so it's interesting to see how Clarke handles it. The only negative? I thought the characters were a bit flat. Otherwise, if you like Clarke, give this one a look.

This novel is written in some kind of documentary format rather than on the classical novel style. It looks as if Mr. Clarke just pulled together a series of notes. There is even science facts on the subject at the begining of several chapters. However, if you are a fan of hard science ficction or if you like the "rocks hitting Earth" genre (just like me), you are going to like "The Hammer of God".

The plot is clever, but if you read "Lucifer's Hammer" and/or "Shiva Descending", you may wonder whether this is an updated version, specially of the latter. Even in the religious aspects, you will find some resemblance with the previous novels. In the hardcopy version, Mr. Clarke recognizes he might have been unconsciously influenced. The main difference with the previous novels is that this one was written after the end of the cold war, after the Alvarez' paradigm (Dinasour Extinction theory), and just before we witnessed SHL-9 hitting Jupiter, which makes the theme and the plot not so much of science fiction anymore.

If you loved this novel, I recommend you read Lucifer's Hammer (7) and Shiva Descending (9). There are also some good science fact books too on this subject (Check Asteroid: Earth Destroyer Or New Frontier? (10).