Eifelheim

By: Michael Flynn

Narrated by: Anthony Heald

Length: 17 hrs and 14 mins

Publisher's summary

In 1349, one small town in Germany disappeared and was never resettled. Tom, a contemporary historian, and his theoretical-physicist girlfriend, Sharon, become interested. By all logic, the town should have survived, but it didn't. Why? What was special about Eifelheim that it utterly disappeared more than 600 years ago?

In 1348, as the Black Death is gathering strength across Europe, Father Deitrich is the priest of the village that will come to be known as Eifelheim. A man educated in science and philosophy, he is astonished to become the first contact between humanity and an alien race from a distant star when their interstellar ship crashes in the nearby forest.

Tom, Sharon, and Father Deitrich have a strange and intertwined destiny of tragedy and triumph in this brilliant novel by the winner of the Robert A. Heinlein Award.

©2006 Michael Flynn (P)2007 Blackstone Audio Inc.

Critic reviews

• Hugo Award nominee, Best Novel, 2007

"Another meticulously researched, intense, mesmerizing novel...for readers seeking thoughtful science fiction of the highest order." (Kirkus Reviews)
"Flynn masterfully achieves an intricate panorama of medieval life, full of fascinatingly realized human and Krenken characters whose fates interconnect with poignant irony." (Publishers Weekly)
"Compellingly weaves past and present together in a dialog of faith and science....Highly recommended." (Library Journal)

A good book

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Unlike Melissa, above, I thought that the most attractive part of the story was the exposition concerning the differences between medieval and modern manners of thought.

I think that the least attractive was the almost-anthropomorphism of the aliens, and as noted above, the seemingly crass modern characters (perhaps due to the way the reader read them).

I finished this book...

Which was absolutely thought-provoking and entertaining. The conceit of alien contact with a human race even more primitive than modern day creates a fascinating narrative landscape, in which the reader is twice a foreigner: we are the aliens, looking at both medieval society and its insectoid visitors with similar distance, and requiring the perspective of humans and extraterrestrials alike to understand the drama of the situation and the motivation of the characters.

While exact knowledge is not required to appreciate the story, being interested in Latin, German, theology of the Middle Ages and scholastic epistemology made this story an intriguing read. The author clearly did loving research to bring this complex story to life. I liked it a lot.

Poignant, Profound, Absorbing and deeply moving.

This story set in a 13th century hamlet deep within the Black Forest has been one of my most rewarding Audible experiences. I have been an avid reader of “speculative” and “philosophical” sci-fi since childhood and seldom have I encountered a more beautifully imagined and considered work. The central character is the priest Dietrich, highly intelligent, a thoughtful leader to his small community. When confronted with life changing events, he rises to the challenges and confronts circumstances that would confound lesser men and holds fast his people against threatening chaos. 700 years later a historian and his physicist wife become involved in the mystery that is “Efilhiem”, the thriving village that is suddenly abandoned and never resettled.
The plot is finely drawn, the narration outstanding, the conclusion poignant. Profound, moving, absorbing and informative. Thoroughly recommended, 10 out of 10.

History, science, and sci-fi

Any additional comments?

A town disappeared eight centuries ago and was never rebuilt. And it was a hub town--those around it are still there but the hub is vacant. Why? The author's descriptions of the 13th century are so detailed and moving that those of the current times seem stark in comparison. I've read far enough to know that aliens are involved--yup, star travelers that are at once more intelligent and less moral. They can't understand why a landholder would negotiate with his workers.

A New Genre? Historical Science Fiction

A company of alien travelers is stranded on Earth, but not in our time, in the 14th Century during an outbreak of the Plague. In the near future to our own time, an archaeologist and a physicist are searching for traces of their visit. Using much learning and strict hard history and science, Flynn explores the philosophical, scientific and human mysteries that surround this encounter of worlds. Highly interesting and warmly recommended.

(Implausably) Creative and Entertaining

While the author admits to playing fast and loose with a few of the historical facts to fit the plot, overall it was a good read (listen). I thought that the midevil flavor was good, but lacked the well-researched detail of Ken Follet's "Pillars of the Earth" and "World Without End." If you enjoy fiction set in this time period, you will like the historical perspective as written. I thought that the shifts to present day that occurred throughout the story would have been more smoothly placed as prologue and epilogue.

Alien encounters amid black death

Michael Flynn's Eifelheim is a tale mainly told during the Black Death, mid 14th century in a small village in Germany. A stranded alien spaceship and the crew are found by the townsfolk and although some regard them as demons (and perhaps carriers of the plague), the local priest who is well educated, treats them in a truly Christian manner. During the time they are repairing their ship, several adventures occur, but in the end, they leave, although a few choose to remain. Interspersed is a modern day story of a couple, she being a physicist and he being a clio historian studying the strange, but unknown disappearance of Eifelhiem, the town where the other tale is taking place.

Flynn does a wonderful job with alien contact both in terms of the physical distinctions and communication difficulties. But where the tale really excels is the clash of medieval science largely theocratically based and the manipulations necessary to reconcile that perspective with a more scientific basis. Intriguingly, the priest is familiar with much of the Greek and Arab views which make for interesting conversations. Overall, this is a cerebral piece, although the detective work of the present day is equally riveting.

The narration is well done with excellent character distinction and adequate pacing.

a wonderful reading of quality story

I enjoyed reading this book several years ago, and have since read most of Michael Flynn's science fiction. Anthony Heald narrates the story in a pleasantly amazing way. High Quality

Difficult

The tie in between past and present was pretty clear early on, but it took the entire book to finally have that resolved. And when it was overcome it seemed to be almost too abrupt.

BORING

I don't think I've ever written a review of a book, but I am compelled to protect other folks from buying this disaster. I am wading through this book like a man wearing snowshoes in a muddy field. This is a book that makes glaciers seem like they are galloping ice fields. Enough said.