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10-та по Рихтер
Изпълнен с най-нови научни открития, романът „10-та по Рихтер“ е пътешествие в технологичната неизвестност и зашеметяващата мощ на движещата се, оживяла земя. Авторите сливат границата на науката и най-далечните хоризонти на въображението. Резултатът е изключително увлекателен и вълнуващ шедьовър на катастрофичен ужас, който дебне от всеки ред.
368 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1996
120 people are currently reading
692 people want to read
About the author
Arthur C. Clarke
1,648 books11.6k followersStories, works of noted British writer, scientist, and underwater explorer Sir Arthur Charles Clarke, include
2001: A Space Odyssey
(1968).
This most important and influential figure in 20th century fiction spent the first half of his life in England and served in World War II as a radar operator before migrating to Ceylon in 1956. He co-created his best known novel and movie with the assistance of Stanley Kubrick.
Clarke, a graduate of King's College, London, obtained first class honours in physics and mathematics. He served as past chairman of the interplanetary society and as a member of the academy of astronautics, the royal astronomical society, and many other organizations.
He authored more than fifty books and won his numerous awards: the Kalinga prize of 1961, the American association for the advancement Westinghouse prize, the Bradford Washburn award, and the John W. Campbell award for his novel Rendezvous with Rama. Clarke also won the nebula award of the fiction of America in 1972, 1974 and 1979, the Hugo award of the world fiction convention in 1974 and 1980. In 1986, he stood as grand master of the fiction of America. The queen knighted him as the commander of the British Empire in 1989.
This most important and influential figure in 20th century fiction spent the first half of his life in England and served in World War II as a radar operator before migrating to Ceylon in 1956. He co-created his best known novel and movie with the assistance of Stanley Kubrick.
Clarke, a graduate of King's College, London, obtained first class honours in physics and mathematics. He served as past chairman of the interplanetary society and as a member of the academy of astronautics, the royal astronomical society, and many other organizations.
He authored more than fifty books and won his numerous awards: the Kalinga prize of 1961, the American association for the advancement Westinghouse prize, the Bradford Washburn award, and the John W. Campbell award for his novel Rendezvous with Rama. Clarke also won the nebula award of the fiction of America in 1972, 1974 and 1979, the Hugo award of the world fiction convention in 1974 and 1980. In 1986, he stood as grand master of the fiction of America. The queen knighted him as the commander of the British Empire in 1989.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 72 reviews
December 3, 2016
Okay I will start by saying that having read this book I am in agreement with a lot of other reviewers (feel like I should just refer you on to them but thats just being lazy)
Let me explain and then you can make your own connections. This is one of his later books which seem to appear with an associated writer tacked on for good measure. However rather than being another author along for the ride you can actually see what they have done and where they have been.
You see the science is still as sound as ever (and when its fiction it still sounds real) however - and I would at times agree with this - the characters Clarke populates his stories with are a little wooden or at least two dimensional, not here and this is where his co-author has stepped up.
You see you get the idea and the mechanics of the story from Clarke and the get the human element from in this case Mike McQuay (which I notice is not credited). Which I think is a crime as McQuay has made the story far more enjoyable. I will admit here that it would be interesting to read some of his solo work and see how it stacks up.
So the story is definitely one of Clarke's later stories, you can see this in the style and storyline, so I guess like many prolific authors you can place this in his writing history, but don't dismiss it you would be missing a very fun read.
Let me explain and then you can make your own connections. This is one of his later books which seem to appear with an associated writer tacked on for good measure. However rather than being another author along for the ride you can actually see what they have done and where they have been.
You see the science is still as sound as ever (and when its fiction it still sounds real) however - and I would at times agree with this - the characters Clarke populates his stories with are a little wooden or at least two dimensional, not here and this is where his co-author has stepped up.
You see you get the idea and the mechanics of the story from Clarke and the get the human element from in this case Mike McQuay (which I notice is not credited). Which I think is a crime as McQuay has made the story far more enjoyable. I will admit here that it would be interesting to read some of his solo work and see how it stacks up.
So the story is definitely one of Clarke's later stories, you can see this in the style and storyline, so I guess like many prolific authors you can place this in his writing history, but don't dismiss it you would be missing a very fun read.
