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)

Mighty fine, no matter when it was written

If you could sum up Lucifer's Hammer in three words, what would they be?

This was one of the the first serious stories depicting an earth wide catastrophe and it still stands as one of the best. The novel takes the reader form the first hints of impending cataclysm, through the apocalypse, and all the way through to the survivors trying to rebuild society. It starts out strong and stays strong all the way until ALMOST the end. At that point it becomes a little fluffy. The book was written in the 1970s and race relations as well as the role of women is a little out of date. This reflects heavily in the somewhat disappointing ending. The book seemed to need a bout 50 more pages to satisfactorily wrap up, instead it seems a somewhat abrupt ending.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No. I wanted to listen to it in 3 sittings: awaiting the cataclysm, going through the cataclysm, and then surviving the aftermath.

Written on the Moon, presented on earth.

While presenting a strong vocab and detailed plot-line this book is underwhelmingly submitted to thought by the given narrator.

Compelling story, realistic.

I found myself imagining this really happening. So sad that through such a catastrophe people would still behave as though it were an opportunity for gain. There were probably hundreds of scenarios like this in California all over the world after Hammer fall.

one of the best disaster stories ever

comet ? check. end of the world ? check. cannibals ? check. what would YOU do if .....

terrific read

great story loved it from the beginning to the end will probably read it many more times to come I would recommend this book to all my friends looking forward to more from the author

So glad I finally read this one!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes absolutely. It is a thoroughly interesting and engaging story focused on the end of the world as we know it.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Lucifer's Hammer?

Defending the citadel from the onslaught of the cult-like army besieging them.

Which scene was your favorite?

Same as above.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

SPOILER:






I was very touched when I heard that the scientist had died. He worked so hard to devise weapons to save the people and in the end he died, but he knew he would. He could not get his insulin and could have spent time trying to synthesize more from the sheep present but instead he spent all time to ensure the community would survive. I was really hoping he would have made it.

Any additional comments?

If you enjoy sci-fi or post apocalyptic literature you have to give this a listen. It is a great and timeless tale and shows just how fragile civilization can be. It took me decades to get around to it but I am so glad I finally did!

You forget you’re reading a book

The book does a wonderful job of sucking you into the story. It’s both realistic and emotionally powerful. It’s both artistic and imaginative. It was so long, yet it ended too fast. It was an adventure. I found myself wanting to be there alongside the protagonists, to struggle, and to overcome with them. I found myself developing a deeper gratitude and enjoyment of the comforts and technology of our society.

Good, but dated

The book itself was very interesting, but the race and gender relations sound very backwards to modern ears, and it concludes rather abruptly. The inclusion of quotations from source material as chapter epigraphs was very interesting and leads the reader to other possible books.

Boring

Great book but Unnecessarily long-drawn-out and boring. Could have shortened it up to Keep peoples attention and interest

Very Dated

The narrator did a great job with the book and made it very easy to listen. The story is very dated compared to today culture. You'll find yourself reminding yourself that this book was not intended for the current generation. Not so much because of what we would call 'being woke" more that we have a general mistrust of the government. Since one of the characters is a senator that gets to decide what happens to the community it feels weird. Of the book was written today aside for some of the ethnic characters you would probably expect the senator to be tarred and feathered as opposed to "deciding" who gets to join or be left out. Other than that I think the author spends to much time trying to time trying to write himself into and out of situations.