The Other End of Time (Eschaton Sequence) [Hardcover]

Frederik Pohl (Author)

Book Description

Series: Eschaton Sequence | Publication Date: October 1996

Sent to investigate alien signals warning of the destruction of Earth by the malevolent Horch, a group of astronomers led by Dan Dannerman is taken prisoner by aliens with their own diabolical plans for Earth, but these aliens have underestimated the ingenuity of their human captives.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

A distinguished veteran of science fiction, Frederik Pohl, was one of the Futurians, a New York City club of the 1930s and 40s that included Isaac Asimov. Author of The Other End of Time and The World at the End of Time, his latest novel features Dan Dannerman, a poorly paid government agent in the not-too-distant future. Dannerman discovers aliens on an abandoned space station and is drawn into a conflict that encompasses the universe. According to one of its protagonists, the war Dannerman blunders into centers on what "ordinary people have been used to calling 'Heaven.'" A sequel is promised.

From Publishers Weekly

It is late in the 21st century, and an Earth that has largely abandoned space exploration has just been contacted by intelligent extraterrestrials, who warn of other, hostile aliens on the way. At the same time, Joe-Dan Dannerman, a young undercover police operative, infiltrates the research establishment of his cousin to learn what she plans for an abandoned orbital observatory. The aliens have plans for the observatory, too, as Joe-Dan, his cousin and their oddly assorted company of astronauts discover when the aliens arrive. Captured by the ETs, these humans must survive their own personality clashes, alien technology and encounters with alien-made duplicates of themselves. When they are finally liberated, it is on a distant planet, short of food, weapons, medicine and knowledge, amid strife between both factions of aliens that poses a menace to humanity. The opening contains too many conventional dystopian elements; but, once the cast makes contact with the aliens, the story is conceived and executed with Pohl's usual acumen as this veteran author, who published his first novel in 1952, displays his skill at juggling ideas in the classic SF mode. The ending is oddly unresolved, unless this is the first volume of a series?which would not be bad news.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 348 pages
• Publisher: Tor Books; 1st edition (October 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 031285644X
• ISBN-13: 978-0312856441
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.7 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 2.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (36 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,964,691 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Surprisingly bad, May 19, 2006

By 

Flakker (Bronx, NY, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Other End of Time (Eschaton Sequence) (Mass Market Paperback)

Suspiciously similar in some ways to Wall Around A Star, which I found so boring I couldn't finish, this simply wasn't very good at all. Long, boring, surprisingly crude writing. Pohl's capable of great work but this isn't it. I sincerely hope that this was just a bad book and not a harbinger of further decline.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Pohl at his best, September 27, 2003

By 

Capnmax "Capnmax" (Virginia, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Other End of Time (Eschaton Sequence) (Mass Market Paperback)

Part of a true three novel trilogy Eschaton, including (The Other End of Time, The Siege of Eternity, The Far Shore of Time). This trio deals with first contact but Pohl couldn't let it be a simple aliens encounter, there are two different and of course warring alien alliances but that is as far as the "of course" goes. The leaders of earth first have to come to terms among themselves so they can choose correctly from slim, hidden and misleading evidences, which group of aliens is truthful and altruistic and which will conquer and enslave.
Besides the wonderful Sci-Fi and multitude of sentient beings there is a good study of the human psyche in captivity. Also a twist in dealing with unwanted clones; not knowing which is the original, if there is an original, which clone gets the spouse and like conundrums.
You have to stay alert to the fast pace and changing / multiplying cast. A very good read with interesting alien customs and biology's.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars i didn't hate it, October 29, 2003

By 

Ryan Thomas "Magazine Editor" (San Diego, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Other End of Time (Eschaton Sequence) (Hardcover)

But i didn't love it either. It has its moments, it has some interesting ideas, but what hurts it is the big chunk in the middle where they're all in the prison. that lasts for about 150 page, and it's pretty slow and uneventful. after that it picks up again and it's quite fun to read. I thought the alien was a little too childish looking (the ways it's described anyway) but I'll still read the next one just to find out what happens.