March 3, 2023
یکی از آخرین کتابهای آرتور سی کلارک که میتواند بدترین کتاب او باشد هرچند من قویاً فکر میکنم این بیشتر دستپخت مایک مک کوی همکار نویسنده کلارک در این داستان باشد تا کلارک. مشخصاً ایده و بعضی خصوصیات، نشانه کارهای کلارک را دارند اما داستان و بیشتر جزئیاتش به شکل تاسف بر انگیزی کم مایه ، کلیشهای و جلف هستند. هیچ وقت فکر نمیکردم روزی کتابی بخوانم که نام آرتور سی کلارک بر آن باشد و چنین کیفیت نازلی در داستان گویی داشته باشد. در طی خواندن آن مدام ذهنم به سوی داستانهای نویسندگانی چون دن براون ،جیمز رولینز ، و دیوید بالداچی میرفت و این واقعاً فاجعهای برای من بود. اگر آرتور سی کلارک را در حین خواندن روایت، پشت حجم انبوهی از مه نمیدیدم شاید دست از خواندن این کتاب میکشیدم.
اما هنوز هم میشود به ایدههای کتاب فکر کرد وتصورشان کرد. میتوان رد دنیای واقعی را در آن دید و باز فکر کرد و همه اینها یعنی از خواندن ریشتر 10 پشیمان نیستم ولی خواندن آن را به کسی توصیه نمیکنم مگر کسی که در آغازِ راه علاقمند شدن به ژانر علمی تخیلی باشد.
اما هنوز هم میشود به ایدههای کتاب فکر کرد وتصورشان کرد. میتوان رد دنیای واقعی را در آن دید و باز فکر کرد و همه اینها یعنی از خواندن ریشتر 10 پشیمان نیستم ولی خواندن آن را به کسی توصیه نمیکنم مگر کسی که در آغازِ راه علاقمند شدن به ژانر علمی تخیلی باشد.
July 10, 2013
Arthur C Clarke was always one of my favourite writers, which you can see if you look at my goodreads list. His work is always full of fascinating ideas that usually come into their own in outstanding ways. His characters were often paper-thin, but that never bothered me as it was the ideas, the story, the science, and the exotic situations that I was most interested in.
In Clarke's later years he claimed co-authorship on a number of books by merely providing the idea and a brief outline that a hired gun could follow. Such is the case with Richter 10. The ideas and the science certainly seem Clarke-ish, but the well-developed characters and their integration into the story does not.
Richter 10 is the story of Lewis Crane and his all-consuming abhorrence of earthquakes. When he was a child his family home had been destroyed by an earthquake, killing both his parents and permanently injuring himself. A bit flimsy, perhaps, but this is fiction after all. If seeing his parents killed by a thug in an alley can turn the young Bruce Wayne into Batman, then I guess having his parents killed in an earthquake can turn Lewis Crane into a mad scientist.
Crane, in his tectonic zeal, studies earthquakes to such a degree that he learns to predict them with complete accuracy, not only the time but the precise location, including the locations of any safe zones. He makes a prediction, goes to the site, waits in the safe zone with his team, and then after the quake coordinates rescue and relief efforts.
Nobody believes him for his first couple of predictions, but when they prove to be correct, he is then able to start dictating his terms.
What he wants most is to heal the world of its tectonic fissures, thus preventing the movements that produce quakes. He has a workable plan for doing it, and finds a way to get enough support to make it happen.
His former friend and now bitter enemy, Dan Newcombe, opposes Crane's plan and tries to sabotage it. With the forces ranged against Crane, including his old friends turning against him, and he succeeded his plan?
Arthur C Clarke's name and the description of the book on the back cover were enough to get me reading this, though with low expectations because I hadn't thought much of some of Arthur C Clarke's other collaborative novels. Nevertheless, much of the book felt like Clarke's writing. It contained a lot of vivid descriptions of plausible but not currently available technologies. There are a lot of fascinating future sociological developments, such as the power base of the world shifting in believable ways. But unlike previous Clarke books, the characters have a lot of clout. They do interesting things for interesting motives, while being believable people at the same time.
