By: Arthur C. Clarke, Stephen Baxter Publisher: Del Rey Average Rating: Binding: Hardcover Label: Del Rey Number of Items: 1 Number of Pages: 384 Publication Date: December 26, 2007 Release Date: December 26, 2007
Product Description: The Firstborn–the mysterious race of aliens who first became known to science fiction fans as the builders of the iconic black monolith in 2001: A Space Odyssey–have inhabited legendary master of science fiction Sir Arthur C. Clarke’s writing for decades. With Time’s Eye and Sunstorm, the first two books in their acclaimed Time Odyssey series, Clarke and his brilliant co-author Stephen Baxter imagined a near-future in which the Firstborn seek to stop the advance of human civilization by employing a technology indistinguishable from magic.
Their first act was the Discontinuity, in which Earth was carved into sections from different eras of history, restitched into a patchwork world, and renamed Mir. Mir’s inhabitants included such notables as Alexander the Great, Genghis Khan, and United Nations peacekeeper Bisesa Dutt. For reasons unknown to her, Bisesa entered into communication with an alien artifact of inscrutable purpose and godlike power–a power that eventually returned her to Earth. There, she played an instrumental role in humanity’s race against time to stop a doomsday event: a massive solar storm triggered by the alien Firstborn designed to eradicate all life from the planet. That fate was averted at an inconceivable price. Now, twenty-seven years later, the Firstborn are back.
This time, they are pulling no punches: They have sent a “quantum bomb.” Speeding toward Earth, it is a device that human scientists can barely comprehend, that cannot be stopped or destroyed–and one that will obliterate Earth.
Bisesa’s desperate quest for answers sends her first to Mars and then to Mir, which is itself threatened with extinction. The end seems inevitable. But as shocking new insights emerge into the nature of the Firstborn and their chilling plans for mankind, an unexpected ally appears from light-years away.
This is how the series ends? Not with a bang but a whimper? I share the prevailing opinions of the other reviewers. Both authors can do better than this - and have. I suspect that the problem was Clarke's approaching date with destiny. My speculation is that they agreed to spend the last chapters building up the suspense for a sequel which it would be up to Baxter to write by himself. I'm sure he is up to it. I look forward to his writing it. I do not think he will call it "Last Born" And I think he will have a better explanation for the activities of the First Born than any hinted at in this volume. I also believe that this last book does no real disservice to Sir Clarke. That he wrote any of it at all is a miracle for which we can give thanks. Go Get 'Em Stephen!
He did better alone... As a lifelong fan of Sir Arthur, I admit to having lost my taste for his work since he collaborated with others. In one of his earlier collaborations, I could easily figure out what lines Clarke wrote, into the story written, obviously, by the other.
This book just didn't...catch me! I tried, I really did. But the first in this series of three struck me as a cross between the themes of "2001: A Space Odyssey" and the old "Time Tunnel" television series. The ideas weren't engaging, and the story not really worth the time it took to read it.
This went downhill from there.
Maybe when I get some time--yeah, that's likely to occur--I'll read all three of them and, wow, I'll have an insight and change my reviews. But for now, I'm awaiting Sir Arthur's last collaboration, of which I read in his Washington Post obituary (and I've ordered but it won't be here for another month or so). And I hope to the heavens that it's better than the last few.
Rest in Peace, Arthur. I'll always remember you for your better work.
Another messy meandering mishmash I think I have finally figured out what happened to Arthur C. Clarke and his slow but steady literary decline. In an age of biotech, nanotech, artificial intelligence, robotics and other such wonders, Clarke is an infant, still stuck in the orthodox school of rockets, space and First Contact. In light of that, his Earthly futures sound about as realistic as Santa Claus. The Time series can only be described (charitably) as a final ride down a literary roller coaster - an unmitigated mess. This is especially sad because the author of the Rama series, 2001, Childhood's End and other classics deserves a better last hurrah.
The previous novel about protecting Earth from aliens who sent a planet crashing into the sun (yawn) was nearly as bad as it gets but this one surpasses even that. Our old saviors/enemies are back and appear hell-bent of destroying little Earth, this time from sending a quantum machine crashing down. Those critters really love the action. What follows is one of the most boring, predictable pages I've come across in years. There's the usual meetings between folks from different lands - Clarke has always been such a visionary and globalist that he can't help but include Nigeria, Nepal, Bolivia, Sri Lanka and other such scientific luminaries as partners in technological discovery. I don't know if it's sad but it is true - technological progress is not democratic and despite Clarke's planetary viewpoint the overwhelming majority of scientific advances emanate in the U.S. with a scattering in Europe, Israel and China.
Half the book consists of riding a space elevator. Yes, that's correct - a long, boring, reflective vertical journey that seems to move at a snail's pace. Lots of talk about the enemy and his plans, blah blah - some philosophical ruminations - more talk - then suddenly the enemy device swerves and hits Mars!!! Talk about a letdown. No big bang, no nifty solution, just another plot twist.
A Nice Send-Off for Arthur... Truly sorry to hear about the passing of Arthur C. Clarke - he turned me on to "hard" science fiction - and this third book in the trilogy is great - yet to be completed, but even if the end stinks, the ideas and scientific possibilities these two authors explore are worth the read - and I doubt this will have a poor ending. Then on to read Baxter on his own merits.
Not quite the end ? The Three books of the Time Odyssey Series are both very satisfying and very frustrating. The first book - Time's Eye - with the fractured history on a recreated earth - is mind boggling. The Second one - Sunstorm - with earth working together to ward off the effects of an artificially induced solar flare - is amazing, in a more techincal way. The last book - Firstborn - also presents us with a peril that must be deflected - a quantum bomb. It is not a spoiler to say that in the end the problem is solved with great ingenuity. In addition, new allies are brought in to help in the fight against the Firstborn. What is disappointing is that the cover says "The Conclusion of a Time Odyssey" but the end of the novel is about as open ended as a book can be. The war goes on - and now that Sir Arthur Clarke has died - any conclusion must be strictly that of Stephen Baxter. Firstborn is a welcome companion to the earlier books but readers should by all means read the books in the order they are written and not start with Firstborn. Firstborn (A Time Odyssey)
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