World at the End of Time [Import] [Hardcover]

Frederik Pohl (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Ltd (February 20, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0002239701
• ISBN-13: 978-0002239707
• Shipping Weight: 0.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Science back in science fiction, February 29, 2000

By 

Michael Battaglia - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The World at the End of Time (Mass Market Paperback)

A fairly decent book that is now out of print, this has to have some of the wilder science fiction ideas that I've seen in a novel thus far that are backed with actual science as opposed to pseudo-scientific babble. More ambitious than Ringworld, hey, anyone can make a giant metal doughnut, how about moving an entire solar system around and describing what the relativistic effects are going to do to the inhabitants? All right maybe it isn't especially innovative but it's darn entertaining. Basically there's an omniscient intelligence out there goofing around and basically causing most of the plot catalysts in the book. The actual plot concerns a group of colonists, especially Viktor (who is fairly cool and not all that flat a character, except for his rather disturbing obsession with an older woman, but he does get better by the end) who is there for the entire book and the effects that Wan-To (the intelligence) has on them. The funny part of this book is that the groups never meet each other, not to disappoint anybody who wants to read the book but if you're expecting some kind of long philosophical discussion between Wan-To and Viktor get that thought out of your head because it never happens. If you want something similar go read "Sailing Bright Eternity" by Gregory Benford which has a conversation along those lines. But you really don't miss it, Pohl gives us enough of a meaty plot to sink our teeth into and his extrapolations are fairly interesting. The only other gripe I have is that the book left an angle open for a sequel by being totally open ended but I can't see Mr Pohl resolving the ending in more than fifty pages. Maybe a short story is in the works for one day to tie up the loose ends? Maybe? All in all, highly entertaining thought provoking stuff for the scientist in you.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A moden day masterpiece!, July 18, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The World at the End of Time (Mass Market Paperback)

Frederik Pohl has succeeded and I consider this the finest piece of work I have yet to read of his.

One of the previous reviewers states that the characters are flat and impersonal. I don't agree. One of the primary characters is a star and therefore its thought process and motivations are bizarrely non-human but not flat. The other main character I found to be a view point character and filled this requirement perfectly.

Truly an awesome book and I recommend it with no reservations. For those of you interested in Frederik Pohl's works find out more at thoughtline.com. Thoughtline is debuting the first ever web page dedicated exclusively to Frederik Pohl in late Summer of 1999.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Mr. Pohl , when will the sequel be out?, July 26, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The World at the End of Time (Mass Market Paperback)

Of the 286 sci-fi books in my library, this has been the second most read