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Angels' Fall: Survival, Suspense, and the Amazon
Le monde est une jungle, il n'y a pas d'exception à cette règle.
Depuis la fin de la guerre de Corée, Jeb Logan vit dans une petite ville d'Équateur, où il travaille comme pilote pour les visiteurs de passage. Quand une célèbre chanteuse fait appel à lui afin de rejoindre le rancho familial avec son fils, il accepte, malgré le mauvais pressentiment qui l'anime. Et qui finit par se ré alors que le groupe vient au secours d'un homme poursuivi par des Jivaros, le moteur de son hydravion est touché par un projectile.
Pour survivre dans la jungle menaçante, les membres de cet équipage désespéré devront lutter contre la nature - et les uns contre les autres.
Un huis clos sous tension hautement cinématographique.
Depuis la fin de la guerre de Corée, Jeb Logan vit dans une petite ville d'Équateur, où il travaille comme pilote pour les visiteurs de passage. Quand une célèbre chanteuse fait appel à lui afin de rejoindre le rancho familial avec son fils, il accepte, malgré le mauvais pressentiment qui l'anime. Et qui finit par se ré alors que le groupe vient au secours d'un homme poursuivi par des Jivaros, le moteur de son hydravion est touché par un projectile.
Pour survivre dans la jungle menaçante, les membres de cet équipage désespéré devront lutter contre la nature - et les uns contre les autres.
Un huis clos sous tension hautement cinématographique.
294 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 18, 2013
About the author
Frank Herbert
620 books17.3k followersFranklin Patrick Herbert Jr. was an American science fiction author best known for the 1965 novel Dune and its five sequels. Though he became famous for his novels, he also wrote short stories and worked as a newspaper journalist, photographer, book reviewer, ecological consultant, and lecturer.
The Dune saga, set in the distant future, and taking place over millennia, explores complex themes, such as the long-term survival of the human species, human evolution, planetary science and ecology, and the intersection of religion, politics, economics and power in a future where humanity has long since developed interstellar travel and settled many thousands of worlds. Dune is the best-selling science fiction novel of all time, and the entire series is considered to be among the classics of the genre.
The Dune saga, set in the distant future, and taking place over millennia, explores complex themes, such as the long-term survival of the human species, human evolution, planetary science and ecology, and the intersection of religion, politics, economics and power in a future where humanity has long since developed interstellar travel and settled many thousands of worlds. Dune is the best-selling science fiction novel of all time, and the entire series is considered to be among the classics of the genre.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
January 9, 2019
This read to me like an Indiana Jones script written by a philosophy professor. It is most definitely action adventure; our pilot is dropped deep in the Amazon with a mother and her teenage son. If there weren't enough potential threats out there, they are being chased and hounded by locals who are remarkably persistent and know the land far better than the white man could ever manage. Having come to find the husband and father, they end up making their way down the Amazon in a floating boat with the partner of the recently deceased husband. He says that the natives killed his partner... but Jeb has doubts about the validity of his story.
Somehow though, for a story that was fairly quick paced, the narrative seemed to drag a little. Whilst quite a lot of action happens, much of it isn't actively meaningful and I did find myself clawing through the pages, looking for something a little bit more substantial. In a similar vein, the philosophical conversations slowed this down to a tedious degree at points, and whilst the interludes would have been welcome if they were brief and infrequent, they were neither. Instead, I just found myself irritated and skipping paragraphs.
The characters however are very well done, all of them being utterly three dimensional except perhaps the teenage son, who is a little bland, a little too 'yes sir, no sir'. The woman annoyed me and yet I have to accept that Herbert has created a female character who is strong and individualistic at the same time as being weak and dependant. Considering the time this was written in, I can therefore perhaps swallow my bile. Both male leads are very well portrayed; one on the verge of absolute breakdown and the other an imperfect bloke who knows he should have trusted his instincts. But money talks.
The sense of threat and uncertainty throughout is portrayed well and I was interested to see how this unlikely group would finish their journey. But when push comes to shove, it's a journey down a river. The river may have flesh eating fish and unforeseen whirlpools, it might just have blokes with poison arrows may periodically be shooting at you, but it is exactly that; a trip down the river. And perhaps that is why this was never published, for whilst Herbert may have felt it was a finished work, it could stand to lose at least 50 pages and wouldn't suffer in the least.
