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Available
Call number
Publication
FisicalBook
Description
The last survivors of humanity have just been deposited on Pandora, a horrific, poisonous planet rife with deadly nerve-runners, hooded dashers, airborne jellyfish, and intelligent kelp. The determined colonists attempt to establish a bridgehead on the deadly, inhospitable planet, but more trouble arises. Their sentient ship-backed up by an impressive array of armaments-has decided it is God and is insisting the colonists find appropriate ways to worship it. In an attempt to help the people pass its test, Ship awakens chaplain-psychiatrist Raja Flattery from hibernation. Either the humans pass the test-or the human race could be destroyed.
User reviews
LibraryThing member comfypants
Book one of the Pandora Trilogy and sequel to Destination Void. The plot (concerning a space ship with an apparently omnipotent artificial intelligence that's been manipulating (and "replaying") mankind for eons) is interesting and strange enough to keep me reading and wanting to know what would
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happen next (or where the hell this book could be going), but nowhere near as good as Destination Void or anything in Herbert's other series. I expect I'll read the rest of the trilogy just because of that where-the-hell-could-this-be-going factor. Show Less
LibraryThing member ferebend
It's a bit confusing for the first 50 pages or so and I wasn't sure I was going to like it. Turns out, this is because it's the second book in a series of four, which I only found out just now from Wikipedia. But what a fun book it turned out to be! I dare you to show me another hard sci-fi novel
A lot of of Frank Herbert's signature themes are present here. Artificial intelligence vs. humanity, religion, enlightenment/evolution and the future of the human race in the great void of space. There's also cloning, genetic experimentation, xenophobia, ecology and more. A good mix, really. Herbert is the master, of course (I'm a huge fan of the Dune series).
I can't say this is best sci-fi I've ever read. In fact, compared with other genre pieces, including those by Herbert himself, it's pretty average. Still though, a good read. I would recommend it to sci-fi fans, but not necessarily to the general public.
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where Jesus makes a cameo.A lot of of Frank Herbert's signature themes are present here. Artificial intelligence vs. humanity, religion, enlightenment/evolution and the future of the human race in the great void of space. There's also cloning, genetic experimentation, xenophobia, ecology and more. A good mix, really. Herbert is the master, of course (I'm a huge fan of the Dune series).
I can't say this is best sci-fi I've ever read. In fact, compared with other genre pieces, including those by Herbert himself, it's pretty average. Still though, a good read. I would recommend it to sci-fi fans, but not necessarily to the general public.
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LibraryThing member TobinElliott
This is a tough one for me. There's times this novel absolutely captured and engrossed me, and there were times when my eyes slid over the words without retaining anything, because it was just...dense? Boring? Overly confusing? All of the above?
There is so much going on in this novel, not all of it
For me, when the authors (and by the way, having read a lot of Herbert, I do have to credit Ransom for making the writing both less annoying--because it's not quite as confounding as Herbert alone--and more annoying--because of the poetry) tackle the scenes with Ship and examine what it means to be an all-knowing, all-seeing omnipotent God and what it means to be aware of that God and Its power, well, then the narrative just sings.
But all the stuff around it? Ugh. It just plodded for the most part.
Not quite sure if I'm going to invest the time in reading the next one in the series The Lazarus Effect or not. We'll see in a few days.
There is so much going on in this novel, not all of it
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necessary. I truly believe the book could have been trimmed by half and it would have been much more impactful.For me, when the authors (and by the way, having read a lot of Herbert, I do have to credit Ransom for making the writing both less annoying--because it's not quite as confounding as Herbert alone--and more annoying--because of the poetry) tackle the scenes with Ship and examine what it means to be an all-knowing, all-seeing omnipotent God and what it means to be aware of that God and Its power, well, then the narrative just sings.
But all the stuff around it? Ugh. It just plodded for the most part.
Not quite sure if I'm going to invest the time in reading the next one in the series The Lazarus Effect or not. We'll see in a few days.
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Subjects
Language
Original publication date
1979-05
ISBN
8473868129 / 9788473868129