- Hardcover: 394 pages
- Publisher: Bantam Dell Pub Group (Trd) (Dec 1992)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0553091239
- ISBN-13: 978-0553091236
- Product Dimensions: 21.1 x 14.7 x 2.5 cm
- Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 1,826,693 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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More About the Author
Product Description
Product Description
When humans are offered immortality by alien travellers, only one in 10,000 says no. Mat Wheeler, an Oregon doctor, refuses and his decision cuts him off from all those he cares for. On the ultimate day, Wheeler persuades some of the newly-immortalized to remain on Earth and guard the helpless.
--This text refers to the
Paperback
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Wilson takes an unique approach to contact in The Harvest, although the title is somewhat of a clue. The initial third is laden with suspense as the characters are developed and this is achieved with a modicum of science. In fact it's the lack of any knowledge which makes it unnerving. Once it starts to pick up pace it shrugs off the suspense and tries to offer credible action and develops a more scientific approach. Whilst it tries to not to play its cards it fails to juggle all of these approaches and loses its way. The characters become unfocused and the story meanders. It's interesting enough to create a desire to see it through, however the latter half is poor in comparison to the moody and tense first half. The Harvest is an interesting and unusual piece of science fiction, refusing to use familiar alien contact plot lines and that bravery should be noted.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
20 reviews
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful
Wilson does a good job with this story.
20 Sep 2004
Format:Mass Market Paperback
I've read a few other books by Wilson, and I liked them all, so when I saw this one, I was hoping this would be good too. I was not disappointed. Wilson does a good job of telling a difficult story.
The most impressive thing about this story, I think, is that it doesn't really make a lot of judgements. The story focuses on people who decline the Travellers offer of immortality, but it doesn't give the impression that they are any better than those who accepted the offer. It also doesn't fall into the boring cliche of the benevolent aliens who save us from ourselves. It does a good job of presenting both sides without making any assumptions about which is right or wrong, or whether either is. This makes for a much more enjoyable story, and I think that is what I like most about Wilson's books overall, is his ability to stay away from tired cliches or predictable endings.
The only thing that really bothered me about this story was the way the people ascended to the "Greater World" leaving only their skins behind. I wondered why only their skins would be left behind, I didn't get the impression that they needed a physical body at all in the Greater World, so why wouldn't the whole thing be left behind? It seems that t was just the skin only for purposes of dramatic effect for the story, which I thought was a little lazy. But that was a fairly minor point, overall, it's a good story, with good characters that you could really feel for having to make tough decisions in an incomprehensible situation.
I will continue to look for more by Wilson, as he is becoming one of my favorite authors, and this book is definitely worth reading if you can find it.
The most impressive thing about this story, I think, is that it doesn't really make a lot of judgements. The story focuses on people who decline the Travellers offer of immortality, but it doesn't give the impression that they are any better than those who accepted the offer. It also doesn't fall into the boring cliche of the benevolent aliens who save us from ourselves. It does a good job of presenting both sides without making any assumptions about which is right or wrong, or whether either is. This makes for a much more enjoyable story, and I think that is what I like most about Wilson's books overall, is his ability to stay away from tired cliches or predictable endings.
The only thing that really bothered me about this story was the way the people ascended to the "Greater World" leaving only their skins behind. I wondered why only their skins would be left behind, I didn't get the impression that they needed a physical body at all in the Greater World, so why wouldn't the whole thing be left behind? It seems that t was just the skin only for purposes of dramatic effect for the story, which I thought was a little lazy. But that was a fairly minor point, overall, it's a good story, with good characters that you could really feel for having to make tough decisions in an incomprehensible situation.
I will continue to look for more by Wilson, as he is becoming one of my favorite authors, and this book is definitely worth reading if you can find it.
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
The Harvest
25 Feb 2000
Format:Mass Market Paperback
Why are all the best books out of print? And why didn't this man get some sort of award for this book? It was an old topic explored in an original way. I read this on a road trip from Ohio to Florida, and I will tell you, I hated when I had to take my turn driving. I could not get my mind off of this book from page one until the end. What an excellent storyteller this author is!
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
A Good One- If you can find it
24 Sep 2004
Format:Mass Market Paperback
Like RCW's more recent "The Chronoliths", "The Harvest" explores how regular people deal with cataclismic changes to planet Earth, this time in the form of first contact with aliens.
The purpose of the alien visitation is left a little unclear; are they truly benevolent in offering humanity eternal life? Or is it a bait-and-switch, a 'harvesting' of all intelligent life on Earth? Wilson rightly avoids giving us all the answers, leaving higher meanings to the imagination of the reader. Well done.
Wilson has many strengths as a writer, all of which are on display here: Very realistic characters, some clever ideas, low sentimentality and avoidance of smarmy cliches, and finally, an intelligent yet quick writing style. I plowed through this book.
I especially liked the way the aliens made contact with us humans. It's not what you would expect, but it is very easy to believe.
If you like the more recent Wilson books, this one is worth tracking down.
The purpose of the alien visitation is left a little unclear; are they truly benevolent in offering humanity eternal life? Or is it a bait-and-switch, a 'harvesting' of all intelligent life on Earth? Wilson rightly avoids giving us all the answers, leaving higher meanings to the imagination of the reader. Well done.
Wilson has many strengths as a writer, all of which are on display here: Very realistic characters, some clever ideas, low sentimentality and avoidance of smarmy cliches, and finally, an intelligent yet quick writing style. I plowed through this book.
I especially liked the way the aliens made contact with us humans. It's not what you would expect, but it is very easy to believe.
If you like the more recent Wilson books, this one is worth tracking down.
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