And whilst I did enjoy reading this, I couldn't help but wonder when the hell he was going to reach a conclusion. Yet when it came, the finale was short, sharp and rather anti-climatic. I found this with High-Opp in a slightly different way, so I am left wondering. Or maybe it is just a sign of the time. A writing device that has since passed out of use. I'm not certain, but despite thinking the book was a tad bloated, I was still left expecting more.
Somehow though, for a story that was fairly quick paced, the narrative seemed to drag a little. Whilst quite a lot of action happens, much of it isn't actively meaningful and I did find myself clawing through the pages, looking for something a little bit more substantial. In a similar vein, the philosophical conversations slowed this down to a tedious degree at points, and whilst the interludes would have been welcome if they were brief and infrequent, they were neither. Instead, I just found myself irritated and skipping paragraphs.
The characters however are very well done, all of them being utterly three dimensional except perhaps the teenage son, who is a little bland, a little too 'yes sir, no sir'. The woman annoyed me and yet I have to accept that Herbert has created a female character who is strong and individualistic at the same time as being weak and dependant. Considering the time this was written in, I can therefore perhaps swallow my bile. Both male leads are very well portrayed; one on the verge of absolute breakdown and the other an imperfect bloke who knows he should have trusted his instincts. But money talks.
The sense of threat and uncertainty throughout is portrayed well and I was interested to see how this unlikely group would finish their journey. But when push comes to shove, it's a journey down a river. The river may have flesh eating fish and unforeseen whirlpools, it might just have blokes with poison arrows may periodically be shooting at you, but it is exactly that; a trip down the river. And perhaps that is why this was never published, for whilst Herbert may have felt it was a finished work, it could stand to lose at least 50 pages and wouldn't suffer in the least.
And whilst I did enjoy reading this, I couldn't help but wonder when the hell he was going to reach a conclusion. Yet when it came, the finale was short, sharp and rather anti-climatic. I found this with High-Opp in a slightly different way, so I am left wondering. Or maybe it is just a sign of the time. A writing device that has since passed out of use. I'm not certain, but despite thinking the book was a tad bloated, I was still left expecting more.
August 1, 2021
I started reading this book in 2018. I think it says quite a lot that it took me 3 years to finish.
The first issue was the setting - I was not at all attracted to the time period depicted, and I found the female characters a bit hard to digest (there were little moments all throughout the book where I could actually feel the mentality of the 50s-60s smacking me over the head). I put it down, at the time, and was unsure if I would ever finish it.
However, I had the good fortune to find the audiobook on Scribd, so I decided to try and finish reading/listening to it.
I then ran into the second hurdle: aaaaall the boring bits. For such a short book, it has a surprisingly large amount of scenes/paragraphs that are superfluous, imo. I powered through, and I can safely say that by the time Frank Herbert decided to be brief, i.e. the forth quarter of the last chapter, I was wishing for additional material. The ending really highlighted the fact that this is one of Herbert's early works, and he had not hit his stride yet.
Despite this, and the mess of the characters, I quite liked some of the episodes, and Herbert's style is to my taste, even in this unpolished version.
Still, I would not recommend this book to anyone who cannot ignore non-sensical characters whose motivations have no internal consistency, and some pretty dubious internal and external discourses. Honestly, this book would be better read by Herbert fans, as I was able to see some ideas and other small bits that would later find their way into Dune.
The first issue was the setting - I was not at all attracted to the time period depicted, and I found the female characters a bit hard to digest (there were little moments all throughout the book where I could actually feel the mentality of the 50s-60s smacking me over the head). I put it down, at the time, and was unsure if I would ever finish it.
However, I had the good fortune to find the audiobook on Scribd, so I decided to try and finish reading/listening to it.
I then ran into the second hurdle: aaaaall the boring bits. For such a short book, it has a surprisingly large amount of scenes/paragraphs that are superfluous, imo. I powered through, and I can safely say that by the time Frank Herbert decided to be brief, i.e. the forth quarter of the last chapter, I was wishing for additional material. The ending really highlighted the fact that this is one of Herbert's early works, and he had not hit his stride yet.
