Average customer rating:
- Miller's propagandizing ruins an adequate anthology
- Best reprint anthology of post-apocalyptic SF
- The ultimate apocalyptic short story collection
- This must be a mistake...
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Beyond Armageddon
Manufacturer: Bison Books
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Binding: Paperback
 Anthologies
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Greenberg, Martin H.
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Miller, Walter M.
| ( M )
| Authors, A-Z
| Science Fiction & Fantasy
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Anthologies
| Science Fiction
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General
| Science Fiction
| Science Fiction & Fantasy
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Short Stories
| Science Fiction
| Science Fiction & Fantasy
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ASIN: 0803283156 |
Book Description
In Beyond Armageddon, the distinguished science fiction writer Walter M. Miller Jr. (1923–96) and the famed anthologist Martin H. Greenberg have together collected stories that address one of the most challenging themes of imaginative fiction: the nature of life after nuclear war. The twenty-one stories in this collection, by masters such as Arthur C. Clarke, Poul Anderson, Ray Bradbury, J. G. Ballard, Robert Sheckley, Roger Zelazny, and Harlan Ellison, explore a variety of possibilities of “life after.” These richly imagined stories offer glimpses into a future no reader will soon forget. Miller’s incisive introduction and a thought-provoking and irreverent commentary are included. New to this Bison Books edition is a postscript to the introduction provided by Martin H. Greenberg.
Customer Reviews:
Miller's propagandizing ruins an adequate anthology.......2007-05-01
A series of stories selected by Miller to advance his anti-war, anti-mankind view of the world shortly before his suicide at the end of years of clinical depression. Some are clearly post-apocalyptic, while others are less firmly of that genre. Much less thought-provoking that I had hoped; in great part due to Miller's ramblings ahead of each piece. Instead of simply introducing the story, Miller uses the opportunity to preach his convictions about the sordidness of war and politics and the human condition. The comments and characterizations grow so venomous that it makes the cast of St. Leibowitz and the Wild Horse Woman seem saintly.
Best reprint anthology of post-apocalyptic SF.......2004-01-20
This book contains the following stories:
"Salvador" by Lucius Shepard
"The Store of the Worlds" by Robert Sheckley
"The Big Flash" by Norman Spinrad
"Lot" by Ward Moore
"Day at the Beach" by Carol Emshwiller
"The Wheel" by John Wyndham
"Jody After the War" by Edward Bryant
"The Terminal Beach" by J. G. Ballard
"Tomorrow's Children" by Poul Anderson
"Heirs Apparent" by Robert Abernathy
"A Master of Babylon" by Edgar Pangborn
"Game Preserve" by Rog Phillips
"By the Waters of Babylon" by Stephen Vincent Benét
"There Will Come Soft Rains" by Ray Bradbury
"To the Chicago Abyss" by Ray Bradbury
"Lucifer" by Roger Zelazny
"Eastward Ho!" by William Tenn
"The Feast of Saint Janis" by Michael Swanwick
"If I Forget Thee, Oh Earth..." by Arthur C. Clarke
"A Boy and His Dog" by Harlan Ellison
"My Life in the Jungle" by Jim Aikin
The ultimate apocalyptic short story collection.......2003-01-18
This anthology contains the very best of apocalyptic/post-apocalyptic short fiction, including such hard-to find classics as Harlan Elison's "A Boy and His Dog". Other personal favorites are Norman Spinrad's "The Big Flash", Edgar Pangborn's "A MAster of Babylon", Stephen Benet's "By the Waters of Babylon", William Tenn's "Eastward Ho!", Lucius Shepard's "Salvador" and... it's all there, really. Include an interesting and to-the-point foreword by editor Walter M. Miller (author of "A Canticle for Leibowitz"), and you've got the ultimate treat for a fan of post-apocalyptic fiction.
