Customer Reviews

The Heirs of Babylon (Signet SF Q5299)

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4 star:		(3)
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This is the second novel published by Glen Cook - his first was published under a pseudonym. The book, a short 192 pages, takes place on a post apocalyptic Earth roughly 200 years in the future. The story is interesting and keeps you thinking and, like all of Cook's books, pulls no punches.

I found this book to be throughly enjoyable and rate it as one of Cook's best. It reminds me of some of his short stories like The Recriuter (Amazing, March 1977), Enemy Teritory (Night Voyages #9), and a story that likely takes place in the same "universe" Song From a Forgotten Hill (Clarion 1).

If you liked the Black Company series, pick this one up.

My only complaint is that I'd like to know what happens next.

One of Glen Cook's first published novels - although perhaps not "the first" - The Heirs of Babylon is set in a post-apocalyptic world that has not given up the fight despite having little remaining reason to fight for anything but civilization's rubble. Decades after the initial conflict, a rag-tag fleet of poorly maintained and damaged ships - a shadow of the state-of-the-art naval warships they once were - sets sail to teach the enemy a lesson once and for all. I thought there was a sort of epic doomed quality to the novel with the "last ride" of its final naval armada (have I mixed the metaphor?). Anyway, it's a quick read and worth picking up.

This is one of the earliest published novels by Glen Cook, predating dread empire and black company series and much of his prolific period in the 80's by nearly a decade; this is an awfully grim short novel, at about 180 pages of text.

The setting is a post-apocalyptic world about 200 years from now, where a small town in either germany or prussia outfits a surviving destroyer to be sent to a fleet gathering at gibraltar to attack the evil australians. The protagonist and almost all characters are crew on this ship. He must deal with a secret police (the political office), a conspiracy against them and the High Command they serve, a presumed traitor among his crew, suspected of murder, and the choices the crew faces as they draw nearer the sea battles with australia.

Structurally this book reminds me more of 1984 in the political background more than anything I have read recently; you can see a number of cook literary devices which he employs later, including the tactic of having the primary character not reveal everything he sees or thinks or plans to the reader. Even here, you see that Cook is writing 'the way people really are' and the grittiness permeates the story.

Very enjoyable read, though only available used.

Early Glen Cook yet one of his better books. Set in post apocalyptic Earth, the world war continues(slowly)despite the fact that the few destroyers and battleships left must now run on steam engines and there are very few working airplanes left.

The hero must board a battleship with his fellow soldiers to sail to meet up with the aging armada which will fight the other side one more time. Most don't want to fight any more but the KBG-like political police require them to and an officer accompanies the ship to insure that there are no deserters etc.. Will they fight and be killed or win? Will they desert or get caught by the police trying to do so?

A dark and thought-provoking yet fairly quick read. One of my favorite books by Glen Cook and I've read every book he's written. I loved the Black Company books, as well as all the stand alones like The Swordbearer and the Tower of Fear. I also enjoyed the Garrett Series and the Starfisher Series. The only Glen Cook stuff I didn't care for were the Instrumentalities of Night and the Dread Empire series.

If you like the Black Company Series and like dark sci/fi or dark future type stuff you'll really like this book. I wouldn't be surprised if it were eventually republished like some of his other books have been.