Escape From Hell

Larry Niven, Jerry Pournelle
ISBN 978-0765316325
Rating: Buy, Hardcover, New

I hope everyone takes an opportunity to look at the picture of the millwork I posted yesterday. You'll note that Mrs. Bugbear relented and allowed me to solidly stock the shelves with books. Her only condition was that books be neatly stacked at all times. I guess the mass of books on the bedroom shelves are getting to her. The powder room book shelf is my homage to Jerry Pournelle's library which has built in bookshelves covering the walls and books covering every horizontal surface...sigh. I'm still jealous but I aspire to someday have a library of my own.

All hope abandon ye who enter here, there may be spoilers below.

If you haven't read Inferno the prequel to Escape From Hell, I recommend it. Inferno casts a sci-fi writer Allen Carpentier as Dante and Benito Mussolini as Virgil in the first part of Dante's Divine Comedy, Inferno. Escape From Hell picks up the tale as Carpentier attempts to take over the role of guide from Mussolini. Along the way Carpentier tries to convince himself that every soul trapped in hell has a means of escape. How does a tree in the forest of suicides perambulate through hell or the traitors frozen in the lake of ice of the ninth circle of hell?

The fictional Carpentier meets many historical figures as well as famous recently departed souls of the modern age. I especially loved the modern residents of Bolgia eight of the eighth circle, my good friend over at Ante Aurorum Tenebrae would get a chuckle out of it after he finished frothing at the mouth.

There's not much to detract from the novel, the obligatory what has gone before is broken up although a bit lengthy. Like the first novel it's written in the first person. First person narration is not my favorite style but for one man's journey through hell it is appropriate. The narrative style doesn't negatively impinge on the book, much. Although I complain about first person narration, frequently, I've enjoyed quite a few books that employ the device including Heinlein's The Moon is a Harsh Mistress which uses first person narration, in dialect, irritating dialect. The only real weakness of the book is that Carpentier is less introverted in the second book. Throughout the first book, Inferno, Carpentier struggles to reject hell as real concocting theories to explain away the reality of hell. Eventually Carpentier fails in his rejection and accepts the objective reality of hell In the second book the struggle is less internal and consequently the first person narrative is no longer necessary except to maintain continuity with the first book. Since Carpentier is less introverted there tend to be scenes where he is almost seems absent and the narrative almost seems to be in the third person. It's a small flaw inherent in first person narratives I believe.

As it is on earth so it shall be in heaven, Niven and Pournelle update hell to reflect the realities of modern religious thought although adhering to Dante's vision of hell. As I said I especially loved the residents of the eighth bolgia of the eighth circle.

Well Mrs. Bugbear may be amenable to built-in bookshelves when we build our new house in a few years. I'll just have to pitch the bookshelves it as adding to the R-value of the walls.

Lucifer's Hammer

Larry Niven & Jerry Pournelle
ISBN 0-872-23487-8
Rating: Buy, Hardcover, New

Another out of print book review, however in this case the kind people at WebScriptions have the ebook available either singly or as part of a bundle of books by Jerry Pournelle.

How good is this book?

Well, I bought the book about twenty-five years ago just a year or so before Niven and Pournelle released Footfall. Originally released in 1977 I picked up a hardcover copy in 1983 or 1984 in a used bookstore. I have to handle it gingerly now because it's falling apart. I believe I've mentioned re-reading books and staving off bankruptcy in a prior review.

I recently purchased an electronic copy, which Mrs. Bugbear likes since it means fewer bookshelves around the house. I don't understand her objections to bookshelves. Three bookshelves in the master bedroom isn't excessive, is it? One bookshelf in the kitchen, another in the front bedroom and one bookshelf in little Miss Bugbear's room just nicely rounds out the home decor. We even have cookbooks on the bookshelf in the kitchen, one whole shelf just for cookbooks!

And Mrs. Bugbear thinks bibliophilia is some sort of problem.

On to the review, with the familiar spoiler warning. My reviews aren't intended to give a long plot summary just a bare bones of what the book is about without making it unnecessary to actually read the book.

Lucifer's Hammer is a great yarn about the events leading up to and following a comet striking the earth. Niven and Pournelle do a credible job of extrapolating the societal effects of a comet striking the earth (more or less total destruction). Lucifer's Hammer is more like Deep Impact (1998) than Armageddon (1998) in that the book is a fairly thoughtful yarn rather than just action, action, action. Be forewarned there is a large cast of characters in this book and if you have trouble following that type of story then this book may not be for you. The growth of some the characters as they are cast into the aftermath of the comet's strike makes for some very good reading.

Lucifer's Hammer also exudes sound science, the setting is the LA area circa 1977 so that's to be expected. Like all of the collaborations between Niven and Pournelle I certainly find it to be a worthwhile read. I grew to enjoy the many characters and although slow in the first part before the comet strike, the action and suspense of the rest of the book draw the reader in. Throw in a dash of romance between a T.V. journalist, a senator's daughter and an astronaut and you've got a book with a broad base of appeal to Sci-Fi readers everywhere.

Okay so there's no romance between the living and the dead but that's not really Sci-Fi it's just sick. Not as disturbing as parts of Ghost (the book by Ringo, not the movie) but still just nauseating.

My good friend at Ante Aurorum Tenebrae posted a link to a listing of long awaited sequels, I read on Jerry Pournelle's blog that he and Niven are hoping for an offer on a sequel to Lucifer's Hammer. Thirty-two years and waiting, Niven and Pournelle might even exceed Mr. Heinlein's record. While I welcome the sequel as a standalone novel Lucifer's Hammer is a great read.

Don't just take my word for it, Lucifer's Hammer made the NY Times bestseller list (#2).

Speaking of Sequels:

• Dr. Pournelle mentioned the sequel to Lucifer's Hammer in his blog yesterday.
• For those fans of Jerry Pournelle he's also working on Mamelukes, a conclusion to the Janissaries series.
• Escape from Hell (with Niven), a sequel to Inferno (1976), is coming out this year as well.
• Larry Niven has published some Ringworld prequels with Edward M. Lerner; Fleet of Worlds and Juggler of Worlds.
  

Now I just have to finish drawing the mill work (cabinets) for the downstairs' bathroom. Mrs. Bugbear reluctantly consented to putting some shelves in beside the throne, guess I can store some more books there :-)


P.S.

I saw a picture of the library in Dr. Pournelle's house and I'll be forever jealous :-(