It is the 22nd century. A new inhabitant on Mars observes an asteroid which is on a collision course with Earth. Naming the asteroid Kali, the Hindu goddess of destruction, Captain Robert Singh is charged with the job of deflecting it with his spaceship "Goliath".
The Hammer of God
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'Arthur C. Clarke is awesomely informed about physics and astronomy, and blessed with one of the most astounding imaginations...' -- New York Times
'Arthur C. Clarke is one of the truly prophetic figures of the space age ... The colossus of science fiction' -- NEW YORKER
'For many readers Arthur C. Clarke is the very personification of science fiction' -- THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF SCIENCE FICTION --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
'Arthur C. Clarke is one of the truly prophetic figures of the space age ... The colossus of science fiction' -- NEW YORKER
'For many readers Arthur C. Clarke is the very personification of science fiction' -- THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF SCIENCE FICTION --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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With superb storytelling and authentic science, THE HAMMER OF GOD is vintage Clarke.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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First Sentence
CAPTAIN ROBERT SINGH ENJOYED THESE WALKS THROUGH THE forest with his little son, Toby. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt
CAPTAIN ROBERT SINGH ENJOYED THESE WALKS THROUGH THE forest with his little son, Toby. Read the first page
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This is the story of a situation that has occupied Clarke for the better part of the last century; that of the earth being hit by an asteroid. Basically, the plot concerns the efforts of the crew of the spacecraft assigned to divert the asteroid. As well as this though there is the typical clarke style writing. This effectively means that the main plot is almost sidetracked by Clarke in order to give his views on man and science and how the two will co-exist in the future. This is a forte of Clarke's and the hammer of God is no exception, with the book concentrating on social change et all without being an excuse to put on a display of futuristic stuff, which much modern, film influenced sci fi does, much to it's discredit. All in all this is one of Clarke's better efforts of recent times. It pales in comparison to Rendezvous with Rama, 2001 or Childhood's End but is a worthy edition to any Clarke fan's collection.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
By Jane Aland
VINE™ VOICE
Format:Paperback
Clarke's last original stand alone novel tells the story of the attempt to deflect a massive asteroid from colliding with the Earth. It's a narrative that has since been used more than once in Hollywood movies, but Clarke's novel showcases his typically level-headed approach, with any drama resulting wholly from the scientific and mechanical problems faced and overcome by the heroes.
Clarke's prose is stripped back and minimal compared to most modern day SF authors, but this allows 'Hammer of God' to be a pacy read, and there are enough character moments for spaceship Captain Robert Singh to ensure the novel isn't entirely souless. Clarke also does well by providing a near future background that is intruiging, even if it isn't very plausable (none more so than the depressingly disproved speculation that American soldier's contact with religion in the Gulf War would result in a more harmonius future between Christianity and Islam.)
Good, solid, old-school science fiction.
Clarke's prose is stripped back and minimal compared to most modern day SF authors, but this allows 'Hammer of God' to be a pacy read, and there are enough character moments for spaceship Captain Robert Singh to ensure the novel isn't entirely souless. Clarke also does well by providing a near future background that is intruiging, even if it isn't very plausable (none more so than the depressingly disproved speculation that American soldier's contact with religion in the Gulf War would result in a more harmonius future between Christianity and Islam.)
Good, solid, old-school science fiction.
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful
By Ian Tapley
VINE™ VOICE
Format:Paperback
First off, the name 'The Hammer of God' in reference to an asteroid that could destroy mankind is evocative and a perfect tone-setter for Clarke's writing.
Once again Clarke manages to create genuine characters among the hi-tech of the future which manages to ground the book in a way that many modern sci-fi books lack.
The tone of the book is very much one of impending doom and Clarke switches between the doom of Earth and the immanent self-sacrifice of the members of Spaceguard. I'll admit I was surprised by what happens to the crew of Goliath at the end.
The story is driven by two things, the past and present of the Goliath's captain and the desperate efforts to avert the disaster. The captain, Robert Singh, leads an endearingly tragic and lonely life that is mirrored in the characters Heywood Flyod and Frank Poole from Clarke's Space Odyssey series.
Finally, my favourite part of the book are the various 'Encounters' which chronicle Earth's past meteor impacts and warn of future ones.
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3.6 out of 5 stars
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
3.0 out of 5 stars
Perhaps a classic when published, but a cliché story by today's...
I am a huge SciFi fan (Vance, Asimov, Clarke, Hamilton), but this just didn't do it for me. Perhaps at the time of writing it was the first in its kind, but the 'Killer Asteroid'... Read more
Published 21 days ago by J. Ritmeijer
4.0 out of 5 stars
I like A C C
Arthur C Clarke lives up to himself in this. It is a typical story, but he carries it off. Not bad at all
Published 3 months ago by nick brown
3.0 out of 5 stars
Lacking structure and cohesion
A confused assemblage of various bits and pieces. It's less than 2 years ago that I read this story but I can't remember what had actually happened in the end. Read more
Published on 13 April 2011 by Christian Wendt
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