Customer Reviews

The Immortals

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

A fan of Hickman's DragonLance/D&D-themed work when I was younger, it was with some trepidation that I picked up The Immortals for I wondered how an author who'd written fantasy could give the attention and seriousness due the topics addressed within this novel. I shouldn't have worried.

The Immortals is a compelling and driving read, with dark yet entirely realistic imagery, a future that is entirely possible, and a look into the mindset of the American--no, the world's-- populous. The characters are engrossing. Hickman develops them with a master's touch, displaying their humanity (for all the good and evil the term encompasses) to the reader in a way that helps to put our own world into a framework that makes a little more sense. One begins to understand the power of denial, the violence that fear and ignorance foster, and the responsibility each of us must assume as human beings.

Beginning with the arrest of the protagonist's son for his infection with an AIDS-like disease, the book carries you through the father's search for his estranged son and turns into a struggle to finding meaning in the madness of society--intolerance, fear, prejudice and apathy.

The design and function of the concentration camps is entirely believable, removed from public eye and administered by a small military force shieled from scrutiny. Though set in the future, the techonology is entirely believable yet thankfully does not take the reader's mind away from the story itself. Ultimately, this is a story about humanity, and one we should all read.

I hope that this is not the last such novel by Hickman. Though his works of fantasy are thoroughly enjoyable, it is works like this that live up to the ideals of what science fiction ought to be--examining and challenging our own lives.

It's been about 3 years since I first read this book, and I have yet to forget how I felt when I got to the last page. Hickman's realistic characters and believable social structure go a long way towards the flawless suspension of disbelief. I think people who enjoy science fiction as well as those who just enjoy speculative fiction will both find something in here for their tastes. Hickman does a superb job of discussion the issues at hand without preaching directly to the reader. I just might have to read this one again for pure pleasure!

I read this book on the recommendation of a friend and found myself hooked. I work in medicine and can, unfortunately, see that this could happen...a cure worse than the disease. I was also intrigued by the theory that instantaneous feedback could lead to the end of debate and thoughtful consideration in government and the populous. I was scared, and touched by the characters ability to regain their humanity. A good read

The Immortals is a masterful balancing act between the ugly and the sublime. It shows a variety of ways that we can react when put in the worst of situations. Typical of Hickman's writing there is conflict between good and evil on an epic scale as well as internal as the characters struggle against tyranny and against their own predjudices and fears.

One reviewer said that the book had "painful character cliches (wise father/prodigal son . . ." I felt just the opposite. I felt like Hickman took cliche's and turned them around. The "wise father/prodigal son" turned into the prodigal father seeking redemption and the forgiveness of his son.

Even though the title, The Immortals, refers to the idea that "we live because we are remembered" what really appealed to me was the main character showing that we live because we choose to live. Even if we are treated like animals we don't have to become animals. We determine who we are. And we live best when we live bravely, with compassion for others, and with enthusiasm for the beauty that can be found even in the most ugly of situations. Anyone who lives that way is definitely worth remembering and emulating, even if it is just one of Hickman's fictional characters.

The Immortals is the first solo venture of Tracy Hickman's that I have read, and I was ultimately pleased with with the writing; although there were some flaws in style and plot development, that caused me to raise one eye brow slightly and ask, "Where are you going with this?"

The Characters in the book have the depth that Hickman fans have come to expect and the over all storyline is all too plausible. The interacting of characters, amazing sense of community and family, and impending doom that builds steadily towards the novel's end will have you caught in a web of emotional turmoil.

This novel was a daring move for Hickman, who's commercial success has been in the realms of Science Fiction and Fantasy. The Immortals may very well be easily classified as science fiction, but the boldness of the message within slaps society so hard in the face that I feel more inclined to classify it as realistic fiction. Remove the floating cars and magnetic force fields, and your left reading about an event frighteningly similar to the worst parts of recent human history; a history with potential to repeat itself.

So why the five stars if the writing was imperfect? Hickman put our emotions in a blender, and pureed our very souls. He left us in fear, dreadful wondering, and at the same time hope; and not just for the characters within the pages. The message is real.

I don't know if Hickman's risk in writing this novel paid off commercially. I do know that the risk paid off in ways that can not be measured, for those of us who have read this book. It's a shame that a publisher with enough courage could not be found to put this book out years earlier, as Hickman had hoped.

The reissue of this work on [...] is astounding. Tracy's natural ability of storytelling shows through in the audio production of this work. He and his wife do a great job voicing the differenct characters, and the production quality of the work is a-ma-zing...

Great Stuff.

I accidently lost my hard copy of this book and had to rush to the library to borrow a copy and finish it. Compelling, intriquing, there are not enough adjectives to describe the emotional depth of this book. As one who is often disappointed in the SF novel endings, I was satisfied with this one even though it was not a glorious salvation for the characters we had come to care about. The danger is real, and totally credible based on our historic behaviors and fears. Hickman, who should write more solo novels, made me think about my life, my priorities, my values, my prejudices in real time. This is actually my favorite kind of science fiction, that which lies just at the edge of our current earthly reality.

Having never read any of Tracy Hickman's work before, I opened my copy of The Immortals hoping to find taut, mature science fiction - the cover does brag that he is a "NY Times Best Selling Author" after all. Instead, I got a slapdash attempt to be politically correct (look! I like gay people! I really really like gay people!), literarily descriptive (start playing a drinking game with the number of references to eye color), and intellectually beyond the confines of 'mere' religion (The one bad guy calls himself "Reverend," the other spouts a sort of doomsday social Darwinism).

Given that this book was written in 1996, I'll cut him some slack for rehashing such tired tropes. But even so, the writing is generally uneven, moving from clever bits of description to overly maudlin efforts to poke at the reader's tear ducts, and he can't seem to figure out how to work exposition seamlessly into the rest of the story. There is much better science fiction than this.

I bought the book fo my wife and i couldnt put the book don when we got it.

It is an understatement to say I am an avid reader. Having read all of Tracy Hickman's previous works, solo or with Margaret Weis, I can not admit I was prepared for how this book would affect me and how I would feel upon completing it. I find Tracy Hickman's novels to be stories about the triumph of the individual spirit and about an awareness and exceptance of ones own place in the grand scheme. The Immortals is such a book, and so much more. I was completely engrossed and compelled by the story. I immediately wanted to share how I felt about what I was reading with friends and family. This is the first book I ever read where I openly discussed the story and overall message over the dinnertable (My parents don't have much use for my fantasy interest). Questions were raised and answered and a deeper understanding was reached. I thank Mr. Hickman for this opportunity to ask the, sometimes, unaskable questions and to create a story where the reader can surely share completely in the author's vision and message. By the end of the book, I must admit, words were hard to come by. Shameless plug: For more book reviews visit the Dog Pound @ 'www.geocities.com/Area51/Lair/3803' ; by Digger