Status
Available
Call number
Publication
Pan Books (1977)
Description
Non-Stop remains a brilliant and ground-breaking work of imagination. Curiosity was discouraged in the Greene tribe. It's members lived out their lives in cramped quarters, hacking away at the encroaching jungle called "the ponics." As to where they were--that had long ago been forgotten. But Roy Complain decides to find out, along with the renegade priest, Marapper. They move into unmapped territory, where they make a series of discoveries which turn their universe upside-down. They meet mutants and giants, regimented rats, telepathic rabbits, and the fabled Outsiders. And they confront a secret kept hidden for twenty-three generations--a secret whose discovery will reveal their origins and destiny even as it destroys their world.
User reviews
LibraryThing member dknippling
This isn't a book. It's an Ur-book, a book that comes before the books that you know. The thing which creates a pattern.
Actually, I don't know that that's really the case, but that's what it feels like, as with all the Brian Aldiss books that I've read: he creates not just worlds, but patterns for
In the end, the whole plot is an excuse to explore the setting--and the ways it can change. But the writing is soooo good.
I'm a big fan of Gene Wolfe's Long Sun books, and it feels like GW took a giant bow in Aldiss's direction when he wrote some of them.
"Like a radar echo bounding from a distant object and returning to its source, the sound of Roy Complain's beating heart seemed to him to fill the clearing. He stod with one hand on the threshold of his compartment, listening to the rage hammering through his arteries."
Actually, I don't know that that's really the case, but that's what it feels like, as with all the Brian Aldiss books that I've read: he creates not just worlds, but patterns for
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worlds. Here, the interstellar generation ship that nobody really knows is a generation ship. In the end, the whole plot is an excuse to explore the setting--and the ways it can change. But the writing is soooo good.
I'm a big fan of Gene Wolfe's Long Sun books, and it feels like GW took a giant bow in Aldiss's direction when he wrote some of them.
"Like a radar echo bounding from a distant object and returning to its source, the sound of Roy Complain's beating heart seemed to him to fill the clearing. He stod with one hand on the threshold of his compartment, listening to the rage hammering through his arteries."
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LibraryThing member HollyinNNV
I was attracted to the book because of the idea that it presented. What would happen to people if they were stuck in a spaceship. After a great deal of time, what would happen to the survivors?
Instead of finding myself interested in the answer to this question, I found myself pondering another
There are a few annoying elements that Aldiss throws in. Without giving anything away, I'll just say they are animal-related. Goofy!
So besides the writing style and animal elements, I found the book interesting enough to complete.
Instead of finding myself interested in the answer to this question, I found myself pondering another
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question. What happens to a reader who is very interested in a story, but finds the authors writing style annoying? Will that reader persist through the book to the end? The answer to *that* question is yes. Even though I didn't enjoy Aldiss's writing style, I still felt connected enough with the central theme to finish the entire book.There are a few annoying elements that Aldiss throws in. Without giving anything away, I'll just say they are animal-related. Goofy!
So besides the writing style and animal elements, I found the book interesting enough to complete.
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LibraryThing member baswood
Brian Aldiss a prolific author of mainly science fiction stories, novels and editor of anthologies gets Non-Stop published in 1958 into the Science fiction Masterwork series. Non-Stop is a good title for this science fiction thriller, which hardly pauses for breath as it takes the reader careering
Aldiss has created an imaginative scenario, but has no time to embark on much world building, what he does do, works well enough for his story. It doesn't bear too much introspection and the science is of the most basic kind, but it does create an atmosphere and an air of mystery as the reader is hurtled along to a climax that doesn't disappoint. Aldiss writes well enough for this genre as he shifts the book through the gears of a good adventure story. The absence of overt sexism and racism is a relief and I enjoyed the ride 4 stars.
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round what soon appears to be an abandoned starship. The book starts gently enough with a primitive human society living as a tribe fighting their way through sections of fast growing plant life. It soon becomes apparent that they are living in a giant man made structure and our hero Roy Complain has visions of better things. He is a hunter but his imagination is stirred by the priest of his tribe who wants to break out of the community. They succeed and soon meet other tribes, intelligent rodents, and a race of giants as they battle their way to a tribe known as the forwards, rumoured to have a more advanced civilisation. Aldiss has created an imaginative scenario, but has no time to embark on much world building, what he does do, works well enough for his story. It doesn't bear too much introspection and the science is of the most basic kind, but it does create an atmosphere and an air of mystery as the reader is hurtled along to a climax that doesn't disappoint. Aldiss writes well enough for this genre as he shifts the book through the gears of a good adventure story. The absence of overt sexism and racism is a relief and I enjoyed the ride 4 stars.
