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Title: Shiva Descending by Gregory Benford, William Rotsler ISBN: 0-8125-1690-7 Publisher: Tor Science Fiction Pub. Date: 15 March, 1992 Format: Mass Market Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $6.99 |
Average Customer Rating: 4 (7 reviews)
Rating: 4
Summary: Excellent. Entertaining.
Comment: Thoroughly enjoyed this book! The characters are well developed, the science is good and it is well written. A mountain size meteor is approaching Earth, and Earth has one shot, actually two, to try and do something about it. The story goes at length into how different countries and cultures deal with the situation and how US politics and world religions (both old and newly formed as a result of the impending doom) address the crisis. There is the usual love interest, as well as competition amongst the astronauts involved. The science is solid and interestingly presented through various characters. One cannot help but draw comparisions to Deep Impact and Armageddon, this story is far superior to either of those two. The book is only a little dated because it draws upon the US/Russia mistrust, space competition and nuclear weapons... but that does not detract from its enjoyment.
Rating: 3
Summary: Somewhat uneven, but it certainly has it's moments
Comment: 3 and 1/2 stars actually. "Shiva Descending" gets high marks as a book far ahead of its time as far as meteoric "space disasters" are concerned. Written long before the topic became vogue, Benford and Rotsler do a creditable job describing what life would be like if Earth was threatened by an impending disaster of global proportions.
Unfortunately, it takes the authors too long to get to the "good stuff" and that's the main downfall of this novel, IMHO. The selection of the astronauts assigned to save the world is interesting enough. And so are the frequent depictions of the smaller meteor strikes in advance of the main astral body known as "Shiva". Benford and Rotsler's view of worldwide paranoia, religious zeal, and sexual depravity in reaction to this pending catastrophic event is disturbing at best. But... probably not too far from the truth if a disaster of this proportion ever threatens the earth.
This story becomes more uneven as the authors try and describe how world governments would react during a situation like this. Would world leaders be shallow enough to take their own lives instead of attempting to save their countrymen? Would a US President turn to debauchery and apathy instead of trying to be a leader? (The analogy of a banjo-playing President and Nero, his violin, and a burning Rome definitely came to my mind as the asteroid got closer to Earth.)
The other main complaint that I have is that there are so many characters introduced in this novel, that the authors can't really do justice to character development. In particular, I would have really liked to have seen Brother Gabriel's character developed a little more.
As an earlier reviewer pointed out, the last third of the book is riveting. You'll be on the edge of your seat as the book takes a few twists and turns before arriving at it's (expected) ending. It should be noted that this book is often given credit for spawning movies like "Armageddon" and "Deep Impact". It should also be noted that like most books, the novel is superior to the film version(s).
Should you read this book? Yes. It is well-researched and imaginative. Is it one of the best of the Apocalyptic genre' books? No. I would recommend instead ... "Rift" by Walter Williams, "The New Madrid Run" by Michael Reisig, or "Earth Abides" by George Stewart.
Rating: 4
Summary: Flying Mountain
Comment: "Shiva Descending" is the genesis of movies, "Deep Impact" and "Armageddon" --- a huge, mountain-sized asteroid is going to enter the earth's orbit and destroy the planet. The big-daddy asteroid is accompanied by a "swarm" of smaller asteroids that are hitting the planet causing earthquakes, tidal waves and huge destruction. The main asteroid designated, Shiva, is discovered eleven months before its projected impact.
How does the earth's populace prepare for this devastating event? On balance, not well at all. NASA and the military are the only heroes, our government gets a grade C, organized religion rates a D, and the general population flunks. Pandemonium, lawlessness, strange sects and anarchy reign. As Shiva nears Earth's orbit, the level of civilization declines drastically. The only hope for humanity is if the massive asteroid can be deflected away from earth. Enter NASA and the astronauts carrying a bomb load that would make Anola Gay look like a peashooter.
More than a nodding acquaintance with astronomy and physics would add to the enjoyment of this book. The technical passages are many and sometimes too long. The male characters are well delineated, surprisingly so for this type of book. The anti-hero, Carl Jagen, is particularly complex; he creates tension whenever he appears. The females, with the exception of the clear-eyed astronaut, are pliant, ...... ravenous, and servile. The story contains a few dead spots, but provides a rousing, spot-on finale when the astronauts do battle with Shiva in space. After barely retaining my interest in the opening passages, I was riveted by the last third of the story. Grade B-
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Title: The Rift by Walter J. Williams ISBN: 0061057940 Publisher: Eos Pub. Date: 04 April, 2000 List Price(USD): $7.99 |
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Title: The New Madrid Run by Michael Reisig ISBN: 0965124010 Publisher: Clear Creek Press Pub. Date: October, 1998 List Price(USD): $6.95 |
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Title: Earth Abides by George R. Stewart ISBN: 0449213013 Publisher: Fawcett Books Pub. Date: 12 September, 1986 List Price(USD): $6.99 |
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Title: Alas, Babylon by Pat Frank ISBN: 0060931396 Publisher: Perennial Pub. Date: 01 April, 1999 List Price(USD): $11.00 |
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Title: Eternity Road by Jack McDevitt ISBN: 0061054275 Publisher: Eos Pub. Date: 01 April, 1998 List Price(USD): $7.99 |
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