Ratings53
Average rating3.6
15
Ratings53
Average rating3.6
"Perhaps it wasn't from our time, perhaps it wasn't even from our universe, but perhaps the arrival of the 300 km long stone was the answer to humanity's desperate plea to end the threat of nuclear war. Inside the deep recesses of the stone lies Thistledown: the remnants of a human society, versed in English, Russian and Chinese. The artifacts of this familiar people foretell a great Death caused by the ravages of war, but the government and scientists are unable to decide how to use this knowledge. Deeper still within the stone is the Way. For some the Way means salvation from death, for others it is a parallel world where loved ones live again. But, unlike Thistledown, the Way is not entirely dead, and the inhabitants hold the knowledge of a present war, over a million miles away, using weapons far more deadly than any that mankind has ever conceived.
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55 booksNew readers often struggle to find books that they connect with. It often takes exploring different genres and writing styles from a many points of views to understand your own tastes. If you've ma...
Reviews with the most likes.
I originally read this 20-30 years ago and greatly enjoyed it. Re-reading this now, the Cold War politics and unprescient vision of 21st Century dates the book severely, however, if you view this as an alternative history story, it is still a good read. Obviously inspired by Rendezvous with Rama (another book that is now feeling very dated), this is a significant improvement on the story telling. Maybe what is required now is for someone to write a more up-to-date story inspired by both...
A grandiose epic, ambitious and imaginative, but lacking in warmth.