(Note: Published in the UK as "Beyond Armageddon: Survivors of the Megawar" Robinson, 1985)
This must be a mistake..........1999-04-20
Yes, the book is out of print, but when I ordered it, the page said that it was still available, and I received it in 2 days. Hmmm... There's good and bad to this collection of 21 stories of nuclear devastation. *Bad* - Walter M. Miller's lengthy, rambling, and ultimately pointless foreword and story introductions, and the abundance of typos (did anyone proofread this?). *Good* - The selection of works. Bradbury, Ellison, Clarke, Zelazny, Pangborn, and many others. Plus, it includes one of my personal favorites, "By the Waters of Babylon" by Steven Vincent Benet. The cover is intriguing, as well... looks like Stanislaw Fernandes?
Book Description
From the Five-Time Nebula Award-Winner
The death stars that brought the apocalyptic destruction on Earth seven hundred thousand years before have stopped falling, and Earth has begun to renew itself. The Long Winter that held the human tribes in their cocoons beneath the ground is over, and the People are spreading rapidly across the newly fertile land. The Queen of Springtime continues the chronicles of the People’s reclamation of Earth begun in the first volume, At Winter’s End.
The human tribes struggle to fulfill their destiny as rulers of Earth, but they find the seats of power already occupied. The hjjks, the somber, cold-eyed insect-folk, never retreated, even at the time of greatest chill. The world fell to them by default, and they have been its sole masters for seven hundred thousand years. The Queen of Springtime follows the struggle between these dissimilar beings to establish dominance in the newly emerging world.
Exclusive to this Bison Books edition, Robert Silverberg provides an introduction and a synopsis of the unwritten concluding volume of The New Springtime trilogy. Appearing for the first time in print, “The Summer of Homecoming” outline reveals the fates, two hundred years later, of the heroes and their world that were introduced in At Winter’s End and The Queen of Springtime.
Customer Reviews:
A Satisfying Sequel.......2004-01-22
I read "At Winter's End" and was dying for more. "New Springtime" was just what I needed! Do not read this if you have not read the first book. I am so fond of Hresh and of the People as a whole. I do not want to give anything away, just read the reviews for "At Winter's End" and if you decide to read it (and find you liked it) I promise this sequel will not dissapoint.
Book Description
From the Five-Time Nebula Award-Winner
Seven thousand centuries ago, falling death stars unleashed fiery apocalyptic destruction on Earth and inaugurated the Long Winter. One small band of People took refuge in an underground cocoon where they and their descendants waited for the time of ice to end. Now their long winter is over. Prophecy and circumstance urge the tribe out into the half-forgotten world beyond their safe cocoon. Led by their chieftain Koshmar, the tribe journeys to the city of Vengiboneeza, where the prophecy of the gods says they are to rule. On their way the tribe discovers the dangers and wonders of life in the New Springtime. In the face of new temptations and peril, Koshmar and her lover, the priestess Torlyri, struggle to keep the People united and fulfill the prophecy. For soon they will be beset by other trials, as other beings seek to fulfill their own prophecies.
Robert Silverberg provides an introduction exclusive to this Bison Books edition.
Customer Reviews:
At Winter's End.......2006-11-04
At Winter's End, by Robert Silverberg, is a science fiction story about a tribe of apelike, but intelligent beings, who call themselves humans. After seven hundred thousand years, they leave the cocoon that their ancestors built in the depths of a vast mountainside for shelter from the great death stars and freezing winter. Their leader, Koshmar, leads them on a dangerous journey to a city called Vengiboneeza. While they are there, they discover many objects and clues to the past. They eventually follow, when ten of their tribe, led by the warrior Harruel, decide it is their destiny to start their own city. This is the beginning of a new life in a new place.
