The LANTERN OF GOD [Paperback]

John Dalmas (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 1989

Extremely light edge wear. Very clean and tight. Great copy! Ships quickly and packaged carefully!

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Baen; First Edition edition (May 1, 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0671698214
• ISBN-13: 978-0671698218
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #148,741 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3.0 out of 5 stars A good story with a ship-sized hole, February 3, 2010

By 

Laura Todd (Oaks, PA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The LANTERN OF GOD (Paperback)

This novel was about a spy from an oppressive, invading country who goes "native" and finds his soul. This is a pretty familiar storyline (most recently seen in 'Avatar"), but it is a tale we all love. This version adds a bit of 'steampunk', as the protagonist teaches the less advanced people of Hrumma to make explosives and grenades to resist the conquerors. (Don't you wish the Incas had had some help like this?)

It was an entertaining story, especially the parts about the intelligent ocean-dwelling creatures and how they take part in the struggle. However, the book has a ship-sized hole in its concept. The hrummeans are called "droids" and are descended from "a shipment of pleasure droids" that crash-landed on the planet. Wait a sec...these droids were specifically created to not be fertile. How did they have descendants?

If there was some special rookery, vat, or factory where baby droid descendants were created...I sure wish the author would have told us! Right up till the last page I kept waiting to learn the real secret of what these people were. There is an element of mysticism in the story, with meditating "masters" and telepathic "adepts". How did 'pleasure droids' acquire these skills? Was there some prequel that I missed? Actually, the backstory on these droids and and how they evolved themselves would have been a much more interesting story than the one we got. That was the story I was expecting when I read the book jacket.

But after reading for awhile I realized I was probably going to be disappointed...that the author would just forget about one of his major premises and hope readers would do the same. And I was right!

4.0 out of 5 stars They were pleasure droids..., March 7, 2005

By 

C. Campagna "apocalyptic hunter" (Montreal, Quebec Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The LANTERN OF GOD (Paperback)

After a spaceship crashes on an unknown planet, the crew decides to jettison the cargo, which consists of androids, on a continent and to settle on another continent. Some millenia later, the two races meet.
The droids have evolved very differently that the humans. The continent of the droid is divides into four parts, Hrumma (droids with mental powers), barbarian lands and two Djez regions.
The prose of Mr. Dalmas is very easy to read. I thought that the philosophy and theology behind the mental prowess of the droids was a little too much but as the story went on, it made sense and it didn't take too much reading space.
Although there is no surprise ending, I couldn't put the book away for the last 100 pages. The story is divided in small chapters and is a perfect companion for a quick reading.
Overall, it reminds me of the Spanish invasion of South America. Fortunately, the natives were able to defend themselves better.

5.0 out of 5 stars Must read for fans of J. Dalmas, December 16, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: The LANTERN OF GOD (Paperback)

Wonderful book, Dalmas at his best. Unique Sci Fi plot is expanded into a story that you can not put down. Quick overview. What type of society would genetically engineered human clones develop if left on their own? What would happen to this society when 'normal' humans discover them? I cannot recommend this book enough.