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Brian Wilson Aldiss
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Helliconia Trilogy (The Brian Aldiss Collection) Paperback – 22 July 1996

by Brian Aldiss (Author)
4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 371 ratings
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The great drama of life on Helliconia is shaped by its cosmic limitations. In fierce contrasts of climate, whole seasons last for centuries and civilizations rise and fall as the planet orbits the giant sun Freyr every 3000 years. The trilogy won the J.W. Campbell Memorial Award.
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  1. ISBN-10
    0006482236
  2. ISBN-13
    978-0006482239
  3. Edition
    Omnibus edition
  4. Publisher
    Harper Voyager
  5. Publication date
    22 July 1996
  6. Language
    English
  7. Dimensions
    12.9 x 4.7 x 19.8 cm
  8. Print length
    1088 pages
  9. See all details
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Product description

Review

'For decades, Brian Aldiss has been among our most prolific and consistently stylish writers' The Telegraph

From the Back Cover

FOR THE FIRST TIME IN ONE VOLUME
THE GREAT YEAR OF HELLICONIA

A planet of binary suns, Helliconia has a Great Year spanning three millennia of Earth time: cultures are born in spring, flourish in summer, then die with the onset of the generations – long winter. The Helliconia books are Brian Aldiss's compelling masterwork.

"Propels the reader headlong into marvel. A trilogy which has acquired monumental nobility"
THE TIMES

"Science fiction has never before had this grandeur"
TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT

"Brian Aldiss's towering imagination places his Helliconia Trilogy far above standard science fiction"
DAILY MAIL

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Harper Voyager; Omnibus edition (22 July 1996)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 1088 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0006482236
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0006482239
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 12.9 x 4.7 x 19.8 cm
  • Customer reviews:
    4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 371 ratings

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Brian Wilson Aldiss

Brian Wilson Aldiss

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Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
371 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book engaging and well-written. They appreciate the profound vision of an alternative world and convincing construction of cosmology, geography, biology, and a cosmology. The writing quality is described as thoughtful and clever. However, opinions differ on the story quality, with some finding it captivating and epic, while others consider it tiresome and disappointing. There are mixed views on character development, with some finding them fantastic and imaginatively realized, while others feel there's no meaningful character arc and many characters have strange names that make them easy to mix up.

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ReadabilitySci-fi contentWriting qualityStory qualityCharacter development
22 customers mention ‘Readability’22 positive0 negative

Customers find the book engaging. They say it's a great read for fans of writers who take time to immerse themselves in their worlds. The omnibus edition is considered excellent and a must-read for science fiction fans. While it's a long read, it's never boring.

"...By the way: it's definitely worth reading the appendices. Everything is ultimately explained within the text; but it helps to get a slight head start." Read more

"...I found it a fascinating read and am glad that I picked it up thirty odd years after first hearing of it." Read more

"I loved the firwst book "Spring". I couldn't put it down but half way through the second I felt it got a bit tedious so I gave up...." Read more

"The scope of this huge book is incredible. It's very long but it's never boring...." Read more

13 customers mention ‘Sci-fi content’13 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the science fiction content. They find the concept profound and convincing, with a coherent vision of an alternative world. The characters are fantastic and you can totally believe in the world. While some readers describe it as a more medieval kind of science fiction, they appreciate the great premise and complete universe. The book also has parallels with their own lives and choices, and immerses you in the planet Helliconia.

"Enjoyed it a lot although a more medieval kind of science fiction...." Read more

"...The subjects of his world are very real despite their imaginary surroundings...." Read more

"...story-telling brilliance is matched by a fantastic yet convincing construction of a cosmology, geography, biology and sociology of an imagined world..." Read more

"...It contains some good writing at times and interesting views of a changing planet over time, but it fails as a novel, and unfortunately also as a..." Read more

12 customers mention ‘Writing quality’12 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's writing quality. They find it well-written, with believable characters and a world that is well-imagined. The author creates unique and clever characters that are believable. The book is considered one of the greatest artistic and literary creations of the 20th century and a masterwork by Brian Aldiss.

