In this bestselling novel by the authors of THE MOTE IN GOD’S EYE, a massive comet breaks apart and bombards the Earth, with catastrophic results: worldwide earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, thousand-foot tidal waves and seemingly endless rain… With civilization in ruins, individuals band together to survive and to build a new society. “A MEGATON OF SUSPENSEFUL EXCITEMENT … which should keep … readers going non-stop, cover to cover” – Booklist.
“A work in the grand tradition … even the miracle of Sensurround may be inadequate to convey all the imaginative reverberations.”
– Los Angeles Times
“A ‘Disaster’ thriller of rare quality … for its expertise and the scale of its apocalypse … Strings out the suspense almost unbearably.”
– John Barkham Reviews
“The first satisfying end-of-the-world novel in years … an ultimate one … massively entertaining.”
– Cleveland Plain-Dealer
“Take your earthquakes, waterlogged condominiums, swarms of bugs, colliding airplanes and flaming what-nots, wrap them up and they wouldn’t match one page of LUCIFER’S HAMMER for sweaty-palmed suspense.”
– Chicago Daily News
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I devoured this book while on holidays in the UK last Christmas. It’s one of the classics of disaster post-apocalyptic fiction and probably one of the earliest examples of the genre, having being written in the 1970s.
It definitely stands the test of time, an incredible, detailed story that really only starts at the end of the world as we know it.
Definitely worth your consideration.
If you like end of the world, disaster, apocalyptic books you have got to read this one! this was the 1st book like this I had ever read ( I think in the 80’s?) and it has some great ideas in it if something like this happened. Made me really think about things. LIke how society can break down adn people can go really feral. Lets hope it never happens but wow it was a really good read.. I read it many many years ago. It took me 3 starts as its slow to get started and back then I was too fast to put it down and give a book a chance, but wow when it does it’s a can’t put it down kinda book and a big book too! I loved it. This is one of the few books I’d read again and I do not read books more than once but very very rarely and there has to be many many years between adn the book has to have been damn good.
Its an exciting read! In a real tragedy, who’s prepared and who can share what they know to further our civilization. Who will think only of himself?
Lucifer’s Hammer was written by famed science fiction author Larry Niven and long time collaborator Jerry Pournelle. Published in 1977, it tells the story of how a comet impact would affect the Earth.
“Most of the scientists said it would miss us. Most of the scientists were wrong.
Comet Hamner-Brown slams into the Earth, obliterating all of Europe, the eastern and western coasts of the US, Africa. China takes this opportunity to launch a devastating nuclear attack on the USSR. Within minutes, the civilisations of the Earth crumble, and anarchy reigns.
In one corner of the United States, a small enclave of survivors fight to keep a flickering ember of civilisation alive. But first they must face a renegade cannibal army led by a maniacal preacher. Hammerfall was just the beginning…”
Lucifer’s Hammer is a huge novel, with an eye-poppingly vast cast of characters. As a result it is somewhat sprawling and it takes some effort to manage all of this in your head. But if you can, you’ll be glad you did as all the disparate strands of the story are pulled together at the climax of the book. In fact the format for this story worked so well, the authors would use exactly the same template for their alien invasion novel, Footfall, eight years later. But that’s not to say this book isn’t without its flaws.
The main problem with the story is its lack of a clear protagonist. Is it Tim Hamner, the millionaire amateur astronomer who discovered the comet? Is it Harvey Randall, the documentary producer? There is an argument for either. Or neither, as sizeable sections in the book ignore both characters. So this lack of a single main character is a problem, but not a critical one.
The pace is very slow, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but the reader has to accept they’ll be in it for the long haul. Chapter after chapter goes past as we are gradually introduced to each character in turn, long before the comet actually strikes the Earth. But when it does, the excitement levels increase dramatically and you’ll start to appreciate that you’ve stuck with it.
I should also point out that this book was first published over four decades ago, so the reader has to suspend disbelief and put him or herself in the mid-nineteen seventies, with everything that entails. The science was top notch at the time, and I appreciated the meticulous detail the writers went into. Some of those scientific assumptions are a little dated now, but it has to be said, not as dated as the misogynistic attitudes portrayed in the book. This was the seventies, when men were men, women were women, and ne’er the twain should meet – except in a passionate embrace. It was a different time so if that kind of thing is likely to offend you, I’d give this book a miss (and do yourself a favour and never read I Will Fear No Evil by Robert Heinlein – old rich guy wants his mind transplanted into a female body, basically so he can fondle his own boobs. odd).
Lucifer’s Hammer is a decent, solid story that does a creditable job of describing the effects of a large comet impact. Characterisation is a little lacking, but the major set pieces and descriptions are worth the entrance fee alone. If you can be patient, and can see past (or even revel in) the seventies backdrop, the book will pay dividends and you’ll be glad you did.
One of the best. I have read this many times, and have enjoyed it each time.
Even though I write post-apocalyptic fiction, I can say without qualification that this is my favorite end-of-the-world book. Niven and Pournelle made a remarkable writing team, as they showed over and over again, and I so dearly wish they’d written a sequel to Lucifer’s Hammer.
Not brand new, but still a helluva fun read. Don’t skip this one!
As Ends of the World go, there is no beating ‘Hot Fudge Tuesday’!!
Lucifer’s Hammer has been in print for quite a few years but it probably influenced and set the stage for my writing style when I started The Jesus Ring, Shadows, and my next two novels.
The book was published in 1977 and,of course, the scenes were from that period. An apocalyptic read about a comet called Lucifer’s Hammer. The chances of the comet hitting Earth were billions to one, millions to one, etc. etc. till it actually hit. The aftermath of the comet strike and the destruction of civilization is exceptionally realistic and believable.
It both defines the end of the world through cataclysm and treats it in a realistic tragic way. It is a time capsule for the era it was written.
This is a gritty, dark look at human nature, when we are at our worst, fighting for survival and trying to maintain some semblance of humanity. You have to be smart to survive after an asteroid strikes the planet but, at the same time, there are instances where there is no replacement for some brutal negotiation on the other end of a gun. A great read, with some chilling moments that leave you wondering, “What would I do in that situation?” Highly recommended!
The rating is more like 3.5 than 4, but I’m giving it the benefit of the doubt, seeing as to how it’s over 30 years old and probably set a few trends in it’s day.
Like most older books, it’s takes it’s sweet time on buildup. Which is actually something I think many modern books are missing. They spend so much time on ACTION RIGHT NOW that they forgo the build up and character development.
The meat of the story involves the aftermath of a giant meteor slamming into the earth. Millions die, there are massive shortages everywhere, and some people degenerate into savage killers and cannibals. The build up makes it more visceral when it does happen, and it goes from a slow, but not boring, beginning, into a page turning middle, and rides a high wave right up until the end. When the problems at hand are solved so neatly and abruptly, I thought it must be a ruse, a trick that would prove to be a false hope. But no, after spending most of the book on building up to a final confrontation…everything just ends succinctly. Not a bad read, but I was really hoping for more.
Probably the first end-of-the-world book I ever read and still one of the best.
Excellent team effort.
While we have seen several big budget asteroid/meteor movies recently, either averting total disaster or minimizing it, here is a look at the science of what could happen, what it would do, how it could be survived and the long term effects, all presented in a realistic, gritty manner. Well researched and thought out.
Scary case of what if