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avid_d's review
challenging
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
lottpoet's review against another edition
challenging
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
david_agranoff's review
4.0
This is an almost surreal bizarro science fiction novel. I read it many years ago, it is not for the casual Sci-fi readers. Written from the point of view of a Alien species that developed under the ocean of their planet. If you hate Sci-fi novel that have alien liefforms that are too much like humans this is a great one to read.
el_entrenador_loco's review
challenging
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
morj's review
hopeful
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Blurb
This novel tells a story of a whole race of beings who realize their planet is doomed and they must advance their science to escape. Told as stories far apart in time, we see civilizations rise and fall as science strives to move forward despite everything standing in its way.
What I Liked
I liked the world-building in the novel, it really is masterful. These people are definitely not human, and we're just thrown in as if we already understand the world. Slowly, we grow to understand these beings and their planet. The themes of science versus religion aren't exactly new, but are done in an interesting new ways. I also found it interesting to see how characters from the future view events in their past that we've seen described.
What I Didn't Like
The episodic nature of the stories really gets old after a some time. Though seeing the world itself change kept me engaged, I found the plot of each portion somewhat predictable by the second half of the novel.
Recommendation
In many ways, this type of story telling reminded me of "Children of Time" by Adrian Tchaikovsky or "Foundation" by Isaac Asimov in terms of the time-span and the episodic nature of the novel. If you liked those, I would still recommend this one - seeing the world itself change is fascinating.
This novel tells a story of a whole race of beings who realize their planet is doomed and they must advance their science to escape. Told as stories far apart in time, we see civilizations rise and fall as science strives to move forward despite everything standing in its way.
What I Liked
I liked the world-building in the novel, it really is masterful. These people are definitely not human, and we're just thrown in as if we already understand the world. Slowly, we grow to understand these beings and their planet. The themes of science versus religion aren't exactly new, but are done in an interesting new ways. I also found it interesting to see how characters from the future view events in their past that we've seen described.
What I Didn't Like
The episodic nature of the stories really gets old after a some time. Though seeing the world itself change kept me engaged, I found the plot of each portion somewhat predictable by the second half of the novel.
Recommendation
In many ways, this type of story telling reminded me of "Children of Time" by Adrian Tchaikovsky or "Foundation" by Isaac Asimov in terms of the time-span and the episodic nature of the novel. If you liked those, I would still recommend this one - seeing the world itself change is fascinating.
reading_rainbow_with_chris's review
3.0
“The Crucible of Time” by John Brunner
This was an interesting sci-fi novel recommended to me @astephens1728 from a very different era of sci-fi. This book follows multiple eons of a species as they develop a greater understanding of their own world and the world beyond, seeking the stars and life beyond their planet. Each section of the book follows a narrator who exists in some state of liminality, between cultures and causes, a conduit for the tensions the species faces between worldly and other-wordly concerns. The result is a novel which seems to ask a question which plagues the human species still: Is it best to live in the present or to always be looking above ourselves?
Ultimately this was a well-written book, but one which is admittedly feeling its age of 38 years since publication. I thoroughly enjoyed the second half, but the first half was a very slow start and it made it hard to get into the book. The difficulty in motivating me as a reader is ultimately what makes this a three star read for me. It is exemplary sci-fi, but of a particular style which may not resonate with as many of today’s readers.
This was an interesting sci-fi novel recommended to me @astephens1728 from a very different era of sci-fi. This book follows multiple eons of a species as they develop a greater understanding of their own world and the world beyond, seeking the stars and life beyond their planet. Each section of the book follows a narrator who exists in some state of liminality, between cultures and causes, a conduit for the tensions the species faces between worldly and other-wordly concerns. The result is a novel which seems to ask a question which plagues the human species still: Is it best to live in the present or to always be looking above ourselves?
Ultimately this was a well-written book, but one which is admittedly feeling its age of 38 years since publication. I thoroughly enjoyed the second half, but the first half was a very slow start and it made it hard to get into the book. The difficulty in motivating me as a reader is ultimately what makes this a three star read for me. It is exemplary sci-fi, but of a particular style which may not resonate with as many of today’s readers.
funcharge's review
challenging
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
nelsonminar's review against another edition
4.0
Very compelling read. I like the basic theme of the inevitable march of scientific progress, the struggle of visionaries against circumstance and ignorant people. It's a good story, a race doomed to extinction by the bad luck of their planet being in the path of meteors. The repetition of events through different generations got a bit much, I think the book could have been 20% shorter without losing anything. But as a nice allegory to humans sticking their head in their sand about environmental disaster, it's good.
One side theme I really liked; the idea that the people in the book have periods of mass insanity. Brought on by famine, or deliberate fasting, or occasionally the pheromones of other insane people. A more explicit cause for a society acting insanely, I like that it was such a binary off/on thing. If only humanity were so simple.
One side theme I really liked; the idea that the people in the book have periods of mass insanity. Brought on by famine, or deliberate fasting, or occasionally the pheromones of other insane people. A more explicit cause for a society acting insanely, I like that it was such a binary off/on thing. If only humanity were so simple.
edwindownward's review
4.0
I found the opening section hard to read and came close to putting the book aside as unreadable, but noting this appears to be a kind of anthology of linked stories I gave it until section two to keep my attention. It delivered, and that kept me going through the ups and downs each subsequence section presented me with.
richardmtl's review
4.0
I read this as a teenager and loved it then. Re-read it as an adult a few years ago and enjoyed it again. I thought the "evolution of science on an alien planet" idea to be really interesting.