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Lucifer's Hammer cover art

Lucifer's Hammer

Written by: Larry Niven, Jerry Pournelle
Narrated by: Marc Vietor
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Publisher's Summary

The gigantic comet had slammed into Earth, forging earthquakes a thousand times too powerful to measure on the Richter scale, tidal waves thousands of feet high. Cities were turned into oceans; oceans turned into steam. It was the beginning of a new Ice Age and the end of civilization.

But for the terrified men and women chance had saved, it was also the dawn of a new struggle for survival - a struggle more dangerous and challenging than any they had ever known....

©1985 Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle (P)2009 Audible, Inc.

What the critics say

"Take your earthquakes, waterlogged condominiums, swarms of bugs, colliding airplanes, and flaming what-nots, wrap them up and they wouldn't match one page of Lucifer's Hammer for sweaty-palmed suspense." ( Chicago Daily News)
"Massively entertaining." ( Cleveland Plain-Dealer)

What listeners say about Lucifer's Hammer

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    5 out of 5 stars

MUST LISTEN. IRead this many years ago, still A+!

"I will be dipped in sh__t!"
This is a saying I picked up many years ago, and use to this day, but couldn't remember where I read or heard it. Until I picked up the audiobook of one of my favorite, favorite "end of the world" books. And there, it was. Sweet. So familiar, yet lost for so long.
I bought this book when it first came out in paperback in the 70s, and somewhere it is still in my boxes of absolute favorite books EVER, packed away, waiting for an apocalypse for me to discover it again. I knew it would be dated, with things like "pocket calculators", landline phones, Soviet Union and Soyuz, anyone remember those except me? But still it would be the classic it is.
One of the vignettes I have remembered all those many years, was the guy on the surfboard. That has been seared into my mind's eye all these decades- I won't spoil it for anyone by going further, but it remains as startling today as it was when I first read the book.
What has always stuck with me, was the ingenuity of the survivors and how they were going to make a survivor's world after a comet strike. The authors know their stuff. You can make Beef Jerky following this story, and more. It's a brilliant piece of writing, and the authors did their homework, and had a good grasp of both science, and survival. I remember thinking to myself--"I could live in their world, I have good skills and the will to survive". Now, I'd be the eccentric but intelligent doc/nurse who'd figure out how to use herbs and folk medicines in a world that has no more medicine, and doesn't waste a whole book just breaking into big box stores to look for Tylenol. That was probably what I disliked the most about the last post apocalyptic series I read--the people didn't learn anything, didn't go to libraries to look things up, didn't do much except be happy they survived a killer virus and aliens. There was no new technology, no one knew how to "Do" anything. This book if I recollect rightly, tells us these survivors DO. They organize, they find a place with an Artesian well and set about rebuilding a much smaller world.
If I get to the end and it turns out I've remembered wrong, I'll come back and make it right.
The narrator does a very good job, he isn't the best I've heard, but he isn't the worst either. I really don't expect narrators to sound like women when they are men, though some do a really admirable job of it. So happy to have this classic in my collection!
If you are visually impaired--this story is just as good a listen, as it was when I read it in print. <3 You are able to envision so much, listening to this book. The visual descriptions are very good. I really hope people enjoy it.
Thank you Audible, for giving me back my first love, books.
Audiobooks have brought "reading" back to me. <3 #Audible1

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7 people found this helpful

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    2 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

What a let-down.

I know this book is dated but that has nothing to do with my negative review. The characterization was okay and the story line fine... if it had taken place anywhere but in a post-apocalyptic setting. I mean, the horrifying result of a comet smashing into our little planet would be unending devastation; yet, what should have been the gut-wrenching ramifications of such an enormous catastrophe played second fiddle to the sometimes dull dramas between characters. In my humble opinion, the only element of Lucifer's Hammer that is not disappointing is Marc Vietor's narration.

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2 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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Love the book, not so much this audiobook

#Audible1 I have read the book a few times, and do enjoy it. The End of the World as we know it, murdered by asteroid. Problem is, I barely got to the asteroid part, before giving up on the audio. The narrator just didn't grab my attention. I guess that's a good thing if I'm driving, but I got bored and switched to radio before the asteroid even made it to earth. I will give it another try someday I'm sure. But for now, I'm a bit disappointed.

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1 person found this helpful

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    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Pretty good post apocalyptic novel

Narrator is extremely good. The book is a bit dated but still very interesting. For fans of end of the world books.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

a little dated

way too chauvinistic, cringey characters. great narrator. interesting story. worth a buy on sale. just be ready for a trip to cliche town.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

slow and a bit confusing, but novel in it's genre.

a Little too slow, especially at the beginning. a lot of character that was difficult to to track and they don't seem to have much arc to speak of. but the apocalyptic scenario is fascinating and did hook me in the end. glad I finished the book despite the shortcomings.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Great Post Apocalypse Book

Great book, took me by surprise. I didn't know what I was getting into. It started a little slow, both with a long build up and introduction to the large number of characters, and something about the narration made it a slow start as well. After about 3 hours in it started to take hold though. I ended up finding it very hard to turn it off, I kept wanting to listen to just a little bit more of the plot. Now that I have finished all 24 hours, I find it replaying in my mind. It's hard to let go of some of the characters. Very smoothly written and a good job of interweaving all the different story lines.

Having finished, I reflect a bit on David Brinn's Postman. There are a lot of similarities and I wonder if this book influenced Brinn.

I strongly recommend this book but I don't think I am the first person to warn that it takes a couple of hours to get into the plot.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Very hard to listen to.

I have tried a dozen times to get through this audio book. The topic and story is very interesting. I feel bad for saying this, but I turn on the fan to drown out this narrator's voice. It is truly a bad match...

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Pretty good!

Really enjoyed this book. Got it based on a friend's recommendation. Feels a bit like a Michael Crichton novel. Lots of science stuff. But also kinda Remi ds me of the Stand by Stephen King. Lots of post apocalypse stuff going on.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Awesome book and favourite prepare-type story

Read the book numerous times and now have to listen on my iPhone and in car in those long traffic-jams. Great story and worth every penny !!

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