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Lucifer's Hammer
- Narrated by: Marc Vietor
- Length: 24 hrs and 32 mins
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Critic Reviews
"Massively entertaining." ( Cleveland Plain-Dealer)
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What listeners say about Lucifer's Hammer
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Todd Bradley
- 10-28-17
I read it 30 years ago, but couldn't stand it now
I was a huge fan of Larry Niven's work from the 70s and 80s. I read this book shortly after it came out in paperback about 30 years ago, and remember enjoying it. So I recently tried to listen to the audiobook version. I abandoned it, something I almost never do.
The problem wasn't the narrator, it was the story itself. It just doesn't stand the test of time. So much of the book is setup about the characters in their normal "current day" lives. Those might have sounded realistic in the 80s. But in 2017, they sound unrealistic and really, really boring. I cringed at the sexism of the character dynamics. I was just a teenager in the 80s, so maybe adults really did act this way to each other back then. But they don't today. It was enough to take me out of the moment and forget about the plot itself.
So, I'm giving this audiobook 3 stars. When I was 17, I would've given the book 5 stars. Now that I'm in 48, I give it 1 star. So 3 is a fair average.
75 people found this helpful
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Overall
- DJM
- 07-30-09
Good story from front to back
I read Lucifer's Hammer when it first came out, and couldn't resist ordering it in audio. The authors do a solid job of storytelling. The hardest part of any end of the world story is maintaining a worthwhile story for the aftermath. Destroying the world is easy. Making the aftermath both credible and engaging is harder. Niven and Pournelle create characters with enough depth that you can care about them and they place them in credible and interesting situations. The narration is solid. As one reviewer noted, there are a lot of characters. In print, Niven and Pournelle provide a "program" at the front of their books so you can easily refer back and identify characters in the early going until you have them straight. That is missing here (it would be meaningless to read aloud.) Still, it doesn't take that long to place all the characters and the book is well paced.
It's an enjoyable listen that I'll return to from time to time. Worth the credit.
100 people found this helpful
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Overall
- J. Noonan
- 03-16-10
Very enjoyable
This was an entertaining audiobook, with a few key drawbacks that keep it from being 5 stars. First, as noted by many other reviewers, the narrator's female voices are pretty bad. They all come out sounding Southern. But I thought his male voices were well-distinguished, and the straight narration was good as well.
Secondly, the pacing of the story itself is a little strange. The entire first third is character introduction and buildup to the comet strike, then the second third is the strike and immediate aftermath, and the final section is the extended aftermath, including a kind of quick action climax that seems out of place compared to the general tone of suspense in the rest of the book. I felt the third part was rushed, while the first was too drawn out. That said, the writing is excellent throughout, and the various storylines intertwine in some unexpected ways. I put it in the same category as a fun summer action movie that turned out to be better than you expected.
39 people found this helpful
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Overall
- A book reader
- 08-26-09
Very solid book
Yes, it's a bit dated, but it's also the first book of the comet/asteroid as the end of the world genre. In that sense it's groundbreaking and definitely worth reading.
Some people may have difficulty with the first several hours up until right before the comet makes landfall. Yes, the book jumps around, but there are lots of characters to weave into the narrative. And believe me, the payoff is worth it.
41 people found this helpful
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- QUAZIMODO
- 03-06-19
Really Dated
I guess that is the problem when you go and read books released decades ago. the story overall is not bad. i didn't know Larry Niven wrote this book. I remember seeing my dad read this book when I was child.
He didn't say if it good or bad .
Well I will tell you. It is an ok read. Don't expect any masterpiece or earthshaking ( except what the comet causes) revelations (except what the profit tells you).
The end just kind of drops off. the characters under developed. The overall writing is unenthusiastic. it does not really draw in the reader.
I have not read any of the RingWorld Saga so did not know what to expect.
What I did not expect is to read other reviews. Of which was the one at the top of the list. This was a scathing review mostly regarding her personal feelings. Don't listen to ignorant people when they get on their soapbox and spout ignorance. read the book and make your own decisions.
10 people found this helpful
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Overall
- Jeff G.
- 11-28-09
Great listening
I read this book twenty years ago, and it's always been one of my favorite "Apocalyptic" novels. I was so happy to see it released as an audiobook.
While some novels of this ilk don't stand up to the "technology test of time" -- written before the proliferation of cell phones and computers -- this one does, for the most part.
Niven and Pourelle's great characterizations make this a wonderfully compelling read, and one that is hard to put down. However, there are a LOT of characters, so it may help to go to a website that allows you to "look inside the book," and print out the beginning pages that list the "Dramatis Personae." Easier to jog your memory on a long listen like this one.