Of particular interest were Lewis Crane's repeated attempts to make a difference combined with the repeated attempts of his enemies to keep things the way they are. What he offered was good and helpful, but politicians, money people, and religious fanatics opposed him at every turn. All of these oppositions were fascinating and believable. And often heartbreaking. The religious element of the story follows a large "Nation of Islam" type of movement that sees Crane as trying to play God by healing the earth of its fractures, and has no compunctions about using terror and murder to stop him.
There is a lot going on in this book, including subplots, threads, and background elements that serve to create a rich and always interesting experience. It's a well-written yarn which, like a lot of other yarns, requires a certain amount of suspension of disbelief. Which is exactly the kind of story I enjoy.
This book, like all of Clarke's co-authorship efforts, descends into the base and trivial sometimes, telling us the details we don't need to know about the characters' sex lives and/or degraded predilections. Personally, I see no need for things like that in stories. I'm very much an old school reader. My favourite works of science fiction are those that don't bother with that stuff. The pre-1960 works of Robert Heinlein, pre-1980 Arthur C Clarke, and most of Isaac Asimov's writings don't go there, and are better for it. That is one of the negatives of this book.
The other negative of Richter 10 is that it left me with a sour, unsatisfied feeling. It didn't end the way I wanted it to. I guess if there wasn't some tragedy mixed in with it, it wouldn't be dramatic. You often hear people say that happy endings don't always happen in real life. But hey, this isn't real life—this is a novel which deals in outrageous, larger-than-life situations. So why not?
In Clarke's later years he claimed co-authorship on a number of books by merely providing the idea and a brief outline that a hired gun could follow. Such is the case with Richter 10. The ideas and the science certainly seem Clarke-ish, but the well-developed characters and their integration into the story does not.
Richter 10 is the story of Lewis Crane and his all-consuming abhorrence of earthquakes. When he was a child his family home had been destroyed by an earthquake, killing both his parents and permanently injuring himself. A bit flimsy, perhaps, but this is fiction after all. If seeing his parents killed by a thug in an alley can turn the young Bruce Wayne into Batman, then I guess having his parents killed in an earthquake can turn Lewis Crane into a mad scientist.
Crane, in his tectonic zeal, studies earthquakes to such a degree that he learns to predict them with complete accuracy, not only the time but the precise location, including the locations of any safe zones. He makes a prediction, goes to the site, waits in the safe zone with his team, and then after the quake coordinates rescue and relief efforts.
Nobody believes him for his first couple of predictions, but when they prove to be correct, he is then able to start dictating his terms.
What he wants most is to heal the world of its tectonic fissures, thus preventing the movements that produce quakes. He has a workable plan for doing it, and finds a way to get enough support to make it happen.
His former friend and now bitter enemy, Dan Newcombe, opposes Crane's plan and tries to sabotage it. With the forces ranged against Crane, including his old friends turning against him, and he succeeded his plan?
Arthur C Clarke's name and the description of the book on the back cover were enough to get me reading this, though with low expectations because I hadn't thought much of some of Arthur C Clarke's other collaborative novels. Nevertheless, much of the book felt like Clarke's writing. It contained a lot of vivid descriptions of plausible but not currently available technologies. There are a lot of fascinating future sociological developments, such as the power base of the world shifting in believable ways. But unlike previous Clarke books, the characters have a lot of clout. They do interesting things for interesting motives, while being believable people at the same time.
Of particular interest were Lewis Crane's repeated attempts to make a difference combined with the repeated attempts of his enemies to keep things the way they are. What he offered was good and helpful, but politicians, money people, and religious fanatics opposed him at every turn. All of these oppositions were fascinating and believable. And often heartbreaking. The religious element of the story follows a large "Nation of Islam" type of movement that sees Crane as trying to play God by healing the earth of its fractures, and has no compunctions about using terror and murder to stop him.
There is a lot going on in this book, including subplots, threads, and background elements that serve to create a rich and always interesting experience. It's a well-written yarn which, like a lot of other yarns, requires a certain amount of suspension of disbelief. Which is exactly the kind of story I enjoy.
This book, like all of Clarke's co-authorship efforts, descends into the base and trivial sometimes, telling us the details we don't need to know about the characters' sex lives and/or degraded predilections. Personally, I see no need for things like that in stories. I'm very much an old school reader. My favourite works of science fiction are those that don't bother with that stuff. The pre-1960 works of Robert Heinlein, pre-1980 Arthur C Clarke, and most of Isaac Asimov's writings don't go there, and are better for it. That is one of the negatives of this book.