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LibraryThing member iftyzaidi
Though this was written over three decades ago, it stands up well. The idea of a generation-ship where the inhabitants have lost touch with their original purpose is by now a fairly standard one, but this story still manages to keep you guessing about what is going on. Still worth reading.
LibraryThing member horacehive
A generational starship story well told and with plenty of twists to keep you gripped.
LibraryThing member usnmm2
I couldn't help but to keep camparing this book to Heinleins "Orphans of the Sky "just to see what was the same and/or different . Which was one reason I enjoyed it so much.
It's a simple story of a group of humans lost on a multi-generational Starship.
Roy Compline is a hunter living with the
They have a religion based on "foyd" and "yong", that is full of myths of forwards and mysterious people called gaints and outsiders.
After a series of events Roy along with three other companons decide to leave and traval to forwards.
It was an interesting story in that as you traval with the group you start to piece together a story of what happened. ( of coarse what you think is all wrong by the end of the book).
Anyone who likes classic light sci fi should find this a pleasent read.
It's a simple story of a group of humans lost on a multi-generational Starship.
Roy Compline is a hunter living with the
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nomatic Greene tribe in a place they call quarters. They tribe survives by burrowing its way thru a dense jungle called "ponics" and mining "rooms they find for supplies.They have a religion based on "foyd" and "yong", that is full of myths of forwards and mysterious people called gaints and outsiders.
After a series of events Roy along with three other companons decide to leave and traval to forwards.
It was an interesting story in that as you traval with the group you start to piece together a story of what happened. ( of coarse what you think is all wrong by the end of the book).
Anyone who likes classic light sci fi should find this a pleasent read.
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LibraryThing member duhrer
"Non-stop" is a classic of science fiction, and stands the test of time amazingly well. Like "Learning the World" by Ken MacLeod, "Non-stop" deals with a massive ship (and self-sustaining ecosystem) traveling between stars over the course of generations. Unlike "Learning the World", the society of
One thing that makes this book remarkable is how wonderfully constructed the narrative is. The origins of society and of the inhabitants themselves are revealed in a way that keeps the reader engrossed. The plot twists, and there are many, all emerge naturally, and hold up to close scrutiny when rereading the book. None of the twists or revelations seem cheap or contrived, which is refreshing if you've seen one too many Hollywood blockbusters or episodic TV series (I love "Heroes" and all, but seriously, the strain of having to come up with the next plot twist that fits the prior narrative must be just exhausting).
Another thing that amazed me when leafing back through the book was just how short each seminal section of the book turned out to be. The major revelations seldom take more than a few paragraphs. It's as thought the economy of a brilliant short story author (Borges, for example) were turned towards creating a novel as a series of linear vignettes. I'd imagine the work would have worked well serialized, and I'm sure it also will fit the attention span of the traveling reader as well.
At any rate, the book is a quick read (and reread), and is highly recommended. I look forward to picking up Aldiss's history of Science Fiction as well as further of his fiction works in the future.
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the ship that is the focus of "Non-stop" has broken down in a fundamental way, devolving in some ways, evolving in others.One thing that makes this book remarkable is how wonderfully constructed the narrative is. The origins of society and of the inhabitants themselves are revealed in a way that keeps the reader engrossed. The plot twists, and there are many, all emerge naturally, and hold up to close scrutiny when rereading the book. None of the twists or revelations seem cheap or contrived, which is refreshing if you've seen one too many Hollywood blockbusters or episodic TV series (I love "Heroes" and all, but seriously, the strain of having to come up with the next plot twist that fits the prior narrative must be just exhausting).
Another thing that amazed me when leafing back through the book was just how short each seminal section of the book turned out to be. The major revelations seldom take more than a few paragraphs. It's as thought the economy of a brilliant short story author (Borges, for example) were turned towards creating a novel as a series of linear vignettes. I'd imagine the work would have worked well serialized, and I'm sure it also will fit the attention span of the traveling reader as well.
At any rate, the book is a quick read (and reread), and is highly recommended. I look forward to picking up Aldiss's history of Science Fiction as well as further of his fiction works in the future.
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LibraryThing member comfypants
It's an entertaining adventure, but the mystery aspects don't work as well as they could. It's interesting to try to figure out exactly what's going on as you read, but unfortunately the ending doesn't deliver anything better than what you'll have thought up on your own.
