The Alien Years
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4.0 • 30 Ratings
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- $7.99
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- $7.99
Publisher Description
When aliens invade, a generations-long struggle begins against an impenetrable enemy in this sci-fi epic from the Hugo and Nebula Award–winning author.
The Entities have arrived on Earth, fifteen feet tall with impenetrable defenses and inscrutable motives. As conquerors, they have no demands, no explanations, simply harsh consequences should they be challenged. Releasing a plague and plunging the world into a new Dark Age, the Entities seem unbeatable. But, one family at least—the Carmichael clan led by Colonel Anson Carmichael—will never give up the resistance.
THE ALIEN YEARS is an epic story told over multiple generations by master of thoughtful science fiction Robert Silverberg. Can ideas of freedom survive in the face of an overwhelmingly powerful enemy? “A remarkable study of human endurance and patience that belongs in most SF collections.” —The Library Journal
“Sobering and frightening…. Silverberg’s rich characters, his dead-on-target vision of modern society, his mastery at building tension—all are in evidence in this notable outing from one of the very best.” —Publishers Weekly
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Silverberg (Sorcerors of Majipoor) returns to his 1986 short story "The Pardoner's Tale" as the inspiration for this sobering and frightening novel of extraterrestrial invasion. The narrative opens seven years hence, with the arrival of alien spaceships on Earth, an event that has a devastating effect on the Carmichael family. Pilot Michael Carmichael is killed trying to fight the huge firestorms in Los Angeles that erupt when the alien ships land; his wife, Cindy, leaps at the chance to go aboard one of the UFOs and become an interpreter for the "Entities"; and his brother, Colonel Anson Carmichael, is summoned by Washington to help cope with the situation. Before there is time to react, however, the aliens' intent becomes known as they disrupt all electricity and plunge civilization back into the Dark Ages. Silverberg's story is clear-eyed, credible and occasionally bleak. Faced with an omnipotent enemy, mankind's only alternative is to refuse to capitulate and to attempt to endure. Isolated and relatively safe in their mountain ranch, the extended Carmichael clan tries to go on with their lives while working on ways to resist their oppressors. Silverberg's technique of leapfrogging several years ahead between chapters furthers momentum, and while the enemy in his story is disturbingly inhuman, the focus of the tale is the humanity of his characters and their efforts to keep hope alive. The novel's ending seems arbitrary, but Silverberg's rich characters, his dead-on target vision of modern society, his mastery at building tension--all are in evidence in this notable outing from one of the very best. FYI: Silverberg has won five Nebulas and four Hugos in his 44 years as an SF writer.
Customer Reviews
Another Silverberg Masterpiece
Reading this book is like watching a Renaissance Master paint, one brushstroke at a time. Silverberg portrays a rich tableau of story side-trips, describing pedantic and seemingly inconsequential details. At times one could wonder ‘what is he doing? Where is he going with this story?’ In the end, however, if one closes their eyes and steps back to ‘look’ at the whole story from beginning to end, the true picture come out. You no longer see the brush strokes of the story, rather the clear and stunning picture of the effects of personal beliefs, formative life experiences, trials, and tribulations of individual lives and insights about cultural forces. All these combine to paint the picture of what can happen when the right people come together at the right time to form the indomitable spirit of humankind. Well worth the long read.