Customer Reviews

The Inverted World: A Novel

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book is listed among David Pringle's top 100 sci-fi novels, and deservedly so. The story immediately captivates, as Priest introduces us to the large moving vehicle-structure called "city Earth". The vehicle is continuosly moved upon rails, through a series of winches and cables, and the tracks are laid as the vehicle progresses. The permanent residents who live inside are organized into many guilds, each responsible for various functions vital to the community's survival. The reader is only gradually given hints about the seemingly strange world that is the setting, and only gradually learns the reasons why the vehicle must continually move. A fascinating and thoroughly enjoyable book, this story keeps you guessing about the nature of reality until the very end.

Imagine an encapsulated city trying to survive in a strange world where mysterious "optimum" is moving and the city has to keep moving on it's tracks trying to reach it. Every natural obstacle in this unfriendly environment has to be solved and the city has to keep moving or else... People in the city refer to the landscapes ahead as "the future" and to the landscapes behind as "the past." Everybody is working hard, for the optimum must be followed at any price... Is the ending of the book (which is one of the best endings in SF) going to reveal the real truth? What is the real truth anyway? The one you perceive? Or the other one, the one you can't see...

Hey you guys that loved Ringworld, Dragon's Egg or A Mission of Gravity, you will be HOOKED by this one! A REALLY original alternative world, VERY nicely hidden under a bulk of myth and a secretive guild system. Sociology - B+; Mathematics - A; Physics - B. The ending is the only minor flaw, but after all the real thinking starts after reading...

First published over 20 years ago, Inverted World remains fresh today. Priest reminds us that our universe, our concepts, and our very being can be adversely altered by mass distortions of perception. Full of adventure, this novel is well worth the effort to find.

I was looking for The Glamour and noticed unfortunately that most of Priest's books are out of print...how sad, as most are truly original. I then noted that The Inverted World had only been reviewed 4 times and wanted to add my thoughts. READ IT. YOU WON'T BE DISAPPOINTED!

I first came across "The Inverted World" in a SF collection of short stories many, many years ago. Th funny thing is that the ending was very different and to be honest a lot more plausible than the one in the full length book which does require a great leap of faith.

Having said that this book totally sucked me in. I read it more or less straight through (I can't remember the last time I did that with a book) and then I read it straight through again (never done that). I am surprised that there has never been a film but there again Rendevous with Rama hasn't made it to the silver screen yet either. Priest builds a quite plausible little world out of a completely implausible situation.

This is one of the best books I have read, with a unique story ...

I discovered this book in the library. I read the first few pages and was captivated. Christopher Priest will introduce you to an impossible world - and make you believe it.

Years later, the book was out of print. I searched the internet to find a copy. When I got it, the book did not let me down, though I already knew its secrets.

Probably the finest sci-fi book I have ever read.