Lucifer's Hammer

Name: Lucifer's Hammer
ISBN: 9787513312356

拉里·尼文 / Jerry BonnellNew Star Press2013

4.0

Word count: 417K words
Chapters: 5
Series: A novel by American hard science fiction writers Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle, originally published in English as Lucifer's Hammer in 1977 and nominated for the 1978 Hugo Award for Best Novel. The Chinese edition was translated by Qu Wenwen and is the fourteenth title in New Star Press's "Illusion Library" series. The story begins when Tim Hamner, an amateur astronomer in Los Angeles, discovers a new comet. Spurred on by television producer Randall, politician Jellison, planetary scientist Sharps, and others, the United States and the Soviet Union cooperate to send four astronauts to a space station to observe the comet. As the comet draws nearer, rumors spread through society: some frantically stockpile supplies, some lose themselves in end-of-the-world revelry, and others take advantage of the chaos to loot and plunder. After the comet's tail sweeps past Earth and a night of dazzling sky light passes, fragments of the comet finally fall. The impact triggers massive earthquakes, tsunamis, and seemingly endless torrential rain, turning the Los Angeles Basin into a vast sea. Amid the harsh natural environment and brutal human conditions, several groups of survivors set out on perilous journeys of escape; issues such as the shadow of nuclear war, cults, cannibalism, slavery, and the loss of technology also surface along with the disaster. Through multi-threaded narrative, the novel links scientific observation, political maneuvering, and the survival struggles of ordinary people, and with solid geological and astronomical grounding, depicts how humanity carries on the flame of civilization after the collapse of order.
ISBN: 9787513312356

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Summary

Lucifer's Hammer is a novel co-written by American hard science fiction writers Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle, originally published in English as Lucifer's Hammer in 1977 and nominated for the 1978 Hugo Award for Best Novel. The Chinese edition was translated by Qu Wenwen and is the fourteenth title in New Star Press's "Illusion Library" series. The story begins when Tim Hamner, an amateur astronomer in Los Angeles, discovers a new comet. Spurred on by television producer Randall, politician Jellison, planetary scientist Sharps, and others, the United States and the Soviet Union cooperate to send four astronauts to a space station to observe the comet. As the comet draws nearer, rumors spread through society: some frantically stockpile supplies, some lose themselves in end-of-the-world revelry, and others take advantage of the chaos to loot and plunder. After the comet's tail sweeps past Earth and a night of dazzling sky light passes, fragments of the comet finally fall. The impact triggers massive earthquakes, tsunamis, and seemingly endless torrential rain, turning the Los Angeles Basin into a vast sea. Amid the harsh natural environment and brutal human conditions, several groups of survivors set out on perilous journeys of escape; issues such as the shadow of nuclear war, cults, cannibalism, slavery, and the loss of technology also surface along with the disaster. Through multi-threaded narrative, the novel links scientific observation, political maneuvering, and the survival struggles of ordinary people, and with solid geological and astronomical grounding, depicts how humanity carries on the flame of civilization after the collapse of order.

Editor's review

这是灾难小说里少见的一种写法：它不急于把读者扔进废墟，而是先用大半篇幅，耐心铺陈灾难来临前的世界，包括观测、政治、媒体、家庭日常，以及囤货、狂欢与趁乱劫掠。正因为这些铺垫足够扎实，当彗星碎片真正落下，洛杉矶盆地化作汪洋时，那种失重感才格外真实。两位作者拉里·尼文与杰里·波奈尔都是硬科幻的高手，天文学与地质学设定经得起推敲；早于学界普及“小天体撞击导致生态剧变”假说，书中就给出了这样的想象，足见其洞见。更难得的是，小说拒绝廉价的英雄叙事：幸存者要面对的不只是暴雨与冰川，还有核战阴影、邪教、食人与蓄奴，文明是一点点被人重新捡起来的。中文版由曲雯雯翻译，正文近五十万字，四部结构清晰，堪称末日题材的必读书目。

Who it's for

A good fit for

喜欢硬科幻与科学设定严密的科幻读者
热衷末日、废土、文明重建题材的读者
对社会秩序崩解与人性抉择感兴趣的读者
读过《莱伯维茨的赞歌》《末日逼近》等经典后想继续延伸的书友

Not a good fit for

期待快节奏、开场即高潮的动作型灾难故事者
对食人、邪教、蓄奴等黑暗情节较敏感的读者
希望读短篇、轻阅读、碎片时间阅读的人

Reading tips

建议按四部结构分段阅读，第一部铺陈较慢，耐心读完后再进入撞击段落会更震撼。
阅读时留意时间线与多地视角的切换，可准备一张人物关系简表以免混淆。
可与《莱伯维茨的赞歌》对读，比较不同年代作家对文明重建的想象。
硬科幻细节较多，遇到天文、地质术语可随手查阅，不影响主线理解。

About the publisher

New Star Press China · Founded in 1989

New Star Press focuses on classic works, mystery and detective fiction, science fiction, history, foreign literature and art, and its 602 titles in the library show a balance between popular reading and humanistic depth. Representative books include The Complete Works of Shakespeare: Illustrated Collector's Edition, And Then There Were None, Murder on the Orient Express, The Player of Games, Local Government in Qing China, A Good Man Is Hard to Find and A Collection of Fine Ukiyo-e Prints, spanning classic literature, detective fiction, science fiction, local history and visual art. Its authors and contributors include William Shakespeare, Agatha Christie and Iain M. Banks, as well as translators such as Zhu Shenghao and Su Fuzhong and illustrators such as John Gilbert and George Cruikshank. Known for the detective series Midnight Library and for social-science and humanities titles, the press emphasizes edition design and reading experience; public information is limited, so this profile highlights the publishing features reflected in the library's books.

Prologue
Part One: The Anvil
Part Two: Lucifer's Hammer
Part Three: The Quick and the Dead
Part Four: After Doomsday

FAQ

《撒旦之锤》是凡尔纳的作品吗？

不是。它由美国作家拉里·尼文与杰里·波奈尔合著，1977年出版；中文版由曲雯雯翻译，2013年由新星出版社推出，属于「幻象文库」。

这本书适合科幻入门读者吗？

可以，但有门槛。书中科学设定密实、篇幅近五十万字，且前半部铺陈较多。若你是初次接触硬科幻，建议先读《环游地球八十天》式的轻科幻，再来挑战它。

书中的灾难设定有科学依据吗？

有。小说以小彗星碎片撞击地球为核心设定，涉及轨道观测、撞击能量、地震海啸与气候剧变等，作者在写作时就参考了当时的天文学与地质学成果，并有超前的问题意识。

中文版有没有删节？

新星出版社2013年版为完整译本，正文分楔子与四部，共约四十一万七千字。不同印次的页码略有差异，属正常重排。

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About the author

拉里·尼文 Author

Larry Niven is an important author in the field of science fiction. Chinese-language information about his life is limited, and publicly available sources show only that three of his works have been translated into Chinese, all built around the setting of the Ringworld: Ringworld, The Ringworld Engineers, and a collection of the two. These works are categorized as science fiction and premium fiction and belong to the World Science Fiction Masters series. Judging from the existing translations, Niven's writing is distinguished by grand cosmic conceptions and rigorous technological extrapolation, and he excels at exploring civilizational survival and human choice in extreme environments. The gigantic artificial celestial body setting presented in the Ringworld series offers Chinese readers a core sample for understanding his science fiction style and has secured him a place in Chinese science fiction reading circles.