The main characters of this book are Koshmar, the chief, Hresh, the young chronicler, Toryli, the offering woman, and the warriors, Harruel and Konya. Koshmar is a kind but stern leader who is adamant about leaving the cocoon when the time is correct. She leads them to Vengiboneeza. Hresh, a boy of nine years, becomes chronicler after the preceding old man, Thaggoran, died from a wolf attack. Toryli is the kind woman who gave the daily offering to the outside world back in the cocoon, and is like a mother to the growing tribe. She provides warmth and love to all who are in need. The warriors, Harruel and Konya aren't the only warriors, but they take part in most of the scenes. Harruel is a burly, massive, towering man who eventually turns away from the tribe with ten others to start his own city. His ferocious fighting spirt makes him the head of the warriors. Konya is Harruel's friend, and follows Harruel when he leads the tribe away. Unlike him, he has a lean, but strong figure, and has earned second rank in power.
I recommend this book to anyone who likes adventure, and a little mystery and science fiction. It sets forth thought-provoking ideas, such as a second sight, gods, and contacting the spirit realm, to enhance the experience and make this book a must read for all adventure and science fiction lovers.
Somehow I wanted more from this.......2005-10-02
I feel like this took me forever to get through, despite breezing through the first 200 pages within 24 hours of cracking the cover.
The last 150, on the other hand, took me five or six days to get through.
I slammed through the early portions of this thanks to the really interesting premise: The Earth is struck by comets and plunged into a long ice age. The story picks up at the end of that era. A small group of "people", sheltered for thousands of years, exit their shelter at the end of the ice age to create a new world.
Sounds great, but things really ground to a halt about 200 pages in. Is this a soap opera? A philosophical exploration? A "lost civilization" story? An adventure? The book is not sure. Had it chosen its course and stayed there, I would have loved the ride. Instead, I found myself wanting more from this book.
Silverberg's premise is good enough, but the story didn't feel as if it actually went anywhere. Excellent and well done characters, good world-building, but no sense of urgency or movement to the story. Silverberg plays with some philosophical concepts, but he just doesn't do it very well. And the end was very anti-climactic and unsatisfactory. After reading several good Silverberg's, he may have just handed me my first dud (or semi-dud; the writing was very strong) in a long streak of pretty enjoyable books.
I wanted to like this. I really did. The characters and concepts were simply brilliant; the world building fantastic. But in the end it was just, "eh."
More than meets the eye.......2004-01-07
Let me say before I start this interview that I LOATH sci-fi or fantasy that involves talking monkies, apes, or animalistic humanoids in general. Silverberg, the literary master that he is, presents his characters in terms of who they are first, then much later their physicality. The entire book was fresh and innovative. After I was done it left me wanting much more. Not more from the story but more pages to devour.
The other thing I LOATH about sci-fi or fantasy are when authors bury us in consonant heavy, made up names. Silvererg actually manages to use strange names successfully to accentuate the story. There are tons of details, I recommend the read at the highest level.
My Inroduction to Gripping Sci-Fi.......2001-07-02
I've been looking everywhere for this book, and have been unable to find it at nearby bookstores and libraries. I read it many years ago, in junior high I believe, which seems not so long ago, but I haven't read it since. As soon as I find a copy to buy though, I plan on devouring the story word by word. Of all the books I have read, Silverberg's tale of a far-future earth has stuck with me, never fading as so many books and their plots often do. This is classic SF written by one of the masters in the genre. I recommend this to anyone searching for a great adventure and not wanting to be bogged down in a long drawn out series, i.e. Hubbard's Mission Earth, or Jordan's Wheel of Time, or perhaps to make the wait between installments not so agonizing, i.e. George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire or the Dune prequels by Kevin J. Anderson and David Herbert, two current obsessions of mine. Also try Silverberg's Lord Valentine books, those are classics as well, and worthy reads for any fantasist looking for someplace better to be, if only for a little while.
One of Silverberg's Best.......1999-10-27
Silverberg is perhaps SF's greatest living author. This is one of the best of his later works, a spellbinding and engrossing novel that transports to the reader to an alien world. It's not easy to create convincing aliens that human readers can identify with, but Silverberg succeeds here with a fascinating tale full of mythic archetypes, beautifully drawn characters, and of course his glittering and vivid prose.