Despite this, and the mess of the characters, I quite liked some of the episodes, and Herbert's style is to my taste, even in this unpolished version.
Still, I would not recommend this book to anyone who cannot ignore non-sensical characters whose motivations have no internal consistency, and some pretty dubious internal and external discourses. Honestly, this book would be better read by Herbert fans, as I was able to see some ideas and other small bits that would later find their way into Dune.
August 26, 2013
I ran across this one by accident. Having been a "Dune" fan since I was a teenager, it was worth a shot. So far, not to bad. Since, I am using the last of my vacation time for the year, I am hoping to finish it fairly quickly.
I finished this one while on a camping trip with my family. The ending was a little abrupt, but worth it the end. It was a little different having read the "Dune" series several time, but well in line with other adventure stories I have read over the years. Overall a good read.
I finished this one while on a camping trip with my family. The ending was a little abrupt, but worth it the end. It was a little different having read the "Dune" series several time, but well in line with other adventure stories I have read over the years. Overall a good read.
June 17, 2026
Sahara, Matthew McConaughey itu pertama kali yang terlintas di kepala, padahal sudah lupa filmnya tentang apa.
Angel's Fall mestinya merujuk pada propeler yang dipiloti oleh Jeb Logan, crash dan 'terdampar' di pedalaman Amazonia. Tidak masalah jika Jeb yang bisa berbahasa lokal dan tahu banyak tentang bertahan hidup di alam hanya sendirian--sialnya dia disewa untuk mengantar seorang ibu dan putra untuk bertemu dengan suami/ayah atropologis yang telah hidup menyatu dengan sebuah tribe Indian. Sepasang orang kota ini rewel, banyak komplen dan kudu dididik standar pramuka supaya bisa bertahan hidup di tengah rimba, tidak terserang penyakit, dimakan beasts dan menimbulkan kerusakan yang tidak perlu.
Hiburan datang sewaktu mereka bertemu dengan teman antropolog sang suami, George, yang langsung menebarkan aura John Fitzgerald dari The Revenant. Rasis neurotik ironisnya, dan makin tampak bahwa dia menyimpan misteri dari kematian rekannya, George dan katanya dibantai Indian. Sudah lazim cuaca yang tidak bersahabat, kekurangan makanan modern, dan munculnya sosok sosok di balik rerimbun--tribe kanibal kah? Tumbuhnya cinta antara Monty si janda dan Jeb yang pengen melindungi janda berduka dan putra yatim, David, mempersulit keadaan. Jika ia kenapa napa, evil John akan mencuci otak David dan menggagahi Monty. Jeb harus mengatur strategi dengan Monty dan David, mengalahkan evil John dan yang terpenting kembali ke dunia modern dengan selamat tanpa dimakan tribe.
Menyebut The Revenant, bisa diduga rekan George berakhir seperti Fitzgerald, dalam demam neurotik rasisme mistiknya, ia membawa sajam dan revolver--sungguh membingungkan--masuk ke dalam rimba, mendekati tribe dan membunuh mereka satu persatu seolah dia akan berhasil keluar sebagai pemenang. Dan apa yang terjadi pada janda dan yatim? Image George yang tercetak pada David putranya tak disangka sangka menjadi penentu tindakan tribe selanjutnya kepada trio itu.
Angel's Fall mestinya merujuk pada propeler yang dipiloti oleh Jeb Logan, crash dan 'terdampar' di pedalaman Amazonia. Tidak masalah jika Jeb yang bisa berbahasa lokal dan tahu banyak tentang bertahan hidup di alam hanya sendirian--sialnya dia disewa untuk mengantar seorang ibu dan putra untuk bertemu dengan suami/ayah atropologis yang telah hidup menyatu dengan sebuah tribe Indian. Sepasang orang kota ini rewel, banyak komplen dan kudu dididik standar pramuka supaya bisa bertahan hidup di tengah rimba, tidak terserang penyakit, dimakan beasts dan menimbulkan kerusakan yang tidak perlu.
Hiburan datang sewaktu mereka bertemu dengan teman antropolog sang suami, George, yang langsung menebarkan aura John Fitzgerald dari The Revenant. Rasis neurotik ironisnya, dan makin tampak bahwa dia menyimpan misteri dari kematian rekannya, George dan katanya dibantai Indian. Sudah lazim cuaca yang tidak bersahabat, kekurangan makanan modern, dan munculnya sosok sosok di balik rerimbun--tribe kanibal kah? Tumbuhnya cinta antara Monty si janda dan Jeb yang pengen melindungi janda berduka dan putra yatim, David, mempersulit keadaan. Jika ia kenapa napa, evil John akan mencuci otak David dan menggagahi Monty. Jeb harus mengatur strategi dengan Monty dan David, mengalahkan evil John dan yang terpenting kembali ke dunia modern dengan selamat tanpa dimakan tribe.
Menyebut The Revenant, bisa diduga rekan George berakhir seperti Fitzgerald, dalam demam neurotik rasisme mistiknya, ia membawa sajam dan revolver--sungguh membingungkan--masuk ke dalam rimba, mendekati tribe dan membunuh mereka satu persatu seolah dia akan berhasil keluar sebagai pemenang. Dan apa yang terjadi pada janda dan yatim? Image George yang tercetak pada David putranya tak disangka sangka menjadi penentu tindakan tribe selanjutnya kepada trio itu.
June 29, 2021
Kind of an emotionally abridged-Heart of Darkness.
4 people trying to survive, stranded on a wrecked marine plane, chased by Indians seeking vegance as it floats down a tributary of the Amazon.
Heavy on metaphysical metaphors, a little thin on characterisation and occasionally a little stilted, the author’s main preoccupation seems to be with hashing out some interesting philosophical thoughts and tricky but familiar conundrums of human state of existence.
The only character who approached any depth, complexity or called to your emotional reserve for simpatico was the badguy-madman, Geltner. A spiritually crippled, emotionally tortured, morally ambivalent figure who ends up as the best and most self-sacrificing of the lot of the small group of survivalists. The others, the “normals”, the simple-minded, macho pilot, Jeb, the slutty, self-centered singer, Monty and the kid, David all remain 2-dimensional in silhouette.
You can see why it remained unpublished in the author’s lifetime, although I must say that the novel grew on the reader as it went along and the story unfolded.
4 people trying to survive, stranded on a wrecked marine plane, chased by Indians seeking vegance as it floats down a tributary of the Amazon.
Heavy on metaphysical metaphors, a little thin on characterisation and occasionally a little stilted, the author’s main preoccupation seems to be with hashing out some interesting philosophical thoughts and tricky but familiar conundrums of human state of existence.
The only character who approached any depth, complexity or called to your emotional reserve for simpatico was the badguy-madman, Geltner. A spiritually crippled, emotionally tortured, morally ambivalent figure who ends up as the best and most self-sacrificing of the lot of the small group of survivalists. The others, the “normals”, the simple-minded, macho pilot, Jeb, the slutty, self-centered singer, Monty and the kid, David all remain 2-dimensional in silhouette.
You can see why it remained unpublished in the author’s lifetime, although I must say that the novel grew on the reader as it went along and the story unfolded.
August 11, 2023
I quite liked this one. Part survival story, part psychological suspense. It has all the claustrophobic intensity of Herbert's "Dragon in the Sea" coupled with the harrowing experience of traversing the Amazon, a la Ghinsberg's "Jungle".
I can see where some folks thought this went a little too long, but for me it worked. Mr. Herbert took the time to flesh out the 4 characters that were thrown together, in a steady stream of revelations. He kept the tension high throughout as the companions essentially battled each other, in addition to the jungle around them.
This is the kind of book where you'd love to actually meet these people 10 years later and see what their lives are like. To me that is mark of a good story - were the characters "real".
Again, I am very happy with a non-Dune Herbert book. I think this guy was a genuinely good, and quite versatile, writer. You see a Herbert book...you should pick it up off the shelf.
I can see where some folks thought this went a little too long, but for me it worked. Mr. Herbert took the time to flesh out the 4 characters that were thrown together, in a steady stream of revelations. He kept the tension high throughout as the companions essentially battled each other, in addition to the jungle around them.
This is the kind of book where you'd love to actually meet these people 10 years later and see what their lives are like. To me that is mark of a good story - were the characters "real".
Again, I am very happy with a non-Dune Herbert book. I think this guy was a genuinely good, and quite versatile, writer. You see a Herbert book...you should pick it up off the shelf.
April 5, 2021
If you are a fan of Dune and other works by Frank Herbert you will love Angels' Fall! I breezed through it in about a day, unable to put it down. Twists and turns washed in intense descriptions and survival in the jungle. Amazing work that surprises me no other publisher elected to pick it up.
Fascinating must read. Thanks to Kevin J. Anderson and Word Fire Press for turning me on to this "lost" work of Frank. Thanks too to the Herbert family for sharing it with us.
Fascinating must read. Thanks to Kevin J. Anderson and Word Fire Press for turning me on to this "lost" work of Frank. Thanks too to the Herbert family for sharing it with us.
October 8, 2021
This is a strange novel that was unpublished during Frank Herbert's life. The structure is a bit clunky, and it's about 50% too long, but Herbert's prose in this novel is gorgeous, and he raises some interesting philosophical ideas.
His 1965 novel The Green Brain is clearly based on this one, but is far inferior in every way. Maybe by that point he was already pigeonholed into a science fiction career and couldn't get anything published outside of the genre.
His 1965 novel The Green Brain is clearly based on this one, but is far inferior in every way. Maybe by that point he was already pigeonholed into a science fiction career and couldn't get anything published outside of the genre.
April 16, 2025
This book was written by Frank Herbert before he wrote Dune, early in his writing career. It was not published until just recently and was rewritten extensively from his first manuscript. I didnt find it particularly well written or entertaining but it could be because I was expecting a fantasy opus and got a travelogue of the Amazon. in fairness the characters were interesting if perhaps a little formulaic. He has written better IMHO.
January 30, 2020
I thought this was very well done for a story that Frank didn't manage to get published during his lifetime.
There were echoes from his other works in there too (I'm looking at you, Soulcatcher, Green brain) and I'm certain he re-used some ideas into these works.
There were echoes from his other works in there too (I'm looking at you, Soulcatcher, Green brain) and I'm certain he re-used some ideas into these works.
July 4, 2019
A pleasant surprise. Some serious messing with your mind, stuff. Loved it. A jungle adventure. Totally unexpected.
January 6, 2023
Loved this listen.
July 7, 2025
la jungle comme théâtre de la folie
Avant Dune, il y avait La Chute des Anges. Ce roman inédit de Frank Herbert, exhumé des archives et enfin publié, dévoile une facette méconnue de l’auteur. Ici, point d’épice ou de planète désertique, mais une jungle amazonienne oppressante, où l’homme se révèle dans toute sa complexité. Le récit s’ouvre sur un crash d’hydravion. À son bord, un pilote au passé trouble, une diva sur le déclin, son fils mutique et un criminel borderline. Le décor est posé pour un huis clos en pleine nature, où la survie devient l’unique fil conducteur mais on se doute que tous n'en sortiront pas vainqueur.
La grande force de ce roman réside dans sa tension permanente. L’environnement hostile agit comme un miroir grossissant des tensions humaines : chaque parole, chaque silence devient une question de vie ou de mort. L’écriture d’Herbert, dense et imprégnée de réflexions métaphysiques, tire parfois vers l’abstraction, mais cela n’empêche pas l’intrigue de captiver. Si certains personnages manquent d’épaisseur, Geltner, l’antagoniste torturé, vole la vedette. Étrangement attachant, il incarne l’ambivalence morale chère à Herbert.
J’ai lu ce roman d’une traite, emportée par son rythme fluctuant mais hypnotique, entre moments d’inaction étouffante et soudains éclats de violence. Oui, le texte est parfois maladroit, un peu daté peut-être, mais il contient cette étincelle brute qui annonce déjà le génie narratif de Dune. La Chute des Anges n’est pas seulement un roman d’aventures : c’est aussi un voyage intense au cœur des instincts humains, où la jungle joue un rôle aussi important que les personnages.
Il y a quelque chose de très plaisant à lire les premiers écrits d’un grand auteur, à voir comment son style et ses idées se dessinaient déjà. On y perçoit les tâtonnements, mais aussi les intuitions brillantes qui deviendront sa marque. Cette découverte ajoute une dimension intime à la lecture : celle de voir un écrivain en devenir, encore en train de se chercher, mais déjà habité par une vision puissante.
À lire pour découvrir un Herbert plus expérimental, moins policé, mais toujours aussi fascinant. https://latelierdelitote.canalblog.co...
Avant Dune, il y avait La Chute des Anges. Ce roman inédit de Frank Herbert, exhumé des archives et enfin publié, dévoile une facette méconnue de l’auteur. Ici, point d’épice ou de planète désertique, mais une jungle amazonienne oppressante, où l’homme se révèle dans toute sa complexité. Le récit s’ouvre sur un crash d’hydravion. À son bord, un pilote au passé trouble, une diva sur le déclin, son fils mutique et un criminel borderline. Le décor est posé pour un huis clos en pleine nature, où la survie devient l’unique fil conducteur mais on se doute que tous n'en sortiront pas vainqueur.
La grande force de ce roman réside dans sa tension permanente. L’environnement hostile agit comme un miroir grossissant des tensions humaines : chaque parole, chaque silence devient une question de vie ou de mort. L’écriture d’Herbert, dense et imprégnée de réflexions métaphysiques, tire parfois vers l’abstraction, mais cela n’empêche pas l’intrigue de captiver. Si certains personnages manquent d’épaisseur, Geltner, l’antagoniste torturé, vole la vedette. Étrangement attachant, il incarne l’ambivalence morale chère à Herbert.
J’ai lu ce roman d’une traite, emportée par son rythme fluctuant mais hypnotique, entre moments d’inaction étouffante et soudains éclats de violence. Oui, le texte est parfois maladroit, un peu daté peut-être, mais il contient cette étincelle brute qui annonce déjà le génie narratif de Dune. La Chute des Anges n’est pas seulement un roman d’aventures : c’est aussi un voyage intense au cœur des instincts humains, où la jungle joue un rôle aussi important que les personnages.
Il y a quelque chose de très plaisant à lire les premiers écrits d’un grand auteur, à voir comment son style et ses idées se dessinaient déjà. On y perçoit les tâtonnements, mais aussi les intuitions brillantes qui deviendront sa marque. Cette découverte ajoute une dimension intime à la lecture : celle de voir un écrivain en devenir, encore en train de se chercher, mais déjà habité par une vision puissante.
À lire pour découvrir un Herbert plus expérimental, moins policé, mais toujours aussi fascinant. https://latelierdelitote.canalblog.co...
Read
October 19, 2019Went into this novel not knowing anything about it and it's not my typical genre but so well done.
May 11, 2013
It had been so long I had honestly forgotten what an amazing writer Frank Herbert was. This previously unpublished work is a great adventure story set in the Amazonian jungle and is proof, if proof were needed, that Frank Herbert did not only write great Science Fiction but could turn his hand to any genre with equal skill. I know there are other early work that were turned down by publishers at the time (more fool them). I can only hope they will also soon see the light of day because, on the evidence of Angels' Fall, I will be first in the queue to buy them.
January 8, 2026
C’est ma première lecture de Frank Herbert, et je n’ai pas été déçue du tout!
Pour un huis clos dans la forêt amazonienne, j’ai vraiment aimé! L’histoire commence avec un crash d’hydravion en Amazonie, clairement un des pires endroits lorsqu’on est en mode survie. Chaque personnage est bien développé et apporte ça touche au déroulement du périple. L’ambiance est oppressante à souhait.
Une belle découverte!
Pour un huis clos dans la forêt amazonienne, j’ai vraiment aimé! L’histoire commence avec un crash d’hydravion en Amazonie, clairement un des pires endroits lorsqu’on est en mode survie. Chaque personnage est bien développé et apporte ça touche au déroulement du périple. L’ambiance est oppressante à souhait.
Une belle découverte!
October 11, 2013
Angels' Fall is "Frank Herbert lite". Not as deep or cerebral as his other works, but the characters still have some nuance and the action moves at a fairly brisk pace. A good, short read with an ending that sort of sneaks up on you.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews