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The Forge of God
 
 
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The Forge of God (Hardcover)

by Greg Bear (Author) "Arthur Gordon stood in the darkness by the bank of the Rogue River, having walked a dozen yards away from his house and family and..." (more)
4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)

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Product Details

Product Description

From Publishers Weekly

An award-winning SF writer of great promise, Bear has in recent years turned away from the startling, visionary concepts that made his reputation. Now, with his recent novel Eon and this new book, he is producing mainstream disaster stories that just happen to be SF. The 1990's present humanity with a dilemma when two groups of aliens arrive on Earth. The first invaders introduce themselves as altruistic ambassadors, but the second warn that their predecessors are actually unstoppable planet-eaters who will utterly destroy the world. The American president accepts this message as the ultimate judgment and calls for fervent prayers to appease the Forge of God. Meanwhile, military men plot to blow up spaceships, and both scientists and lay people help the second alien race preserve Earthly achievement. SF readers may wonder where the earlier Bear has gone, but others should enjoy this smooth, professional performance.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From Library Journal

The disappearance of one of Jupiter's moons, the appearance of "little green men" in Australia and the American Southwest, and the sudden presence of unidentifiable objects on a collision course inside the Earth's core add up to the inescapable conclusion that the Earth has been invaded by an enemy it cannot fight. Powerfully and gracefully written, the latest novel by the author of Eon and Blood Music stands far above most examples of "doomsday" science fiction. Recommended. JC
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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Arthur Gordon stood in the darkness by the bank of the Rogue River, having walked a dozen yards away from his house and family and guests, momentarily weary of company. Read the first page
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Customer Reviews

19 Reviews
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4.4 out of 5 stars (19 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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3.0 out of 5 stars Great plot, weak writing, Jun 27 2004
By A Customer
This review is from: The Forge of God (Paperback)
This is the first Greg Bear novel I've read. And the story he writes is a frightening one. The Earth is undergoing an alien invasion from "unseen" aliens, i.e., aliens who stay hidden and let machine proxies interface with humans. What the human race does to enounter the aliens and fight back comprises most of the book. The plot itself is engaging and interesting, even though there are a few points where the story plods a little.

One of the irritating things about this book is the number of minor characters that come and go without adding much to the story. I also have to disagree with a couple of reviewers about the level of sentimentality - I found the book at times to be overly maudlin. Yes, we are dealing with a very heavy subject, but the repetition of some themes or certain thoughts going through the characters heads was overdone. Finally, I had a problem with Bear's writing style. It felt like it was written by a college undergrad. There's very little style to speak of. There are a number of other Sci-Fi writers (Niven, Stephenson, Simmons) whose writing is really a pleasure to read.

But on the whole I would recommend this book, especially to fans of movies like "Independence Day", or "Day The Earth Stood Still". This is a thought provoking book that will certainly make you appreciate the planet more. And I do plan on reading the sequel, "Anvil of Stars" at some point.

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4.0 out of 5 stars Armageddon 2?, Jun 22 2004
By "digitalstuntdouble" (Johannesburg, South Africa) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Forge of God (Paperback)
Greg Bear doesn't do things in half measures and when it comes to this book, that's no exception. Between it's covers he explores the minutae of human emotion and interaction and the grandness of planet wide destruction (by means of a weapon a bit more plausable than the Death Star). Although the story isn't that long from a time span point of view, Bear manages to pack a lot of punch into it through the use of multiple story lines (which don't always interact - a possible down side for some readers) and a large cast of characters. Bears attention to detail, is as usual, brilliant. From descibing formal protocol for alien interaction (and autopsy) to giving a brief glimpse of the Internet (this book was written before ARPANET opened up to the world in the form of the Internet). For people who liked the movie Armageddon, this book is for you. For people who like things to be tied up neatly at the end and could do without the pyrotechnics, this book might seem a bit of a long read.
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5.0 out of 5 stars Superbly realized. Extremely disturbing. (SPOILERS), May 10 2004
By John Briginshaw (Huntington Beach, CA USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Forge of God (Paperback)
(SPOILERS) This has to be one of the most convincing and well-executed end-of-the-world fantasies ever written. The physics is very believable, the characterization is good (although there are a lot of characters to worry about!). The description of the end of the world, viewed from Yosemite National Park (among other vantage points), is so well done that I went back and reread it. And it saddened me again. If Greg Bear's vision is accurate, then the Universe is a dangerous place. Brrrrrrr!

Some beautiful touches. The US President's "Fire and Brimstone" attitude curtails humanity's ability to respond to the threat. The scientists studying the problem argue about attribution of the research into the imminent end of the world - as if it will matter! The bad aliens two-pronged attack on the Earth's deep oceans and core - ouch. The only quibble I had is that the motives of the "good aliens" (who attempt a rearguard action to save representatives of Earth and its cultures) are not exactly clear. But it was nice to have some hope at the end of the book!

Highly recommended.

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 		 Most recent customer reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Very exciting and very readable book
When I started to read this book it seemed rather boring and slow. First few chapters go into the lives of the main characters, introducing their family and feelings, giving some... Read more
Published on Jan 15 2004 by chunky monkey

4.0 out of 5 stars takes you there
This is a fascinating book by an author who consistently draws the reader into an intricate universe that any reader can enjoy. Read more
Published on Dec 17 2003 by J. Stover

4.0 out of 5 stars A credible novel about a really sad difficult topic
This is the first book I read by Greg Bear and I have sought him out consistently after this. This is about people on our planet finding out that their world is to end, and how... Read more
Published on Mar 9 2003 by mobiusklien

4.0 out of 5 stars Bye Bye Earth
Bear is great at coming up with grand ideas to write hard SF around but sometimes the execution lacks a little to be desired. Read more
Published on Feb 5 2003 by C. Baker

4.0 out of 5 stars Good hard SF, fast-paced and intelligent
An enjoyable read, hard to put down. Not quite one of his best, but if you like Bear, well worth it...
Published on Sep 28 2002

3.0 out of 5 stars Not as hot as I thought
This book tells a good story, except for
loose threads that hopefully are resolved
in the sequel. I felt something changed
toward the end and my interest wavered. Read more
Published on May 22 2002

5.0 out of 5 stars A shocking, exhilarating read
One to buy and read over again, together with the very different sequel, "Anvil of Stars". One of my favourite authors.
Published on May 15 2002 by MR MARK DOWLING

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome Book
I am so picky about the books I read, and even more picky about recommending one. This is a suspensful, scary book. Get it.
Published on May 7 2002 by DanTanna

5.0 out of 5 stars simply the best
It is very hard to call a book simply the best at what it is. To often the book is simply one reader's opinion (mine). Read more
Published on April 14 2002 by papaphilly

4.0 out of 5 stars Morbid Sci-Fi at its best.
Being a big fan of Greg Bear, i went into this book with high expecations. Very quickly i was impressed with the story that began to unfold before me. Read more
Published on Mar 3 2002 by Ken

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