44 people found this helpful
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- Ian
- 02-26-12
Half Decent
This is really a book of two halves. The first half, in which our rogue asteroid is treated as a character, given a backstory and such, details the oh-so-slow-and-boring approach of armageddon. It's not tense, it's not sweaty-palm inducing, it's just dull. Mostly uninteresting characters do mostly uninteresting things as scientist endlessly debate how close this big chunk of doom will miss earth by. Now, forgive me for nit-picking, but I really don't see the point of devoting endless pages to characters repeatedly insisting the event the book is written around isn't going to happen. I know it's going to hit; that's why I bought the story. By all means, spend a little time on such things but anything more is flogging a dead horse.
And when the comet does, finally, touch down, the book improves. The mechanics of destruction, the effect of Lucifers Hammer on the Earth are particularly well done and suitably 'wow' in their description, as are the cascade of events that follow such a massive event.
But then the book just becomes a fairly generic post-apocalyptic tale. Looting, pillaging, rape, murder, gangs, some trying to get the world back up and running and some trying to burn the last few bits of civilisation left standing. It all feels very familiar and contains, with few exceptions, very little that strays off the well worn path of post apocalyptic fiction.
The benchmarks in this genre for me are The Stand, Alas Babylon and Swan Song, two of which thread the generic end of the world story with the supernatural and are much better for it and the other, Alas Babylon, is just a better written, more interesting and more immersive tale. Lucifer's Hammer is just a bit too 'The A to Z of The Apocalypse' to warrant much of a recommendation.
The narration is good, though sometimes the narrator lacks the ability to make voices easily distinguishable, but that's a minor gripe. It's just a ho-hum story.
29 people found this helpful
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- Amazon Customer
- 05-15-18
Too long!
While I enjoy this genre this audible book is too long by two thirds. The story could have been condensed to 6-8 hours or less and you would still get the meat of the book.
This is one of those cases where the authors fell in love with their prose and and rambled extensively, creating to much depth to ancillary characters
6 people found this helpful
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- Igor Zusev
- 02-15-18
Meh
Semi standard book. I wish I had spent my money elsewhere. I won’t recommend this at all. So slow and fragmented. I wasn’t even sure what this book was really about till chapter 4
6 people found this helpful
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- Bob
- 01-21-10
Loved it!
This isn't your typical apocalyptic story. It starts out great but should have spent more time on the impact itself. It reads like 2 separate books and goes on and on. I did enjoy it but found the last 1/4 was a bit much. The story line was fine and "believable" for what happened. Regardless of all that, I'd buy it again in a minute!
13 people found this helpful
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- Tara
- 12-24-12
Best-of genre
I keep coming back to this book again and again. It's brilliantly written and a pleasure to read. The story is told from several different viewpoints and the characters all feel real and believable. The disintegration of society and way people's lives change after the hammer are well done. A little 1970s-ish in places, but not in a bad way. I expect I'll be reading this again (and again).
33 people found this helpful
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- Francisco
- 09-09-13
A 1970’s take on the End of the World
Before Deep Impact, before Armageddon there was Lucifer’s Hammer.
The novel is Crichton-nesque in its foundation in real science and level of detail; they carefully build the story and it teaches you a lot about comets/meteors and the havoc they can cause.
It was told from a 1970’s perspective; but good story telling doesn’t go out of fashion and it actually it’s a bit interesting looking back it after 40 years it ages well, almost a period sci-fi piece.
The Authors Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle are very well read and they disperse at the beginning of chapter insightful quotes from various other authors throughout the book. It helps make for very interesting reading, and I think I’ve added several new books on my to-read list.
It does start slow, but you need to have little patience while he builds the characters for you.
After the strike the second story begins, and it is as riveting as the telling of the strike and preparation for it are. It held my attention to the end.
An Interesting and satisfying read.
24 people found this helpful
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- J. K. Hardin
- 12-23-12
Flawless
Disaster fiction at its best. Lucifer's hammer spends exactly the right amount of time building toward the cataclysm, and then continues to grip the reader all the way through. A page turner, so to speak, which I find rare for a book of this length.
(Also, personally, this satisfies my itch for post apocalyptic fiction, too, with the added fun of seeing how the 'apocalypse' happens.)
14 people found this helpful
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- Amazon Customer
- 12-14-13
Post-apocalyptic entertainment at its best!
What did you like most about Lucifer's Hammer?
The story kept moving and the various threads set up at the start of the story were woven into a believable whole towards the end.
What did you like best about this story?
A solid and reasonably detailed look at how the earth and humanity would be impacted by a comet strike. A fascinating topic to me and very well written by the authors.
Have you listened to any of Marc Vietor’s other performances? How does this one compare?
No, but his performance was good compared to other readers.