The other negative of Richter 10 is that it left me with a sour, unsatisfied feeling. It didn't end the way I wanted it to. I guess if there wasn't some tragedy mixed in with it, it wouldn't be dramatic. You often hear people say that happy endings don't always happen in real life. But hey, this isn't real life—this is a novel which deals in outrageous, larger-than-life situations. So why not?
August 9, 2018
I got most of the way through it but DNF'd it more than 3/4 through b/c I just stopped giving a crap. Characters were tedious. Stupid human dramas. I looked toward the end to see if there was anything there I might be interested in perusing before I put I put it down.....nope. So I called the time of death & just moved the fk on w/ my life. ----- This was my 1st Clarke book, too. Will still give others a shot if I come across them, though. (Except for the space ones. Space stories are just not my cup of tea.)
June 4, 2011
I picked this book off the library shelf never having heard of it. However I could see from the lead author it was science fiction, and from the title about earth quakes which is my field of earth science.
But after 30 pages of terrible prose, terrible charcterizations, and utter science nonsense, I returned it.
But after 30 pages of terrible prose, terrible charcterizations, and utter science nonsense, I returned it.
March 22, 2018
متفاوتترین کتاب کلارک بود که تا به حال خونده بودم. تا حدّی که اگه کتاب رو میدادن بهم و نمیگفتن نویسندهاش کلارکه، نهایتش یکی دو جای جزئی شاید شک میکردم کلارک نوشته باشدش. البته از اونجایی که جزو آخرین کتابهای کلارک بوده، میشه تصوّر کرد که کلارک یه ایدهای داشته و داده به مک کوی که براش بنویسه. بیشتر تو مایهٔ «یه کتاب در مورد زلزله بنویس که توش اسلام هم داشته باشه» :دی
مککوی هم البته نشون داد که نویسندهٔ قابلیه و میشه به این فکر کرد که کتابهای مککوی رو هم در دستور کار خوندنم بذارم. شخصیتپردازیها خوب بود و خوندن کتابی با پونصد صفحه، انرژی زیادی از من نگرفت، گرچه اتّفاقاتی که موقع خوندن کتاب افتاد، ازم زیاد انرژی گرفت D:
مککوی هم البته نشون داد که نویسندهٔ قابلیه و میشه به این فکر کرد که کتابهای مککوی رو هم در دستور کار خوندنم بذارم. شخصیتپردازیها خوب بود و خوندن کتابی با پونصد صفحه، انرژی زیادی از من نگرفت، گرچه اتّفاقاتی که موقع خوندن کتاب افتاد، ازم زیاد انرژی گرفت D:
December 27, 2008
This book falls short because it strays from Clarke's expertise in hard science fiction and small-scale psycho-social dynamics. Instead it tries (unsuccessfully) to incorporate large-scale social dynamics and leaves a sense of lack of fulfillment at the conclusion.
January 27, 2025
It took me a little bit to figure out which characters I liked, but I loved this! Loved the world building and was 100% in it for the Earthquake goodness.
April 12, 2011
This book is about earthquakes, but not in the way you think. It’s more about one man, Lewis Crane, and his obsession. This obsession will cost him everything. On the way, we see fascinating glimpses of an evolving society and, oh yes, some earthquakes. Very good stuff.
http://www.books.rosboch.net/?p=585
http://www.books.rosboch.net/?p=585
August 20, 2013
Decent science regarding earthquakes and a possible future for prediction and damage control. Poor character development and the story line becomes unbelievable. Concept was good but the final product came up short.
November 7, 2025
Not quite sure how I feel about this book. I purchased it because I'm a geologist and the story summary sounded very intriguing. However, despite the title and earthquake focused summary, most of the book was about what the authors thought the far-flung future of the 2020s would be like (the novel was written in the early 90s). A very middle-of-the-road depiction of the near future of the 1990s.
February 27, 2020
I didnt realise that Arthur C Clarke wrote anything but space books! I really enjoyed this book for all the things I didnt realise that it would be about racism, politics and relationships. This book was so much more than a book about earthquakes.