"...More than a technical work the author creates unique and believable characters that engage in rich relationships...." Read more

"There is a very good reason why Brian Aldiss is known as a master of the genre . . . He reveals to his reader that he is the master of invention...." Read more

"Whereas this work is well imagined and researched, it is a baleful story whose main message seems to be that nature always wins in the end...." Read more

"...It's brilliant from start to finish. Everyone should read it whether they're interested in SF or not. BUY IT NOW!" Read more

29 customers mention ‘Story quality’17 positive12 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the story quality. Some find it engaging with vibrant settings and an overarching story that spans almost an entire year. They describe it as a true epic in the same way as Lord of the Rings. However, others found the book boring, unimaginative, and tiresome to read after a few pages.

"...Between them they constitute an amazing yarn; the yarn then contains a much deeper narrative and a sense of scale which is both impossibly large,..." Read more

"...I couldn't put it down but half way through the second I felt it got a bit tedious so I gave up. Another one to return to...." Read more

"The scope of this huge book is incredible. It's very long but it's never boring...." Read more

"...His story-telling brilliance is matched by a fantastic yet convincing construction of a cosmology, geography, biology and sociology of an imagined..." Read more

13 customers mention ‘Character development’7 positive6 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the character development. Some find the characters fantastic and imaginatively realised, while others feel there's no meaningful character arc for Yuli, characters live and die, and there are many characters with strange names that are easy to get mixed up.

"...More than a technical work the author creates unique and believable characters that engage in rich relationships...." Read more

"...Another one to return to. a lot of characters with strange names so easy to get mixed up." Read more

"...story ebbs and flows through different time-frames you get to know the characters well and empathise with the challenges they face in their ever..." Read more

"...The only negative thing I could say is that there isn't much character development, but that's not what it's about...." Read more

Top reviews from United Kingdom

  • W. J. A. Johnston
    5.0 out of 5 stars A Terrific Book
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 28 January 2020
    Verified Purchase
    It took me a while to attune to the style - usually a good sign.

    So much that is so good about these three volumes. Between them they constitute an amazing yarn; the yarn then contains a much deeper narrative and a sense of scale which is both impossibly large, whilst still holding me, the reader, within the bounds of its enormous narrative.

    Then there's the connection between the world of Helliconia and that of the Earth and the Earth observers. It could be banal, unlikely and utterly absurd. It is in fact as gripping as the lives of its principal characters. The themes become important to us, living here, on Earth, in the here and now. Aldiss hits those deeper themes, without distracting from the narrative, which carries me along past landscapes - physical, emotional, psychological, spiritual - of enormous importance to the world as it is today, but without ever seemed like proselytising messages. It is the story – and the stories within the story - which carries everything before it. Rather like thousands of tons of silt carried to the sea by a great river, the silt is all important, and the river remains the thing.

    Definitely recommended.

    By the way: it's definitely worth reading the appendices. Everything is ultimately explained within the text; but it helps to get a slight head start.
    5 people found this helpful
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  • Fleecy Moss
    4.0 out of 5 stars Massive technical science fiction masterpiece
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 20 April 2018
    Verified Purchase
    Enjoyed it a lot although a more medieval kind of science fiction. The quality of the concept is shown in the level of research that has gone into the world building. More than a technical work the author creates unique and believable characters that engage in rich relationships. I found it a fascinating read and am glad that I picked it up thirty odd years after first hearing of it.
    3 people found this helpful
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  • Kindle Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars A truly memorable read
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 13 June 2023
    Verified Purchase
    There is a very good reason why Brian Aldiss is known as a master of the genre . . . He reveals to his reader that he is the master of invention. The subjects of his world are very real despite their imaginary surroundings. Once the reader enters their world, there is no escape until the conclusion.
    4 people found this helpful
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  • PammyMac
    4.0 out of 5 stars Helliconia
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 17 January 2013
    Verified Purchase
    I loved the firwst book "Spring". I couldn't put it down but half way through the second I felt it got a bit tedious so I gave up. Another one to return to. a lot of characters with strange names so easy to get mixed up.
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  • cornsplicer
    3.0 out of 5 stars A bit tedious to read.
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 12 September 2023
    Verified Purchase
    Whereas this work is well imagined and researched, it is a baleful story whose main message seems to be that nature always wins in the end.

