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The Cloud
 
 
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The Cloud (Paperback)

by Ray Hammond (Author)
3.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
RRP: £6.99
Price: £5.49 & this item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
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  • This item: The Cloud by Ray Hammond

    In stock.
    Dispatched from and sold by Amazon.co.uk.
    This item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions

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Product details

  • Paperback: 389 pages
  • Publisher: Pan Books (3 Mar 2006)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0330441876
  • ISBN-13: 978-0330441872
  • Product Dimensions: 17.2 x 11 x 2.8 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 272,061 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Product Description

Express
‘If you enjoy technology...the science behind...exploration and the search for ET life...The Cloud won’t let you down'

Express
'The Cloud is impressively researched and I tip my hat to Hammond’s imagination.’

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Extinction
18% buy
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Customer Reviews

8 Reviews
5 star:
 (3)
4 star:
 (1)
3 star:
 (2)
2 star:
 (1)
1 star:
 (1)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
3.5 out of 5 stars (8 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars Readable yarn punctuated with politics and silly mistakes, 4 Sep 2006
By Cartimand (Hampshire, UK.) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)      
** spoilers **

Whilst the notion of a space cloud threatening life as we know it is far from an original one (as with the previous reviewer, I too was reminded of several Star Trek plots), Hammond builds the sense of anticipation skillfully enough to maintain the reader's interest. The change in humankind's perception of what was initially seen as a benign message from another civilisation into a threat of unparalelled magnitude was cleverly handled and reflects the complexity of the whole SETI business; whether we are alone in the universe or not, either way the concept is mind-boggling (and terrifying!).

So far so good!

Perhaps I'm being over picky here but my enjoyment of this yarn was somewhat compromised by a series of silly mistakes in the text. Claims made about the velocity of the cloud on its approach to Earth and of the plans to launch a nuclear assault upon it whilst it is still well beyond the solar system, simply don't add up! Furthermore, Hammond seems to be very inconsistent about the Earth's population; on page 288 he claims that 10% of the world's population equates to ten million people (!), whereas some 60 pages later 95% of the Earth's population has become the more realistic "billions".

You may also find that the politics grate a bit - cyberluddites triumphing over the big bad military wolf, whilst you play spot the similarity to other sci-fi novels (a clue: 2001 figures largely!).

The Cloud is worth finishing though. I've certainly read worse than this.
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4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Exciting, 12 Jun 2006
By C. Green "happily low brow" (Faringdon, Oxon, UK) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)      
After the disappointment of Extinction, which I found to be poorly conceived and unbelievable (although it contained some interesting ideas and concepts) I am pleased to report that Ray Hammond has returned to form with The Cloud.

Dealing with implications of mankind's first contact with an alien entity (the titular 'Cloud') this is a far more satisfying novel than Extinction, even if the subject matter seems more fantastic. Combining thought provoking ideas on mankind's future, our use of technology and our assumptions about the universe with high velocity, adrenaline charged action, it moves at a rapid pace without sacrificing intelligence. Whilst the story may be science-fiction it also maintains enough of a sense of versimlitude to remain believable.

There are weaknesses of course. Hammond's strengths lie in his visions of the future and being able to describe complex scientific ideas without confusing the lay reader. Characterisation on the other hand is not one of his principle assets, and the characters who inhabit The Cloud are most one dimensional and there to service the story. What little character development there is, such as a ronantic subplot, feels forced and tacked on; included simply to tick all the required boxes. This makes both individuals and and their actions somewhat predictable as the story unfolds.

It doesn't however, detract too badly from the book's strengths, and by the end, as the pace speeds up towards a race against time to save the world it becomes almost unputdownable.

With The Cloud Ray Hammond has restored my faith in him as a futurologist and science-fiction author. I will be waiting for his next book.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars Possibly the worst book I have ever read, 17 Oct 2007
By A. Mulhearn (London, England United Kingdom) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
I'm not sure there's much more to be said. If this had been an 800 page book with decent development of the storyline it would have been perhaps a 3 or a 4, with a certain allowance for some truly horrendous plot holes, holes so big that you could drive a Eurostar train all the way from London to Paris through it. As it is, the whole story is so rushed that inconsistencies in the plot and the stupidity of the characters is impossible to ignore.

I really, really, really, hope this author never gets another book published unless he takes a course in creative writing from someone. Anyone!

In fact, is it possible to get my money back and why can't I give this 0 stars?
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Exciting and fresh sci-fi
The Cloud is original in concept. Beyond that however, The Cloud is a 1950's type sci-fi novel about mankind's xenophobia, barbaric approach to dominance and ultimately a... Read more
Published on 31 Mar 2007 by Mr. G. Battle

3.0 out of 5 stars Good but not great
I saw this book on a recent buying expedition and the summary seemed intriguing enough that I would find it interesting. Read more
Published on 10 Nov 2006 by Steven Baker

2.0 out of 5 stars B-Movie
It is the future and Earth receives an alien transmission which leads to disastrous consequences for the planet. Read more
Published on 24 Aug 2006 by J. S. Meins

5.0 out of 5 stars Utterly compelling
That rarest of things, a truly original science fiction novel.

This book manages to be at once intelligent, thought provoking and utterly compelling.

Published on 3 April 2006 by Mr. David A. Morgan-brown

5.0 out of 5 stars Death-defying roller coaster
Set in a just about imaginable future, The Cloud continues some of the ecological themes initiated in Ray's earlier novels Emergence and Extinction. Read more
Published on 9 Mar 2006 by peterpurton

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