The Black Cloud
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One of the greatest works of science fiction ever written (Richard Dawkins )
Hoyle's enduring insights into stars, nucleosynthesis, and the large-scale universe rank among the greatest achievements of 20th-century astrophysics ... His theories were unfailingly stimulating, even when they proved transient. He will be remembered with fond gratitude not only by colleagues and students, but by a much wider community who knew him through his talks and writings. (Sir Martin Rees Obit in Physics Today )
Hoyle's enduring insights into stars, nucleosynthesis, and the large-scale universe rank among the greatest achievements of 20th-century astrophysics ... His theories were unfailingly stimulating, even when they proved transient. He will be remembered with fond gratitude not only by colleagues and students, but by a much wider community who knew him through his talks and writings. (Sir Martin Rees Obit in Physics Today )
Review
One of the greatest works of science fiction ever written -- Richard Dawkins Hoyle's enduring insights into stars, nucleosynthesis, and the large-scale universe rank among the greatest achievements of 20th-century astrophysics ... His theories were unfailingly stimulating, even when they proved transient. He will be remembered with fond gratitude not only by colleagues and students, but by a much wider community who knew him through his talks and writings. -- Sir Martin Rees Obit in Physics Today
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
13 of 15 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I would highly recommend this with the caveat that as it was published in 1957 it must be regarded as a work of "historical science fiction". I particularly liked: (1) Real science including simple calculus (!) (2) No horror or scary bits (3) A genuinely gripping plot (4) Perceptive subplot on human nature (5) A very quick read - definitely not a science fiction brick.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Kindle Edition
Fred Hoyle was one of the most engaging writers about science to emerge during the twentieth century. A blunt Yorkshire man, educated at Bingley Grammar School, he went on to be a leading astronomer at Cambridge University. He wrote many books explaining his scientific theories about astronomy but occasionally he let his imagination run riot in a series of science fiction novels. This story about a group of astronomers who discover a major threat to life on Earth, how they react to this knowledge and how they struggle to warn mankind, is a classic tale of science versus politics from a man who understood both disciplines.
I first read this book as a young physicist and found it gripping. The science is flawless and frighteningly possible, The scientists are the type characters I recognize from my time as an undergrad learning the trade of science. The remorseless sequence of consequences is as chilling today as when it was first written.
Although I still have a battered, and much loved, paper copy of The Black Cloud on my bookshelf I was delighted to be able to download it onto my Kindle and so that I can return to enjoy it on train journeys or when sitting on the beach.
For me the Kindle has replaced the pulp Sci-Fi magazines I bought with my weekly pocket money and wish I had kept! The fact I can also download Sci-Fi classics into this robust and highly portable format adds to the attraction.
If you haven't already read this story about the sort of men who discovered how the universe works then I encourage you to treat yourself to a Kindle copy of this Fred Hoyle classic and enjoy its insight into the mind of great scientist when he let his imagination run wild.
I first read this book as a young physicist and found it gripping. The science is flawless and frighteningly possible, The scientists are the type characters I recognize from my time as an undergrad learning the trade of science. The remorseless sequence of consequences is as chilling today as when it was first written.
Although I still have a battered, and much loved, paper copy of The Black Cloud on my bookshelf I was delighted to be able to download it onto my Kindle and so that I can return to enjoy it on train journeys or when sitting on the beach.
For me the Kindle has replaced the pulp Sci-Fi magazines I bought with my weekly pocket money and wish I had kept! The fact I can also download Sci-Fi classics into this robust and highly portable format adds to the attraction.
If you haven't already read this story about the sort of men who discovered how the universe works then I encourage you to treat yourself to a Kindle copy of this Fred Hoyle classic and enjoy its insight into the mind of great scientist when he let his imagination run wild.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
A very interesting classic hard science-fiction book, written long time ago, but not really aged
18 Nov 2011
Format:Paperback
I believe that together with "Death of grass" and "Day of triffids", this book is one of the most important British SF works of the 50s and as the other two, it resisted quite well to the passage of time. Written in 1957 by a real life scientist, Sir Fred Hoyle, a renowned astrophysician, "Black cloud" tries to stick very close to the scientific realities, even when describing things and events unheard off (at least for now).
As the title indicates, the story turns around a very large and very mysterious dark cloud of interstellar dust approaching the Solar System at great speed. The size of the cloud is immense and even if it seems to go straight towards the Sun, it is large enough to also touch the Earth. Scientists from United Kingdom and USA struggle to understand what exactly is the cloud and what will be consequences of its arrival. No more information will be given here to avoid spoilers.
The strong point of this book is that it keeps surprising us at every new chapter. Virtually nothing we assume in the beginning will linger until the last pages. Hard science is quite present and it gives to this book a considerable stregth. There is some very British humor and the dialogues are quite good. The reading is easy and I really was sorry that the story ended so fast, as the book is not very long.
The one point I did not totally like was the presentation of British and American politicians. For both countries they are described as powerless and quite stupid cowards who as soon as they can turn into vicious and madly irresponsible bullies. It is everybody's right to dislike the politicians but in this book their descriptions are so grossly exagerated that normally I would drop the rating by two stars. But on another hand I realise that to keep the story together and focus the tale on the scientists the author simply needed to dispose quickly of political interferences - and therefore I take away only one star.
I enjoyed reading this book a lot and I recommend it to anybody interested in science-fiction.
As the title indicates, the story turns around a very large and very mysterious dark cloud of interstellar dust approaching the Solar System at great speed. The size of the cloud is immense and even if it seems to go straight towards the Sun, it is large enough to also touch the Earth. Scientists from United Kingdom and USA struggle to understand what exactly is the cloud and what will be consequences of its arrival. No more information will be given here to avoid spoilers.
The strong point of this book is that it keeps surprising us at every new chapter. Virtually nothing we assume in the beginning will linger until the last pages. Hard science is quite present and it gives to this book a considerable stregth. There is some very British humor and the dialogues are quite good. The reading is easy and I really was sorry that the story ended so fast, as the book is not very long.
The one point I did not totally like was the presentation of British and American politicians. For both countries they are described as powerless and quite stupid cowards who as soon as they can turn into vicious and madly irresponsible bullies. It is everybody's right to dislike the politicians but in this book their descriptions are so grossly exagerated that normally I would drop the rating by two stars. But on another hand I realise that to keep the story together and focus the tale on the scientists the author simply needed to dispose quickly of political interferences - and therefore I take away only one star.
I enjoyed reading this book a lot and I recommend it to anybody interested in science-fiction.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Understated Old School Sci-Fi
Whilst the characterisation, pace and setting of 'The Black Cloud' are undoubtedly of its time, the science and themes it encapsulates are still relevant today. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Quicksilver
Worthy Sci fi
`One of the greatest works of science fiction ever written', well according to Richard Dawkins anyway. Read more
Published 12 months ago by Mr. D. Hickey
Dated tosh
For one of the "greatest" ever science fiction stories, this was huge disappointment. Hoyle's prose style is from another age (the book was written in 1957) - leaving the whole... Read more
Published 12 months ago by Jl Adcock
Great book - outrageous kindle price
This is a great sci-fi classic that deserves to be read widely. However the download price of £7.49 is simply outrageous - you can pick up the paperback for less. Read more
Published 17 months ago by Nat
STILL HAS LESSONS FOR US
I read this as a lad in the early sixties and am delighted to see that it is back in print.
It is particularly interesting as a a study in the relationship between... Read more
It is particularly interesting as a a study in the relationship between... Read more
Published 18 months ago by Andrew
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