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To Open the Sky
1983 Sphere paperback, vg++ In stock shipped from our UK warehouse
208 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1967
68 people are currently reading
351 people want to read
About the author
Robert Silverberg
2,340 books1,601 followersThere are many authors in the database with this name.
Robert Silverberg is a highly celebrated American science fiction author and editor known for his prolific output and literary range. Over a career spanning decades, he has won multiple Hugo and Nebula Awards and was named a Grand Master by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America in 2004. Inducted into the Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame in 1999, Silverberg is recognized for both his immense productivity and his contributions to the genre's evolution.
Born in Brooklyn, he began writing in his teens and won his first Hugo Award in 1956 as the best new writer. Throughout the 1950s, he produced vast amounts of fiction, often under pseudonyms, and was known for writing up to a million words a year. When the market declined, he diversified into other genres, including historical nonfiction and erotica.
Silverberg’s return to science fiction in the 1960s marked a shift toward deeper psychological and literary themes, contributing significantly to the New Wave movement. Acclaimed works from this period include Downward to the Earth, Dying Inside, Nightwings, and The World Inside. In the 1980s, he launched the Majipoor series with Lord Valentine’s Castle, creating one of the most imaginative planetary settings in science fiction.
Though he announced his retirement from writing in the mid-1970s, Silverberg returned with renewed vigor and continued to publish acclaimed fiction into the 1990s. He received further recognition with the Nebula-winning Sailing to Byzantium and the Hugo-winning Gilgamesh in the Outback.
Silverberg has also played a significant role as an editor and anthologist, shaping science fiction literature through both his own work and his influence on others. He lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with his wife, author Karen Haber.
Robert Silverberg is a highly celebrated American science fiction author and editor known for his prolific output and literary range. Over a career spanning decades, he has won multiple Hugo and Nebula Awards and was named a Grand Master by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America in 2004. Inducted into the Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame in 1999, Silverberg is recognized for both his immense productivity and his contributions to the genre's evolution.
Born in Brooklyn, he began writing in his teens and won his first Hugo Award in 1956 as the best new writer. Throughout the 1950s, he produced vast amounts of fiction, often under pseudonyms, and was known for writing up to a million words a year. When the market declined, he diversified into other genres, including historical nonfiction and erotica.
Silverberg’s return to science fiction in the 1960s marked a shift toward deeper psychological and literary themes, contributing significantly to the New Wave movement. Acclaimed works from this period include Downward to the Earth, Dying Inside, Nightwings, and The World Inside. In the 1980s, he launched the Majipoor series with Lord Valentine’s Castle, creating one of the most imaginative planetary settings in science fiction.
Though he announced his retirement from writing in the mid-1970s, Silverberg returned with renewed vigor and continued to publish acclaimed fiction into the 1990s. He received further recognition with the Nebula-winning Sailing to Byzantium and the Hugo-winning Gilgamesh in the Outback.
Silverberg has also played a significant role as an editor and anthologist, shaping science fiction literature through both his own work and his influence on others. He lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with his wife, author Karen Haber.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews
February 24, 2022
-Religión, ciencia y política se mezclan.-
Género. Ciencia ficción.
Lo que nos cuenta. El libro Las puertas del cielo (publicación original: To Open the Sky, 1967) nos acerca a la religión de los vosters, una que adora a la Radiación Inmanente y que pasa de ser algo minoritario a controlar la política terrestre, una religión que evoluciona con objetivos públicos, pero también secretos, y nos muestra esa evolución a través de varios personajes y sus vidas a través del tiempo y del Sistema Solar.
¿Quiere saber más de este libro, sin spoilers? Visite:
https://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com...
Género. Ciencia ficción.
Lo que nos cuenta. El libro Las puertas del cielo (publicación original: To Open the Sky, 1967) nos acerca a la religión de los vosters, una que adora a la Radiación Inmanente y que pasa de ser algo minoritario a controlar la política terrestre, una religión que evoluciona con objetivos públicos, pero también secretos, y nos muestra esa evolución a través de varios personajes y sus vidas a través del tiempo y del Sistema Solar.
¿Quiere saber más de este libro, sin spoilers? Visite:
https://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com...
