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The Way #1
Eon
The 21st century was on the brink of nuclear confrontation when the 300 kilometer-long stone flashed out of nothingness and into Earth's orbit. NASA, NATO, and the UN sent explorers to the asteroid's surface...and discovered marvels and mysteries to drive 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 hollowed asteroid was Thistledown. 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 hollowed asteroid was Thistledown. 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.
504 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1985
1,397 people are currently reading
15.9k people want to read
About the author
Greg Bear
221Ìýbooks2,045ÌýfollowersGreg Bear was an American writer and illustrator best known for science fiction. His work covered themes of galactic conflict (Forge of God books), parallel universes (The Way series), consciousness and cultural practices (Queen of Angels), and accelerated evolution (Blood Music, Darwin’s Radio, and Darwin’s Children). His last work was the 2021 novel The Unfinished Land. Greg Bear wrote over 50 books in total.
(For a more complete biography, see .)
(For a more complete biography, see .)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 975 reviews
May 25, 2013
Review � Redux
There should be a picture of Eon in the dictionary: right next to “Sense-of-wonder-SF�.
Reading this book was like listening to a complicated symphony. Eon opens as a near future artifact, or big-dumb-object, tale largely inspired by . The novel then progresses through a number of movements, each more mind-numbing and awe-inspiring than the previous. It is therefore no great surprise that the book eventually evolves (or devolves, depending on your point of view) from Hard Science Fiction to a form of Space Opera. Then, of course, there is the grand finale, which is really something else.
Like the early Uplift novels by Eon seems to be a bridge between old school and the new as far as Science Fiction is concerned. I am by no means a buff. Anyway, I really enjoyed the novel. It embodies what I have come to love about Sci-Fi. There was a lot about the novel I didn't understand at all, but I was awed. Another work I was reminded of while reading this was (). It was a challenge to envision what I was reading, but getting there is part of the thrill.
Despite the dated cold war politics, which seems to be a grievance to some reviewers, this book did not seem dated at all. Considering the alternate universes and time-lines being casually tossed about here, that kind of thing shouldn’t even be an issue. The focus did shift unexpectedly between characters from time to time, but I felt that this was in tune with the way the novel was constructed. Each new discovery leads to a new focus, until the discoveries spiral out of control and the reader is left breathless and stunned.
A novel as ambitious and complicated as this is bound to draw negative criticism. I would never expect different. However, I would urge you to form your own opinion.
So, if you enjoy artifacts in Science Fiction, this is mandatory reading. I have to agree with another reviewer - there are moments when you have to put the book down and just stare into space, assimilating. This is an experience, not a read.
Recommended
Favourites
There should be a picture of Eon in the dictionary: right next to “Sense-of-wonder-SF�.
Reading this book was like listening to a complicated symphony. Eon opens as a near future artifact, or big-dumb-object, tale largely inspired by . The novel then progresses through a number of movements, each more mind-numbing and awe-inspiring than the previous. It is therefore no great surprise that the book eventually evolves (or devolves, depending on your point of view) from Hard Science Fiction to a form of Space Opera. Then, of course, there is the grand finale, which is really something else.
Like the early Uplift novels by Eon seems to be a bridge between old school and the new as far as Science Fiction is concerned. I am by no means a buff. Anyway, I really enjoyed the novel. It embodies what I have come to love about Sci-Fi. There was a lot about the novel I didn't understand at all, but I was awed. Another work I was reminded of while reading this was (). It was a challenge to envision what I was reading, but getting there is part of the thrill.
Despite the dated cold war politics, which seems to be a grievance to some reviewers, this book did not seem dated at all. Considering the alternate universes and time-lines being casually tossed about here, that kind of thing shouldn’t even be an issue. The focus did shift unexpectedly between characters from time to time, but I felt that this was in tune with the way the novel was constructed. Each new discovery leads to a new focus, until the discoveries spiral out of control and the reader is left breathless and stunned.
A novel as ambitious and complicated as this is bound to draw negative criticism. I would never expect different. However, I would urge you to form your own opinion.
So, if you enjoy artifacts in Science Fiction, this is mandatory reading. I have to agree with another reviewer - there are moments when you have to put the book down and just stare into space, assimilating. This is an experience, not a read.
Recommended
Favourites
May 1, 2009
Pronounced "yawn".
August 14, 2017
Here's a parody of all the male-written sci-fi I abandon:
They looked upon a very important object: it had lines and was a colour. She reached out and touched a thing.
"Wow," said Russian Democratic Federal Leader of the Military Defence of the Milky Way Leader, Tessa Baryshnikov. "There's a hole on this end and the other."
"That's right," said NATO-official Chinese Democracy of the International Order of Space Division Center, Third Division Demilitarised Antigravity Chief, Steve Jiaolong.
"So that must mean Schwartzfeld's theory of antimatter propulsion holds up in two dimensions for periods of time significant enough for five of string theory's folded dimensions to balance out."
"Allowing the former owners of this vessel to travel across the universe using their own feet as a vector."
"Is this a novel or a fucking astrophysics lecture?" she said, exposing her breasts. "I catch on quick!"
"It's bizarre, right?" he said, taking out his hard prick. "We all seem to reach conclusions about this stuff around us based on very little evidence. As far as Leo can see. It seems to him that the author just makes us discover what he wants to be the case at an unnatural rate so he doesn't sacrifice pacing. Like, what did you say about that thing? It had two holes in it? Maybe that wasn't even significant. What else is even in this room?"
They tried to picture it further but had nothing to go on, so instead they had bad, non-sequiturial sex, followed by an evening of his condescension of her. Little did he know she would die tragically and barely understandably only 74 pages later.
They looked upon a very important object: it had lines and was a colour. She reached out and touched a thing.
"Wow," said Russian Democratic Federal Leader of the Military Defence of the Milky Way Leader, Tessa Baryshnikov. "There's a hole on this end and the other."
"That's right," said NATO-official Chinese Democracy of the International Order of Space Division Center, Third Division Demilitarised Antigravity Chief, Steve Jiaolong.
"So that must mean Schwartzfeld's theory of antimatter propulsion holds up in two dimensions for periods of time significant enough for five of string theory's folded dimensions to balance out."
"Allowing the former owners of this vessel to travel across the universe using their own feet as a vector."
"Is this a novel or a fucking astrophysics lecture?" she said, exposing her breasts. "I catch on quick!"
"It's bizarre, right?" he said, taking out his hard prick. "We all seem to reach conclusions about this stuff around us based on very little evidence. As far as Leo can see. It seems to him that the author just makes us discover what he wants to be the case at an unnatural rate so he doesn't sacrifice pacing. Like, what did you say about that thing? It had two holes in it? Maybe that wasn't even significant. What else is even in this room?"
They tried to picture it further but had nothing to go on, so instead they had bad, non-sequiturial sex, followed by an evening of his condescension of her. Little did he know she would die tragically and barely understandably only 74 pages later.
September 27, 2019
ENGLISH
Classic elements of the Sci-Fi with a reminiscence to the cold war
Hard science fiction with a well-rising arc of suspense and many surprises.
At the time of the writing of the novel, a continuation of the cold war in space was still a possible option.
Time travel, parallel universes, megastructures in space and the continuation of aggressive territorial behavior in space are thematized.
GERMAN
Klassische Elemente der Sci Fi mit einer Remineszenz an den kalten Krieg
Hard Science Fiction mit einem gut steigenden Spannungsbogen und vielen Ãœberraschungsmomenten.
Zur damaligen Zeit war eine Fortführung des kalten Krieges im Weltraum noch eine mögliche Option.
Thematisiert werden Zeitreisen, Paralleluniversen, Megastrukturen im Raum und die Fortführung aggressiven Territorialverhaltens im Weltraum.
Classic elements of the Sci-Fi with a reminiscence to the cold war
Hard science fiction with a well-rising arc of suspense and many surprises.
At the time of the writing of the novel, a continuation of the cold war in space was still a possible option.
Time travel, parallel universes, megastructures in space and the continuation of aggressive territorial behavior in space are thematized.
GERMAN
Klassische Elemente der Sci Fi mit einer Remineszenz an den kalten Krieg
Hard Science Fiction mit einem gut steigenden Spannungsbogen und vielen Ãœberraschungsmomenten.
Zur damaligen Zeit war eine Fortführung des kalten Krieges im Weltraum noch eine mögliche Option.
Thematisiert werden Zeitreisen, Paralleluniversen, Megastrukturen im Raum und die Fortführung aggressiven Territorialverhaltens im Weltraum.
April 8, 2012
There's a thing in science fiction called the Big Dumb Object which always provokes awe and a sense of wonder and all that, and Eon is all about one of those. They're called big dumb objects because boys of all ages love them, their eyes go all glazey thinking about the size, power and size of these things and all the author has to do is make sure their alien object is really really big. Works every time. Boys love size � breasts, penises, brothers, breakfasts, all good as long as they're big. So, for instance, Rama in Arthur Clarke's Rama books is one, the Ringworld in Ringworld by Larry Niven is another, the house in House of Leaves is one, apparently there's a giant black hole known as the Unicron singularity in Transformers: Cybertron so that's another, and it goes on and on. Every invasion of earth has a big dumb object in the sky called a spaceship.
