I really enjoyed this book, but I'm giving it 3 stars because an honest an unbiased review would find it lacking against better science fiction, both past and present. The reason I love it so much is that it thrilled me when I read it as an adolescent, so reading it now takes me back there and is like spending some time with an old friend.
The premise is excellent - both frightening and exciting. Watching the literal destruction of the only world mankind has ever known, all of our familiar places, our families and friends and knowing that you are one of a few individuals who form the vanguard of the human race and its only hope for future existence. Exciting because of the opportunities that await with a whole new world to make your own in any way you wish.
The execution is not bad, but the prose and a lot of the attitudes and culture are dated and will likely jar or even offend many who would read it today. It can be fun, though, if you want to approach it in a healthy and curious way, to compare and contrast our sensibilities and scientific knowledge against that of the early 1930's, when this book was written. I found it surprising that the authors seemed to have a reasonably solid grasp of technologies that had not been realized yet, or were just being discovered. They took those rudimentary technologies and moved them forward in a reasonably believable and surprising way.
Ignore the dated attitudes and writing style, and settle down in a pleasant place and let yourself be drawn into the story, and I think you'll find it a pleasant read, especially if you like classic science fiction.
- Series: Bison Frontiers of Imagination
- Paperback: 379 pages
- Publisher: Bison Books; 1St Edition edition (October 1, 1999)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0803298145
- ISBN-13: 978-0803298149
- Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 0.8 x 8 inches
- Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
- Customer Reviews: 116 customer reviews
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Amazon Best Sellers Rank:
#597,899 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #72703 in American Literature (Books)
- #38340 in Science Fiction (Books)
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