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Giants #1-3
The Minervan Experiment: Inherit the Stars; The Gentle Giants of Ganymede; Giant's Star
The Minervan Experiment: Inherit the Stars; The Gentle Giants of Ganymede; Giant's Star [Hardcover]
728 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1981
16 people are currently reading
359 people want to read
About the author
James P. Hogan
114 books268 followersJames Patrick Hogan was a British science fiction author.
Hogan was was raised in the Portobello Road area on the west side of London. After leaving school at the age of sixteen, he worked various odd jobs until, after receiving a scholarship, he began a five-year program at the Royal Aircraft Establishment at Farnborough covering the practical and theoretical sides of electrical, electronic, and mechanical engineering. He first married at the age of twenty, and he has had three other subsequent marriages and fathered six children.
Hogan worked as a design engineer for several companies and eventually moved into sales in the 1960s, travelling around Europe as a sales engineer for Honeywell. In the 1970s he joined the Digital Equipment Corporation's Laboratory Data Processing Group and in 1977 moved to Boston, Massachusetts to run its sales training program. He published his first novel, Inherit the Stars, in the same year to win an office bet. He quit DEC in 1979 and began writing full time, moving to Orlando, Florida, for a year where he met his third wife Jackie. They then moved to Sonora, California.
Hogan's style of science fiction is usually hard science fiction. In his earlier works he conveyed a sense of what science and scientists were about. His philosophical view on how science should be done comes through in many of his novels; theories should be formulated based on empirical research, not the other way around. If a theory does not match the facts, it is theory that should be discarded, not the facts. This is very evident in the Giants series, which begins with the discovery of a 50,000 year-old human body on the Moon. This discovery leads to a series of investigations, and as facts are discovered, theories on how the astronaut's body arrived on the Moon 50,000 years ago are elaborated, discarded, and replaced.
Hogan's fiction also reflects anti-authoritarian social views. Many of his novels have strong anarchist or libertarian themes, often promoting the idea that new technological advances render certain social conventions obsolete. For example, the effectively limitless availability of energy that would result from the development of controlled nuclear fusion would make it unnecessary to limit access to energy resources. In essence, energy would become free. This melding of scientific and social speculation is clearly present in the novel Voyage from Yesteryear (strongly influenced by Eric Frank Russell's famous story "And Then There Were None"), which describes the contact between a high-tech anarchist society on a planet in the Alpha Centauri system, with a starship sent from Earth by a dictatorial government. The story uses many elements of civil disobedience.
James Hogan died unexpectedly from a heart attack at his home in Ireland.
Hogan was was raised in the Portobello Road area on the west side of London. After leaving school at the age of sixteen, he worked various odd jobs until, after receiving a scholarship, he began a five-year program at the Royal Aircraft Establishment at Farnborough covering the practical and theoretical sides of electrical, electronic, and mechanical engineering. He first married at the age of twenty, and he has had three other subsequent marriages and fathered six children.
Hogan worked as a design engineer for several companies and eventually moved into sales in the 1960s, travelling around Europe as a sales engineer for Honeywell. In the 1970s he joined the Digital Equipment Corporation's Laboratory Data Processing Group and in 1977 moved to Boston, Massachusetts to run its sales training program. He published his first novel, Inherit the Stars, in the same year to win an office bet. He quit DEC in 1979 and began writing full time, moving to Orlando, Florida, for a year where he met his third wife Jackie. They then moved to Sonora, California.
Hogan's style of science fiction is usually hard science fiction. In his earlier works he conveyed a sense of what science and scientists were about. His philosophical view on how science should be done comes through in many of his novels; theories should be formulated based on empirical research, not the other way around. If a theory does not match the facts, it is theory that should be discarded, not the facts. This is very evident in the Giants series, which begins with the discovery of a 50,000 year-old human body on the Moon. This discovery leads to a series of investigations, and as facts are discovered, theories on how the astronaut's body arrived on the Moon 50,000 years ago are elaborated, discarded, and replaced.
Hogan's fiction also reflects anti-authoritarian social views. Many of his novels have strong anarchist or libertarian themes, often promoting the idea that new technological advances render certain social conventions obsolete. For example, the effectively limitless availability of energy that would result from the development of controlled nuclear fusion would make it unnecessary to limit access to energy resources. In essence, energy would become free. This melding of scientific and social speculation is clearly present in the novel Voyage from Yesteryear (strongly influenced by Eric Frank Russell's famous story "And Then There Were None"), which describes the contact between a high-tech anarchist society on a planet in the Alpha Centauri system, with a starship sent from Earth by a dictatorial government. The story uses many elements of civil disobedience.
James Hogan died unexpectedly from a heart attack at his home in Ireland.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
February 12, 2021
Really enjoyed this book when I found it before a long train journey in the mid-90s. It's hard sci fi, with a forensic bent and a well worked out detective story.
Book 1 - the ancient skeleton found on the moon, and another alien spacecraft found on Ganymede begin a story of humanity's origin. Books 2 and 3 introduce the aliens of the present day and the story turns from scientific exploration to a more political story of war and peace.
Unfortunately, it has dated very badly in places - someone else's review describes the tortuous page explaining to someone how to print a screen on a printer.
Our hero is headhunted and asked to go into space, and given a new wage of and astounding $30,000, with all the air and space travel he could wish for. I guess the author is projecting from 1977 prices before the property price boom.
Also distracting is how everyone smokes. Ashtrays being provided is repeatedly mentioned as good manners. the ultimate luxury is a Havana cigar offered by the boss, and women are talked down to as good little housekeepers - they are all pretty and one or two are clever, but they have no agency - they never have jobs of their own, except as mini-Mata Hari's to seduce men and take their secrets back to their real bosses.
There are further sequels which are harder to get into. Book 4, Entoverse, begins very weird - people wave their hands through solid objects, and it's hard to work out what's happening. It turns out that an analogy of life has evolved inside the data of a huge supercomputer, which starts affecting real people when they use virtual reality communication devices and end up being possessed by the data characters. It's a good idea, but the way you are thrown into the data world's culture with no explanation makes it a very tough read the first time.
I know it's of it's time, but I was also slightly disappointed that the one time sexuality comes up, it's painted as a predatory lesbian and her victim. I suppose it's one up from lesbian sex as titillation for the boys, but demonising the concept isn't much better, particularly for something set in a supposedly socially-improved future. But you can't moan too much. Even in 2400, Star Trek can cure most illnesses, but it still can't keep a gay character alive for more than an episode or two.
Book 1 - the ancient skeleton found on the moon, and another alien spacecraft found on Ganymede begin a story of humanity's origin. Books 2 and 3 introduce the aliens of the present day and the story turns from scientific exploration to a more political story of war and peace.
Unfortunately, it has dated very badly in places - someone else's review describes the tortuous page explaining to someone how to print a screen on a printer.
Our hero is headhunted and asked to go into space, and given a new wage of and astounding $30,000, with all the air and space travel he could wish for. I guess the author is projecting from 1977 prices before the property price boom.
Also distracting is how everyone smokes. Ashtrays being provided is repeatedly mentioned as good manners. the ultimate luxury is a Havana cigar offered by the boss, and women are talked down to as good little housekeepers - they are all pretty and one or two are clever, but they have no agency - they never have jobs of their own, except as mini-Mata Hari's to seduce men and take their secrets back to their real bosses.
There are further sequels which are harder to get into. Book 4, Entoverse, begins very weird - people wave their hands through solid objects, and it's hard to work out what's happening. It turns out that an analogy of life has evolved inside the data of a huge supercomputer, which starts affecting real people when they use virtual reality communication devices and end up being possessed by the data characters. It's a good idea, but the way you are thrown into the data world's culture with no explanation makes it a very tough read the first time.
I know it's of it's time, but I was also slightly disappointed that the one time sexuality comes up, it's painted as a predatory lesbian and her victim. I suppose it's one up from lesbian sex as titillation for the boys, but demonising the concept isn't much better, particularly for something set in a supposedly socially-improved future. But you can't moan too much. Even in 2400, Star Trek can cure most illnesses, but it still can't keep a gay character alive for more than an episode or two.
March 20, 2015
I see a lot of science fiction books reviewed by saying this or that author is the natural heir to Arthur C. Clarke, or if you like ACC, you will love this book. In most cases, (see Jack McDevitt) they are good writers but are not in the same league as Sir Arthur C. Clarke. Jack McDevitt was a cab driver before deciding to be science fiction novelist, and he is a good one. However, ACC came up with the idea and was instrumental in inventing communication satellites. He has written dozens of non-fiction scientific books. Numerous ideas of his from thirty and forty years ago are still being studied as viable ideas (see Space Elevator, Fountains of Paradise). In short, he is a once in a generation genius, and will not be supplanted easily. Having written all that, the closest novels that I have read that developed that sense of wonder and that golden age hard science-fiction magic ACC seemed to bottle, is James P. Hogan. Inherit the Stars, the first book in a trilogy that also includes The Gentle Giants of Ganymede, and The Giants Star(You can buy all three in the above Omnibus), captures the magic of books like A Fall of Moondust and Childhood's End by ACC. Believe me, I am a major ACC fan, and would not give this praise easily. However, after reading the first tree Giant's novels, I was very impressed. Two great characters bolster all three novels. They represent the adventurous versus the conservative scientist, respectively, Hunt and Dancheckker. They're philosophical arguments about first contact, A.I., and time travel represent the best of golden age sci-fi and come closest to the writing quality and diamond hard scientific rigor found all over Arthur C. Clarke's best novels. If you like golden age science fiction you need to own these novels. You will probably end up re-reading them; they are that good.
September 26, 2024
Inherit the Stars: 4.5 stars.
The Gentle Giants of Ganymede: 4 stars.
Giants’ Star: 3 stars.
The first two novels really read as one story and are classic hard science fiction. The characters are one-dimensional and it’s clear Hogan’s ability to flesh them out as individuals is lacking; however, it’s not a character- or plot-driven story, so this doesn’t even need to be forgiven. What he set out to do, he did very well. It is an exploration of humanity’s reaction to finding out we are not the original intelligence in our solar system, and the slow burn of gradual revelations keeps you glued to the page. Many tropes still used today were set up in books like this, and Hogan is one of the giants whose shoulders modern sci-fi creators stand on.
‘Giants’ Star’ was quite different from the first two novels. He veered away from the exploratory nature and moved more towards a spy thriller. A novel like this is plot-driven and requires reasonably fleshed-out characters. Hogan created an interesting plot, but his ability to write people did not change with time. Without exception, he could have replaced any character for any other and I don’t feel it would make a noticeable difference. This is the biggest fault I could see with the novel. I am not one for spy thrillers and was disappointed in the tonal shift, but I do think he did it well, excepting the bland people he created.
Now, my biggest criticism of the series: the seriously out-dated gender concepts. And I don’t mean out-dated by today’s standards; the poor treatment of women and the hyper-masculinization of men was already out of fashion when these books were written, and they actually take place in a more socially advanced society. I’m not surprised by this, given the insular world of white, male science fiction authors of the time (I’m looking your way, Heinlein and Asimov), but it’s disappointing and leaves a sour taste.
Overall, the first two books are worth the read and set the stage for much that has come since. The third book closes the series and answers a lot of questions, though the stylistic shift may be a shock.
The Gentle Giants of Ganymede: 4 stars.
Giants’ Star: 3 stars.
The first two novels really read as one story and are classic hard science fiction. The characters are one-dimensional and it’s clear Hogan’s ability to flesh them out as individuals is lacking; however, it’s not a character- or plot-driven story, so this doesn’t even need to be forgiven. What he set out to do, he did very well. It is an exploration of humanity’s reaction to finding out we are not the original intelligence in our solar system, and the slow burn of gradual revelations keeps you glued to the page. Many tropes still used today were set up in books like this, and Hogan is one of the giants whose shoulders modern sci-fi creators stand on.
‘Giants’ Star’ was quite different from the first two novels. He veered away from the exploratory nature and moved more towards a spy thriller. A novel like this is plot-driven and requires reasonably fleshed-out characters. Hogan created an interesting plot, but his ability to write people did not change with time. Without exception, he could have replaced any character for any other and I don’t feel it would make a noticeable difference. This is the biggest fault I could see with the novel. I am not one for spy thrillers and was disappointed in the tonal shift, but I do think he did it well, excepting the bland people he created.
Now, my biggest criticism of the series: the seriously out-dated gender concepts. And I don’t mean out-dated by today’s standards; the poor treatment of women and the hyper-masculinization of men was already out of fashion when these books were written, and they actually take place in a more socially advanced society. I’m not surprised by this, given the insular world of white, male science fiction authors of the time (I’m looking your way, Heinlein and Asimov), but it’s disappointing and leaves a sour taste.
Overall, the first two books are worth the read and set the stage for much that has come since. The third book closes the series and answers a lot of questions, though the stylistic shift may be a shock.
February 28, 2025
I can see why they combined the three books into one volume.
Book One - They found a spaceman on Mars dated 25,000 years ago. They came up with a theory. Someone came up with another theory. They found more evidence. Throw away the theories, come up with a new one for 200 pages.
Book Two - They found an alien spaceship crashed on one of Jupiter's moons. It was about 25,000 years old. Some experimenting and more theories. Then aliens show up and answer some of our questions, but there are more questions they can't answer. More theories.
Book Three - We interact with the aliens and together work to defeat the evil plans of a third group, but that doesn't happen until the last 100 pages.
And all the questions are answered.
So while I enjoyed the book, it isn't one of my favorites.
Book One - They found a spaceman on Mars dated 25,000 years ago. They came up with a theory. Someone came up with another theory. They found more evidence. Throw away the theories, come up with a new one for 200 pages.
Book Two - They found an alien spaceship crashed on one of Jupiter's moons. It was about 25,000 years old. Some experimenting and more theories. Then aliens show up and answer some of our questions, but there are more questions they can't answer. More theories.
Book Three - We interact with the aliens and together work to defeat the evil plans of a third group, but that doesn't happen until the last 100 pages.
And all the questions are answered.
So while I enjoyed the book, it isn't one of my favorites.
September 3, 2025
I don’t know how old I was hen I first discovered these books, high school perhaps. I had and still have the three paperbacks. I was overjoyed when I found this hardcover of all three Giants Novels at The Lantern Bookstore in DC. Tremendously well-written, with science and engineering and humanity. A book with hope for humanity.
August 9, 2018
A fun jaunt through an interesting concept. :D
November 26, 2019
I love how this starts as both a science-fiction and forensic mystery novel at the same time.
November 23, 2020
very old english - from the 50's - but still a good trilogy
August 7, 2021
I enjoyed these as a young teen, but last I tried to read them as a more experienced reader, they didn't hold up. Not the stories, nor characters, nothing but the premises.
May 1, 2010
This is the third of the Giants novels, after Inherit the Stars and The Gentle Giants of Ganymede. In the first novel, a body is found inside a space suit on the moon--and turns out to be 50 thousand years old. Later, on Ganymede, is found a derelict alien ship, with the remains of alien giants--and it turns out to be 25 million years old. These are the central mystery around which the first novel revolves, and the interesting part is the play of scientific ideas. In other worlds, the novel his hard science--pretty hardcore. In the second novel, those aliens, the "Gentle Giants of Ganymede" return. I found the Ganymeans interesting foils for humans, and found the interplay of ideas very lively. At first I thought the third novel would prove the best of the three. There was more at stake, more conflict than in the first two, and just as lively imagination and exploration of scientific ideas. I was pretty sure this would be at least a four-star book--until about half way through the book. And then.... Well, WTF?
I have to say I'm rather allergic to conspiracy theories. I consider it just as brain-rotting, as toxic, as the superstition and pseudoscience Hogan so deplores in this book. The more global, the more sustained the conspiracy presented, the more I simply reject it, not simply out of disbelief, but distaste. And the one presented here is a doozy. The Giants series are among Hogan's earliest novels, and his earlier ones are generally considered his best. As put by a critic quoted in the Wiki bio of Hogan, late in life he encountered a "brain eater" and became enveloped in a lot of fringe theories. A late novel is even dedicated to Immanuel Velikovsky. Actually, I think I can see hints of such beliefs even in these early novels. But they mostly come across as thinking outside the box rather than crackpot. After all, what else is science fiction for? But this conspiracy angle just annoys me no end. I'd still recommend Hogan's Voyage to Yesteryear, Code of the Lifemaker, and I did enjoy the first two Giants books. But beyond that? No.
I have to say I'm rather allergic to conspiracy theories. I consider it just as brain-rotting, as toxic, as the superstition and pseudoscience Hogan so deplores in this book. The more global, the more sustained the conspiracy presented, the more I simply reject it, not simply out of disbelief, but distaste. And the one presented here is a doozy. The Giants series are among Hogan's earliest novels, and his earlier ones are generally considered his best. As put by a critic quoted in the Wiki bio of Hogan, late in life he encountered a "brain eater" and became enveloped in a lot of fringe theories. A late novel is even dedicated to Immanuel Velikovsky. Actually, I think I can see hints of such beliefs even in these early novels. But they mostly come across as thinking outside the box rather than crackpot. After all, what else is science fiction for? But this conspiracy angle just annoys me no end. I'd still recommend Hogan's Voyage to Yesteryear, Code of the Lifemaker, and I did enjoy the first two Giants books. But beyond that? No.
May 26, 2017
"Lo scheletro impossibile" è un libro molto lineare, la trama di per se è abbastanza interessante ma è focalizzata solo sulla risoluzione del mistero dell'uomo sulla luna e nient'altro, quindi capiamo ben poco del contesto in cui il libro è ambientato e dei personaggi (perfino del protagonista).
"Chi c'era prima di noi" è stato sicuramente il romanzo della trilogia che ho preferito, la trama è sicuramente ricca di maggiori spunti, non c'è solamente un mistero "tecnico" da svelare come nel primo libro, ma siamo di fronte ad una vera e propria storia di fantascienza a 360 gradi, merita le 4 stelle.
Infine "La stella dei giganti" mi ha francamente deluso, diventa un libro troppo "complottista" e allo stesso tempo troppo buonista; anche il finale, che tutto sommato poteva starci, viene praticamente gettato al lettore senza troppe giustificazioni nelle ultime pagine.
"Chi c'era prima di noi" è stato sicuramente il romanzo della trilogia che ho preferito, la trama è sicuramente ricca di maggiori spunti, non c'è solamente un mistero "tecnico" da svelare come nel primo libro, ma siamo di fronte ad una vera e propria storia di fantascienza a 360 gradi, merita le 4 stelle.
Infine "La stella dei giganti" mi ha francamente deluso, diventa un libro troppo "complottista" e allo stesso tempo troppo buonista; anche il finale, che tutto sommato poteva starci, viene praticamente gettato al lettore senza troppe giustificazioni nelle ultime pagine.
September 1, 2008
I liked this book less on reading again after 15 years or so. I liked the explanations of the origins of Pluto, the Moon, and the Asteroid Belt. I also liked Vic Hunt's role of seeing connections between different areas of research. What I didn't like (and didn't remember) was the idea that religion has always impeded the progress of humanity; if there had been no religion and only science, we would be much more advanced and there would be no war or other problems. Hogwash. Science and religion can co-exist and each contribute good things to humanity. My other complaint is comparative: compared to a sci-fi writer like Michael Crichton, this book lacks interesting characters, sufficient action or plot development, and any ethical dilemmas.
March 21, 2016
Scorrono bene questi tre romanzi di fantascienza "evoluzionista", il primo lo ricordo letto un paio di vite fa mi aveva intrigato assai, riletto e completato con i due seguiti è stato una piacevole lettura (nonostante i probabili soliti 'tagli' uraniani in traduzione...)
C'è un po' un mix di tutto, odori di 2001 e Star Trek, anche un pizzico di Star Wars nel finale (dove forse l'autore arriva a quello che nelle serie tv si chiama "jumping the shark") con buoni dialoghi anche divertenti (il computer Zorac è quasi un cabarettista faccia da schiaffi...)
Un pochino datati, quello sì, non solo per il povero Plutone ancora catalogato fra i pianeti "degni di questo nome" :)
Ma godibilissimi
C'è un po' un mix di tutto, odori di 2001 e Star Trek, anche un pizzico di Star Wars nel finale (dove forse l'autore arriva a quello che nelle serie tv si chiama "jumping the shark") con buoni dialoghi anche divertenti (il computer Zorac è quasi un cabarettista faccia da schiaffi...)
Un pochino datati, quello sì, non solo per il povero Plutone ancora catalogato fra i pianeti "degni di questo nome" :)
Ma godibilissimi
May 31, 2009
This binding contains: Inherit the Stars, The Gentle Giants of Ganymede, and Giants Star. I think he may have revisited this universe in a later book, but I'm not sure.
The story moves quickly and keeps your attention. There are many plot/storyline twists. I don't remember any of the emotional struggles that must occur, nor the characters themself, but I do remember I enjoyed it all. It plays around with the idea of where we came from.
The story moves quickly and keeps your attention. There are many plot/storyline twists. I don't remember any of the emotional struggles that must occur, nor the characters themself, but I do remember I enjoyed it all. It plays around with the idea of where we came from.
October 1, 2011
The first book in particular addresses the theme of the story, that being 50,000 year old reminds of a human astronaut found on the moon from a serious scientific approach. As a reader you catch yourself trying to devise explanation along with that of two main characters who debate with each other where "Charlie" is from and how he got onto the moon.
Where the story goes from there is a fantastic ride both into space and the imagination.
Where the story goes from there is a fantastic ride both into space and the imagination.
March 23, 2016
Il primo è un capolavoro. Nel secondo e nel terzo romanzo l'autore tenta di replicare la genialità del "masterpiece", ma ne riescono dei lavori coerenti solo nell'universo narrativo e in cui l'elemento thriller (vero valore aggiunto de "Lo scheletro impossibile") è una componente di secondaria importanza, che per nulla valorizza due banali romanzi di fantascienza.
January 27, 2016
I really enjoyed Hogan's Code of The Lifemaker and a friend recommended the Giants Trilogy. Unfortunately I had a really hard time getting into. Maybe it's the dated science but the rambling at times was a little exhausting and then went no where at times.
December 22, 2008
In my youth I thought these were fantastic. After re-reading them in college, I had to revise my opinion slightly. We'll call it a 3 and leave it at that.
Two words: Space Opera
Two words: Space Opera
Read
May 5, 2009Inherit The Stars by James P. Hogan (2000)
May 21, 2011
I read this trilogy up in Michigan and enjoyed it, the enjoyment not being sullied by today's discovery that the author is a curmudgeonly global warming and Holocaust-denier.
June 17, 2012
Simply amazing. I read it about 7 years ago time to re-read it, I think.
December 13, 2012
Enjoyable read. Now looking forward to read the next book in the "Giant's Series".
August 10, 2017
I enjoyed the characters and the premises. The lovey-dovey New World Government aspect didn't appeal to me, but the rest was good.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews