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Title: The Last Theorem
ISBN: 0345470214
Author:
Arthur C. Clarke
Frederik Pohl
Publicate Date: 2008-08-05
Publish: 2008-08-05
List Price: $27.00
Average Customer Rating: 3.0
Format: Hardcover
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Amazon Lowest New Price: $12.95
Amazon Lowest Used Price: $7.49
Amazon Merchant Price: $17.82
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| Customer Review: |
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1: Disappointing swan song for Mr. A. C. Clarke
I'm a long time fan of Arthur C. Clarke's SF pieces, and I am saddened to have to say that The Last Theorem is very poorly written and edited; the story line in the early part of the book starts out promisingly enough, but loses steam in the middle for no apparent reason, and close to the end there seems to be an entire chapter missing then the book jumps to its concluding chapter. For those who respect the lifelong contribution to SF by the late Mr. Clarke, please stay away from this book, and re-read his earlier novels that made him so famous.
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2: The Last Theorem
Very enjoyable book, Sir Lanka native Ronji a mathmatical wizard takes the reader on a journey of inter development as he progress through life and those around him while twisting the plot into a sci fi visits from beyond earth galaxy. I really enjoy reading the space travels and sports competition and how his daughter had to over come the weightlessness world.The book gave some thought on our future travel and use of energy in this delightful tale of one family adventures.
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3: A fair book could have been great!
I agree with almost everything that has been said by the two main reviewers, but I'll put it more simply. A great premise: the light waves (and other advanced waves) from the 1945 bombs in Japan reach the guardians of the universe, and it is determined that Earth (which has always been watched closely) must be sterilized.
That means us. The sterilizers start toward earth years ago (60??), and arrive in our solar system at about the same time as earth discovers a way to make our planet peaceable (or nearly so).
Will the galactic cleansers back off, or eliminate us anyway?
This could have been a thriller, a tense book of the Michael Crichton or Larry Niven or Alastair Reynolds type, that kept you on the edge of your seat. But it too often plays to the comedy aspects of the other galactic races, and basically tries to be too cute.
I give it three stars for the first 90% of the book, and one star for the sappy, we are the galaxy, 13001 space odyssey ending.
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4: Disapponted
The story starts of as being very interesting but lacks cohesiveness as it develops. A number of interesting sub-plots are never fully developed. For example it seems that Ranjit's son though disabled has some extraordinary abilities but these are never developed. The Grand Galactics biology is never explained and it is never explained what development mankind makes that the Grand galactics are so ready to quit and transfer the job of galactic governance to the human race.
I got a distinctly anti-American sentiment throughout the book. Towards the end, the US Government and its President are portrayed as a bully. I thought that this was a little out of place in a science fiction work whether or not you think the US Government are "good" guys or bullies.
Since the protagonist was a Number Theorist, I was expecting some connection with the beauty of Number Theory with the way the Grand Galactic and other advanced aliens think, but this was never developed.
I was not sure of why the sub-plot of Ranjit's capture by pirates and his torture was introduced other than that he developed the Fermat's Conjecture proof under the duress of torture and captivity.
All in all Last Theorem is disappointing as Arthur C Clarke's "Last Book."
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5: Idiot's Guide to Writing Sci-Fi
Poor Clarke has been on a downward slide for some time. From the early promising days of Rama and 2001 we have descended to clap trap (the gun destroying thing was THE worst) and repeats and more repeats. Some people just can't quit when they're ahead!
Believe me, this is classic Clarke and Poul and since both are classic sci-fi writers you know pretty well what you get except in this case the product is definitely lacking. There are subplots (the son) that are given time and attention and then dwindle away. There are the usual scientific questions such as Fermi's - "IF they're out there why haven't they come?" Dozens - no, hundreds - of authors and scientists have attempted to come up with a satisfactory answer and so far, few have succeeded like the biologist who declared that we are unique and alone. That is by far the best definition.
Clarke's real problem (and Poul's) is that they are not current on what's "in" with today's science fiction - nanotech, Singularity, virtual reality, biotechnology and robotics. Clarke is a certified engineer and in a way, he has always written like one. His characters have a somewhat pedantic quality and indeed, characterization is the weakest element in his writing. Poul, too, is a classic writer - space ships, aliens, war and the like. It's not the subject matter or the writing that's old (but instead, the ideas are dated. My advice - get one of the older books and enjoy a good read.
My grade - D-
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