Customer Reviews

Highway of Eternity

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

 

 

This final book of the master was a joy to read. Here, he returns, one last time, to many of the favorite topics, characters, and settings of so many of his other books and stories. All in one book you have time travel, alternate dimensions, robots, a vast brotherhood of friendly aliens, a very dog-like wolf (ala City), not to mention many other familiar elements. It is all contained in a very complex, skillfully woven, unpredictable narrative.

It is fitting that that this book should address the issues of immortality, eternity, and the purpose of life. After all, it was written only two years before the author died (peacefully and in his sleep.) You find immortality achieved by means of fields that hold time at bay, by artificially becoming points of pure intellect, by evolutionary means, by intelligent machines, etc. There is also the understanding that mankind has infinite potential to grow in intellect and understanding. Indeed, it is clearly stated that without consciousness and understanding the universe would lack meaning. That is the ultimate purpose of all sentient beings- to give meaning to the universe.

This is a mature, thoughtful, science fiction novel. It is not an old style shoot-em-up space opera, though it does have some pretty good killer monsters in the pay of sinister aliens from the future.

All in all, I found this novel to be an excellent capstone to a distinguished career. The old magic never dimmed. I actually postponed reading this book, for I knew that there would be no more coming after I had finished this one....

Clifford Simak (1904-1988) wrote a masterpiece, "City" (1952), two remarkable sci-fi novels "Way Station" (1963) and "Highway of Eternity" (1986) and many good short stories and novels.

Here we have his last published novel that is a compendium of the author's major themes. He packs in a single volume: robots, aliens, a gentle wolf, a unique family, time travel, irresistible temptations to humankind and parallel universes.

Some passages express, what I think, are Simak's deepest convictions regarding human evolution in a cosmic perspective.

The story starts showing a cluster of very different characters that will be coming across each other and giving a special dynamism to the novel.

Sceneries change from present to far future and far past; from ordinary space to "eternity"; from an English farm landscape to purple alien deserts.

All these traits force the reader to be attentive to shifting characters and landscapes in order not to loose track of what's going on.

The tale is constructed as a mosaic that will gain significance as the plot progresses to a coherent end.

I recommend this book to sci-fi lovers. Do not let it pass by!

Reviewed by Max Yofre.

"He lay flat on his back, looking at the glittering points in the sky. he was content to watch. Up there, he saw the final phase of the human race. As segments of pure thought, humanity could survive the extinction of both time and space at the end of the universe. The intelligence of man would remain untouched in the emptiness and would persist forever. But persist for what? He tried to conjure up what might come, if anything could, after time and space were gone. He could think of nothing." from Highway to Eternity

The subject matters that are ruminated upon in "Highway To Eternity" by Clifford Simak, his last book incidentally, will not be unsettling to readers familiar with his other novels. New readers will, I suppose, be at first somewhat mystified then perhaps startled and finally, hopefully, inspired to seek out his other books.

Clifford Simak published 26 novels over the period 1950 - 1986. "Highway To Eternity" is his last novel published in 1986. The author died two years later at age 84.
On the surface this appears to be a convoluted "time travel" escapade interspaced with extensive metaphysical ponderings. Add to that an assortment of gruesome extraterrestrial aliens, dimwitted robots some mystifying beings, well, what results is a fine story but more to the point a suitable coda to Simak's novel-length works.

An extensive plot summary would not be very helpful so I will digress and outline some of the more relevant themes pertinent to not only this story but to many other Simak novels. These ruminations are based upon my readings as an admirer of the author.

ROBOTS - Robots are biologically created and almost identical in appearance and function to human. They are equal to humans in intelligence and believe that their eventual destiny is to be completely equilivent to human beings. There is some conjecture that they will replace "real" humans as "the" evolutionary entities on Earth. There is one major distinction: they cannot reproduce and seem to be emotionally stunted. Their role is usually one of a very intelligent helper, co-worker or servant, which they seem to accept without any introspection. Robots play a major role in several novels and are minor characters in several others.
TIME TRAVEL - Shifting through time is a common event in some novels. There is hardly any discussion as to the how, it just happens. In some cases the "mechanism" is stolen or provided by aliens or is an action performed voluntary or involuntary by an alien being from an advanced civilization. The event of time traveling is used primarily as a means to propel the plot and not a subject of deep introspection.
CRIPTIC BEINGS - In many books a supernatural, almost, god-like being plays a role that is critical to the story. The reader must usually, ultimately, decipher just who this entity may be, although there is almost always speculation as to its origins and motives.
MANKINDS FUTURE - Several books are deeply speculative concerning the evolutionary role of "intelligence beings" on earth particularly when there is interaction with alien beings.
NATURE - The author assumed a reverential attitude towards nature, primarily as it occurs in the American mid-west. In "Highway To Eternity" two humans speculated that after millions of years man has come to an evolutionary dead end and that intelligent trees will become the earth's contribution to the destiny of the universe.

I am lifelong reader of science-fiction/fantasy, an admirer of Simak's works having have read many of his 26 novels. However I claim no unique insights or privileged knowledge or association with Simak. My goal here is only to encourage individuals who are attracted to thoughtful and entertaining science fiction, and yes fantasy, to read the novels written by Clifford Simak.

A solid and well crafted story. Journalist Boone (Simak was also a journalist) has a unique ability to "walk around a corner" and find refuge outside the space/time continuum, but only in moments of mortal danger. Henry is a "ghost", a botched halfling human conversion to an incorporeal form of life. Enid, Emma, Timothy, David, Horace are a family of time traveling misfit rebels on the lam from the far future, seeking refuge in 17th century England in bubble estate while trying to figure out where humanity went wrong. And "Horseface" is the last of an alien species seeking to create a device for traversing space and time out of his ancestral imagination, only he needs a human in the form of Enid to help.

Boone is asked by his friend Corocan to investigate a mysterious client (Martin) who has been asking questions about the past. Corocan can see "around the corner", but cannot go there on his own. They come across Martin's traveler and are lead into the past, first to the 17th century, then to a prehuman North America of 50,000 BC, eventually leading to the titular Highway, a grayish expanse who's origins are a mystery.

The story elements are superb. Simak is a master at this and he expertly advances the plot while weaving provocative concepts into his tale. The pace is slower than some of his earlier work and he uses the technique of devoting each chapter to the perspective of a different character.

The weakness is in the relationships between the characters. There is supposed to be a love story between Enid and Boone, but the best the author can do is to have Enid fall into Boone's arms. The "family" is somewhat dysfunctional, but this is largely shown by references and apologies for their bickering - more showing rather than telling could have been employed. On the other hand the bond between Boone and the wolf flows seamlessly as do the revelations about Horseface. So rather than a perfect 5 I'd rating this just under 4.5.

What I do enjoy about Simak is how fluently he introduces new ideas. The motifs regarding speculations on the end of humanity, galactic civilization and the quest to assert meaning in the universe are both classic and yet unique. Recommended.