Gregory Benford expands Arthur C. Clarke's novella, Against the Fall of Night, into a novel-length adventure set billions of years in the future about human destiny among the stars.
Beyond the Fall of Night
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From Publishers Weekly
One of Clarke's early novels, Against the Fall of Night , has long been recognized as among his very best; the tale of a young man's need to escape from the limits of the last cities on Earth, it combines the author's scientific know-how with his yen for mysticism and metaphysics. This new book unites the first volume with a sequel penned by noted scientist Benford ( Timescape ), whose work has often been compared to Clarke's. Benford's story takes place many years later: Earth is now under siege by the "Mad Mind," a being of pure mentality created by a much earlier galactic Empire. Cley, last of the seemingly primitive "Ur-humans," initially refuses to help Alvin, Clarke's hero, in battle. But she begins to view her role differently with the aid of Seeker, a furry "raccoon-creature" whose species avows "a respect for evolution and one's place in it." Although Benford's unflagging inventiveness will both delight and outrage fans of the original work, ultimately the sequel proves a let-down. Benford seems hindered by having to emulate Clarke's simpler and less contemporary style, and ends up using a number of tangential events to explore his own scientific concerns. Science Fiction Book Club main selection, Literary Guild and Doubleday Book Club alternates.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Library Journal
Alvin of Loronei, the lone child amid the immortal adults of the last city on Earth, seeks an answer to why humanity abandoned space and consolidated its holdings in one great city of beauty and stagnation. His curiosity leads him on a journey to the ends of the Earth and into the forbidden realm of the stars, where a long-imprisoned enemy awaits a final confrontation. Coauthored by two talented sf veterans, this sequel to Clarke's Against the Fall of Night (1946) is highly recommended.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
This is a real page turner. If you are into sci fi, this is the book for all of you!
By "klcutler"
Format:Mass Market Paperback
Having read some of Gregory Benford's work, I was greatly disapointed by "Beyond the Fall Of Night." His attempt to spin an addition on Clarke's short novel was a blunder. It's astonishing that he didn't pick up on an essential point of Clarke's original story, and proceeded to write himself into the ground, like an aircraft with no Glide Path. More surprising was that Clarke allowed this to be published. I wondered if he even reviewed works like this.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
2.2 out of 5 stars
24 reviews
20 of 20 people found the following review helpful
2.0 out of 5 stars
Clarke's half = 4 stars, Benford's half = 0 stars
May 12 2002
By Craig MACKINNON
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Mass Market Paperback
Arthur C. Clarke was the man who popularised the term "the technology of an advanced culture will be indistinguishable from magic." The best science fantasy writers know this - George Lucas and Asimov make no attempt to explain lightsabres or positronic brains. And Clarke, of course, makes no attempt to explain the technology of an isolated Earth city 2 billion (or thereabouts) years into the future. Instead, the first half of this book gives us an entertaining and light voyage through a society stagnated by immortality and robot-assisted ease. When Alvin, the first child born in thousands of years, rebels against this society, we are taken along for the ride. He learns that his city of Diaspar is not the only community left on the planet, and he makes further discoveries that are fun to read about.
This part of the book is a reprint of Clarke's Against the Fall of Night, which was written early in his career and shows it. It is fast paced (perhaps to a fault), and we're surprised at the naivete of all the characters at one time or another. However, it's fun for a light read and recommended.
The second half, written by Benford, is supposed to be a sequel, but bears absolutely no resemblance to Clarke's work. There are a number problems. Firstly, only 2 characters from Clarke's work survive, and they are relegated to supporting roles. Secondly, Benford makes the mistake of focussing on technology that is built 2 billion years in the future. This technology is used to fight the superbeing known as the Mad Mind, an energy-based species without physical form, but it's inherently silly to pit airplanes against a mental force. Finally, the "good" mentalic creature, Vanamonde, is ignored, even though its purpose from the first story is to fight the Mad Mind.
Thus, as a sequel, Benford's work is a disaster. Unfortunately, read on its own merits, it is no better. The main character is chased around and exposed to situations she doesn't understand, and she grows angry and frustrated at her experiences. We, as readers, share her anger and frustration. In the end, all that happens to her is a tour through the solar system. It's a whirlwind tour, however, so we are simply bombarded with images and it becomes boring.
I can generally rate books based on how long it takes to read them. The first half took a few days. The second half took a few weeks. Even television was more interesting! Therefore, the only reason to buy this book is if you can't find Against the Fall of Night by itself. If that's the case, I implore you - stop at the end of part 1!
17 of 17 people found the following review helpful
1.0 out of 5 stars
Disappointing
Jun 8 2002
By Bill Boumphrey
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Mass Market Paperback
'Against the fall of night', and 'City and the Stars' were one of the best stories ACC wrote.
It is a pity that Mr Benson didn't read either of them.
'Beyond the fall of night' takes some of the characters of ACC's book and reduces them. In fact, he appears to change so much of the original story that it is virtually unrecognisable. I find it difficult to believe that this is an 'authorised' sequel, since it contradicts much of what is written in the first book. The packaging of the book (putting the original in with the sequel) means that the contradictions are glaring (how come the moon was restored to completeness when it was destroyed by the weapon at Shalmarine?). The magnificence of the original novel has been lost in a hodgepodge of characters, ferris wheels and a pineapple spaceship. What?
Not recommended for anyone who has read the original. I think it was a mistake for Mr Benson to write this novel, and a mistake for Mr Clarke to let him.
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful
1.0 out of 5 stars
Beyond the Fall of NIght
Feb 8 2003
By Colin Ruthven
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Hardcover
Both Against the Fall of Night and The City and the Stars are wonderful stories, beautifully written
Gregory Benford's "sequel" is incoherent mishmash. I kept jumping paragraphs hoping the story would get clearer. It didn't.
Forget this book entirely and get the original Arthur C Clarke story (Against the Fall of Night) combined with The Lion of Comarre.
I've never read a Gregory Benford story before and this turned me off so much I don't plan to read another.
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2.2 out of 5 stars
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