Customer Reviews

The Voices of Heaven

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There are no studly, over-muscled do-gooders in this book fighting hordes of aliens or saving defenseless Baywatchesque females. The hero is a nice guy with a bit of a psychological problem and some 'real-life' problems as well. The situation, while futuristic (a space colony complete with a friendly alien race) is extremely matter of fact. This makes it a bit slow (and downright boring at times) but very 'immersive'. The main character was fleshed out well and I really felt that I knew him by the end of the story. The ending was also very interesting.

If Pohl was trying to write something different I think he achieved his purpose. I wouldn't want to read many books like this but it was a fairly fresh approach to sci-fi (although I can't claim to be a sci-fi expert). I did this book on tape unabridged and I would recommend it in this format. The narrator sounded a bit amateurish at first, but after one side of the first tape I realized he was perfect for the somewhat simple main character (narrator).

I was mostly satisfied by The Voices of Heaven. As science fiction novels go, it was highly accessible. In fact, its central story and themes could have fit easily within other genres, though the futuristic element is rendered easily and plausibly.

The story is basically one that could easily be adapted into a novel about a European colonist in the Americas - with Native Americans being substituted for the alien Leps.

Pohl writes masterfully within the voice of his intelligent but often clueless narrator. The author has a real gift for rendering characters - even fairly unsympathetic ones - as real tangible human beings. The character of Tscharka is particularly well-done - we do get a sense of his positive attributes, though they are not frequently displayed.

At its core, this is a novel about what people need in life, about religion, and about dislocation. As science fiction novels go, it is readily concrete and not at all disorienting or confusing. The storyline is consistently engaging, but not always tense.

I agree about the audio narration of this book - Johnny Heller does a fine job as the narrator.

I am pretty lukewarm after having just finished it. I guess I was craving a little more action. There were some interesting and thought provoking ideas including the 'interview' format. That said, it just didn't pack any punch. Even the way the protagonist thwarts the antagonist is very very lackluster. Overall, some interesting sci-fi concepts that could have been ratcheted up a few levels.

Pohl is a great writer. This is a horrible book. I picked up a copy of the hardcover for 1$ at a used book store, after reading half the book I wanted my money back. The plot is dull, unimagantive and boring. This book is a fight againts continual bordem to read. Pohl recounts page afer page of redunt "daily life" information. The plot creeps along at a snail's pace without any suprises. I kept reading the book in the hope that it would show some some hint of value, it never did. Simply not worth it.

What do you say about a book where the good guys are worse than the villains?

The main villain is a member of a Christian suicide cult that preaches that being alive is a sin and all human beings have a duty to kill themselves. He proselytizes for this religion at every opportunity. Despite this fact, he is allowed to become a starship captain supplying a colony on another planet. He steals a load of antimatter fuel and tries to blow up the Earth. The protagonists stop him at the last moment. Instead of executing him, they place him under house arrest and decide to give him a civilian trial and possibly psychiatric treatment. He escapes and hides in the wilderness, where he crucifies himself in an attempt to become a martyr for his religion. His right-hand-man is sent back to Earth and is given a civilian trial, which will give him the opportunity to proselytize to millions of people.

The actions of the protagonists are presented as moral and civilized, despite the fact that their negligence nearly led to the destruction of the Earth and every living thing on it and open the door for a similar disaster in the future.

This is how leftists REALLY THINK, and this is why Islamic fundamentalists are on the brink of starting a nuclear war and nobody is lifting a finger to stop them.