Lucifer's Hammer

By: Larry Niven, Jerry Pournelle

Narrated by: Marc Vietor

Length: 24 hrs and 32 mins

Publisher's summary

The gigantic comet had slammed into Earth, forging earthquakes a thousand times too powerful to measure on the Richter scale, tidal waves thousands of feet high. Cities were turned into oceans; oceans turned into steam. It was the beginning of a new Ice Age and the end of civilization.

But for the terrified men and women chance had saved, it was also the dawn of a new struggle for survival - a struggle more dangerous and challenging than any they had ever known....

©1985 Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle (P)2009 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

"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)
"Massively entertaining." ( Cleveland Plain-Dealer)

This Story Doesn't Know Where to Begin or End

I really struggled to finish this. The way the summary is written, the comet impact is past tense, the actual story takes 3 hours to get to that point. Those 3 hours are full of character development and human weakness subplots. Half of them can be removed. Once the comet hits, this gets good. Real good. At the end however, the climax is followed by a revelation that mankind needs something the survivors didn't want to fight for, and honestly, I didn't want to listen for...

Thought provoking

This book really made me think about how such an event would impact me and mine. And it left me feeling very unprepared for such a cataclysm. Thoroughly enjoyable and well narrated. Also, quite long--worth it.

Great storyline

Enjoyed the book very much. Lost a star due to the weak ending, other than that it was very compelling and I could not wait so get back in the car to hear what happens next.

Great But Dated

This book gives you an appreciation for the conveniences and security that come with civilization. However, I had had to pretend it was the 90’s and forget the last twenty years to place myself in the story, which wasn’t a horrible exercise. However, someone who didn’t grow up without the internet might find it difficult.

one of my favorite listens.

intriguing story. have listened to it several times and something new always catches my attention.

Timeless!

I, like many others here, read this book 30 odd years ago. As some have stated, it is a bit sexist and uncouth by today's standards, but it was befitting of the time is was penned. It is no secret that we, as a society, have come a long way in our thoughts and beliefs since this book's original release, but that doesn't make it a bad story. It is very well written and I found it just as exciting and suspenseful now as I did when I was 16 years old. The characters are very relatable and getting lost in their lives is quite easy. None of us knows for certain what our world would look like if we were struck by multiple large space rocks, but we can speculate and that's exactly what this story does with beautiful eloquence. It is worth your time to give it a listen and dive into the world of Tim, Maureen, Harvey, Eileen and countless others that you will grow to love and their struggle to survive in a world reshaped by initial impact, tsunamis, floods, fires and cannibals.

Flashback to 1970s Sci Fi and to being drunk

Yes its a classic and yes its a ripping read as the world is coming to an end... But re-reading this now after so many years I have to admit what stood out for me was how there is so much discussion of alcohol in this book. Every other page someone is drinking... Ok aside from the prudish admonition... Its a story which if you are into apocalypse stuff is great fodder... Moreover if you happen to be an amateur astronomer like the protagonist then I suppose its even more required reading... For being the first of its kind and because it was on sale I would say go ahead and order it... but dont pay full price!

Be Prepared!

You have to love Conspiracy Theory to like this book and I confess, I am. Well let me temper that with the fact that I 'like to be persuaded' and that when I am, I can see how silly I am.
There is much plausable in this book if and when a Hammer does turn up on our doorstep. Our social fabric is woven into the role of constant supply of all things that matter from food to electricity and when that fabric breaks, we will collapse at great speed. So seeing how people might cope is refreshing. One Second After is another similar story you might enjoy.

Enjoy this book multiple times

What made the experience of listening to Lucifer's Hammer the most enjoyable?

Interesting story line about what could or would happen to our society if comet or pieces of a comet were to hit our world. I bought this nine months ago and I am on my fifth listen. It was as good as I remember with fine characters and what would appear to be good science and a good read of politics and conflict.

Any additional comments?

I am now in the process of searching out more books by these authors

Loved it!

One of my favorite books, well read by actor. Highly recommend this listen to hard science folk!