A review by arf88
Cities in Flight by James Blish
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.