On the Oceans of Eternity (Mass Market Paperback)

by S. M. Stirling (Author) "Dr. Justin Clemens-Captain, Republic of Nantucket Coast Guard (Medical Corps)-sipped at the thick sweet wine, mouth dry..." (more)
Key Phrases: small pockmarks, webbing harness, steam ram, Spring Indigo, Eagle People, Great Achaea (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
In the bestselling Island in the Sea of Time, 20th-century Nantucket was inexplicably hurled back to the Bronze Age. In the sequel, Against the Tide of Years, the villainous renegade William Walker introduced muskets, cannon, and other deadly anachronisms to Odysseus's Greece, making himself king and positioning himself to overthrow the democratic Republic of Nantucket and destroy his archenemy, Commodore Marian Alston. Now, in the trilogy's rousing conclusion, On the Oceans of Eternity, Walker's powerful army conquers Troy and invades Babylon, Nantucket's last great ally, as Walker's blood brother, the king of Tartessos, blocks Commodore Alston's Nantucket navy at the straits of Gibraltar. If Nantucket's tiny forces cannot defeat Walker's army and allies, the world will be plunged into a Dark Age bleaker and more devastating than any known in our history.

On the Oceans of Eternity ends cleanly, yet leaves the door open for a number of interesting sequels--and how often can you say that? Like its prequels, On the Oceans of Eternity is big, bloody, and ambitious, but always fast-paced and fascinating. This fun, intelligent series is perfect not only for action-adventure, alternate history, time travel, and military-SF fans but also for epic fantasy readers, for Burroughs and Haggard fans craving a modern update of the lost-civilization novel, and for anyone who loves Patrick O'Brian's sensational sea battles. --Cynthia Ward

From Booklist
With this book Stirling probably concludes a time travel^-alternate history saga that has met with great enough acclaim, however, to merit promotion to trade paperback or hardcover format should he continue it. The premise is that Nantucket has been tossed back to about 1400 B.C., with the Coast Guard tall ship Eagle in tow just offshore. From this, a new and different time line commences, one complicated by outbreaks of measles and smallpox, the inhabitants' shrewdness, stark treason on the part of one of the time-displaced band, thuggish genius William Walker, and the parallel introductions of diversity and women's rights with those of the steam engine and the ironclad. Readers of this book's predecessors, Island in the Sea of Time (1998) and Against the Tide of Years (1999), will find the same strong characterizations, high historical scholarship, superior narrative technique, excellent battle scenes, and awareness of social and economic as well as technological factors in evidence again. Newcomers will feel compelled to retreat to the saga's beginning. Roland Green

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 640 pages
• Publisher: Roc (April 10, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451457803
• ISBN-13: 978-0451457806
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.3 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (72 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #35,111 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not as good as predecessors, April 28, 2000

By	R. Albin (Ann Arbor, Michigan United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This is an entertaining book but not as good as its two predecessors. Overall, these books are a very successful continuation of the popular subgenre pioneered in De Camp's Lest Darkness Fall in which a contemporary American is transported to the past and changes history for the better. There are two major defects in construction of the present book. In the second book in this series, Stirling expanded considerably the geographic scope of the plot. This is understandable; who could resist the opportunity to play around with history in the Bronze Age Fertile Crescent or Myceanean Greece. Unfortunately, this meant introducing a number of subsidiary plot lines and by this volume, the parallel plot lines have become unwieldy and the book loses narrative coherence. Good editing would have been very helpful. Stirling also sacrifices some interesting lost opportunities; this book contains the historical equivalent of Ulysses and some other heroes of the Trojan War. More could have been done with these interesting characters without introducing new plot lines. The second major defect is the ending of the book. It appears that Stirling simply couldn't figure out a good ending and the conclusion is a transparent and largely unsatisfying effort to tie up loose ends. Several reviewers (see below) have commented on the schematic, pure good versus evil, nature of the principal characters. This is a fair but incomplete criticism. I suspect Stirling wished to avoid what might be termed western triumphalism. He wished to show that introduction of modern western technology is not by itself beneficial but only when driven by the right ideals. Consequently, the temporal transposition of Nantucket produces two offspring, the democratic and pragmatically idealistic Republic of Nantucket itself, and William Walker's Greek empire, a Stalinist state with the addition of chattel slavery. The latter is located, not coincidentally, in what would later become known as Sparta, the original totalitarian state. This is an attempt to be more intellectually honest than most books in this subgenre. Despite flaws, this is a superior and well researched entertainment with considerably more real intellectual content than most popular fiction. Stirling also has left open the door to sequels. These would be welcome but should be written more carefully than this book.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Densely packed and satisfying, April 24, 2000

By A Customer

Really enjoyed this one. Mr. Stirling creates a really rich alternate time line. I do have my doubts about a) how well Nantucket itself would fare if it really experienced the "Event" (I don't think modern folk are quite as resilient as those in the novels); and b) like other reviewers, I think the influence of Nantucket and its foes spreads far faster than would occur in reality.

But still, this series is a real achievement. Stirling displays his mastery of sea, air and land battle scenes (hey, a SEAL author!). I've read all Stirling's books, and he definitely has preferences for the same characters in different clothes (e.g. Alston and Swindapa compared to the female warrior couple in previous Stirling works), but I really enjoy his stuff.

He avoids the graphic qualities of his Draka series, which is both good and bad. On the one hand, some of the Draka stuff really disturbed me; on the other hand, it was being disturbed in a good way -- believable and logical in context, and you don't get disturbed by a book that hasn't successfully drawn you in. On the gripping hand (heh) I think Stirling really missed an opportunity to make Walker MORE evil -- I mean, Walker takes a main character prisoner and . . . doesn't do a whole lot with or to this person?

But all in all, a very good read. Would have been satisfied even had I paid a hardcover price for it.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Stirling For President!, April 10, 2000

By	"[e-mail]" (Warsaw, Poland) - See all my reviews

I've been waiting for this book for two years. Let me tell you, brother... It was worth the wait!

"On the Oceans of Eternity" is for anyone who likes action, adventure, women in chainmail, or boys with guns or vice versa. :) Unlike most action books, this one has plenty of food for thought and literally tons of research behind it. You will come away from this read having learned something as well as having had lots of fun.

If you are new to the series, start with "Island in the Sea of Time" then read "Against the Tide of Years". This volume brings that series to a close, in a most satisfying manner.

Unlike the middle book, this title was edited quite well, the pacing was almost perfect and the execution flawless. The ending comes all too sudden and swift for the reader's taste.

Odikweos' meeting with Arnstein was everything it should have been, the ends (and beginnings) that well-loved/hated characters met were plausible and intriguing. To be less vague would spoil the surprises in store, so read and enjoy!

//Fritz!