The Harvest [Hardcover]

Robert Charles Wilson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1, 1992

As he watches his friends and family transform into immortal beings after expressing to the Traveller their wish to live forever, Oregon physician Matt Wheeler begins to suspect that the Traveller and his kind are up to no good.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

The first aliens to contact Earth, mysterious beings called the Travellers, bring the gift of immortality to those humans who choose to accept it--and the price it exacts. While most people leap at the chance to live forever, even at the cost of their humanity, a few hold on to their mortality and find themselves the inheritors of a strangely transformed future. This latest novel by the author of A Bridge of Years (LJ 8/91) combines expert storytelling with a thoughtful exploration of the bond between mortality and the human condition. A good choice for most libraries.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 394 pages
• Publisher: Spectra (December 1, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0553091239
• ISBN-13: 978-0553091236
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.8 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,199,898 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Wilson does a good job with this story., September 20, 2004

By 

John Howard "jrh1972" (Jacksonville, Florida) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Harvest, The (Mass Market Paperback)

I've read a few other books by Wilson, and I liked them all, so when I saw this one, I was hoping this would be good too. I was not disappointed. Wilson does a good job of telling a difficult story.

The most impressive thing about this story, I think, is that it doesn't really make a lot of judgements. The story focuses on people who decline the Travellers offer of immortality, but it doesn't give the impression that they are any better than those who accepted the offer. It also doesn't fall into the boring cliche of the benevolent aliens who save us from ourselves. It does a good job of presenting both sides without making any assumptions about which is right or wrong, or whether either is. This makes for a much more enjoyable story, and I think that is what I like most about Wilson's books overall, is his ability to stay away from tired cliches or predictable endings.

The only thing that really bothered me about this story was the way the people ascended to the "Greater World" leaving only their skins behind. I wondered why only their skins would be left behind, I didn't get the impression that they needed a physical body at all in the Greater World, so why wouldn't the whole thing be left behind? It seems that t was just the skin only for purposes of dramatic effect for the story, which I thought was a little lazy. But that was a fairly minor point, overall, it's a good story, with good characters that you could really feel for having to make tough decisions in an incomprehensible situation.

I will continue to look for more by Wilson, as he is becoming one of my favorite authors, and this book is definitely worth reading if you can find it.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Harvest, February 25, 2000

By 

Heidi E. Fronheiser (Ohio, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Harvest, The (Mass Market Paperback)

Why are all the best books out of print? And why didn't this man get some sort of award for this book? It was an old topic explored in an original way. I read this on a road trip from Ohio to Florida, and I will tell you, I hated when I had to take my turn driving. I could not get my mind off of this book from page one until the end. What an excellent storyteller this author is!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Good One- If you can find it, September 24, 2004

By 

furioustyle77 (Portland, OR United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Harvest, The (Mass Market Paperback)

Like RCW's more recent "The Chronoliths", "The Harvest" explores how regular people deal with cataclismic changes to planet Earth, this time in the form of first contact with aliens.

The purpose of the alien visitation is left a little unclear; are they truly benevolent in offering humanity eternal life? Or is it a bait-and-switch, a 'harvesting' of all intelligent life on Earth? Wilson rightly avoids giving us all the answers, leaving higher meanings to the imagination of the reader. Well done.

Wilson has many strengths as a writer, all of which are on display here: Very realistic characters, some clever ideas, low sentimentality and avoidance of smarmy cliches, and finally, an intelligent yet quick writing style. I plowed through this book.

I especially liked the way the aliens made contact with us humans. It's not what you would expect, but it is very easy to believe.

If you like the more recent Wilson books, this one is worth tracking down.