- Paperback: 192 pages
- Publisher: Prentice Hall & IBD; New edition edition (1 Feb 1993)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0020259913
- ISBN-13: 978-0020259916
- Product Dimensions: 33 x 20.8 x 1.3 cm
- Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 5,285,021 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
1 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
The war of the atom has destroyed the world... History and the historical records had been lost; the few people remaining of the war that went untidy do not remember still what had begun the atomic destruction.
But still these desperate circumstances would not be able to change the basic nature of man. Out of the charred ruins came one, Clane, who was stronger and more determined than the sheeplike majority. And of his plans to govern the universe grew the seeds of the last magnificent war of all the one that does - finally and for always - wipes man off the face of the Earth.
This novel concerns a distant future Earth, thousands of years after the advanced civilization has been destroyed in a catastrophe of the unknown origin. The creations of the modern science remain (space travel) and exist alongside with primitive technologies, and the Earth continues the old wars of domination with human cultures in Mars and Venus.
This is the story of a mutant of the name Clane, of the royal family. Clane sadly sports a body warped by radiation, and the story is of his efforts to improve the society. As usual for Van Vogt, characters are not fully fleshed out. Developed characters? No way! Here they are as cardboard, or cartoon animation; when Van Vogt goes to describe characters on paper he produces his trusty crayon, but at times the book has proof of Van Vogt healthy imagination.
If you can ignore the poor writing, this is colossal book which may wipe your mind clean.
wosel
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
8 reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Typical Van Vogt: fascinating ideas bordering on fantasy
23 Aug 1998
Format:Paperback
This novel concerns a far-future Earth, thousands of years after civilization has been destroyed in a catastrophe of unknown origin. Aspects of advanced science remain (spaceships) simultaneously with primitive features (bows and arrows), and Earth is carrying on longstanding wars of subjugation with human cultures on Mars and Venus. This is the story of a mutant, Lord Clane, of noble birth, but with a body warped by radiation, and his efforts to raise society to a higher plane. The characters are mostly flat, but Van Vogt ladles out the imaginative concepts as skilfully as ever, and never fails to hold the reader.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
van Vogts greatest?
9 Jan 1998
Format:Paperback
A. E. van Vogt used to be up there with Heinlein and Asimov during the 1940s and early 50s - and now he's not in print. In my wiew, he was a better and much more ORIGINAL scifi-storyteller than all of them - and Clarke too. But, on the other hand: Without a doubt, he was much more crazy.... Ok, this is maybe his best novel, from a purely litterary wievpoint, with a great central personality, a (relatively) logical story-line, but incorporating the same great van Vogtian sense of wonder that shines in his more crazy novels (like the Null-A and the Wheapon Shops series.
Sad that it is not available!.
Sad that it is not available!.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Sci-Fi Retelling of "I, CLAUDIUS"
6 May 2009
Amazon Verified Purchase
To the noble house of Emperor Medron Linn (Augustus Caesar) is born the atomic mutation Clane (Claudius). Everyone thinks the physically deformed boy should be disposed of, but a temple scientist takes the youngster under his wing and trains him to use his brilliant mind. Clane survives the many plots and intrigues in the Capitoline Palace and outwits his scheming grandmother Lydia (Livia), quietly pursuing his scientific studies while she advances her son Tews (Tiberius) to the Linnan throne.
Clane offers brilliant tactical advice to his uncle Tews and his brother Jerrin (Germanicus) as they continue the imperial policy of conquering the barbarians. Mars and Venus fall to the empire, but Europa unexpectedly sacks the eternal city and kills Tews, leaving Clane the only imperial family member available to take charge of the army.
This book seems even more silly and quaint than most science fiction from the 1950s, because the imperial troops zip out in their spaceships to battle the barbarians from horseback with bows and arrows. This book is very obviously a retelling of I, Claudius by Robert Graves. If you like that sort of novel you must read Jenna Starborn by Sharon Shinn, a fabulous retelling of Jane Eyre.
Clane offers brilliant tactical advice to his uncle Tews and his brother Jerrin (Germanicus) as they continue the imperial policy of conquering the barbarians. Mars and Venus fall to the empire, but Europa unexpectedly sacks the eternal city and kills Tews, leaving Clane the only imperial family member available to take charge of the army.
This book seems even more silly and quaint than most science fiction from the 1950s, because the imperial troops zip out in their spaceships to battle the barbarians from horseback with bows and arrows. This book is very obviously a retelling of I, Claudius by Robert Graves. If you like that sort of novel you must read Jenna Starborn by Sharon Shinn, a fabulous retelling of Jane Eyre.
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