LibraryThing member RandyStafford
Written as response to Robert A. Heinlein's Orphans of the Sky, Aldiss' novel is a classic generation starship tale.
The idea that their universe is the inside of a giant spaceship is known but derided in the Greene tribe. They're a barbarous lot. They destroy books whenever they find them. The
And protagonist Roy Complain is not happy with his life in the tribe. He gets flogged for losing his woman on a hunting expedition into the "deadways" beyond the tribes "Quarters". Chaffing under the Teaching and floggings of his tribe, Complain decides to accompany priest Marapper and three others through the deadways and to the land of the advanced people of Forwards. Marapper expects, somewhere, to find the ship's control room, seize control of the vessel, and end this painful journey through the stars.
In his wanderings, Complain learns the truth behind the other groups -- the mutants, the Outsiders, and the Giants -- rumored to inhabit the ship. Aldiss puts an ironic twist to the generation starship tale, particularly [Orphans of the Sky], when he reveals the exact situation of the ship. By novel's end, Aldiss gives a detailed and ingenious explanation for Complain's world.
It's not necessary to read the Heinlein story, or any other generation starship tale, to appreciate this fine novel. Aldiss gives us believable emotion and, in Complain, a fine portrait of a man growing into a true knowledge of himself and his world.
The idea that their universe is the inside of a giant spaceship is known but derided in the Greene tribe. They're a barbarous lot. They destroy books whenever they find them. The
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Teaching, a Freudian inspired religion with its talk of id and ego, values full and immediate expression of fear and anger lest the repression of those emotions curdle into neurosis. A nomadic lot, they seal off the hallway they live in, moving the barricades when they exhaust the "ponics", plants that abound in the ship's corridors. Their power stems from a cache of weapons found two generations ago. And protagonist Roy Complain is not happy with his life in the tribe. He gets flogged for losing his woman on a hunting expedition into the "deadways" beyond the tribes "Quarters". Chaffing under the Teaching and floggings of his tribe, Complain decides to accompany priest Marapper and three others through the deadways and to the land of the advanced people of Forwards. Marapper expects, somewhere, to find the ship's control room, seize control of the vessel, and end this painful journey through the stars.
In his wanderings, Complain learns the truth behind the other groups -- the mutants, the Outsiders, and the Giants -- rumored to inhabit the ship. Aldiss puts an ironic twist to the generation starship tale, particularly [Orphans of the Sky], when he reveals the exact situation of the ship. By novel's end, Aldiss gives a detailed and ingenious explanation for Complain's world.
It's not necessary to read the Heinlein story, or any other generation starship tale, to appreciate this fine novel. Aldiss gives us believable emotion and, in Complain, a fine portrait of a man growing into a true knowledge of himself and his world.
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LibraryThing member polarbear123
This book rightly deserves its status as a sci-fi classic. Interesting characters, great detail without being over the top and geekified. Nice twist and what more do you wat. Come on, it only takes a day to read!
LibraryThing member crdf
I liked the book but the ends is one of those where you wonder what happens. I as being slightly negative believe no one helped them, while the characters believe they will be take to earth. I wonder what anybody would have to say on this.
LibraryThing member DinadansFriend
This was an early example of the "Bin on the ship sooo long...." story. Very competently written as all Aldiss Science fiction was. The British Title was "Non-stop".
LibraryThing member moopet
I like 1950s SF, for the most part. This book was a disappointment.
It's a little uncomfortable with what it's supposed to be. It can't decide whether to be a space adventure perhaps aimed at younger readers or a moral lecture aimed at their parents.
Where it falls down is in its rambling. For the
Then, out of nowhere, the semi-realistic setting is shattered when a bunch of intelligent rats stroll into a scene towing a caged, telepathic rabbit they are using to extract information from prisoners. And this has no bearing on any of the rest plot, before or after, but is the first of many more WTF moments.
At one point the characters find an ancient swimming pool and, thinking back to books they've read, they decide that it must be the sea. I'm fine with that. As a reader, I like knowing more than the characters. But why make it one throw-away line? Take these sort of comedy mistakes and use them to pad out the otherwise fairly boring trudge through corridor after corridor. Otherwise they're pointless.
And they've never mentioned reading books like that before. In fact, I'm pretty sure only the priest could read earlier in the book. And later some of these characters are revealed to be from off the ship in the first place, with all of Earth's knowledge available to them.
The inconsistency and wasted opportunity becomes infuriating after a while.
Wikipedia tells me this was Aldiss' first novel. I like some of his other stuff.
