Lucifer's Hammer

by Jerry Pournelle and Larry Niven

Book Overview

The gigantic comet had slammed into Earth, forging earthquakes a thousand times too powerful to measure on the Richter scale, tidal waves thousands of feet high. Cities were turned into oceans; oceans... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0449235998
• Release Date: February 1982
• Publisher: Fawcett
• Length: 640 Pages
• Weight: 0.74 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Excellent

Great read. Right along with Alas Babylon and Earth Abides.

Just Kind of Dull

I could barely get through the first half of the book. It's very tedious and drawn out. I understand they are trying to set up the characters but the way they did it didn't make me invested in them. It picks up a little bit after the first half, but it's nothing to remarkable.

Time to say goodnight ...

Stephen King's 'The Stand' was virus, Robert R. McCammon's 'Swan Song' was nuclear, Thomas Disch's 'The Genocides' was alien plant growth, Walter J. Williams 'The Rift' was earthquake; and 'Lucifer's Hammer' is annihilation by comet. Each of these books are 'must have's' for fans of Apocalypse Fiction. The major protagonist is Tim Hamner, a rich-boy with nothing to do but indulge his fascination with the stars. Hamner, along with a young boy named Gavin Brown from Iowa, discover a comet heading towards earth. The comet, Hamner-Brown, soon becomes known as The Hammer, as scientists plot its course closer and closer to Earth's orbit. Hamner makes acquaintance with Harvey Randall, a news reporter who wants to make a documentary series on the comet. Joining with them is Dr. Charles Sharps from the Jet Propulsion Laboratories, Senator Arthur Jellison and his daughter Maureen, Dr. Dan Forrester, an astronomy Phd and computer programmer, a team of astronauts, and a dedicated postal worker named Harry Newcombe. The story centers around Los Angeles and the San Joaquin Valley, after pieces of the "calved" comet hit all across the world, causing first earthquakes and then a massive tidal wave to hit the Los Angeles basin. Senators, rich men, thieves and killers are suddenly made equal in the wake of Mother Nature. Rich and poor take on a whole new meaning in a society that suddenly has different values and different needs. Senator Jellison owns a ranch in the foothills of the Sierras, and along with his neighbor George Christopher begins to form an aftermath society bent on survival at all costs. The good points of 'Lucifer's Hammer' are the characters, the topography staying fairly true to form, the realism of many of the needs and behaviors of an abandoned society (especially the herding behavior) and the many points of view from all the different types of survivors. The bad points would be some flat spots in the prose, some outdated notions (since the book was written in 1977) and too many circumstantial meetings. All in all, this is a great book, and again, a must have for any fans of Apocalypse Fiction. Enjoy!

A brilliant tale of desperation and hope. What a book!

I just finished "Lucifer's Hammer," and, well, I'm impressed! Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle have done a wonderful job in weaving a tale of excitement, fear, devastation, fear, desperation, and hope. This is 5-star sci-fi all the way!If all you read is the first 100 pages, however, you probably won't agree with that. You see, the first part of the book is a bit slow in getting moving, but that's because the authors introduce a whole string of characters that interact with one another as the story and the action unfolds. And once the action starts, it doesn't stop. In fact, it makes you want to store some food, some water, some other things...and get ready for what COULD happen.As I started reading this book I thought to myself, this book has many similarities with the movie "Deep Impact." Was I ever wrong with that assumption! This book goes way beyond "Deep Impact." It goes beyond it in that this book is not so much about events surrounding a comet-earth collision as it is about the aftermath, and how people do or do not cope with that kind of calamity.Imagine this...world-wide cataclysmic events wipe out the major governments on the planet -- national, state, and local governments collapse, and people are left to fend for themselves. What will they do for food, shelter, personal safety, information, etc.? It's a whole new ballgame out there! The kinds of challenges described in the book bring out the best in some people, the worst in others, and trapped in the middle of everything that's happening are the characters you'll come to know quite well. The characters are, for the most part, believable, the plot development is rivetting, and the conclusion is satisfying. Do good guys always finish first? Do they even survive? Read "Lucifer's Hammer" and find out -- if you dare...The authors really did their homework on this one.5+ stars all the way for feasible, believable sci-fi. Good luck out there...Alan Holyoak

One of the Best of the Genre, If not The Best

Of all the book dealing with "THE END OF THE WORLD AS WE KNOW IT" These guys have hit upon the formula that give hope a say in the mix. Robert R. McCammon's " SWAN SONG " (an antecedent work) Draws upon "LUCIFERS HAMMER" and the King Work " THE STAND" heavily. But first there was this. I love McCammon's book, and King's; but the best , first groundwork was laid in the chapter and verse of " LUCIFERS HAMMER." The development of character is complete...brilliant.. The scenario is developed with an eye towards the ultimate conclusion. There is not a word wasted nor a picture left incomplete. As I read works of literature I often wonder who the writer knew or met and admired (or not) to draw his characters upon. More so here than most. The Science may not be flawless, there are gaps in rudimentary cosmology and physics- but fiction, science or otherwise - requires of the reader a "suspension of disbelief". This is a worthwhile read if only to see where the "Apocolypse Genre" began. I would much rather read "LUCIFER'S HAMMER" than watch "THE STAND" on television...shudder..... I had rather read "LUCIFER'S HAMMER" than read "THE STAND". And the hell of it is I like "THE STAND". I hope you will read this book and the other book(s) mentioned herein,. not because one leads to the other... but because they DON'T.