Hope of Earth (Geodyssey) [Hardcover]

Piers Anthony (Author)

Book Description

Series: Geodyssey | Publication Date: May 1997

A family chronicles the story of the human triumph and tragedy as its members are reborn again and again throughout Earth's history, from Africa's Great Rift Valley to the Andes a century from now.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

As a stand-alone novel following Isle of Woman, LJ 9/15/93) and Shame of Man (LJ 9/15/94), this latest in Anthony's geodyssey series explores what makes humans human via several characters living in various places and times throughout the world's history. Based on meticulous historical research, the book paints a vivid portrait of humanity and its hell-bent rush to destruction from disease. Highly recommended for sf collections.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

The third of Anthony's Geodyssey books continues to use the same crafty device: the same few characters recur in similar relationships in different time periods--in this installment, 20. This volume's protagonists are quirkier than their saga forebears. Jes is a strong woman who yearns for a man's love but will not give up her athletic, almost masculine approach to life. Sam feels cursed to marry an ugly woman, and brilliant Ned is led astray by beautiful ones. The permutations Anthony runs on the trio's traits and fates can turn odd, especially, it seems, when one of the characters achieves some measure of satisfaction; for example, in ancient Athens, Jes takes to sea disguised as a man and then, after several "lifetimes" of frustration, finds love in the arms of her own ship's captain. As he did in its predecessors, Anthony concludes Hope of Earth with a call to ecological responsibility. Patricia Monaghan

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 416 pages
• Publisher: Tor Books; 1st edition (May 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312863403
• ISBN-13: 978-0312863401
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.3 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,274,954 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Piers Anthony is one of the world's most popular fantasy authors, and a New York Times bestseller twenty-one times over. His Xanth novels have been read and loved by millions of readers around the world, and he daily receives hundreds of letters from his devoted fans.In addition to the Xanth series, Anthony is the author of many other best-selling works. Piers Anthony lives in Inverness, Florida.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A roller-coaster ride through history, April 19, 2001

By 

Arinwalt - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hope of Earth (Geodyssy, Vol. 3) (Mass Market Paperback)

The third of Piers Anthony's roller-coaster rides through the history of humankind, 'Hope of Earth' showcases a half-dozen characters as they experience a lifetime of five million years. Why should you care about these characters? Because they are archetypes, each of their conversations and actions illustrating humanity's strengths and weaknesses. Why else? The supporting cast features the Ice Man, Boudica, Perikles, Herod, Samo, Toqtamish, and Louis XIV. Imagine meeting even one of these; Anthony's six meet them all.Conflict is important to fictional characters, and here each has a major problem to deal with: for example, one of the characters has a six-fingered hand, the natural successor to the left-handedness in the prior volume. As we have come to expect in the Geodyssey, the score of settings has lush variety. Central to the novel, and a quarter of its length, is the exploration of the war between Athens and Sparta beginning in 431 BC; other interesting locations include the Maginot Line, the supposed Great Wall of China, and the Great Rift Valley.Once molded by evolution to conquer the world, mankind proceeded to do so along Anthony's lines. His message, however, is that the world-conquering gifts our species retains may be our downfall as conquest turns to destruction. The hope of Earth is for us to learn from history and mend our ways. This splendid effort to wake us up to that task is not only inspirational but also enjoyable, and readers can ask for no better combination than that.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Most Enjoyable!!, October 25, 2001

By 

Tyler J. Ruby (Evanston, WY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Hope of Earth (Geodyssey) (Hardcover)

This is one of my favorite series by Piers Anthony. I would have to say this is my favorite book this series. I like this one because of the ancient greek references. These are wonderful books with a great story and the marvelous job Piers does weaving the characters into each of these novels, yet keep them apart as their own. These books are well worth the time and money to read and buy them. Highly Recommended reading. If you like historial-fantasy this is a series for you.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I learned more history here than in 14 years of school!, August 4, 1999

By 

"scully92" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hope of Earth (Geodyssy, Vol. 3) (Mass Market Paperback)

This is definately my favorite of the whole series. If anybody wants to start reading this series, I suggest you begin with HOPE OF EARTH first. It is the most engaging one. The characters are more involved and vivid. I must say that I enjoyed this series as much for the fiction as for the historical referrences. I have learned so many names and dates quite accidentally because this book brings history and historical characters to life so vividly! I especially enjoyed Anthony's sensitivity and admiration for women and ethinic cultures. He doesn't focus solely on Western/Anglo cultures like other historical novels tend to do and he admits that sometimes, when women run things, they are wiser than men. He brings the more obscure and less discussed cultures to readers who probably didn't get exposed to them in school. I started the series by reading HOPE first and I'm glad I did. All three are excellent, but HOPE is the most captivating. Don't worry, you don't need to read the other two to get this one.