Book Description
Eleven hundred years after the apocalyptic destruction of the United States of America, peace between the remaining warring tribes has finally been achieved. Despite this peace, the Pelbar stronghold Threerivers retains its secretive and reclusive ways, keeping its distance from the other remaining tribes and guarding against change. A strict matriarchy, Threerivers remains the most conservative Pelbar community under the unquestioned and unyielding rule of its leader, Udge.
Life in Threerivers continues without change until two young twin brothers, Brudoer and Gamwyn, accidentally initiate events that threaten the established order. The resulting chain of consequences sends Gamwyn on a quest to the far reaches of this postapocalyptic world. Within Threerivers, Brudoer’s imprisonment threatens the long-established matriarchal rule of the Pelbar stronghold.
The Fall of the Shell is the fourth book in the classic series of postapocalyptic novels about the people of Pelbar
Customer Reviews:
Interesting overlooked work of SF.......2003-06-05
This is the fourth and central work of a series about the spiritual and technological rebirth of a future North America wrecked by nuclear war. Overtly the setting is straight after-the-bomb, but the construction of societies which each have their own strengths and weaknesses is nice, and the overall flow of the stories is well done.
This novel is the best of the series. Williams is a poor creator of setting and character, but the novel moves so gracefully through the plot that many readers will forgive him his failings. The title resonates over and over through events as symmatrical as the huge stone cities of the Pelbar, the one human society in central North America to have continued as an urban civilization.
As a literary engine, this is one of the finest fantastic stories I have ever read. Worth a try. If you like it, try the others.
Book Description
An Ambush of Shadows is the fifth book in the classic series of postapocalyptic novels about the people of Pelbar. Despite the tentative peace established in the eleven hundred years since the destruction of the United States, the Tantal tribe remains ready for battle. After their disastrous defeat by the Pelbar tribes at Northwall, the slaveholding Tantal have kept their distance. But since the Pelbar forces began moving northward to colonize the shores of the Bitter Sea, the Tantal forces have been on the attack.
Then one day, a roving tribe of Tantal warriors kidnaps a young girl during a raid on Pelbar explorers. The child is Raydi, daughter of Stel Westrun, Pelbar master craftsman, reinventor of the steamboat, and son of the leader of the Pelbar city-state Pelbarigan. Stel vows to reclaim his daughter and seek revenge, becoming the single-minded foe of all things Tantal.
Customer Reviews:
An Engineer/Poet fights back.......2004-03-07
"An Ambush of Shadows" is book five (of seven) in "The Pelbar Cycle."
Stel Westrun, having aided in the release of the "Dome" people (see "The Dome in the Forest," which is book three), is attempting to recreate the steamboat, based on knowledge they have provided from before the "Time of Fire." As is all too common in the interface between science and politics, however, there are factions in the city of Pelbarigan who see not a process of trial and error, by which he is improving each subsequent model, but a series of embarassing failures; failures which reflect poorly on the city. His wife, Ahroe, is also embarassed, and her role as Pelbarigan's chief delegate to the Heart River Federation, which is attempting to reunite the scattered tribes of Urstadge (known a thousand years ago as "America"), only adds to the tension threatening to tear their marriage apart.
Because of this tension in the family, their daughter Raydi decides to stow away on the steamboat for its first long distance trial run -- a decision that will lead to her being kidnapped and brainwashed by the Tantal, and will lead to Stel almost single-handedly destroying their corrupt culture. Once again Stel shows how a man utterly devoted to peace can be a rock upon which the intentions of more violent groups can be shattered; not to mention the wisdom of the advice "Never piss off an engineer."
From the back cover:
"For years after their disastrous defeat by the Pelbar at Northwall, the slave-holding Tantal had kept their distance.
But once the Pelbar moved northward to colonize the shores of the Bitter Sea, Tantal forces were always on the attack.