March 2, 2015
It shouldn't come as too great a surprise that future Grand Master Robert Silverberg dedicated 1967's "To Open the Sky" to writer/editor Frederik Pohl. It was Pohl, after all, who induced Silverberg to begin writing sci-fi again on a full-time basis, after the author's "retirement" from the field in 1959. As then-editor of "Galaxy" magazine, Pohl (who helmed the publication from 1961 - '69) promised Silverberg a greater freedom in his writing, with fewer of the literary shackles that had restrained the author till then (not that anyone would have ever realized it, based on the author's amazingly prolific output from 1954 - '59, and the very high quality of that work). But with his new license to create, Silverberg blossomed; as "The Science Fiction Encyclopedia" so rightly puts it, "...his metamorphosis from a writer of standardized pulp fiction into a prose artist is an accomplishment unparalleled within the field." "To Open the Sky" might just be one of his first flowerings of literary emancipation, a book that seems to revel in the joy of the written word and the creative imagination. The book initially appeared as five separate novellas in five issues of "Galaxy," from June ’65 to June '66. The stories span a period of almost a century, and many characters appear in all or just a few of the tales. Taken separately, the stories work just fine, but read consecutively, the book stands as one of Silverberg's most winning achievements.
In essence, "To Open the Sky" tells the story of a futuristic religious group called the Vorsters. Named after its founder, Noel Vorst, the cult worships the energy of the atom (its symbol is the blue glow of a cobalt reactor!); through scientific research, the group aims to greatly increase the life span of humankind and, via paranormal methods (telepathy, telekinesis), find a way to send mankind to the stars. In the first story, "Blue Fire 2077," we are given a glimpse of the Earth of that year when U.N. bigwig Reynolds Kirby chaperones a drunken Martian delegate around NYC. The two enter a Vorster temple for kicks, but Kirby becomes strangely drawn by the power of the new creed. In "The Warriors of Light 2095," we discover that, 18 years later, a schism has taken place in the Vorster religion. The new sect, the Harmonists, uses advanced brainwashing techniques to turn Vorster Brother Christopher Mondschein into an unwitting spy as he begins his new service at the Vorsters' Santa Fe research complex. In "Where the Changed Ones Go 2135," it is four decades later, and we encounter Nicholas Martell, a Vorster missionary who travels to Venus, only to find that the Harmonists have already gained a toehold there, and that their accomplishments with the paranormal arts are even more advanced than the Vorsters' on Earth. In "Lazarus Come Forth 2152," we jump ahead another 17 years, and learn that the living, preserved corpsicle of Harmonist founder David Lazarus has been discovered beneath the surface of Mars. But is this the real Lazarus, the martyr who had supposedly been slain by the Vorsters in 2090, or is some foul plot afoot? Finally, in "To Open the Sky 2164," we jump another dozen years into the future, and learn whether or not the Vorsters and Harmonists, with the assistance of the now 144-year-old Vorst and 127-year-old Kirby, might join forces--the scientific wonders of the Vorsters and the paranormal accomplishments of the Harmonists--and thus finally send a ship out to the stars....
"To Open the Sky," despite its episodic nature, is some kind of tour de force sci-fi outing, incorporating as it does not only religion and the paranormal in a futuristic setting, but also time travel, espionage, bizarre alien life-forms, robots, medical miracles, terraforming, genetic manipulation, space travel, planetary colonization and on and on. Nobody describes alien monstrosities better than Robert Silverberg (anyone who’s ever read his 1969 masterpiece "Downward to the Earth" will tell you that), and here, he gives us some Venusian doozies: the razor-edged Wheels, the leathery, spear-beaked birds (warm-ups for the terrifying hornfowls in his Nebula-winning 1971 novel "A Time of Changes"), the horned and poisonous froglike creatures, the carnivorous Trouble Fungus, etc. As in another of his 1967 novels, "Those Who Watch," Santa Fe, New Mexico and its nearby pueblo ruins play a major part in the story. Similarly, as in 1967's "The Time Hoppers," we find here too that the so-called "sniffer palaces" allow the populace a legal means of escaping reality via inhaled drugs. And as in many of Silverberg's other books of the same period, here, we also encounter "gravshafts," superminiaturized bugging devices, and "televectoring" as a governmental means of locating any member of society. "To Open the Sky" is a serious work, and yet still manages to startle the reader with pleasing bursts of humor; for example, Silverberg gives us a page of the Vorster litany as the book opens, with a special section for the "high holidays only" (perhaps only my fellow Jews will appreciate this); later, a female character is described as being a "proselyte with a heart of gold." It's not easy to make me laugh out loud, but those two lines somehow did!
