Lucifer's Hammer by Larry Niven (1983, Paperback, Reissue)

This is one book I come back to over and over when I want something to read. It is so well-written, and there are enough interesting characters, to keep you turning page after page. It has enough science in it to keep it real, but not so much that it bogs down the narrative. You really feel the tension of the characters as they each try to survive and find their way in a totally changed world and find where, if anyplace, they now fit. Great 1980's Pournelle & Niven book that still feels relevant today because it relies more on the characters than on topical references to make its points.

Long before scientists began looking at the possibility of a comet ending all life on Earth, Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle got together and wrote, in my opinion, the best "End of the World" story ever written.

With much detail Niven and Pournelle tell how Lucifer's Hammer (A comet) hits the earth creating the ultimate disaster for mankind. Millions are killed in the initial impact, and those who are spared face the ultimate challenge of surviving the end of life as we know it.

I first read this book when it was released in 1977, I recently picked up the book again and was struck by how far ahead of their time Niven and Pournelle were when they wrote this story. The attention to detail in the lives of the books stars is outstanding and the attachment you form to the survivors only make the reading all the more enjoyable.

If you have not read the book, do yourself a favor and read it.

If you have already read the book, consider reading it again.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to read a great story.

Rated 5 of 5 for a great story line and fine writing.

From Daris_toybox on Ebay lUCIFERS'S HAMMER: SURVIVING A COMET STRIKE HAS NEVER BEEN MORE FUN!
Worldwide disaster! A comet strikes the Earth and civilization as we know it ceases to exist! A familiar theme but it has NEVER been done as well as in Lucifer's Hammer. From their early struggles to organize and survive to the final war between the heros and the bad guys, this is an utterly absorbing disaster survival tale! On a par with Alas Babylon! A detailed, plausible, up-all-nighter!

This book was well written and jam packed with action. If you like the "end of the world" type stories, this is one of the best. Nothing better than watching the world come to an end when a meteor hits the Earth!! Excellent story line.

I consider this the most well written work of fiction/post-apocalyptic science fiction and my very favorite catastrophic Earth changing calamity in any published media. By Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle, first published in 1977. It was nominated for the Hugo Award for Best Novel in 1978.

Well researched and difficult to put down, full of clearly written technical info, with very little chaff. Several sub-plots are well knitted together in one heck of a must read book.

Have read it several times and highly recommend it. In my opinion, even better that "On the Beach" by Nevil Shute.

I have to wonder why no one has made it into a film...A very good read & an excellent story. One of those books wherein, while reading, one estimates the remaining pages with increasing apprehension that it is nearing its end.

The best end of the world novel I've ever read. Set in 70s, but the science is rock solid. Good source for finding required book titles for rebuilding civilizations. Excellent message concerning the public's lack of knowledge regarding the world around them, and the technology in their everyday lives. I think it should be required reading for anyone that thinks the simple life without the benefits of modern technology would in any way be preferable.