Helpful Score: 1
Probably the best of a loose trilogy of books by Bear that began with the publication of this book about an asteroid which enters Earth's orbit. The asteroid contains a huge cavern that houses alien cities and technology (a la Clarke's Rendezvous With Rama) and revolves around the humans who explore this place amidst a world political crisis back on Earth.
As a sucker for "exploration" SF involving alien tech, architecture and cultures, I was drawn to this book and enjoyed it quite a bit. It is slow in parts as the plot unfolds and some of the characterizations are not well drawn out but those are minor points to the overall theme and "gee whiz" effect it has on the reader. The book kept me turning the page to see the next discovery all the way to the end.
Recommended for fans of Rendezvous With Rama.
As a sucker for "exploration" SF involving alien tech, architecture and cultures, I was drawn to this book and enjoyed it quite a bit. It is slow in parts as the plot unfolds and some of the characterizations are not well drawn out but those are minor points to the overall theme and "gee whiz" effect it has on the reader. The book kept me turning the page to see the next discovery all the way to the end.
Recommended for fans of Rendezvous With Rama.
Helpful Score: 1
For lots of years before retirement I spent my reading time in technical manuals and textbooks. Now, I'm lucky to be able to read as much as I want for enjoyment.
EON is one of the best hard SF books I can remember reading. It has everything. Many interesting characters within the storyline. The science fiction is extremely absorbing.
For those of us who love SF, you know when you see an occasional typo, or tense error.... the author's head was so busy putting the story together that it didn't quite get to that part of 'it'.
EON is one of the best hard SF books I can remember reading. It has everything. Many interesting characters within the storyline. The science fiction is extremely absorbing.
For those of us who love SF, you know when you see an occasional typo, or tense error.... the author's head was so busy putting the story together that it didn't quite get to that part of 'it'.
This is a very complex and convoluted hard science fiction novel. It's interesting for that, but overall I thought it was too long and dull at points. Perhaps a bit too cold-war oriented as well, being written in 1985.
It's about an asteroid that just appears in Earth's orbit. Some scientists go out to examine it and find a world whose inhabitants had vanished. As they study this "world" they find out more about the civiliaztion and what caused their demise.
This story was too slow for me, and a little bit hard to follow/picture in my mind. I had to work too much to get through it, which I didn't.
This story was too slow for me, and a little bit hard to follow/picture in my mind. I had to work too much to get through it, which I didn't.
Best to read the summary description of Amazon. I read about 2/3 of this book about two years ago. Did not care for it. Book was written during the cold war and much of that historical context pervades the plotting. For Greg Bear fans only, IMO. Disappointing.
Scope and power in a hard science-fiction by the master of the genre
Eon brilliantly describes a vibrant, infinitely complex "world"--actually the inside of a hollowed out asteroid. The asteroid actually houses seven vast chambers of forests, lakes, cities and more. In my opinion, this is one of Greg Bear's absolute best novels.
SF classic. Exciting read.
This will be remembered as one of the best science fiction novels from the end of the 20th century. It's not quite as good as his Forge of God series, but well worth the read.
The 21st Century was on the Brink of nuclear confrontation when the 300 km long stone flashed out of nothingness and into Earth orbit. NASA, NATO, and the UN sent explorers to the asteroid's surface...and discovered marcel and mysteries to drive researchers mad.
A fascinating Alternative Civilization novel. The rock comes into orbit near Earth, it is explored by men, and found to be inhabitable but infinitely long inside. Men start exploring its length and find not only a new physics in operation but also a new form of society. Eon is Book I of a trilogy worth finding and reading in sequence. Greg Bear is one of the newer more interesting SF writers and this trilogy is a prime example of his high style and content.
The 21st century was on the brink of nuclear confrontation when the 300 km long stone flashed out of nothingness and into Earth orbit. NASA, NATO and the UN sent explorers to the asteroid surface...and discover marvels and mysteries to deive researchers mad.
For the Stone was from space--but perhaps not our space; it came from the future--but perhaps not our future; and within the hallowed asteroid was Thisledown. The remains of a vanished civilization. A human --English, Russian, and Chinese speaking civilization. Seven vast chambers containing forests, lakes, rivers, hanging cities...
And museums describing the Death; the catastrophic war that was about to occur; the horror and the long winter that would follow. But while scientists and politicians bickered about how to use the information to stop the Death, the Stone yielded a secret that made even Earth's survival pale into insignificance...
For the Stone was from space--but perhaps not our space; it came from the future--but perhaps not our future; and within the hallowed asteroid was Thisledown. The remains of a vanished civilization. A human --English, Russian, and Chinese speaking civilization. Seven vast chambers containing forests, lakes, rivers, hanging cities...
And museums describing the Death; the catastrophic war that was about to occur; the horror and the long winter that would follow. But while scientists and politicians bickered about how to use the information to stop the Death, the Stone yielded a secret that made even Earth's survival pale into insignificance...
Can't review this one yet as I haven't read it. Somehow I ended up with two copies. I have thoroughly enjoyed other books by this Greg Bear, though. For now, I'll give it a medium rating.
Fair book, good character development but very confusing in spots at least to me
My husband read this and said it was "so-so."