    Although the narrative kept going apace, it wasn’t satisfying to read. I ended up skim reading because it was getting tedious.
    Helpful
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  • tomasluisdevictoria
    5.0 out of 5 stars The all time great
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 21 November 2012
    Verified Purchase
    The scope of this huge book is incredible. It's very long but it's never boring. As far as I know, Aldiss consulted with several experts to make sure the evolution of his incredible planet was at least hypothetically watertight. The only negative thing I could say is that there isn't much character development, but that's not what it's about.

    To give you a very brief overview of what happens, Helliconia is a planet orbiting two suns, and which therefore has two years, a long and a short. The book is about what happens to human (and other) life during the change of the long season. To tell you anything more would be to ruin your voyage of discovery.

    It's brilliant from start to finish. Everyone should read it whether they're interested in SF or not. BUY IT NOW!
    6 people found this helpful
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  • Patrick E. Mason
    5.0 out of 5 stars An essential read for all sons-of-freyr
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 11 July 2015
    Verified Purchase
    I remember reading these (originally 3 books) when they were originally published (when I was a teenager) and being utterly absorbed into the world of Helliconia. Aldiss was always my favourite science-fiction author. His story-telling brilliance is matched by a fantastic yet convincing construction of a cosmology, geography, biology and sociology of an imagined world sufficiently different from Earth to be "alien"...... but with humanity and all its magic and faults still present. Fitting all three volumes together makes the book rather bulky (almost 1300 pages) but it also means you are compelled to read the whole lot in one go!
    3 people found this helpful
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  • Amazon Customer
    4.0 out of 5 stars Four Stars
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 28 January 2018
    Verified Purchase
    Great book, not the best sci-fi that there is but nevertheless a timeless piece.
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Top reviews from other countries

  • sk
    5.0 out of 5 stars fascinating different
    Reviewed in Germany on 14 July 2019
    Verified Purchase
    fascinating, surprising, addictive
    Report
  • Julien Chappel
    5.0 out of 5 stars Julien-Helliconia
    Reviewed in Australia on 3 February 2024
    Verified Purchase
    I was happy in receiving the item. The item and delivery was excellent
    Report
  • Dr U.K. Bhadra
    4.0 out of 5 stars Visit Planet Helliconia in this Gollancz SF Masterworks vehicle.
    Reviewed in India on 11 October 2015
    Verified Purchase
    Helliconia is a planet unknown to the astronomers but known to all of us who read SF. The first of the three three books which makes up this massive volume, Helliconia Spring, won the John W. Campbell award in 1983 for the best SF novel of the year for the British author, Brian W. Aldiss. It was out of print for a long, long time, and the situation was salvaged by publication of this Gollancz SF Masterworks omnibus edition. You won't get all three books together any cheaper than this. Highly recommended.
    Report
  • Kindle Customer
    2.0 out of 5 stars WHY?
    Reviewed in France on 8 October 2014
    Verified Purchase
    A long time spent going pretty well nowhere, I stuck with it because it had such good reviews, and the separate story lines always started well then petered out and another started, petered out, and this went on until the last petered out and I was finished. I was left with nothing I didn't know anyway, the human being is fallible, and politics and religion are the death of any civilisation, but I only needed to look around to see that.
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  • Irulan Organa
    5.0 out of 5 stars great book
    Reviewed in Spain on 6 October 2013
    Verified Purchase
    Very interesting, I got hooked in the first pages. Good rhythm and inventive. If you love science fiction, it's a must
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