It's a little uncomfortable with what it's supposed to be. It can't decide whether to be a space adventure perhaps aimed at younger readers or a moral lecture aimed at their parents.
Where it falls down is in its rambling. For the
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first hundred pages we follow the unlikeable protagonist as he roams the ship and there begins to be a bit of a problem with viewpoint. The character is uncertain about how large the ship is and so is the story - at some points travel between decks is something achieved by dropping through a trapdoor and at others times it takes a day's journey with packs of provisions.Then, out of nowhere, the semi-realistic setting is shattered when a bunch of intelligent rats stroll into a scene towing a caged, telepathic rabbit they are using to extract information from prisoners. And this has no bearing on any of the rest plot, before or after, but is the first of many more WTF moments.
At one point the characters find an ancient swimming pool and, thinking back to books they've read, they decide that it must be the sea. I'm fine with that. As a reader, I like knowing more than the characters. But why make it one throw-away line? Take these sort of comedy mistakes and use them to pad out the otherwise fairly boring trudge through corridor after corridor. Otherwise they're pointless.
And they've never mentioned reading books like that before. In fact, I'm pretty sure only the priest could read earlier in the book. And later some of these characters are revealed to be from off the ship in the first place, with all of Earth's knowledge available to them.
The inconsistency and wasted opportunity becomes infuriating after a while.
Wikipedia tells me this was Aldiss' first novel. I like some of his other stuff.
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LibraryThing member moopet
I like 1950s SF, for the most part. This book was a disappointment.
It's a little uncomfortable with what it's supposed to be. It can't decide whether to be a space adventure perhaps aimed at younger readers or a moral lecture aimed at their parents.
Where it falls down is in its rambling. For the
Then, out of nowhere, the semi-realistic setting is shattered when a bunch of intelligent rats stroll into a scene towing a caged, telepathic rabbit they are using to extract information from prisoners. And this has no bearing on any of the rest plot, before or after, but is the first of many more WTF moments.
At one point the characters find an ancient swimming pool and, thinking back to books they've read, they decide that it must be the sea. I'm fine with that. As a reader, I like knowing more than the characters. But why make it one throw-away line? Take these sort of comedy mistakes and use them to pad out the otherwise fairly boring trudge through corridor after corridor. Otherwise they're pointless.
And they've never mentioned reading books like that before. In fact, I'm pretty sure only the priest could read earlier in the book. And later some of these characters are revealed to be from off the ship in the first place, with all of Earth's knowledge available to them.
The inconsistency and wasted opportunity becomes infuriating after a while.
Wikipedia tells me this was Aldiss' first novel. I like some of his other stuff.
It's a little uncomfortable with what it's supposed to be. It can't decide whether to be a space adventure perhaps aimed at younger readers or a moral lecture aimed at their parents.
Where it falls down is in its rambling. For the
Show More
first hundred pages we follow the unlikeable protagonist as he roams the ship and there begins to be a bit of a problem with viewpoint. The character is uncertain about how large the ship is and so is the story - at some points travel between decks is something achieved by dropping through a trapdoor and at others times it takes a day's journey with packs of provisions.Then, out of nowhere, the semi-realistic setting is shattered when a bunch of intelligent rats stroll into a scene towing a caged, telepathic rabbit they are using to extract information from prisoners. And this has no bearing on any of the rest plot, before or after, but is the first of many more WTF moments.
At one point the characters find an ancient swimming pool and, thinking back to books they've read, they decide that it must be the sea. I'm fine with that. As a reader, I like knowing more than the characters. But why make it one throw-away line? Take these sort of comedy mistakes and use them to pad out the otherwise fairly boring trudge through corridor after corridor. Otherwise they're pointless.
And they've never mentioned reading books like that before. In fact, I'm pretty sure only the priest could read earlier in the book. And later some of these characters are revealed to be from off the ship in the first place, with all of Earth's knowledge available to them.
The inconsistency and wasted opportunity becomes infuriating after a while.
Wikipedia tells me this was Aldiss' first novel. I like some of his other stuff.
Show Less
LibraryThing member bhabeck
the book was a little hard to get into at first but then got more interesting. There were a couple of surprises in the conclusion of the story.
Awards
British Science Fiction Association Award (Shortlist — BSFA Fiftieth Anniversary Award - Best Novel of 1958)
The Guardian 1000 Novels Everyone Must Read (Science Fiction and Fantasy)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
1958
Physical description
5 inches
ISBN
0330246380 / 9780330246385
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