So in Eon you get a big asteroid thing hanging up there in the sky which when they go and investigate they find it's bigger inside than it is outside.
Ooooh.
Probably things that are bigger inside than they are outside are just metaphors for the human brain.
So it's the house in House of Leaves (which was the same house that was in House, an old horror movie from 1986) only it's in the sky with scientists. And plus, when the scientists go and explore it, or the guy in House of Leaves rides off on his bike to investigate the vastness of the House, it's like when kids in stories find doors in trees or in the back of wardrobes and they get to explore a magical kingdom. That part of it is probably all to do with sex, when you think about it.
Eeek.
I was a boy once and have never lost my liking for big dumb objects and secret doors and the frissons they can evoke.
So in Eon you get a big asteroid thing hanging up there in the sky which when they go and investigate they find it's bigger inside than it is outside.
Ooooh.
Probably things that are bigger inside than they are outside are just metaphors for the human brain.
So it's the house in House of Leaves (which was the same house that was in House, an old horror movie from 1986) only it's in the sky with scientists. And plus, when the scientists go and explore it, or the guy in House of Leaves rides off on his bike to investigate the vastness of the House, it's like when kids in stories find doors in trees or in the back of wardrobes and they get to explore a magical kingdom. That part of it is probably all to do with sex, when you think about it.
Eeek.
I was a boy once and have never lost my liking for big dumb objects and secret doors and the frissons they can evoke.
August 24, 2009
Having read Blood Music, and now Eon, the impression I am getting of Greg Bear is that he has good ideas, sets them up well, but has no follow through and no idea how to end his stories. I really enjoyed the first half of Eon - mysteries and characters introduced and developed well, and some convincing and tense action and politics. I was convinced that Eon was going to be a really good read. Perhaps it was these early high hopes that caused my later disappointment.
As the book progresses, things seems to unravel. The science behind the main premise of the story is presented in a reasonably convincing way, but some of the other scientific/technological "advances" are just silly and undermine the whole book - top of the list of offenders being "The Mystery", which made me cringe in a way I haven't cringed since Qui-Gon Jinn explained the Force via "midichlorians". And Bear really should have stopped to find out what it is actually like being a mathematician, before basing this story around a brilliantly gifted mathematician, then he might have been able to do something a little more convincing than have her lie down and close her eyes when it was time for her to work her magic.
Towards the end of the book, the main characters completely lose control of the plot and seem to become little more than observers in the story, occasionally interjecting to point out that they understand (in the case of the mathematical genius) or don't understand (in the case of everyone else).
It seemed that the end of this story was fixed about 100 pages before the end of novel, except for the minor twist that I found hard to care about - the main character dumped into a totally new and unresolved story arc. Clear set up, I presume, for a sequel. It was a page turner, but only because I wanted to get through a long drawn out explanation of events unfolding exactly as had been previously predicted.
Whether you are looking for hard sci-fi or space opera, you'll probably be disappointed.
As the book progresses, things seems to unravel. The science behind the main premise of the story is presented in a reasonably convincing way, but some of the other scientific/technological "advances" are just silly and undermine the whole book - top of the list of offenders being "The Mystery", which made me cringe in a way I haven't cringed since Qui-Gon Jinn explained the Force via "midichlorians". And Bear really should have stopped to find out what it is actually like being a mathematician, before basing this story around a brilliantly gifted mathematician, then he might have been able to do something a little more convincing than have her lie down and close her eyes when it was time for her to work her magic.
Towards the end of the book, the main characters completely lose control of the plot and seem to become little more than observers in the story, occasionally interjecting to point out that they understand (in the case of the mathematical genius) or don't understand (in the case of everyone else).
It seemed that the end of this story was fixed about 100 pages before the end of novel, except for the minor twist that I found hard to care about - the main character dumped into a totally new and unresolved story arc. Clear set up, I presume, for a sequel. It was a page turner, but only because I wanted to get through a long drawn out explanation of events unfolding exactly as had been previously predicted.
Whether you are looking for hard sci-fi or space opera, you'll probably be disappointed.
April 6, 2022
Another book which I should have read 20 years ago, because now it feels outdated in regard to everyday technology. But the premise and worldbuilding are stunning - I love reading about alternate universes.
The idea of an asteroid in space which turns out to be more than that is not new, but Greg Bear managed to turn it into a unique idea. The Way is a true wonder, and I loved the implications. I also loved the ending, which is not quite everyone expects.
Overall, one of the best stories in its genre.
The idea of an asteroid in space which turns out to be more than that is not new, but Greg Bear managed to turn it into a unique idea. The Way is a true wonder, and I loved the implications. I also loved the ending, which is not quite everyone expects.
Overall, one of the best stories in its genre.
April 2, 2015
----------------------------------------------
I've been amazed at the number of readers that have been so underwhelmed by . This astounding book was published in 1984 and did not anticipate the end of the Cold War, only half a decade away. Some say, with self-righteousness nurtured by hindsight, that this is a major flaw in this book. But most sleepwalking Americans, at the time, had no clue of the Eurasian (and Eastern European) realities of the times. This is not Greg Bear’s fault. It was, and is, the result of the political propaganda, still alive, fed to the public in large doses.
What is forgotten is that from the Cold War assumptions seen by the average, contemporary, 1984 world citizens--however blind to the evident realities of Russian/Soviet internal decay and near collapse�-the times still presented a very, very real global threat of planetary atomic annihilation. Some folks today, still argue that very similar, very real threats of atomic annihilation, fueled by other multi-polar realities (oil shortages, water shortages, cultural chauvinism, etc.), still exist and never really went away. And, for that reason alone, this book is still very contemporary.
In fact, one can intelligently argue that mankind is still very, very close to destroying itself in a number of frighteningly different ways.
The Cold War itself is immaterial to that threat of self-destruction.
The near collapse of mankind, in the very near future, is the premise of this book by Greg Bear.
This "Hard Science" Fiction, or "New Space Opera" speculates along the lines where mathematics and physics intersect with time and alternate realities. is not the superb master of characters and political speculation in which excels, nor is he a smooth story teller such as . But Greg Bear has followed the more traditional science fiction of . And on that path he excels.
And in he goes past Arthur C. Clarke. He shows us who this guy, Greg Bear really is.
This book pulls the rug out from under the reader about 25% of the way into the reading; and I will not spoil that reality shift for you.
And then you are taken places you have never been.
I've been amazed at the number of readers that have been so underwhelmed by . This astounding book was published in 1984 and did not anticipate the end of the Cold War, only half a decade away. Some say, with self-righteousness nurtured by hindsight, that this is a major flaw in this book. But most sleepwalking Americans, at the time, had no clue of the Eurasian (and Eastern European) realities of the times. This is not Greg Bear’s fault. It was, and is, the result of the political propaganda, still alive, fed to the public in large doses.
What is forgotten is that from the Cold War assumptions seen by the average, contemporary, 1984 world citizens--however blind to the evident realities of Russian/Soviet internal decay and near collapse�-the times still presented a very, very real global threat of planetary atomic annihilation. Some folks today, still argue that very similar, very real threats of atomic annihilation, fueled by other multi-polar realities (oil shortages, water shortages, cultural chauvinism, etc.), still exist and never really went away. And, for that reason alone, this book is still very contemporary.
In fact, one can intelligently argue that mankind is still very, very close to destroying itself in a number of frighteningly different ways.
The Cold War itself is immaterial to that threat of self-destruction.
The near collapse of mankind, in the very near future, is the premise of this book by Greg Bear.
This "Hard Science" Fiction, or "New Space Opera" speculates along the lines where mathematics and physics intersect with time and alternate realities. is not the superb master of characters and political speculation in which excels, nor is he a smooth story teller such as . But Greg Bear has followed the more traditional science fiction of . And on that path he excels.
And in he goes past Arthur C. Clarke. He shows us who this guy, Greg Bear really is.
This book pulls the rug out from under the reader about 25% of the way into the reading; and I will not spoil that reality shift for you.
And then you are taken places you have never been.
November 27, 2022
In the early 2000s, a mysterious rock appeared in our solar system, slowed down and then stopped in a stable orbit around Earth. Scientists from all over the world were sent up to study it, find out where it came from and so on and so forth. They discovered a vast system of "chambers" filled with cities and more. They also found what I can only describe as a modern-day version of the Library of Alexandria. The problem is what they found written in exactly that library. Because the knowledge some selected few gained is almost making them lose their minds and in their desperate attempt to understand and prevent certain events, their secrecy is exactly what triggers the calamity nobody wanted.
We're following one of the scientists, Patricia, as she is recruited and then sent up to The Stone. There, through her eyes, we see the railway system, the market squares, quarters, and all the other astonishing things this mysterious astronomical wonder has to offer. It was a great way to be eased into this world.
Personally, I didn't understand why the discovery in the library was such a big deal. Yes, it's unsettling, it makes you afraid and all that jazz. But here it is so fucking deal with it in a productive way! What they (not just the scientists but the politicians as well) did instead was ... a very elaborate form of procrastinating. And over the span of 5 years, some of these brilliant minds should have realized that the way they were going about it just WASN'T WORKING.
The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again but expecting different results.
However, just when I thought I had this all figured out, there was the first of at least two major twists and I was thrown (in a good way). I mean, not only but there were ! And the why was ... equally surprising. *lol* Admittedly, I was a bit disappointed. No, not in the writing or the author's idea itself, but in the fact that
We're following one of the scientists, Patricia, as she is recruited and then sent up to The Stone. There, through her eyes, we see the railway system, the market squares, quarters, and all the other astonishing things this mysterious astronomical wonder has to offer. It was a great way to be eased into this world.
Personally, I didn't understand why the discovery in the library was such a big deal. Yes, it's unsettling, it makes you afraid and all that jazz. But here it is so fucking deal with it in a productive way! What they (not just the scientists but the politicians as well) did instead was ... a very elaborate form of procrastinating. And over the span of 5 years, some of these brilliant minds should have realized that the way they were going about it just WASN'T WORKING.
The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again but expecting different results.
However, just when I thought I had this all figured out, there was the first of at least two major twists and I was thrown (in a good way). I mean, not only but there were ! And the why was ... equally surprising. *lol* Admittedly, I was a bit disappointed. No, not in the writing or the author's idea itself, but in the fact that
November 28, 2022
Rest In Peace, Mr. Bear.
I decided I had to re-read at least one of his better works right after I learned of his passing. The moment I learned of it, I was in shock. I've been singing Bear's praises for many, many years.
Eon is one of those bigger-than-life Hard SF books that never slow down with those big ideas. It eases us into the WOW factor, the awe, and then changes tacks several times in the telling, giving us more... so much more. And then it gives us even more.
It's easy to point a finger at Clarke's Rama or high-level topography math/physics or any number of alternate universe novels or time-travel tomes, but it's something else entirely to pull all of these rabbits out of a single hat. And not only that, it includes a version of the Singularity, a vast space battle across a vast number of realities, a closer-to-home apocalypse, and massive geo-political rivalries right here on Earth.
When I look for SF, it's BECAUSE of this book that I found a love of SF as the literature of IDEAS. The characters, not even poorly drawn, inevitably take a back seat to the IDEAS. It's overwhelming the way I love to be overwhelmed by authors like Stephen Baxter, Kim Stanley Robinson, Cixin Liu, and even Adrian Tchaikovsky. There are more, of course, but for me, personally, Greg Bear blew my mind first.
Rest In Peace, king.
I decided I had to re-read at least one of his better works right after I learned of his passing. The moment I learned of it, I was in shock. I've been singing Bear's praises for many, many years.
Eon is one of those bigger-than-life Hard SF books that never slow down with those big ideas. It eases us into the WOW factor, the awe, and then changes tacks several times in the telling, giving us more... so much more. And then it gives us even more.
It's easy to point a finger at Clarke's Rama or high-level topography math/physics or any number of alternate universe novels or time-travel tomes, but it's something else entirely to pull all of these rabbits out of a single hat. And not only that, it includes a version of the Singularity, a vast space battle across a vast number of realities, a closer-to-home apocalypse, and massive geo-political rivalries right here on Earth.
When I look for SF, it's BECAUSE of this book that I found a love of SF as the literature of IDEAS. The characters, not even poorly drawn, inevitably take a back seat to the IDEAS. It's overwhelming the way I love to be overwhelmed by authors like Stephen Baxter, Kim Stanley Robinson, Cixin Liu, and even Adrian Tchaikovsky. There are more, of course, but for me, personally, Greg Bear blew my mind first.
Rest In Peace, king.
February 10, 2014
"Of course, " she said. "It's like touching the square root of space-time. Try to enter the singularity, and you translate yourself through a distance along some spatial coordinate." "You slide along," Farley said. "Right."I never tried touching the square root of space-time before so I cannot attest to whether it is in any way similar to trying to enter the singularity (which I have also never attempted for some reason). Still, as an avid sci-fi reader I like reading the odd bits of technobabble as long as they do not overwhelm the book to the point of rendering it unreadable. I like how Greg Bear makes that bit of dialog sound as if it makes sense. It’s just cool (fits my conception of cool any way).
Eon is a classic sci-fi book featuring one of the most beloved tropes of the genre, the Big Dumb Object. A gigantic alien construct that shows up in the vicinity of our Earth, the origin or purpose of which is unknown. It is interesting to compare Eon to Arthur C. Clarke’s Rendezvous with Rama. Clarke’s book is all about the B.D.O. and the group of characters� exploration and adventures inside of it. Explorations and adventures inside “The Stone� (the name humans give to the gigantic asteroid shaped B.D.O.) are also featured in Eon but they constitute less than half of what this book is about. The fate of Earth and humanity also become involved as the USA claim prior right to manage the exploration and studies of The Stone on account of being the first nation to discover its appearance. This at a time when East-West relations are already precarious, and the Russians fear that the Americans would discover some kind of alien super-weapon to gain global dominance.
Without wishing to go into details of the thrilling sci-fi wonders on offer I will just vaguely mention that nuclear holocaust, time travelling, parallel universes, posthumans and aliens all come into play. Eon is quite well written and the characters are developed to some extent but they never really come alive for me, perhaps there is too much plot and world building to cover to allow room to flesh out the characters. The pacing is a little slow to begin with but gathers momentum to become quite the pager turner by the second half of the book.
Over all Eon is really an ideal book for fans of hard science fiction and those of us looking to escape from our daily drudgery for a while. There are two sequels and a short story which form The Way series. I have not read those yet but Eon stands very well on its own as there is no cliff hanger to speak of. Definitely worth the time.
November 29, 2017
Hmmmm...what to say about Eon?
Ummmm...I finished it? Does that count?
This was a selection for my local book club, as recommended by one of the members. The premise sounded interesting, and so I jumped right in.
And...good lord...what a struggle. I'll admit that the first 1/4th of the book captivated me. The Stone was a cool mystery, and the science behind it was deep and engaging. But then the mysteries started being solved, and the book became less interesting. And as each new development happened, I found that I cared less and less.
Look, I don't want to take away anything from Greg Bear. The dude can write the science part of speculative science fiction like nobody's business. But the first chunk of the book is basically exposition in real time, and most of what happens ultimately has little to no consequence to the rest of the story. The big cataclysmic event that takes place while our POV characters are on the Stone is so coldly rendered that it might as well have not even have happened.
I commented to a fellow bookclub member that this book is very much a product of the time it was written. In fact, it feels like it should have been written more in the late 80's than the mid 90's, as the Cold War vibe is super strong, and the Russian antagonists just felt like lazy storytelling. Even when we were following events from the perspective of Russian soldiers, it felt like a low budget 80's action movie where every villain was villainous for the sake of being villainous. I might as well have been watching Red Dawn.
As for the POV characters themselves, we head hop all over the board, and though I finished the book less than two weeks ago, I can't honestly remember any of the character's names. I get the impression that the human POV characters here are secondary to the technology and the alien characters. I never really connected with any of them, and even when they were in danger, I never really had an investment in their safety. The only time I was ever invested was when the rogue intelligence was meddling in the affairs of our human protagonists.
Now this book isn't all bad. The technology is wonderfully thought out and described, the whole concept of the Stone and the Way are amazing, and Mr. Bear isn't lacking for ideas. This is a hell of a concept, even more so considering when it was first published. I can see why it's made such an impact in the sci-fi community.
Sadly, I need more than just grand ideas in my sci-fi. I need compelling characters who interact with the cool technology. I need gravitas with my artificial gravity. I need some actual drama. And that was, in my opinion, sorely missing here. Based on what I've read here, I won't be revisiting this universe or characters.
And yeah, that's all I've got to say about Eon.
Ummmm...I finished it? Does that count?
This was a selection for my local book club, as recommended by one of the members. The premise sounded interesting, and so I jumped right in.
And...good lord...what a struggle. I'll admit that the first 1/4th of the book captivated me. The Stone was a cool mystery, and the science behind it was deep and engaging. But then the mysteries started being solved, and the book became less interesting. And as each new development happened, I found that I cared less and less.
Look, I don't want to take away anything from Greg Bear. The dude can write the science part of speculative science fiction like nobody's business. But the first chunk of the book is basically exposition in real time, and most of what happens ultimately has little to no consequence to the rest of the story. The big cataclysmic event that takes place while our POV characters are on the Stone is so coldly rendered that it might as well have not even have happened.
I commented to a fellow bookclub member that this book is very much a product of the time it was written. In fact, it feels like it should have been written more in the late 80's than the mid 90's, as the Cold War vibe is super strong, and the Russian antagonists just felt like lazy storytelling. Even when we were following events from the perspective of Russian soldiers, it felt like a low budget 80's action movie where every villain was villainous for the sake of being villainous. I might as well have been watching Red Dawn.
As for the POV characters themselves, we head hop all over the board, and though I finished the book less than two weeks ago, I can't honestly remember any of the character's names. I get the impression that the human POV characters here are secondary to the technology and the alien characters. I never really connected with any of them, and even when they were in danger, I never really had an investment in their safety. The only time I was ever invested was when the rogue intelligence was meddling in the affairs of our human protagonists.
Now this book isn't all bad. The technology is wonderfully thought out and described, the whole concept of the Stone and the Way are amazing, and Mr. Bear isn't lacking for ideas. This is a hell of a concept, even more so considering when it was first published. I can see why it's made such an impact in the sci-fi community.
Sadly, I need more than just grand ideas in my sci-fi. I need compelling characters who interact with the cool technology. I need gravitas with my artificial gravity. I need some actual drama. And that was, in my opinion, sorely missing here. Based on what I've read here, I won't be revisiting this universe or characters.
And yeah, that's all I've got to say about Eon.
May 28, 2023
In 2017 I wrote:
An amazingly complicated tale by "Master of Disaster" Greg Bear, that I somehow missed reading, back in the day. It's quite a ride, and I'll have to look into the sequels.....
I can think of no sensible way to review the book without spoiling it, and can only suggest that, if you also missed it, and have liked other Bear books, you give it a shot. Very good for a fast-acting sense-of wonder recharge!
The go-to real review is Dirk Grobbelaar's 5-star, conveniently located at the head of the pack below.
Reread in progress, FEB 2023. Cold-war replay as it gets ready to turn hot, ca. 2000. Pretty convincing paranoia-piece. Dave Langford wrote in 1987: "this is impressive SF on the most colossal scale, where the concepts are bigger than universes but human beings still matter desperately." Others were less impressed. Details at but CAUTION: heavy SPOILERS!
Bear died late last year, at age 71. So no more Bear books! He wrote some good ones, and some great stories too:
Reread finished, and it held up well. Best considered as an sfnal alternate-history of the cold war. What if the USSR had survived to 2005 (or so), only to annihilate the world in nuclear fury! Unless it didn't? Alternate-world ending: well. It worked after a fashion, but wasn't the book's highlight. Still, I recommend reading/re-reading. 4 memorial stars.
An amazingly complicated tale by "Master of Disaster" Greg Bear, that I somehow missed reading, back in the day. It's quite a ride, and I'll have to look into the sequels.....
I can think of no sensible way to review the book without spoiling it, and can only suggest that, if you also missed it, and have liked other Bear books, you give it a shot. Very good for a fast-acting sense-of wonder recharge!
The go-to real review is Dirk Grobbelaar's 5-star, conveniently located at the head of the pack below.
Reread in progress, FEB 2023. Cold-war replay as it gets ready to turn hot, ca. 2000. Pretty convincing paranoia-piece. Dave Langford wrote in 1987: "this is impressive SF on the most colossal scale, where the concepts are bigger than universes but human beings still matter desperately." Others were less impressed. Details at but CAUTION: heavy SPOILERS!
Bear died late last year, at age 71. So no more Bear books! He wrote some good ones, and some great stories too:
Reread finished, and it held up well. Best considered as an sfnal alternate-history of the cold war. What if the USSR had survived to 2005 (or so), only to annihilate the world in nuclear fury! Unless it didn't? Alternate-world ending: well. It worked after a fashion, but wasn't the book's highlight. Still, I recommend reading/re-reading. 4 memorial stars.
March 9, 2011
I loved this book as a teenager/young adult in the 80's. It was the awesomest thing I'd read to that point, and it remained awesome in my memory. I own a true first edition hardcover in fine condition—actually pretty rare, especially in such good shape—and it will remain one of the prized pieces of my book collection for a long time. Eon also will remain one of the seminal sci-fi works of the late-20th Century. In retrospect its influence on later works is clear, its position as a pioneering work solid. It helps that Greg Bear is a physicist and mathematician, and his knowledge impelled him to make use of modern theoretical physics in ways that previous sci-fi authors couldn’t but which every subsequent author would attempt to emulate and tune to their own songs. The world building—and here I must qualify, I mean in the Thistledown asteroid—is fabulous. For those of you who haven't read Eon, the asteroid appears in our solar system from another universe, one closely paralleling our own, and enters orbit around Earth. We send people to investigate and discover seven hollowed-out chambers full of cities, forests, mountains, deserts, and machinery. The great wonder—which you quickly discover so I'm not really spoiling anything—is that the seventh chamber goes on forever. Re-reading this book I felt like I was entering through the bore-hole for the first time and experiencing the asteroid anew. I was there, in the Thistledown, one of the team, ready to explore and learn and add to scientific knowledge and grow closer to myself and my teammates. Then, when the war came, I felt the anguish and grief of The Death; I thought deeply about the horrors of nuclear weapons and the devastation they will someday bring.
And yes, if you're wondering, I do believe that nuclear weapons, so long as we allow them to exist, pose a very real threat to the survival of our civilization. No weapon is ever designed not to be used. If nuclear weapons are never again used, it's because they've either been destroyed or superseded by something more horrible.
Coming back down from my soapbox � Greg Bear's writing was very satisfying for me when I was younger. He conveys information effectively, dreams up creative storylines, and knows how to keep a plot moving. Now, having expanding my reading tastes—and ability—to a much broader spectrum of styles and authors, I find Bear's style a bit grating. Not too grating to read, but enough to make me chafe, like rubbing your palm on very fine sandpaper. Still, reading it again now, I thoroughly enjoyed Eon through the first 250-or-so pages. The plot was interesting and moved quickly. The characters were a little too obvious, a little to "best-seller" shallow for my taste, but they fit their environment and had plausible motivations and actions.
Then, somewhere between page 250 and 300, things settled down. The story plateaued. Many mysteries were solved, most plot points wrapped up. The mysteries and plot points that remained unresolved were, to me, not so interesting anymore. The world-building became estranged, even contrived, though that may be a bit too harsh. It became more about the characters than the plot. Now, let's make sure we're on the same page, here. I love character studies. I'm okay with a slow-moving plot full of interesting characters. But, as I noted above, the characters in Eon aren't that interesting. They make sense, but there's no real mystery to them, not enough depth to explore, and so became predictable. Slow plot + predictable characters = Bo.Ring.
However, even given the flaws and failings, I'm still glad I re-read Eon. It showed me how far my reading taste has evolved over the last 20 years. It helped me appreciate Eon in a way I couldn't as a young man, for the original work that it was. Re-reading Eon also was a nostalgic experience, helping me connect with my younger self, the self that developed a passion for sci-fi largely because of Eon and others of Greg Bear's novels. So, its flaws notwithstanding, Eon will retain is "awesomest" status in my memories.
And yes, if you're wondering, I do believe that nuclear weapons, so long as we allow them to exist, pose a very real threat to the survival of our civilization. No weapon is ever designed not to be used. If nuclear weapons are never again used, it's because they've either been destroyed or superseded by something more horrible.
Coming back down from my soapbox � Greg Bear's writing was very satisfying for me when I was younger. He conveys information effectively, dreams up creative storylines, and knows how to keep a plot moving. Now, having expanding my reading tastes—and ability—to a much broader spectrum of styles and authors, I find Bear's style a bit grating. Not too grating to read, but enough to make me chafe, like rubbing your palm on very fine sandpaper. Still, reading it again now, I thoroughly enjoyed Eon through the first 250-or-so pages. The plot was interesting and moved quickly. The characters were a little too obvious, a little to "best-seller" shallow for my taste, but they fit their environment and had plausible motivations and actions.
Then, somewhere between page 250 and 300, things settled down. The story plateaued. Many mysteries were solved, most plot points wrapped up. The mysteries and plot points that remained unresolved were, to me, not so interesting anymore. The world-building became estranged, even contrived, though that may be a bit too harsh. It became more about the characters than the plot. Now, let's make sure we're on the same page, here. I love character studies. I'm okay with a slow-moving plot full of interesting characters. But, as I noted above, the characters in Eon aren't that interesting. They make sense, but there's no real mystery to them, not enough depth to explore, and so became predictable. Slow plot + predictable characters = Bo.Ring.
However, even given the flaws and failings, I'm still glad I re-read Eon. It showed me how far my reading taste has evolved over the last 20 years. It helped me appreciate Eon in a way I couldn't as a young man, for the original work that it was. Re-reading Eon also was a nostalgic experience, helping me connect with my younger self, the self that developed a passion for sci-fi largely because of Eon and others of Greg Bear's novels. So, its flaws notwithstanding, Eon will retain is "awesomest" status in my memories.
November 11, 2009
I had... issues... with this book. The first part was, of course, getting past the Soviet-era antagonism and accepting it as what it was: a convenient antagonist at the time.
I generally don't like books that have maps inside; like maybe if the author was better at conveying a complicated story, then we wouldn't need a map? This one DEFINITELY need a map. I spent the entire damn thing trying to just understand the world they were moving around in. Maybe that makes me stupid, but I don't know that's the case. Even though he spends the whole first half of this 500 page novel describing things, I still couldn't really see what this world was supposed to look like.
That said, I willingly bungled my way through, accepting that the locations didn't matter as much as the characters and plot. I came up a bit short there, as there really isn't much of a plot, at least, not in the first 400 pages. I would say that all but one of the main characters we meet are NEVER instigators of major action in the plot, and we ultimately find out that ALL of the actions of the main characters is rendered moot by the out-of-left-field ending.
I learn after reading it that it has a sequel that continues the story. I dunno...
I generally don't like books that have maps inside; like maybe if the author was better at conveying a complicated story, then we wouldn't need a map? This one DEFINITELY need a map. I spent the entire damn thing trying to just understand the world they were moving around in. Maybe that makes me stupid, but I don't know that's the case. Even though he spends the whole first half of this 500 page novel describing things, I still couldn't really see what this world was supposed to look like.
That said, I willingly bungled my way through, accepting that the locations didn't matter as much as the characters and plot. I came up a bit short there, as there really isn't much of a plot, at least, not in the first 400 pages. I would say that all but one of the main characters we meet are NEVER instigators of major action in the plot, and we ultimately find out that ALL of the actions of the main characters is rendered moot by the out-of-left-field ending.
I learn after reading it that it has a sequel that continues the story. I dunno...
March 11, 2020
SF Masterworks 50: Welcome to a land of hard sci-fi. The first half of this book is pretty compelling in a Cold-War never ended reality, where the two sides are bickering over a planetary object, 'The Stone', that has come to orbit the Earth. What's more, many of the discoveries and determinations found on The Stone are truly mind staggering. The rest of the book deals with the resultant occurrences influenced by The Stone and what the researchers find.
The suspense and mystery writing is pretty good at the start of this saga... and it is a saga, it felt like a very long 500 pages. Written in 1985, but boy oh boy some of the male and female characterisations are so weakly linear. The hard-science was quite imaginative and interesting, but boy did it go on! A book of two halves, bet also a concept and story that maybe all sci-fi fans should read. 7 out of 12.
The suspense and mystery writing is pretty good at the start of this saga... and it is a saga, it felt like a very long 500 pages. Written in 1985, but boy oh boy some of the male and female characterisations are so weakly linear. The hard-science was quite imaginative and interesting, but boy did it go on! A book of two halves, bet also a concept and story that maybe all sci-fi fans should read. 7 out of 12.
February 5, 2011
Imagine an alternate history in which the cold war hadn't ended in 1989 and had instead continued to intensify. And to add fuel to the fire a mysterious object arrived in our solar system from who knows where that America gets to first and controls access to. If the Soviets believed the Americans were learning secrets that would give them an edge, tensions might escalate out of hand. But it isn't giving the Americans a technological edge, only offers confounding mysteries and a devestating vision of their future that they seem powerless to avoid.
This book, paradoxically, seemed both too long and too short. The overall story arc should either have been compressed down to a novel half the length or else fleshed out over two or three volumes. The sheer number of characters, minor story arcs, and mind boggling concepts explored was too much for a single book. Many of which could have been stripped out of the overall story without losing anything particularly important. On the other hand, more time could have been allowed to develop the many characters and their own story lines, the esoteric concepts more carefully explored if it was spread out over several books. Thus, it might be said, it falls between two stools. In particular, the last hundred pages or so was devoid of narrative tension as the story trundled to what seemed it's innevitable conclusion.
Another problem I had was visualising everything as it was described. I don't know if it was the author's use of words that made it difficult for me or if it was the sheer amount and complexity of strange environments, technologies and geometries presented to the reader to get their head around. Perhaps some maps, schematic diagrams and a glossary of characters might have been useful for reference.
That said, this was a visionary, ambitious work of SF that was crammed full of ideas which is precisely what SF should be doing. With a bit better writing and editing, this might have fulfilled it's potential to be the masterpiece it was trying to be.
This book, paradoxically, seemed both too long and too short. The overall story arc should either have been compressed down to a novel half the length or else fleshed out over two or three volumes. The sheer number of characters, minor story arcs, and mind boggling concepts explored was too much for a single book. Many of which could have been stripped out of the overall story without losing anything particularly important. On the other hand, more time could have been allowed to develop the many characters and their own story lines, the esoteric concepts more carefully explored if it was spread out over several books. Thus, it might be said, it falls between two stools. In particular, the last hundred pages or so was devoid of narrative tension as the story trundled to what seemed it's innevitable conclusion.
Another problem I had was visualising everything as it was described. I don't know if it was the author's use of words that made it difficult for me or if it was the sheer amount and complexity of strange environments, technologies and geometries presented to the reader to get their head around. Perhaps some maps, schematic diagrams and a glossary of characters might have been useful for reference.
That said, this was a visionary, ambitious work of SF that was crammed full of ideas which is precisely what SF should be doing. With a bit better writing and editing, this might have fulfilled it's potential to be the masterpiece it was trying to be.
March 15, 2017
I'm an admitted Greg Bear fan. I really liked Moving Mars and also Darwin's Radio and they are among my favorites by him to this day. Eon is one of those "asteroid hurtling toward Earth" books. There was a cluster of these types of books in the late 70's and throughout the 80's. Eon tells the story of one such asteroid, but this one has a twist. Apparently the inside of the asteroid is hollowed out and contains seven chambers wherein lie different "cities" or abandoned settlements. It is later determined that the asteroid may have traveled from another time and may be a sort of homemade generation ship for a fleeing civilization. I really enjoyed Eon and I'm a sucker for any type of archaeological science-fiction like this. My only complaint is that there is a Cold-War race to examine the asteroid that now feels very dated. However, it is not a major part of the story and as a result, I was able to set this aside. This falls into the popcorn-read category for me. Very quick and fun.
October 4, 2023
Have fond memories of a book from the 80's that you read in the 90's when you were maybe 15 years old? DON'T READ IT AGAIN!!!
The least disappointing thing is that it's merely badly written, but worked well enough within its zeitgeist so that it skated by at the time.
Middling disappointment comes from a story that felt exciting or new when written has been surpassed by more recent explorations.
The worst disappointment comes from finding racism, sexism, and questions like "wait, is the main character going to rape someone?!?!?"
Eon is disappointing on all these levels. Stopped 50% in, asked for Audible credit back.
Very few novels stand the test of time! I'm not sure why I expected this one to hold up.
Full review on my podcast, SFBRP episode #525.
Luke isn’t sure why he thought Greg Bear writing in the 80’s would hold up as well as Ursula K LeGuin writing in the 70’s.
The least disappointing thing is that it's merely badly written, but worked well enough within its zeitgeist so that it skated by at the time.
Middling disappointment comes from a story that felt exciting or new when written has been surpassed by more recent explorations.
The worst disappointment comes from finding racism, sexism, and questions like "wait, is the main character going to rape someone?!?!?"
Eon is disappointing on all these levels. Stopped 50% in, asked for Audible credit back.
Very few novels stand the test of time! I'm not sure why I expected this one to hold up.
Full review on my podcast, SFBRP episode #525.
Luke isn’t sure why he thought Greg Bear writing in the 80’s would hold up as well as Ursula K LeGuin writing in the 70’s.
December 16, 2020
I need something from my reading. Be it good prose, or insight in the human condition, or wild ideas about science, or just a sense of escapist wonder. This book from Greg Bear doesn't deliver.
Main turn off in Eon: characters that behave in a totally unbelievable manner. A global nuclear catastrophe is imminent, but let's not tell anybody aside from these 11 people with security clearance. Let's also put all our eggs in one basket, namely a 24-year old math genius. As time is not an issue, let's not brief her fully ASAP so she can get to work, but let her experience this strange hollow asteroid herself, browse its libraries, appreciate its interior design computer programs.
Don't get me started on the typical, unimaginative social dichotomies after the bombs go off (science lovers & science haters), or the fact that the Russians are bad, obviously. Bear wrote this in the 80ies. USA!
As for the science.... Beats me why this is qualified as hard science fiction. It's all handwavium. Math genius running around with a device to check the local value of π doesn't make for hard sci fi. Neither does mentioning the asteroid is made of nickel and iron inside. Heaps of stuff is introduced, but hardly explored. Computers seem able to communicate "subliminally" with humans, but Bear never goes into the nuts and bolts. What's described is a computer having a sub-vocal conversation with a human in real time. How that's "subliminal" is beyond me. Magic, not hard science.
As for the escapist sense of wonder, well, Bear overdoes it. He crams in so much that the net result feels like heaps of underdeveloped stuff. You should read the plot & themes part of the Wikipedia page of this book: it's mindbogglingly convoluted. Bonkers really. A sci fi parody.
Time might not have been kind to this book. Nor all my previous reading. Maybe I would have liked this at the beginning of my ventures into sci fi. Today, after about 100 pages, I had a very strong 'been there, done that' feeling. It didn't feel original, just all kinds of sci fi tropes thrown together. Maybe I can't take unrealistic, childlike depictions of scientists & politics anymore after reading Carter Scholz' brilliant Radiance. That book might have ruined Eon for me. I'm just saying: writing like adult reality actually exists is possible.
The prose is stale & workmanlike. It gets the job done, but it doesn't inspire. It's also too wordy. At least one fifth of all the words Bear concocted could have been edited out. And the dialogue - well, Scholz again.
And finally: Eon is oh so serious. Hardly a joke - I counted one feeble attempt. Not that books can't be serious, but then it needs to tick other boxes, believable emotions for one.
I jumped ship at page 242. There were still 214 pages left, but I couldn't take it anymore. So there you have it, at the end of the year, my first DNF for 2020. Maybe if you liked Banks' The Algebraist or Hamilton's Night's Dawn you'll like this - similarly bloated balderdash disguised as serious science fiction.
Main turn off in Eon: characters that behave in a totally unbelievable manner. A global nuclear catastrophe is imminent, but let's not tell anybody aside from these 11 people with security clearance. Let's also put all our eggs in one basket, namely a 24-year old math genius. As time is not an issue, let's not brief her fully ASAP so she can get to work, but let her experience this strange hollow asteroid herself, browse its libraries, appreciate its interior design computer programs.
Don't get me started on the typical, unimaginative social dichotomies after the bombs go off (science lovers & science haters), or the fact that the Russians are bad, obviously. Bear wrote this in the 80ies. USA!
As for the science.... Beats me why this is qualified as hard science fiction. It's all handwavium. Math genius running around with a device to check the local value of π doesn't make for hard sci fi. Neither does mentioning the asteroid is made of nickel and iron inside. Heaps of stuff is introduced, but hardly explored. Computers seem able to communicate "subliminally" with humans, but Bear never goes into the nuts and bolts. What's described is a computer having a sub-vocal conversation with a human in real time. How that's "subliminal" is beyond me. Magic, not hard science.
As for the escapist sense of wonder, well, Bear overdoes it. He crams in so much that the net result feels like heaps of underdeveloped stuff. You should read the plot & themes part of the Wikipedia page of this book: it's mindbogglingly convoluted. Bonkers really. A sci fi parody.
Time might not have been kind to this book. Nor all my previous reading. Maybe I would have liked this at the beginning of my ventures into sci fi. Today, after about 100 pages, I had a very strong 'been there, done that' feeling. It didn't feel original, just all kinds of sci fi tropes thrown together. Maybe I can't take unrealistic, childlike depictions of scientists & politics anymore after reading Carter Scholz' brilliant Radiance. That book might have ruined Eon for me. I'm just saying: writing like adult reality actually exists is possible.
The prose is stale & workmanlike. It gets the job done, but it doesn't inspire. It's also too wordy. At least one fifth of all the words Bear concocted could have been edited out. And the dialogue - well, Scholz again.
And finally: Eon is oh so serious. Hardly a joke - I counted one feeble attempt. Not that books can't be serious, but then it needs to tick other boxes, believable emotions for one.
I jumped ship at page 242. There were still 214 pages left, but I couldn't take it anymore. So there you have it, at the end of the year, my first DNF for 2020. Maybe if you liked Banks' The Algebraist or Hamilton's Night's Dawn you'll like this - similarly bloated balderdash disguised as serious science fiction.
August 28, 2009
It's a book I loved when I was seventeen. On second reading, I question why I liked it. Oh, that's right, I was 17. Now I know.
The plot of EON is complicated, both in its science and in the political relationships between characters. Everything starts as a mysterious asteroid enters Earth orbit, and an expedition sent by the west discovers that it was built by humans of the future and somehow sent back in time unintentionally. Museums on the asteroid chronicle a future war between the U.S. and the Soviet Union. The most awe-inspiring facet of the book, however, is where the inhabitants of the asteroid disappeared to, leaving the cities there abandoned.
Bear's writing is atrocious. Dialogue is clunky and unrealistic, there are some really absurdly penned sex scenes, and his description of the characters is formulaic. The portrayal of the Russians is incredibly stereotypical, and Bear never misses a chance to beat the reader over the head with the message that communism was wrong and the U.S. right during the Cold War. With the non-English characters he makes numerous mistakes. The author writes a traditional ideogram to describe a Chinese character's shirt when the PRC has used simplified forms for fifty years. The Hellenic rulers of Egypt are confused with the indigenous Egyptians. Apparently, the author did little research outside of the hard sciences.
It is really a shame that the writing is so poor, because the concepts introduced here are fantastic. Alternate geometries, new forms of human society in the far-future, aliens some familiar and others inherently unknowable. The author's portrayal of a nuclear holocaust is harrowing but thought-provoking.
The plot of EON is complicated, both in its science and in the political relationships between characters. Everything starts as a mysterious asteroid enters Earth orbit, and an expedition sent by the west discovers that it was built by humans of the future and somehow sent back in time unintentionally. Museums on the asteroid chronicle a future war between the U.S. and the Soviet Union. The most awe-inspiring facet of the book, however, is where the inhabitants of the asteroid disappeared to, leaving the cities there abandoned.
Bear's writing is atrocious. Dialogue is clunky and unrealistic, there are some really absurdly penned sex scenes, and his description of the characters is formulaic. The portrayal of the Russians is incredibly stereotypical, and Bear never misses a chance to beat the reader over the head with the message that communism was wrong and the U.S. right during the Cold War. With the non-English characters he makes numerous mistakes. The author writes a traditional ideogram to describe a Chinese character's shirt when the PRC has used simplified forms for fifty years. The Hellenic rulers of Egypt are confused with the indigenous Egyptians. Apparently, the author did little research outside of the hard sciences.
It is really a shame that the writing is so poor, because the concepts introduced here are fantastic. Alternate geometries, new forms of human society in the far-future, aliens some familiar and others inherently unknowable. The author's portrayal of a nuclear holocaust is harrowing but thought-provoking.
July 6, 2017
This was a book with a bit of confusing content in it. I pretty much liked its basic core idea. But was disappointed with things: too much of political stance to it, and too much of physical descriptions of technology and its workings. Having written in the late Cold-war period, this has its echoes to it, reverberating nearly throughout the story. But eventually I for one did not really like the amount of this idea that is focused upon in an SF book. The technologies by itself are very interesting. However their excessive descriptions regarding their functions and physical make-up was a complete let-down and became boring to me very quickly. Eon also did not have much of the morally contemplative ideas that I usually love to have in any SF title. Barely one or two of those here and there.
Also, it seems that Mr. Bear was partly inspired by the huge alien ship from the Rama series, which were compiled in , written by the wonderful . These were awesome and very-well written with good and perfect amount of descriptions, in comparison to Eon.
I will eventually be reading its sequel sometime soon. Although, I think a reader would not miss anything great (except some of its ideas) if this book is left unread, considering there is a lot more good content out there.
Also, it seems that Mr. Bear was partly inspired by the huge alien ship from the Rama series, which were compiled in , written by the wonderful . These were awesome and very-well written with good and perfect amount of descriptions, in comparison to Eon.
I will eventually be reading its sequel sometime soon. Although, I think a reader would not miss anything great (except some of its ideas) if this book is left unread, considering there is a lot more good content out there.
January 23, 2008
This is exactly what I was looking for when I was in the mood for some good 80's sci fi. Bear is a "hard" sci-fi writer - a lot of science, not so much in the way of character development. Actually, Bear's characters are developed fairly decently, but his best efforts come in his mind-expanding scientific/philosophical speculation. I honestly don't know enough math or physics to follow some of what he was talking about, but the basic ideas are pretty mind blowing, which is what good sci-fi should do. My main criticisms are that sometimes I got lost in the scientific or political details and, while I liked the weirdness, sometimes the book got a little too weird to tell what was going on, especially in the last 200 pages. Also, Bear was strangely obsessed with the sexuality of one of the secondary male characters. There were two points when women threw themselves at him at awkward times (once I actually blurted out, "oh, for fuck's sake"). Overall though, if you can overlook a few bad moments, deal with a book set in the future that's now the past (2005) in which the Soviet Union still exists and add a heavy dose of weird math and physics, you're in for a crazy ride.
April 27, 2015
There’s a sub-genre of sci-fi referred to as “Big Dumb Object� for stories about big, wondrous objects that defy explination or have some sort of air of mystery to them. Often inhuman in origin, investigating the BDO usually acts as the mcguffin that drives the plot.
In Eon the Earth encounters one of these BDOs in the form of The Stone, a massive asteroid that parks itself in in Earth orbit during a rather politically tense period between the NATO and soviet governments. Oh yea, this was written before the fall of the Berlin wall. there are strong elements of Cold War politics throughout the story. It’s discovered the asteroid is hollow, and as the investigation into the nature of the stone continues amazing things are discovered.
I originally read this at a very young age and I found it fascinating. Rereading it after reading Rendezvous with Rama I can see where its influence Greg Bear, but it’s still a great read. The exploration of long abandoned cities from Humanity’s far future, the discovery of the Way, and the elements of transhumanism all combine to make this one of my favorite books. At four stars out of five I’d definitely recommend this!
In Eon the Earth encounters one of these BDOs in the form of The Stone, a massive asteroid that parks itself in in Earth orbit during a rather politically tense period between the NATO and soviet governments. Oh yea, this was written before the fall of the Berlin wall. there are strong elements of Cold War politics throughout the story. It’s discovered the asteroid is hollow, and as the investigation into the nature of the stone continues amazing things are discovered.
I originally read this at a very young age and I found it fascinating. Rereading it after reading Rendezvous with Rama I can see where its influence Greg Bear, but it’s still a great read. The exploration of long abandoned cities from Humanity’s far future, the discovery of the Way, and the elements of transhumanism all combine to make this one of my favorite books. At four stars out of five I’d definitely recommend this!
December 17, 2008
This is science fiction in the tradition of Arthur C. Clarke, indeed when an asteroid appears in a nova-like burst of radiation and sails neatly into an orbit round the Earth and Moon, one is instantly reminded of Rendez-vous with Rama, but this artifact is not alien. The Clarke tradition is to take an Idea then build a story round it; this can lead to novels that really don't have a good story or even much of a story at all, for example, Niven's Ringworld. With Eon, Bear does not suffer this problem; he tells a story that leads straight from extrapolation of the consequences of the Idea he had. It's a clever story and never boring but its one weakness is that it uses several major characters in order to cover all aspects and veiwpoints of the narrative. This splits one's sympathies so that the reader never fully invests in one character's interests - this leaves one too much outside the story, looking in.
August 3, 2014
Big Dumb Objects always provide an interesting starting point. The Stone, as the Americans christen the hollowed-out asteroid that appears above 21st-century Earth in Eon, is full of mysteries. It has the exact same profile as Juno, but much less mass, because someone has hollowed it out into seven enormous chambers. Could it be from humanity’s future? Or a possible future? And if so, does it hold the answers to avert a Russian-American nuclear confrontation?
Oh, 1980s. Your cold war fiction is so cute.
I say this not with derision but admiration and a healthy dose of humility. I can only hope that, in thirty years� time, we will be saying similar things about contemporary science fiction that deals with possible apocalyptic global warming scenarios. We can’t fault authors for working within the zeitgeist of their times and attempting to explore the ramifications of our ability to use and misuse advanced technology. Instead, the more pertinent question is what does Greg Bear want to say about politics and human nature?
Politics and human nature are the crux of Eon. They inform both conflicts: the tension between the Russians and the Americans, which culminates in an invasion of the Stone that goes pear-shaped faster than you can say, “an invasion of the Stone that goes pear-shaped�; and the meetings between the 21st-century humans and their alternate-future counterparts from Axis City. In both cases, we have two groups that are not necessarily enemies but have very different ideas of how to achieve their goals. We have different individuals within these groups, individuals whose own ideologies are more nuanced and refined than the general group identity. Bear emphasizes that just because one belongs to a group doesn’t mean one’s own identity and choices are subsumed into that group.
Human nature is an interesting one, because many of the inhabitants of Axis City wouldn’t fall under our definition of “human�. Decidedly posthuman, they have mastered the arts of mind uploading, cloning and body creation, etc. A sizable portion exist as “neomorphs�, embodied but in forms far more diverse and bizarre than that of the human body; more still exist only as personalities within the City Memory. And so one must wonder the extent to which these people still possess “human nature�, whatever that might be. Decoupled from all those hormones and chemicals that make us who we are, are we still us?
Bear seems very focused on writing realistic humans, and it pays off. All of the various characters are well-rounded, an important attribute when one has such a large ensemble cast. I just wish they were a little more interesting. For example, Patricia is supposed to be a brilliant mathematician whose theories precede those that enable the construction of the Stone’s seventh chamber and the Way. But she spends most of the book in some kind of haze, as if she can’t quite believe what’s happening. This seems like an all-too-realistic response to discovering that descendants from a possible future have kidnapped you. But it perhaps isn’t the most useful response.
In general, Eon attempts a great deal but doesn’t always deliver. It isn’t quite a political thriller, nor is it quite a scientific one. It attempts to stir up a sense of wonder, maybe even guilt, over the contrast of what humanity achieves in the Stone versus what the Death brings to Earth. But with so many different characters, it is hard to invest in any one in particular, especially when none of them emerge as the most palatable protagonist. Overall, as a story, Eon works. But I didn’t end up loving it.
Oh, 1980s. Your cold war fiction is so cute.
I say this not with derision but admiration and a healthy dose of humility. I can only hope that, in thirty years� time, we will be saying similar things about contemporary science fiction that deals with possible apocalyptic global warming scenarios. We can’t fault authors for working within the zeitgeist of their times and attempting to explore the ramifications of our ability to use and misuse advanced technology. Instead, the more pertinent question is what does Greg Bear want to say about politics and human nature?
Politics and human nature are the crux of Eon. They inform both conflicts: the tension between the Russians and the Americans, which culminates in an invasion of the Stone that goes pear-shaped faster than you can say, “an invasion of the Stone that goes pear-shaped�; and the meetings between the 21st-century humans and their alternate-future counterparts from Axis City. In both cases, we have two groups that are not necessarily enemies but have very different ideas of how to achieve their goals. We have different individuals within these groups, individuals whose own ideologies are more nuanced and refined than the general group identity. Bear emphasizes that just because one belongs to a group doesn’t mean one’s own identity and choices are subsumed into that group.
Human nature is an interesting one, because many of the inhabitants of Axis City wouldn’t fall under our definition of “human�. Decidedly posthuman, they have mastered the arts of mind uploading, cloning and body creation, etc. A sizable portion exist as “neomorphs�, embodied but in forms far more diverse and bizarre than that of the human body; more still exist only as personalities within the City Memory. And so one must wonder the extent to which these people still possess “human nature�, whatever that might be. Decoupled from all those hormones and chemicals that make us who we are, are we still us?
Bear seems very focused on writing realistic humans, and it pays off. All of the various characters are well-rounded, an important attribute when one has such a large ensemble cast. I just wish they were a little more interesting. For example, Patricia is supposed to be a brilliant mathematician whose theories precede those that enable the construction of the Stone’s seventh chamber and the Way. But she spends most of the book in some kind of haze, as if she can’t quite believe what’s happening. This seems like an all-too-realistic response to discovering that descendants from a possible future have kidnapped you. But it perhaps isn’t the most useful response.
In general, Eon attempts a great deal but doesn’t always deliver. It isn’t quite a political thriller, nor is it quite a scientific one. It attempts to stir up a sense of wonder, maybe even guilt, over the contrast of what humanity achieves in the Stone versus what the Death brings to Earth. But with so many different characters, it is hard to invest in any one in particular, especially when none of them emerge as the most palatable protagonist. Overall, as a story, Eon works. But I didn’t end up loving it.
January 17, 2023
What I suspect was going on here is that Greg Bear obvously wanted to pay homage to Arthur C. Clarke's Rendezvous With Rama, but he also wanted to give something to those who felt Rama cheated them out of a plot. I suspect.
The use of the word(s) USSR dates a sci-fi novel like a yellow stove-fridge combo dates a kitchen. Many SF authors have incredible technical imagination but for some that does not translate into visionary political views. I contrast that to Iain M. Banks' Culture, which is decidedly a communism-gone-right society, with all the hypocracy to boot. Having some of its novels also written in the 1980s, the Culture series still makes us think critically about political systems. In Eon, I half-expected Gorbachev to don a space helmet and explore the Stone. Anyways, putting the yellow fridge aside...
Story: The USA and USSR (sigh) are about to nuke each other early in the 21st century. Suddenly a huge asteroid shows up in the solar system. Upon exploration, we discover that the asteroid is hollow, has artificial gravity and is divided up into seven huge chambers, some of which contain cities. No spoilers here but the interior size of the asteroid is really what is interesting.
The characters: I read this a couple of years ago, and the characters were flat, so I remember little about them.
The flounder: I mostly liked this story minus the Gorbachev factor, but at some point after the Way, it floundered. Something to do with a non-human character if I recall. Oh yes, it floundered.
The bottom line: Not a lesson in style, a little dated, flattish characters, a Rama-rip but with more moving parts, and a flounder. But damned if I didn't actually enjoy three quarters of the ride! Enough for me to have presumably bought the sequel Eternity, since I see it on my shelf.
A classic? Net. A pretty good hard sci-fi read? Da.
The use of the word(s) USSR dates a sci-fi novel like a yellow stove-fridge combo dates a kitchen. Many SF authors have incredible technical imagination but for some that does not translate into visionary political views. I contrast that to Iain M. Banks' Culture, which is decidedly a communism-gone-right society, with all the hypocracy to boot. Having some of its novels also written in the 1980s, the Culture series still makes us think critically about political systems. In Eon, I half-expected Gorbachev to don a space helmet and explore the Stone. Anyways, putting the yellow fridge aside...
Story: The USA and USSR (sigh) are about to nuke each other early in the 21st century. Suddenly a huge asteroid shows up in the solar system. Upon exploration, we discover that the asteroid is hollow, has artificial gravity and is divided up into seven huge chambers, some of which contain cities. No spoilers here but the interior size of the asteroid is really what is interesting.
The characters: I read this a couple of years ago, and the characters were flat, so I remember little about them.