Then one day they kidnapped the young daughter of Stel Westrun, Pelbar master craftsman, re-inventor of the steamboat--and, suddenly, the single-minded foe of all things Tantal..."
Book Description
One thousand years after a devastating and chaotic series of nuclear exchanges, all that is left of the United States of America are scattered, warring tribes and small city-states. One of the latter is Pelbar—proud, civilized, and intolerant of change and new ideas. Rebels and troublemakers are sentenced to a year of exile at the massive midwestern fortress of Northwall, defending Pelbar against the fierce Shumai and Sentani tribes. Restless and brilliant Jestak is a visionary who has seen and learned too much in his distant travels to be content with life in Pelbarigan. During his exile at Northwall, he makes contact with Pelbar’s age-old enemies and risks all to rescue his beloved Tia from nomads armed with long-lost weapons from before the atomic holocaust. Jestak’s daring quest for love brings profound changes to his world.
The Breaking of Northwall is the first in a series of seven classic postapocalyptic novels about the Pelbar people. Williams’s fascinating and uniquely optimistic vision of an America long after a nuclear war has enthralled readers for decades.
Customer Reviews:
Books I've Read Several Times.......2007-06-18
The Pelbar Cycle are books that stick with you for a lifetime. I first read them in college almost twenty years ago and I just recently read the series again for the third time. The books are fun, adventurous, and a great summer read, but they also have an interesting moral center that makes me remember pieces of the narrative years later.
Great read.......2006-08-05
Though the book started of a little slow, the pace picked up and I couldn't put it down. It's a great story and I can't wait to read the rest of the series.
Superior Post-Holocaust Novel.......2005-10-26
Originally published over 20 years ago by the Del Ray imprint, this book and its sequels have now been reissued as trade paperbacks by the University of Nebraska Press. Set in the midwest of the Mississippi Valley (the Heart River of the book), millenia in the future after a nuclear war, this book depicts the emergence of new civilizations controlling large swathes of North America. The author develops several different urban and tribal cultures, all with distinctive features, uses a bildungsroman type of plot to expose the readers to the various cultures, and then ties them together with an adventure story - romance involving inter-cultural warfare. Written decently and with a good degree of imagination. This is a stand alone book. I suspect the author wrote this book and after its success developed the rest of the series which are more interdependent. The University of Nebraska Press deserves considerable credit for bringing out relatively obscure but worthy books like this one.
Great book/series!.......2004-08-18
This book (and the entire series) is excellent. I wish more had been written.
One thing to consider when starting to read is the time during which the series was written and published. The cold war was still in effect and the threat of global nuclear devastation was still prominent in the consciousness of a great many people.
This series explores a possible future several decades (or centuries) following such a cataclysm.
Put aside preconceived notions and enjoy the adventure. If you don't get all of the details at first, keep reading and everything will fall into place as you go.
I believe you'll appreciate the journey.
Hard to start but then impossible to put down.......2004-03-09
Initially, I had a similar experience as the reviewer from Arizona: I tried literally 3 times to read this book but thought it was just too obtuse to figure out. But because Prof. Williams was my wife's English professor and advisor at college, and she held him in such high regard, I took another try. This time I stayed with it long enough and found that though the beginning didn't offer the quick action thrill of the start of the Star Wars movies, it led to a work that was far more substantial and satisfying in the long run than most anything else I've read.
I tend to like book series and rate them among my favorites because of character development, well developed and intriguing story lines or both. The Pelbar Cycle delivers both and is on the short list of books I've read more than once because of the messages and actions they contain. I had an opportunity to tell Prof. Williams how much I enjoyed this series, and why, and he seemed surprised that someone would talk to him about it. Humble man, very good writer.
My oldest son has read the series and liked it, now my youngest son is reading it and I may just read along with him so we can compare notes.
Book Description
Twenty years after the great battle at Northwall, the disparate warring tribes are moving toward a peaceful unity for the first time since before the Time of the Fire. With the comfort of peace, the running bands of nomadic Shumai Axemen are settling down and forgoing their traditional ways. So Tor, last of the great Shumai Axemen, takes his nephew Tristal on a last run to teach the boy the Way of the Axeman.
But Tristal will have to survive deadly encounters, endure a seductive captivity, and even suffer enslavement before he learns that there is more to the Axeman's skill than just a sound arm and a handy opponent.
The Song of the Axe is the sixth book in the classic series of postapocalyptic novels about the people of Pelbar. Paul O. Williams's fascinating and optimistic vision of an America long after a series of cataclysmic events has enthralled readers for decades.
Customer Reviews:
A one-armed warrior wanders with his nephew.......2004-03-14
"The Song of the Axe" is book six (of seven) in Paul O. Williams' "The Pelbar Cycle."
Unlike the others in the series, in this volume Stel Westrun is not the main character, but merely a minor one, as this is the story of Tor, one of the last "Axemen" of the Shumai tribe, and his nephew Tristal. Although the position of axeman, leader of one of the hunting bands of the Shumai, is fading as the new peace of the Heart River Federation causes them to move away from hunting and gathering toward a more agricultural lifestyle, Tor hopes to teach Tristal the principles of leadership once essential to the title. In spite of having lost his hand in the opening of the Dome of the ancients (see "The Dome in the Forest," book three in the series), Tor is still a warrior, but he has become both more introspective and more aware of the bigger picture of the land that is once more being reunited after being shattered by the "Time of Fire" a thousand years before. He leads Tristal on a quest toward a seemingly trivial objective, to see the walls of ice to the northwest described by a group of wanderers they had met a few years earlier, but in the process he is hoping to pass on the ability to listen to the subtleties of life around him that makes an axeman a great leader, because he sees in Tristal the potential to bridge the gap between the old ways and the new.
Successfully making their way to the glaciers, and beyond them to the "Shining Sea of the West" (that Stel had set out to see but never reached in book two, "The Ends of the Circle"), Tor and Tristal sometimes find their master/student relationship more troublesome than the hostile peoples they encounter on the way. Indeed, it takes something unexpected in the usual "coming of age" quest before Tristal finds the Axeman in himself.
From the back cover:
"Spring - and Civilization - were bringing new life to the valley of the Heart River. But the Old Ways of Urstadge's nomads were dying.
So Tor, last of the great Shumai Axemen, took his nephew Tristal on a last run to teach the boy the Way of the Axeman.
But TristaI would have to survive deadly encounters, endure a seductive captivity, and even suffer enslavement before he learned that there was more to the Axeman's skill than just a sound arm and a handy opponent."
Book Description
After eleven hundred years of struggle, the warring tribes that survived the apocalyptic destruction of the United States have finally united, forming the peaceful Heart River Federation. But three eastern cities remain outside the federation. Led by Innanigani forces, these last rogue tribes seek western victories and rich lands from the Heart River Federation. In their desire for land, the tribes unleash yet another war. Yet this war is different, for Innanigan is the last renegade state in North America. If a just peace can be negotiated, the continent might be united again for the first time in a millennium. But if the conflict continues, civilization might be lost forever.
The Sword of Forbearance is the seventh and final book in the classic series of postapocalyptic novels about the people of Pelbar. Paul O. Williams's fascinating and optimistic vision of an America long after a series of cataclysmic events has enthralled readers for decades.
Customer Reviews:
A series comes full circle.......2004-03-14
"The Sword of Forbearance" is the seventh and final book of Paul O. Williams' "The Pelbar Cycle."
The primary focus of this concluding volume, as with many others in the series, is Stel Westrun and his family, and their part in the reunification of an America (or, as they call it, Urstadge) that was torn apart into tribalism a thousand years before in the "Time of Fire." Once again we find Stel quietly but stubbornly adhering to his firmly held beliefs, and in the process causing turmoil between the political factions of his city and, eventually, change in the larger society being created by that reunification.
His insistence on printing and distributing the ancient religious book recovered from the city of the Tantal (in book five, "An Ambush of Shadows") as he found it, rather than edited to fit current religious beliefs, causes him to have to flee his home (and wife) again. This time his flight takes him eastward, rather than westward (as in book two, "The Ends of the Circle"), to one of the "Eastern Cities" -- which, unfortunately, have chosen this time to escalate their border skirmishes with the Peshtak, who are new members of the Heart River Federation which is trying to make the reunification a peaceful one.
Despite his low-key, peaceful behavior, when the rulers of the city discover he is from Pelbarigan, they naturally conclude that he is a spy, but he is so comical they don't really take him seriously. Indeed, this is typical of the way Stel is perceived by people in power throughout the entire series: because he has no interest in power of his own, they think of him as a frivolous, silly little man of no import, until they attempt to push him around. Then they are flabbergasted to discover a startlingly immovable object, and find that their attacks usually rebound to do more political damage to themselves than to him.
The culture of the three "Eastern Cities" is one that might have been founded by a society of lawyers, bound by the letter of the law in contract matters, but rapacious in finding loopholes, so when Stel uncovers a rather serious breach of good faith on the part of Innanigan, the city which is the driving force behind the attacks on the Heart River Federation, he manages to get the others to abrogate the treaty requiring them to send military assistance -- which they were reluctant to uphold anyway. Unfortunately, the action which allows the other cities to break the treaty reveals just how far Innanigan is willing to go to maintain its position -- and how far Stel will go to stop it.
From the back cover:
"To the rulers of Innanigan, spring brought not thoughts of love but of western victories and rich lands seized from the peaceful Heart River Federation.
And so they went to war.
Yet this one was different, for Innanigan was the last renegade state in North America. If a just peace could be negotiated, the continent would be united again for the first time in a thousand years.
But if the conflict continued, civilization might be lost forever!"
Book Description
One thousand years after “the time of fire,” a gentle craftsman and flute player forsakes both his true love and birthright to seek the fabled Shining Sea. Stel, born of proud but rigid Pelbar culture, embarks on an epic quest across an America dramatically changed by a long-ago nuclear war. Following him is his beloved wife, Ahroe, equally determined to find Stel, avoid disgrace, and share her own precious secret.
The Ends of the Circle is the second novel in the highly praised Pelbar Cycle, a classic series of postapocalyptic novels about the people of the Pelbar. Imaginative and reflective, this rousing tale introduces Stel—engineer and poet, adventurer and musician—one of the most memorable characters in modern postapocalyptic fiction.
Customer Reviews:
A hauntingly real world.......2006-04-24
The four stars here are an average of 5, for worldbuilding, and 3, for awkward writing style.
I read Williams' Pelbar cycle when the books first came out in the 70s or 80s. I've re-read them a few times in the intervening years, and every time I experience the same curious mix of enthusiasm and irritation.
The most compelling SF/F books are those in which the world itself is a character, in which the author's created universe has the same power as one of the actors. In my heart, for instance, I believe that McCaffery's Pern truly exists *somewhere*; as a reader, you want to climb over the next hill to see what's there.
Williams envisioned what the U.S. would be like a thousand years after a nuclear war, as civilization returns, technology is re-discovered, and the various lone communities begin to reconnect. The central figures are from Pelbarigan, a walled city on the Missisippi, somewhere south of where St. Louis is today. In addition to flipping back to the map to place the characters as they travel around the country, you -- or at least I -- spend some energy trying to figure out how each language or society evolved. That's the fun part.
Good worldbuilding can overcome a lot of weakness in storytelling, and in the Pelbar series it achieves it. Unfortunately, it needs to. What isn't accomplished nearly as well is the wordsmithing. Williams throws sentences at the page as though they're shovelfuls of words. The writing is stilted, annoyingly so, though I've never figured out exactly what he did wrong. Because the characters do come to life, and you do care what happens to them. There are few real surprises in the saga of Stel and his wife Ahroe, and in some ways they are verbal stick figures, but Stel, in particular, manages to be a real person with honor and wit. If this were a movie, I'd say that a re-make with a good director could make it top-notch.
The earlier books work well as standalone stories; in fact, I read The Ends of the Circle and a few following novels before I got to the Breaking of Northwall, and it never bothered me that I didn't know the details of Jestak's journey. (He'd gone east to explore; Stel and Ahroe head west, so they never cross paths.) The Ends of the Circle is probably the best of the lot, though A Dome in the Forest is a close follow-up.
If you have a weakness for alternate history SF/F stories or post-apocalyptic tales, it's worth the time to read this one. It isn't perfect, but the worldbuilding excellence balances out a lot of other weaknesses.
A man of peace in a world of conflict.......2004-01-28
"The Ends of the Circle" is book two (of seven) in "The Pelbar Cycle." In it, we are introduced to Stel Dahmen (later changed to "Stel Westrun"), who will be one of the main characters in most of the rest of the books. Newly married to a woman he loves, but who comes from a rigidly autocratic family that cannot abide what they see as his lack of proper respect, he ends up fleeing the walled city of his birth. Travelling across an America drastically changed in the thousand years since "The Time of Fire," Stel's resourcefulness and humble peacefulness are tested again and again, until eventually he is reunited with his wife Ahroe, and the son he didn't know he had, in the midst of a battle.
Stel Westrun/Dahmen is one of the most truly gentle characters you are ever likely to encounter in any post-apocalyptic fiction; he seems to spend his entire life trying to defuse the violence and intolerance of those around him; an engineer, poet, and flute-player, he is considered frivolous by most, but ends up sowing the seeds of vast change in the reunification of the tribes of what was once America.
"The Ends of the Circle" just misses getting a five star rating because it is short and a little shallow; later volumes in the series get better, and I would give five stars to "The Pelbar Cycle" as a whole, as I have re-read and enjoyed them all many times.
From the back cover:
"Some among the Pelbar meant to kill Stel, so the master-craftsman was forced to abandon his love, his family, and the security of Pelbarigan in order to survive.
Because his curiosity about the world outside Pelbarigan's walls had been aroused by the tales of earlier travelers, Stel set out in search of the fabled Shining Sea -- but between him and his goal lay the poisonous cities of the ancients, barbarians who practiced ritual murder, the treacherous
Children of Ozar, a mad exile -- and a host of other perils.
Stel's beautiful and devoted wife followed, determined to return with the man she loved.
__________
A dazzling vision of two quests, two journeys through
a strange and danger-filled world."
Book Description
More than one thousand years in the future, the conservative borders of Pelbar society continue to crumble as the people of Pelbar conduct trade, form friendships, and intermarry with members of the tribes now settled peacefully around the citadel of Northwall. Not all agree with the changes, however, and long instead for the old times of conflict and rigid order. Igniting the tension is the discovery of a mysterious subterranean shelter, where the descendants of survivors of the long-ago nuclear war live. A young woman from the shelter and the shocking revelations she brings precipitate a crisis that will profoundly affect the futures of plainsmen and citadelfolk alike.
The Dome in the Forest is the third volume and one of the most exciting tales in the Pelbar Cycle, a classic series of seven postapocalyptic novels about the people of Pelbar.
Customer Reviews:
Another great Northwall book.......2002-06-28
1100 years had passsed since The Time of the Fire, and civilization was slowly returning to what had been the Mississippi Valley. The male-dominated plains nomads had begun to settle peacefully around the citadel of Northwall, where they freely married with townsfolk. A new culture was evolving. But all was not well. Pelbarigan's conservative families longed for the old times: when their city led and Northwall followed; when plainsmen and citadelfolk were enemies. . .when women ordered & men obeyed!
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