August 30, 2025
I like the science parts of this but didn’t really like the politics storyline.
June 2, 2018
I clicked that I'd finished but the truth is I just gave up on the story. The plot is clunky, the character development is poor. I found I didn't like or care about any of the characters in this story. I've no idea how solid or true the science is, but I just don't care enough to see how the story ends. It's the first Arthur C Clarke book I don't like.
June 10, 2021
First of all I was very excited to read this book. But I almost DNF’d it a couple of times. It was sluggish, characters were stupid and infuriating at times. The relationship was confusing. Also, it does not help that the book is set in this super futuristic world of 2024 and I’m reading it in 2021, through no fault of the author’s.
January 31, 2010
Touched on a lot of different political/social things that may bubble up but generally kind of clunky, melodramatic and ... bleah.
July 26, 2020
oof kinda racist
February 12, 2025
To br clear - Arthur C. Clarke wrote a plot synopsis that he wasn't interested in pursuing. Mike McQuay read the synopsis and fleshed it out into the novel Richter 10. The novel takes place in the near future. The story: a geologist named Lewis Crane is obsessed with stopping earthquakes by fusing the Earth's plates together. To this end, he starts a foundation to predict quakes and render assistance to victims. He comes into conflict with his own employees and a seperatist group called the Nation of Islam (NOI) led by an African American of great charisma. One of Crane's men leaves to join the NOI, setting up the main conflict for the remainder of the novel.
There are some obvious parallels with real life - for example, the leader of the NOI is obviously based on Elijah Mohammed, while the defecting geologist is similar to (but less influential than) Malcolm X. The vision of the future is quite dystopic (and very racist); the U.S. government is a puppet for multinational (Chinese) corporations. However, the novel is not a warning or historical analogy, but simply an adventure story with lots of buildings falling over and tsunamis sweeping people out to sea.
On the whole, it is "fun" if that's the right word for a fast-paced action/disaster story. The action is well-written, the technology mostly believable, and the supporting characters well-developed. Unfortunately, the main characters are generally not likable (until, possibly, the last 50 pages), so it's hard to develop any kind of sympathy for them. In addition, the central scientific tool the geologists use - a working scale model of the Earth - is extremely far fetched. The idea that an earthquake (or any major natural event) could be predicted by a 100-foot model, to an accuracy of a couple of minutes, stretches credulity to the breaking point. Finally, there are too many Big Moments in the book. There are at least 3 points where the story reached a logical conclusion, but then went on, basically starting over with a new theme. It makes the story seem very patchwork, (in the one particular chapter, 10 years pass!) Sure, it's supposed to be an epic, but it's too choppy.
Having said all that, the book is still fun and keeps you interested.
There are some obvious parallels with real life - for example, the leader of the NOI is obviously based on Elijah Mohammed, while the defecting geologist is similar to (but less influential than) Malcolm X. The vision of the future is quite dystopic (and very racist); the U.S. government is a puppet for multinational (Chinese) corporations. However, the novel is not a warning or historical analogy, but simply an adventure story with lots of buildings falling over and tsunamis sweeping people out to sea.
On the whole, it is "fun" if that's the right word for a fast-paced action/disaster story. The action is well-written, the technology mostly believable, and the supporting characters well-developed. Unfortunately, the main characters are generally not likable (until, possibly, the last 50 pages), so it's hard to develop any kind of sympathy for them. In addition, the central scientific tool the geologists use - a working scale model of the Earth - is extremely far fetched. The idea that an earthquake (or any major natural event) could be predicted by a 100-foot model, to an accuracy of a couple of minutes, stretches credulity to the breaking point. Finally, there are too many Big Moments in the book. There are at least 3 points where the story reached a logical conclusion, but then went on, basically starting over with a new theme. It makes the story seem very patchwork, (in the one particular chapter, 10 years pass!) Sure, it's supposed to be an epic, but it's too choppy.
Having said all that, the book is still fun and keeps you interested.
August 31, 2024
I picked up this book randomly — Arthur C Clarke and the big one? Seemed like a great idea, considering I had just felt a magnitude 4.4 earthquake days before. (Turns out from the epilogue it was basically an outline written by Clarke, who sent to McQuay who wrote the vast majority of the book).
The book had its ups and downs. I felt the first half of the book was a bit boring and I almost gave up after the first chapter. I decided to give it a proper go and found myself mostly skimming the first half of the book to get through it.
The second half of the book started to get interesting, where the plot started to come together, and I really liked the ending.
I enjoy the descriptions of the earthquakes, the maniacal dream of taming the beast of earth and the conquest of ego that went along with that, the science and politics behind the mastery of the quakes, and the interpersonal rivalry between the individual scientists and politicians.
The actual future state of America (which ironically was 2024 in the book, the same year I am reading this) was a little half baked. The Nation of Islam was a present foil throughout the book and even though many pages were dedicated to its existence, I didn’t feel there was a real commentary or anything interesting being said by it, it was just there as a convenient, and in my opinion, convoluted plot foil. The country was also run by Chinese corporations, which I thought was more well written and a lot of the book revolved around Chinese interests wanting to be re-elected in America.
In the end, I think the book was about forgiveness and the futility of hatred.
Overall 3 stars for finishing strong.
The book had its ups and downs. I felt the first half of the book was a bit boring and I almost gave up after the first chapter. I decided to give it a proper go and found myself mostly skimming the first half of the book to get through it.
The second half of the book started to get interesting, where the plot started to come together, and I really liked the ending.
I enjoy the descriptions of the earthquakes, the maniacal dream of taming the beast of earth and the conquest of ego that went along with that, the science and politics behind the mastery of the quakes, and the interpersonal rivalry between the individual scientists and politicians.
The actual future state of America (which ironically was 2024 in the book, the same year I am reading this) was a little half baked. The Nation of Islam was a present foil throughout the book and even though many pages were dedicated to its existence, I didn’t feel there was a real commentary or anything interesting being said by it, it was just there as a convenient, and in my opinion, convoluted plot foil. The country was also run by Chinese corporations, which I thought was more well written and a lot of the book revolved around Chinese interests wanting to be re-elected in America.
In the end, I think the book was about forgiveness and the futility of hatred.
Overall 3 stars for finishing strong.
June 19, 2017
I have the same problem with this book which I had with The Hammer of God, in that the world-building is a little breathless-- there's too much change from the now of writing to the then of the action for disbelief to quite suspend properly. I think I actually prefer this book to those other two, as the story-telling is a little more linear and the time-line (for most of the book) more compact.
This is in essence a disaster movie in the shape of a novel, and I suspect one's enjoyment of this will vary in proportion with enjoyment of that sort of film. Those who enjoy that sort of film are generally there for the disaster itself, and in this the book is less parsimonious than a lot of films-- there's several quakes, with a sufficiency of detail to please the ghoulish urges for fictional mayhem. Between, there is the usual Clarke-ish briskness of prose, so while I can't praise the story as a whole too highly, I don't feel that I had to struggle through it. However, unlike Childhood's End or (a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3... to Mars (dated though it is), I doubt I'll be taking Richter 10 up for another read.
This is in essence a disaster movie in the shape of a novel, and I suspect one's enjoyment of this will vary in proportion with enjoyment of that sort of film. Those who enjoy that sort of film are generally there for the disaster itself, and in this the book is less parsimonious than a lot of films-- there's several quakes, with a sufficiency of detail to please the ghoulish urges for fictional mayhem. Between, there is the usual Clarke-ish briskness of prose, so while I can't praise the story as a whole too highly, I don't feel that I had to struggle through it. However, unlike Childhood's End or (a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3... to Mars (dated though it is), I doubt I'll be taking Richter 10 up for another read.
August 9, 2020
So now we know how Arthur C Clarke is credited with as a co author of a number of books that appeared in his latter years. He writes a short synopsis, hands it to another who does all the writing but gets 2nd billing. This one is a bit of a stinker and a warning possibly of not writing a book set in the then future which might just be read around the time of that future. Ok, so this starts in 2024 but gets so much wrong and some things sort of right. We have to acknowledge than when this book was first published in 1996, no one could have foreseen the events of 9/11. But the Israelis blowing up themselves and most of the Middle East in an enormous nuclear explosion which causes an immense cloud of radioactive matter to circle the world on a regular basis? The USA permitting a virtually overt takeover by Chinese corporations? The alleged covert actions by the Russians have caused political storms. I liked the cam heads who acted as unpaid news gatherers.In fact the smart phone and social media came along and took this niche, although not to the extent envisaged in the book. And why is it called teevee all the time. Surely the term TV was in use in 1996. But projected on to clouds? At least, we are spared that horror (at present). I don't understand the use of computer communication. Use P fibre or T fibre or whatever. What's that all about. I wouldn't be so hyper critical if the writing weren't so ropey with dreadful dialogue and cardboard characters.
April 18, 2022
10-та по Рихтер е изключително слаба книга. Артър Кларк е имал очевидо някаква идея за земетресенията, която е дал да бъде написана от уж по-разбиращ човек (че това е тотално далеч от науката дори няма да коментирам, все пак е фантастика, не научна литература). Но това, което е останало на Кларк да пише е една объркана и безумно грозно политизирана помия (съжалявам, но това за мен е точната дума) - героите са описани като едномерни и прости единици, самия факт че използва расови и религиозни противоборства вече прави нещата още по-зле, а той ги описва и изключително гротестко, като карикатура и без да се съобрази с базови исторически и културни факти, което лично замен (дори като атеист, но уважаващ някои аспекти на религията) ми се стори крайно безвкусно и грозно...
А това, което щеше да направи книгата прекрасна, а именно земетресенията го няма - има тук таме някакви бълнувания и кратки приказки за земетресение и са описани няколко, но крайно слабо... Голямо разочарование беше тази книга.
А това, което щеше да направи книгата прекрасна, а именно земетресенията го няма - има тук таме някакви бълнувания и кратки приказки за земетресение и са описани няколко, но крайно слабо... Голямо разочарование беше тази книга.
January 26, 2025
A book written from an idea by Arthur C Clarke, but actually written by Mike McQuay, so its not actually written in Arthur C Clarke and isn't in his style, which is therefore a shame that Mike McQuay doesn't get top billing. Even so its a good book.
Set (when it was written in 1996) in the near future, mainly of the 2020's and the following decades, which of course is now the current times, and what is scary is how accurate some of the ideas are - the environment is ruined (though not with global warming), people are always connected to communication, news roles 24/7 off of any solid object, and towards the end if its not available via a tablet it's not worth knowing! As for the story it's centred around a person obsessed by earthquakes and his need to control of them and therefore his relationship with the rest of the world and how fickle public opinion is. The characters are well constructed and grow and change as the story rolls forward and the ending, though different is right for the story.
Set (when it was written in 1996) in the near future, mainly of the 2020's and the following decades, which of course is now the current times, and what is scary is how accurate some of the ideas are - the environment is ruined (though not with global warming), people are always connected to communication, news roles 24/7 off of any solid object, and towards the end if its not available via a tablet it's not worth knowing! As for the story it's centred around a person obsessed by earthquakes and his need to control of them and therefore his relationship with the rest of the world and how fickle public opinion is. The characters are well constructed and grow and change as the story rolls forward and the ending, though different is right for the story.
June 15, 2025
Clarke skriver i en note til sidst i bogen, at hans eneste bidrag til bogen, er et “850 word movie outline”. Herefter har Mike McQuay skrevet resten af de 400 sider. Så er spørgsmålet, om man kan sætte Clarke på som forfatter til bogen! Jeg mener det er utroværdigt. Jeg forventede at læse en bog af Clarke, men læste en bog af en hel anden forfatter! Når det så er sagt, så er det en af de mest langtrukne bøger, som jeg har læst. Den bliver super kedelig med al mulig beskrivelse af hovedpersonernes følelser, og endeløse beskrivelser af landskaber og områder, som er ligegyldige for handlingen. De kan måske være relevante for personer, der lever i de beskrevne områder, men ellers er det helt overflødig information. Jeg troede, at bogen handlede om jordskælv, det gjorde den kun i mindre grad. Til gengæld handler den om religiøse og kulturelle hændelser i bogens æra (1994-2058). Noget kunstigt og vildt overdrevet. Det er ikke en ret god bog…
July 21, 2025
Written by Mike McQuay from an outline written by Arthur C Clarke. That having been said, it reads like a Clarke book so I'm more than satisfied.
For personal reasons Lewis Crane has always been obsessed with earthquakes and he's not alone. In a world where climate change is perpetually and seriously rewriting the world's lands and boundaries, Crane and his team have developed a way to predict when and where earthquakes will happen, and what changes will result.
Of course this is a world very much in turmoil, in particular vis a vis religion. As Muslims clash with Christians and the world is trying to tear itself apart, Crane et al first prove their abilities in a big way then are discredited and criminalized. Spoiler alert: there's a happy ending, but my it's a twisted way to get there.
For personal reasons Lewis Crane has always been obsessed with earthquakes and he's not alone. In a world where climate change is perpetually and seriously rewriting the world's lands and boundaries, Crane and his team have developed a way to predict when and where earthquakes will happen, and what changes will result.
Of course this is a world very much in turmoil, in particular vis a vis religion. As Muslims clash with Christians and the world is trying to tear itself apart, Crane et al first prove their abilities in a big way then are discredited and criminalized. Spoiler alert: there's a happy ending, but my it's a twisted way to get there.
May 21, 2017
Arthur C. Clarke and his co-authour did not set out to create a straight-forward book about a massive earthquake. The result here, is a complex futuristic book, conceived from many cultural and political strands, resulting in a thriller rather than an action novel. The characters are well created, and their subsequent relationships draw you in to the story and keep you turning the pages. The irony is, unfortunately, the earthquakes are a device to move the characters forwards. However, as damning as that sounds, the book contains well designed concepts, emotional impact and should keep you going through the half-century of time the novel follows. Just don't expect a major motion picture type book.
February 15, 2022
Not very good. ACC seemed pleased per the afterword with the novel produced from his provided synopsis, so that's nice. Simply put, I found most of the book just, well, kind of dumb. To me, the whole thing read like some seismologist writing a fantasy novel where everyone finally recognizes how cool he is and only he can save the day from all the earthquakes suddenly plaguing the earth. Like one of those bad disaster movies centered around tornadoes or tsunamis or, well, earthquakes. Anyway, not worth it even as an ACC, fan as he isn't really "present" in the book. Skip it. Unless you've been waiting for the day that a kick-ass novel finally comes along showing how cool earthquake dudes are!
May 1, 2018
Idea by Clarke, carried out by Mike McQuay. Looking forward to reading more from Mike. Glad he wrote some before his death in '95.
This book had a cool plot and its fleshing out included nice tech gadgets&ideas, recognizeable characters and hints towards believable political and societal developments. I enjoyed the not-so-important sideline of being invited to view politicians as puppets of BigCorps and nations as BigCorps' grazing pastures.
I came across it while searching for "disaster-movie novels". But even though it deals with earthquakes this book doesn't fit the category. Glad I read it.
This book had a cool plot and its fleshing out included nice tech gadgets&ideas, recognizeable characters and hints towards believable political and societal developments. I enjoyed the not-so-important sideline of being invited to view politicians as puppets of BigCorps and nations as BigCorps' grazing pastures.
I came across it while searching for "disaster-movie novels". But even though it deals with earthquakes this book doesn't fit the category. Glad I read it.
October 16, 2019
Punchy, pacey earthquake disaster story! I've read quite a lot of ACC before and - although this runs the risk of blasphemy - it can be a bit hit or miss. This collaboration is a solid thriller that doesn't need too many brain cells and moves at a good pace. It follows an eccentric genius who can predict earthquakes, in a world where quakes are becoming increasingly severe. Although it runs the risk of being slightly forgettable, I certainly enjoyed the journey - it doesn't over-promise and it definitely delivers.
December 26, 2022
Nebylo to úplně zlé. Příběh se ubíral jiným směrem, než bych čekala, několikrát jsem se musela přemluvit, abych to dočetla, ale za ztracený čas to nepovažuji. Vyprávění bylo zdlouhavé, často se nic nedělo, nebo když už se dělo, tak to nemělo nakonec žádný důsledek. Jako by bylo slepených několik nesouvisejících příběhu dohromady. Všechny postavy se chovaly divně, bylo mi celkem jedno, kdo z nich to přežije. Konec byl zvláštní. Nejlepší pasáž z celé knihy je začátek s malým Cranem a Dan ve vězení.
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