thinkingbookishthoughts's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
the_sleepy_nightowl's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
An old sci-fi classic set billions of years in the future where mankind has abandoned travelling to the stars and most of his own planet as well. Life has shrunken down to an enclosed city where everyone is immortal and no one wants to leave. The main protagonist Alvin sets out to explore the outside world and find out what made everyone isolate in the city. It is a classic sci-fi story from the 50s/60s with a single narrator perspective and a fast pace. There are also classic elements of strange, alien landscapes and creatures mixing elements of supernatural and horror with futuristic technology and biology.
It's riveting, immersive read. Following our introduction to the Earth of the future in the short setting (around 70 pages), we directly leap into action and an exciting journey across the world and the stars is told. The wrap up is less engaging and compared to the rest of the book a bit dull. Highly recommended for every fan of 50s/60s sci-fi and post-apical futuristic stories.
It's riveting, immersive read. Following our introduction to the Earth of the future in the short setting (around 70 pages), we directly leap into action and an exciting journey across the world and the stars is told. The wrap up is less engaging and compared to the rest of the book a bit dull. Highly recommended for every fan of 50s/60s sci-fi and post-apical futuristic stories.
prbowler's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
disastrouspenguin's review against another edition
reflective
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
3.0
kilcannon's review against another edition
4.0
I have some complaints, but it left me with a four star kind of feeling.
The City and the Four Stars
The City and the Four Stars
creosote's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
masong63's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
sbenzell's review against another edition
4.0
When you read a lot of these classic Sci-if books, you start to see certain themes emerge for some authors while others are more elusive. For example, for Heinlein, it's something like "free love and free markets".
For Clarke, I'm starting to realize it's something like "exploration and change are dangerous, but stagnation is certain death". In Childhood's End and 2001, these themes are clear. But I think it is this work which really puts that sentiment to the test.
I really like the City. I think it is my favorite Utopia in all of fiction. It's plausible, ennobled, pleasurable, fun, intellectually stimulating... I'd sign up to live there in a heartbeat. I love how everyone has their own excellences, how people are friendly but not robotically so, how art and beauty thrive and accumulate everywhere. And not least, it seems pretty incentive compatible.
Of course this Utopia is only set up so it can be knocked down. This lovingly described paradise, Clarke soon demolishes as a cave for cowards.
I'm all for growth Clarke, and maybe the City-suburb hybrid society will be better yet. But why you so mean? These guys really have something going here. I'm in favor of positive change as much as the next guy, and novelty has a positiveness all its own. But shouldn't change be a slave to the good?
Stagnation is only instrumentally bad, not fundamentally.
For Clarke, I'm starting to realize it's something like "exploration and change are dangerous, but stagnation is certain death". In Childhood's End and 2001, these themes are clear. But I think it is this work which really puts that sentiment to the test.
I really like the City. I think it is my favorite Utopia in all of fiction. It's plausible, ennobled, pleasurable, fun, intellectually stimulating... I'd sign up to live there in a heartbeat. I love how everyone has their own excellences, how people are friendly but not robotically so, how art and beauty thrive and accumulate everywhere. And not least, it seems pretty incentive compatible.
Of course this Utopia is only set up so it can be knocked down. This lovingly described paradise, Clarke soon demolishes as a cave for cowards.
I'm all for growth Clarke, and maybe the City-suburb hybrid society will be better yet. But why you so mean? These guys really have something going here. I'm in favor of positive change as much as the next guy, and novelty has a positiveness all its own. But shouldn't change be a slave to the good?
Stagnation is only instrumentally bad, not fundamentally.