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tstevens3's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
hopeful
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
topdragon's review against another edition
3.0
Like many people, I first read this collection of four novels when I was in High School. Long out-of-print I was very happy to see them repackaged for a whole new generation. This is high-quality science fiction from the golden age. I was suprised that so little of the technology is out-of-date (vacuum tubes excepted) that it reads as fresh now as it did before.
But this is more than just the superficial sci-fi that we sometimes hear about. Much more than spaceships and aliens, these novels dig deep into our culture, our sensabilities, our fundamental attitudes. It is a story of the human condition, as told by one of the grand masters of science fiction. If you enjoy Heinlein, Asimov, and Bradbury, you'll like this one. If you aren't into sci-fi, I think you will still find a lot to like about Cities in Flight.
But this is more than just the superficial sci-fi that we sometimes hear about. Much more than spaceships and aliens, these novels dig deep into our culture, our sensabilities, our fundamental attitudes. It is a story of the human condition, as told by one of the grand masters of science fiction. If you enjoy Heinlein, Asimov, and Bradbury, you'll like this one. If you aren't into sci-fi, I think you will still find a lot to like about Cities in Flight.
arf88's review against another edition
4.0
Four books combined chronological order to make this omnibus - I had read that some suggest reading in publication order, but I decided to stick with the way it was collected here. Character-wise all four books are on about the same level - interesting characters that I liked and enjoyed reading but not the most realised.
For They Shall Have Stars - starts a little slow and with a bit too much "science" - I've read a fair bit of "hard" sci-fi but I found the technobabble in the first and last book to be pretty impenetrable. But the story ends well and gave me great excitement for the next book.
A Life For The Stars - A very enjoyable read, the main character was a joy to follow, and a good introduction to the flying cities. I did find the ending a bit abrupt.
Earthman, Come Home - The first written and the best of them all. The only one that felt like an actual novel that would be enjoyable to read as a stand-alone and not just a short story.
The Triumph of Time - My least favourite of the lot, a lot of dubious "science". While I'd really enjoyed reading the rest of the collection this made the end a slog. However, the ending of the story itself was unique and interesting and saved the rest retrospectively from being terrible.
For They Shall Have Stars - starts a little slow and with a bit too much "science" - I've read a fair bit of "hard" sci-fi but I found the technobabble in the first and last book to be pretty impenetrable. But the story ends well and gave me great excitement for the next book.
A Life For The Stars - A very enjoyable read, the main character was a joy to follow, and a good introduction to the flying cities. I did find the ending a bit abrupt.
Earthman, Come Home - The first written and the best of them all. The only one that felt like an actual novel that would be enjoyable to read as a stand-alone and not just a short story.
The Triumph of Time - My least favourite of the lot, a lot of dubious "science". While I'd really enjoyed reading the rest of the collection this made the end a slog. However, the ending of the story itself was unique and interesting and saved the rest retrospectively from being terrible.
josh_gallagher's review against another edition
4.0
These were so much fun to read. It's not serious hard sci-fi, but the entertainment that results from playing with the plot device of a technology that lifts cities into space is hard to dispute.
lyleblosser's review against another edition
3.0
DNF, read to page 377. This omnibus edition allowed a seamless transition from book to book, and helped keep the entire "universe" fresh in the mind of the reader. The first two books, "They Shall Have Stars" and "A Life for the Stars" were very good and had both interesting plot developments and characters. But starting with the 3rd book, "Earthman, Come Home" some of that connection to the characters, and therefore the plot, suffered. It seemed more like a group of collected stories than a tale designed as one novel. (A later review of the book's contents confirmed that it was indeed several stories stitched together.) And the fate of a character from the earlier 2nd book seemed, well, unreasonable to say the least. Perhaps the author decided to replace the character with a new one, but (in my opinion) the transition could have been handled much more in line with the tone of the earlier books. I stopped reading part way through the 3rd book, and never did read the 4th book -- mostly because of this change in tone and choppy plot. Probably my loss, but it is what it is. All in all, a decent read, especially for readers that enjoy "epic" tales of humanity's future.
frederica49's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
katieconrad's review against another edition
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
tronella's review against another edition
4.0
A Series of four sci-fi novellas. I enjoyed this a lot, but some of the seventies-ness about women got a bit wearing around part three.
qdony's review against another edition
2.0
Ostras, no lo había puntuado. Clásico, interesante para frikis de la historia de la ciencia ficción, pero mala reunión de libros.
La reseña completa la podéis leer en SuperSonic Magazine #3
La reseña completa la podéis leer en SuperSonic Magazine #3