Arthur C. Clarke
Bantam Books, New York
1993
Paperback
$5.99 US
Here was another Arthur C. Clarke book I hadn't previously read. My wife recently bought this book for me at that used book store where she bought The Ghost from the Grand Bands. I really think that I enjoyed reading The Hammer of God more.
The basic storyline here is actually rather old. What we have is an asteroid (Kali) about to slam into Earth and a report of the efforts of mankind to prevent it.
If you've read much Clarke previously, you know that that's NOT just all there is to this story. Clarke has thrown in a new religion (Chrislam, a mixture of Christianity and Islam). There's a radical sect of fanatics known as the "Reborn" that believe Kali is the vengence of God (hence the name of the book).
Again, one of the things that's always excited me about Clarke's work is his inclusion of science fact with science fiction. In this book, he has blended the information concerning the actual comets and asteroids that have slammed into this planet with his fictitios Kali that it's extremely hard to differentiate between the fact and the fiction. As I remarked previously, I always enjoy his synopsis at the end of his books where he discusses the science that serves as the basis for his story. This one made me run to the bookstore and buy a copy of the latest edition of Sky and Telescope, something I haven't taken the time to do in years.
Whereas, I was slightly disappointed at the ending of The Ghost from the Grand Banks, I wasn't with The Hammer of God. I whole heartedly recommend this book to everyone.