The flounder: I mostly liked this story minus the Gorbachev factor, but at some point after the Way, it floundered. Something to do with a non-human character if I recall. Oh yes, it floundered.
The bottom line: Not a lesson in style, a little dated, flattish characters, a Rama-rip but with more moving parts, and a flounder. But damned if I didn't actually enjoy three quarters of the ride! Enough for me to have presumably bought the sequel Eternity, since I see it on my shelf.
A classic? Net. A pretty good hard sci-fi read? Da.
December 12, 2015
Excellent read. The story was inventive and intriguing until the wheels came off at the end. I think Bear loves his inventions too much to create good endings...he can't seem to keep from following every thread to a conclusion at the expense of good story telling.
November 29, 2022
"Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic" —Arthur C. Clarke
Book summary :
IN THE NOVEL Eon, the science fiction author Greg Bear writes a harrowing tale about fleeing a devastated world into a parallel universe. A colossal, menacing asteroid from space has approached the planet Earth,
causing mass panic and hysteria. However, instead of striking Earth, it strangely settles into an orbit around the planet. Teams of scientists are sent into space to investigate. However, instead of finding a desolate, lifeless
surface, they find that the asteroid is actually hollow, it's a huge spaceship abandoned by a superior technological race. Inside the deserted spaceship, the book's heroine, a theoretical physicist named Patricia Vasquez, finds seven vast chambers, entrances to different worlds, with lakes, forests,
trees, even entire cities. Next, she stumbles upon huge libraries containing the complete history of these strange people.
Picking up an old book, she finds that it is Tom Sawyer, by Mark Twain, but republished in 2110. She realizes that the asteroid is not from an alien civilization at all, but from Earth itself, 1,300 years in the future. She realizes the sickening truth: these old records tell of an ancient nuclear war that erupted in the distant past, killing billions of people, unleashing a
nuclear winter that killed billions more. When she determines the date of this nuclear war, she is shocked to find that it is only two weeks into the future! She is helpless to stop the inevitable war that will soon consume the
entire planet, killing her loved ones.
Eerily, she locates her own personal history in these old records, and finds that her future research in space-time will help to lay the groundwork for a vast tunnel in the asteroid, called the Way, which will allow the people
to leave the asteroid and enter other universes. Her theories have proved that there are an infinite number of quantum universes, representing all possible realities.
Moreover, her theories make possible the building of gateways located along the Way for entering these universes, each with a
different alternate history. Eventually, she enters the tunnel, travels down the Way, and meets the people who fled in the asteroid, her descendants. It is a strange world. Centuries before, people had abandoned strictly
human form and can now assume various shapes and bodies. Even people long dead have their memories and personalities stored in computer banks and can be brought back to life. They can be resurrected and downloaded
several times into new bodies. Implants placed in their bodies give them access to nearly infinite information. Although these people can have almost anything they wish, nonetheless our heroine is miserable and lonely in this technological paradise. She misses her family, her boyfriend, her
Earth, all of which were destroyed in the nuclear war. She is eventually
granted permission to scan the multiple universes that lie along the Way to
find a parallel Earth in which nuclear war was averted and her loved ones are still alive. She eventually finds one and leaps into it ...
Sorry for this papyrus😂
A good SF ...
Book summary :
IN THE NOVEL Eon, the science fiction author Greg Bear writes a harrowing tale about fleeing a devastated world into a parallel universe. A colossal, menacing asteroid from space has approached the planet Earth,
causing mass panic and hysteria. However, instead of striking Earth, it strangely settles into an orbit around the planet. Teams of scientists are sent into space to investigate. However, instead of finding a desolate, lifeless
surface, they find that the asteroid is actually hollow, it's a huge spaceship abandoned by a superior technological race. Inside the deserted spaceship, the book's heroine, a theoretical physicist named Patricia Vasquez, finds seven vast chambers, entrances to different worlds, with lakes, forests,
trees, even entire cities. Next, she stumbles upon huge libraries containing the complete history of these strange people.
Picking up an old book, she finds that it is Tom Sawyer, by Mark Twain, but republished in 2110. She realizes that the asteroid is not from an alien civilization at all, but from Earth itself, 1,300 years in the future. She realizes the sickening truth: these old records tell of an ancient nuclear war that erupted in the distant past, killing billions of people, unleashing a
nuclear winter that killed billions more. When she determines the date of this nuclear war, she is shocked to find that it is only two weeks into the future! She is helpless to stop the inevitable war that will soon consume the
entire planet, killing her loved ones.
Eerily, she locates her own personal history in these old records, and finds that her future research in space-time will help to lay the groundwork for a vast tunnel in the asteroid, called the Way, which will allow the people
to leave the asteroid and enter other universes. Her theories have proved that there are an infinite number of quantum universes, representing all possible realities.
Moreover, her theories make possible the building of gateways located along the Way for entering these universes, each with a
different alternate history. Eventually, she enters the tunnel, travels down the Way, and meets the people who fled in the asteroid, her descendants. It is a strange world. Centuries before, people had abandoned strictly
human form and can now assume various shapes and bodies. Even people long dead have their memories and personalities stored in computer banks and can be brought back to life. They can be resurrected and downloaded
several times into new bodies. Implants placed in their bodies give them access to nearly infinite information. Although these people can have almost anything they wish, nonetheless our heroine is miserable and lonely in this technological paradise. She misses her family, her boyfriend, her
Earth, all of which were destroyed in the nuclear war. She is eventually
granted permission to scan the multiple universes that lie along the Way to
find a parallel Earth in which nuclear war was averted and her loved ones are still alive. She eventually finds one and leaps into it ...
Sorry for this papyrus😂
A good SF ...
May 27, 2024
This is a hard SF novel with many great ideas, but as an early novel, it is far from polished, and quite possibly it would have worked with fewer ideas but better style. The book was his first SF novel by the author nominated for major awards � it was published in 1985 and ended up in Locus (12th place) and Arthur C. Clarke's nominee (1987). Before that, he had shorter SFF works nominated even for Nebula and Hugo awards.
The novel starts in the year 2000 and the previous decade and a half (from the publication date) were quite different from what actually happened: the USSR is still alive and kicking, a few years back there was an exchange of nuclear strikes known as the Little Death (and like in the city in the USSR that was hit is Kyiv. Thanks, folks, I live here!) and space programs are still running strong, with bases on the Moon� into this world, a giant asteroid (300 km long, 100 km wide) comes to the Earth’s orbit, decelerating and steering quite unlike a natural object. The US scientists (backed by NATO, not NASA) started investigating the object, finding there great cavities with abandoned cities. It could have been a first-contact story, but it turns more complex.
The readers follow several main characters, who are related to the asteroid called the Potato by the Soviets and the Stone by Americans (getting more info about the object is therefore ‘getting Stoned�). This includes a brilliant administrator Judith Hoffman, a talented introverted mathematician Patricia Vasquez working on multidimensional toponomies that ‘only aliens can understand�, a Soviet military cosmonaut Major Pavel Mirsky (true, all real ones were military as well), who is preparing to take part in an assault on the artifact, an American pilot/astronaut Garry Lanier and several others.
Not to spoil the story, I’d only say that this book has borrowings from cyberpunk without the feel of the latter. For example, there are such entities as emulations of a person, performing mostly routine operations while the ‘true self� is otherwise occupied.
There are also several truly awkward sex scenes � nothing ‘steamy�, more a problem of dividing mind and body in their desires.
Overall, an interesting but quite uneven novel. Currently, I don’t plan to read the remaining two volumes of the series.
The novel starts in the year 2000 and the previous decade and a half (from the publication date) were quite different from what actually happened: the USSR is still alive and kicking, a few years back there was an exchange of nuclear strikes known as the Little Death (and like in the city in the USSR that was hit is Kyiv. Thanks, folks, I live here!) and space programs are still running strong, with bases on the Moon� into this world, a giant asteroid (300 km long, 100 km wide) comes to the Earth’s orbit, decelerating and steering quite unlike a natural object. The US scientists (backed by NATO, not NASA) started investigating the object, finding there great cavities with abandoned cities. It could have been a first-contact story, but it turns more complex.
The readers follow several main characters, who are related to the asteroid called the Potato by the Soviets and the Stone by Americans (getting more info about the object is therefore ‘getting Stoned�). This includes a brilliant administrator Judith Hoffman, a talented introverted mathematician Patricia Vasquez working on multidimensional toponomies that ‘only aliens can understand�, a Soviet military cosmonaut Major Pavel Mirsky (true, all real ones were military as well), who is preparing to take part in an assault on the artifact, an American pilot/astronaut Garry Lanier and several others.
Not to spoil the story, I’d only say that this book has borrowings from cyberpunk without the feel of the latter. For example, there are such entities as emulations of a person, performing mostly routine operations while the ‘true self� is otherwise occupied.
There are also several truly awkward sex scenes � nothing ‘steamy�, more a problem of dividing mind and body in their desires.
Overall, an interesting but quite uneven novel. Currently, I don’t plan to read the remaining two volumes of the series.
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