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
Yes, but that was pretty unrealistic given the 24.5 hours required for that!
11 people found this helpful
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- Colin
- 12-09-13
Comet one Earth none
The film they should have made instead of Armageddon.
The story follows the struggle for survival against nature and barbarism to retain civilization, after a comet hits the Earth.
Niven and Pournelle at their best.
11 people found this helpful
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- Marc H
- 06-08-12
A book of three parts - boring, ok and good
The first third of this book is pretty boring. Once things start to happen then the next third starts to become interesting as they realise what's going to happen and deal with the initial impact.
It's the final third which gets good.
11 people found this helpful
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- Steve Hocking
- 09-13-17
A plausible account of what might happen post an asteroid strike
It's a long book that takes its time getting to anything remotely exciting. It hasn't though aged well, none of the characters are very interesting or likeable. I don't doubt that this was a major work in its day. I don't think it really stacks up to much modern comparisons. It's not time wasted but I wouldn't really recommend it. or read it again
4 people found this helpful
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- Mr
- 07-24-13
Timeless classic
Where does Lucifer's Hammer rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?
one of my favourite listens.
Who was your favorite character and why?
Harvey - trying to do the best he can in difficult circumstances
Which scene did you most enjoy?
Batlle scence at the end
If you made a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?
how quickly life can change
Any additional comments?
really good book, not dated and tackles the real issues faced by humanity after such a catastrophic event. Good characterisation and I would love to see a sequel or movie!
Book went along at good pace.
14 people found this helpful
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- MAVIS
- 04-07-13
Is this the end?
I saw this book and the narrater and knew it must be good. The many strands are woven together in unexpected ways. It is not until the last page that it all comes together and it leaves you wanting more. My kind of book. Not the armeggedon you are expecting.
12 people found this helpful
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- Garethman
- 09-04-12
Pretty good for a pre-silicon novel.
Science fiction does not usually age well, and this epic written before mobile phones, internet and laptops is strange and hard to get used to initially. But read in the same way as H.G.Wells or other historic science fiction it does pretty well. The introduction of the characters is somewhat long winded, but once the action starts it's a rip roaring listen. I liked the ideas behind the post apacalypse survival stuff suggesting how quickly humanity could return to the laws of the jungle. It has a few holes in the plot, but not enough to affect it in any great sense. Recommended.
7 people found this helpful
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- Michael Flanagan
- 02-23-14
A Classic for a reason
Any additional comments?
This book is getting a tad long in the tooth, being first published in 1977. But age has not removed the shine from this classic apocalyptic novel. If anything I feel that the age of the book adds to the story and in places makes for some hilarious reading.
All this aside Lucifer's Hammer delivers a story of a world that is in the path of a comet. Mankind knows it is coming close, just not how close. The start of the book is used well in informing the reader about comets and the science of predicting their paths. Our main characters are well grounded and we get a good feel for them.
Then the world comes to an end and Armageddon is let loose upon the earth. We watch the survivors struggle to come to terms with their new reality. It is fascinating to see how they change. Some rise to the challenge and some lapse into depravity. The plot is not a new one nor does it comes as surprise. But what makes it a truly great read is how well the author tells his tale. Also the thought is always in the back of your mind that what you are reading may one day be your reality, which in itself is truly scary stuff.
This book did leave with one question. Why the hell was it no called hammer fall.
1 person found this helpful
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- Anonymous User
- 10-13-20
Looooong.
Long. Sad. Language outdated. Worth rewriting by a modern writer. Could be an Epic both literary and Hollywood.
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- Anonymous User
- 05-27-20
A pretty good end of the world story
The narration is really good and this old time classic follows all the principles of a bloody good story with structure, interesting characters, a plot, descriptive settings, the conflict and the resolution.
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- Anonymous User
- 09-06-19
Lucifers Hammer
The best SCFI book that I ever read is transformed into a brilliant audiobook, a great read and a better listen. 5 stars
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- David
- 09-18-15
Boring, boring, boring
Slow as buggery, piss weak storyline, too many players who all do nothing. A total waste of time, how do I get my money back?
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- Kman
- 09-11-15
Terrible - The only book I have ever not finished
I am a calm person.
This book made me angry, I actually swore out a loud though shear frustration at the painful progression and boring characters. I found myself wishing the comet would come sooner just to wipe them out...it would be a kindness....at least to the listener.
I only gave it one star because I don't know how to give it zero.
Not only is this book not worth the money but I would pay aliens to delete the bits I have not been able to erase from my memory with beer.
Now I am stuck with it in my library and to this day I still get an eye twitch when I see the title....oh it can be that bad right? Wrong....it can, it takes talent to be this bad.
Mike.