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A comet hits the earth, destroying much of it. Hard white men make hard choices in hard times, while women gratefully revert to 1950s-era gender roles and black people become cannibals. Except for the one token black astronaut who only got to go into space due to affirmative action tokenism. But he's not a cannibal, which proves that it's totally not stereotypical that most of the other black people are.
I've been having trouble focusing on fiction while trapped in my apartment, until it occurred to me that maybe I was having trouble focusing on good fiction. So I decided to read a book which I have not read since I was twelve, and which I recalled was not boring but also not good. Plus, it's an apocalypse novel, which is a favorite genre of mine. I thought maybe it would break the spell.
All I really remembered from when I was twelve was that I enjoyed the parts where Los Angeles was destroyed by comet, though I found them sexist even at twelve when I was not sensitive to such things (let me put it this way: I was still happily reading Piers Anthony at that age), but got bored once it moved on from immediate post-comet strike, and also found it incredibly racist though at that age I was even less sensitive to racism than to sexism.
Spoiler: 12-year-old self was right about the sexism and racism. Also, I DNF'd. But not due to quarantine lassitude, due to the fact that I was also right about when it gets boring. However, I skipped ahead to see if I correctly recalled that black people turned to cannibalism. Spoiler: yep!
The first third of this massive book is reasonably entertaining, with a couple legit very good bits. Here's what I liked:
An independently wealthy man, Tim Hamner, is one of the two discoverers of a comet, Hamner-Brown. (Brown is a 12-year-old boy.) All the main characters but four astronauts are in Los Angeles, which is described very accurately according to the geography of the time. We follow them as the comet comes closer and closer to earth, and ends up being nicknamed The Hammer. It eventually hits. This leads to the absolute best moment in the story, when a totally gnarly surfer surfs the most epic wave ever, all the way through Los Angeles, and is totally stoked until his rad ride is interrupted by a skyscraper.
Lucifer's Hammer was published in 1977; you can tell because the ginormous, mostly indistinguishable cast of characters is constantly having sleazy, loveless sex described in the least erotic terms possible.
All the women are always described in terms of their attractiveness to men (always) and breeder potential (post-comet). The two token non-cannibal black characters have no characteristics other than being black, and constantly discuss affirmative action and that they're not like the other, criminal blacks. Except for a few cameo redshirts with names like "the Indian," there are no races other than black or white.
There is an endless bit where pre-strike, a scientist has a TV interview where he describes the comet and the potential of a strike in terms of an ice cream sundae. This is mildly amusing but not actually funny, but all the characters roll around laughing hysterically when it happens and every time it's mentioned, and it's mentioned a LOT. This leads to a sort of meme where the upcoming strike is called "ice cream sundae which is actually Tuesdae;" I totally believe that this would become a meme, but not that people would continue finding it hilarious every time it's mentioned.
The main thing that's interesting about the book, because it's an idea that informs so much apocalypse fiction and also how a lot of social issues are discussed, is the idea of hard men making hard choices in hard times. Here's the premises, which Niven & Pournelle exemplify but did not invent:
At all times but especially during disasters, resources are zero-sum. If you give something to others, you lose it yourself. Generosity and sharing are luxuries which are dangerous to indulge in and must be abandoned in hard times. This is a virtue and shows your strength.
Kindness, equality, and nonviolence are bad. They are also a luxury of the Before Time. Showing kindness to others will cause them to attack you for your resources. It is now fine and in fact essential to beat children and subjugate women, because this is necessary now that times are hard. (Not shown: why it's necessary.)
Only a small circle of people, such as your own family and possibly your chosen group, deserves life. Life is also zero-sum. Attempts to protect non-group members will cause your own group to be harmed. Non-group members will harm you, either deliberately or by consuming your zero-sum resources. They must be driven off, kept out, or killed.
Empathy is zero-sum. If you show it to non-group members, you have less for your group and are actually harming your group.
Guns are essential. Everyone must get as many guns as possible. All interactions with non-group members must begin by threatening them with your guns. If you don't do this, they will interpret it as weakness and attack you.
All human relationships are transactional. Women and children are men's property. The only way an outsider can enter your group is if they possess either male-coded useful skills (ability to shoot, being a doctor, being an architect) or as a possession.
The book ends with the central group having defeated the black cannibals and enslaved them, because they have no other choice but to enslave them, kill them, or let them go and then have them return to attack the group again. Hard white men make hard choices, such as owning slaves.
It was very interesting reading this book now, because you can see how these premises are affecting the US right now. Again, this book didn't cause or invent these premises! It's just an example of them.
For instance, if you believe in zero-sum resources, then you do not want medical care for everyone, only for your own group; any medical care going to others reduces the medical care available to you. Also, if you believe in zero-sum, then any action which increases the safety or saves the lives of a non-group member is actively harming you, by reducing your safety or endangering your life. Better grab and display as many guns as you can carry!
In particular, the idea that showing non-group members empathy or kindness actually harms your own group explains a lot, IMO.
Leaning into the premise: Excellent. It promises a comet hitting Earth, and it's about a comet hitting Earth.
Lucifer's Hammer: A Novel
ETA: Just now noticed that it's a "a novel." LOLOLOL.
I've been having trouble focusing on fiction while trapped in my apartment, until it occurred to me that maybe I was having trouble focusing on good fiction. So I decided to read a book which I have not read since I was twelve, and which I recalled was not boring but also not good. Plus, it's an apocalypse novel, which is a favorite genre of mine. I thought maybe it would break the spell.
All I really remembered from when I was twelve was that I enjoyed the parts where Los Angeles was destroyed by comet, though I found them sexist even at twelve when I was not sensitive to such things (let me put it this way: I was still happily reading Piers Anthony at that age), but got bored once it moved on from immediate post-comet strike, and also found it incredibly racist though at that age I was even less sensitive to racism than to sexism.
Spoiler: 12-year-old self was right about the sexism and racism. Also, I DNF'd. But not due to quarantine lassitude, due to the fact that I was also right about when it gets boring. However, I skipped ahead to see if I correctly recalled that black people turned to cannibalism. Spoiler: yep!
The first third of this massive book is reasonably entertaining, with a couple legit very good bits. Here's what I liked:
An independently wealthy man, Tim Hamner, is one of the two discoverers of a comet, Hamner-Brown. (Brown is a 12-year-old boy.) All the main characters but four astronauts are in Los Angeles, which is described very accurately according to the geography of the time. We follow them as the comet comes closer and closer to earth, and ends up being nicknamed The Hammer. It eventually hits. This leads to the absolute best moment in the story, when a totally gnarly surfer surfs the most epic wave ever, all the way through Los Angeles, and is totally stoked until his rad ride is interrupted by a skyscraper.
Lucifer's Hammer was published in 1977; you can tell because the ginormous, mostly indistinguishable cast of characters is constantly having sleazy, loveless sex described in the least erotic terms possible.
All the women are always described in terms of their attractiveness to men (always) and breeder potential (post-comet). The two token non-cannibal black characters have no characteristics other than being black, and constantly discuss affirmative action and that they're not like the other, criminal blacks. Except for a few cameo redshirts with names like "the Indian," there are no races other than black or white.
There is an endless bit where pre-strike, a scientist has a TV interview where he describes the comet and the potential of a strike in terms of an ice cream sundae. This is mildly amusing but not actually funny, but all the characters roll around laughing hysterically when it happens and every time it's mentioned, and it's mentioned a LOT. This leads to a sort of meme where the upcoming strike is called "ice cream sundae which is actually Tuesdae;" I totally believe that this would become a meme, but not that people would continue finding it hilarious every time it's mentioned.
The main thing that's interesting about the book, because it's an idea that informs so much apocalypse fiction and also how a lot of social issues are discussed, is the idea of hard men making hard choices in hard times. Here's the premises, which Niven & Pournelle exemplify but did not invent:
At all times but especially during disasters, resources are zero-sum. If you give something to others, you lose it yourself. Generosity and sharing are luxuries which are dangerous to indulge in and must be abandoned in hard times. This is a virtue and shows your strength.
Kindness, equality, and nonviolence are bad. They are also a luxury of the Before Time. Showing kindness to others will cause them to attack you for your resources. It is now fine and in fact essential to beat children and subjugate women, because this is necessary now that times are hard. (Not shown: why it's necessary.)
Only a small circle of people, such as your own family and possibly your chosen group, deserves life. Life is also zero-sum. Attempts to protect non-group members will cause your own group to be harmed. Non-group members will harm you, either deliberately or by consuming your zero-sum resources. They must be driven off, kept out, or killed.
Empathy is zero-sum. If you show it to non-group members, you have less for your group and are actually harming your group.
Guns are essential. Everyone must get as many guns as possible. All interactions with non-group members must begin by threatening them with your guns. If you don't do this, they will interpret it as weakness and attack you.
All human relationships are transactional. Women and children are men's property. The only way an outsider can enter your group is if they possess either male-coded useful skills (ability to shoot, being a doctor, being an architect) or as a possession.
The book ends with the central group having defeated the black cannibals and enslaved them, because they have no other choice but to enslave them, kill them, or let them go and then have them return to attack the group again. Hard white men make hard choices, such as owning slaves.
It was very interesting reading this book now, because you can see how these premises are affecting the US right now. Again, this book didn't cause or invent these premises! It's just an example of them.
For instance, if you believe in zero-sum resources, then you do not want medical care for everyone, only for your own group; any medical care going to others reduces the medical care available to you. Also, if you believe in zero-sum, then any action which increases the safety or saves the lives of a non-group member is actively harming you, by reducing your safety or endangering your life. Better grab and display as many guns as you can carry!
In particular, the idea that showing non-group members empathy or kindness actually harms your own group explains a lot, IMO.
Leaning into the premise: Excellent. It promises a comet hitting Earth, and it's about a comet hitting Earth.
Lucifer's Hammer: A Novel
ETA: Just now noticed that it's a "a novel." LOLOLOL.