All told, "To Open the Sky" is a wonderful read, just bursting with invention, colorful descriptions and well-written dialogue. The book is epic in scope, covering as it does nearly 100 years in the histories of three planets, and ultimately, Noel Vorst strikes the reader as being on a par with the farseeing and endlessly maneuvering Hari Seldon character in Isaac Asimov's "Foundation" books. The reader can only marvel as his century of machinations comes to fruition, in the novel's pleasing finale. Indeed, this reader could only discern one single slip in Silverberg's work here. It is when the author tells us that May 8, 2077 is a Wednesday, whereas in truth, it will be a Saturday. But this is the most picayune of problems, in a work so abundantly entertaining. Inaugurating as it does Silverberg's second major phase of writing (1967 - '76, and including some two dozen remarkable full-length works of science fiction), "To Open the Sky"--in the pages of "Galaxy" and via the inspiration of its editor--in no uncertain terms declared to the world that its author was back in a very major way. No wonder that the book begins "For Frederik Pohl"....
(By the way, this review originally appeared on the FanLit website, a most excellent destination for all fans of Robert Silverberg.... http://www.fantasyliterature.com/ )
In essence, "To Open the Sky" tells the story of a futuristic religious group called the Vorsters. Named after its founder, Noel Vorst, the cult worships the energy of the atom (its symbol is the blue glow of a cobalt reactor!); through scientific research, the group aims to greatly increase the life span of humankind and, via paranormal methods (telepathy, telekinesis), find a way to send mankind to the stars. In the first story, "Blue Fire 2077," we are given a glimpse of the Earth of that year when U.N. bigwig Reynolds Kirby chaperones a drunken Martian delegate around NYC. The two enter a Vorster temple for kicks, but Kirby becomes strangely drawn by the power of the new creed. In "The Warriors of Light 2095," we discover that, 18 years later, a schism has taken place in the Vorster religion. The new sect, the Harmonists, uses advanced brainwashing techniques to turn Vorster Brother Christopher Mondschein into an unwitting spy as he begins his new service at the Vorsters' Santa Fe research complex. In "Where the Changed Ones Go 2135," it is four decades later, and we encounter Nicholas Martell, a Vorster missionary who travels to Venus, only to find that the Harmonists have already gained a toehold there, and that their accomplishments with the paranormal arts are even more advanced than the Vorsters' on Earth. In "Lazarus Come Forth 2152," we jump ahead another 17 years, and learn that the living, preserved corpsicle of Harmonist founder David Lazarus has been discovered beneath the surface of Mars. But is this the real Lazarus, the martyr who had supposedly been slain by the Vorsters in 2090, or is some foul plot afoot? Finally, in "To Open the Sky 2164," we jump another dozen years into the future, and learn whether or not the Vorsters and Harmonists, with the assistance of the now 144-year-old Vorst and 127-year-old Kirby, might join forces--the scientific wonders of the Vorsters and the paranormal accomplishments of the Harmonists--and thus finally send a ship out to the stars....
"To Open the Sky," despite its episodic nature, is some kind of tour de force sci-fi outing, incorporating as it does not only religion and the paranormal in a futuristic setting, but also time travel, espionage, bizarre alien life-forms, robots, medical miracles, terraforming, genetic manipulation, space travel, planetary colonization and on and on. Nobody describes alien monstrosities better than Robert Silverberg (anyone who’s ever read his 1969 masterpiece "Downward to the Earth" will tell you that), and here, he gives us some Venusian doozies: the razor-edged Wheels, the leathery, spear-beaked birds (warm-ups for the terrifying hornfowls in his Nebula-winning 1971 novel "A Time of Changes"), the horned and poisonous froglike creatures, the carnivorous Trouble Fungus, etc. As in another of his 1967 novels, "Those Who Watch," Santa Fe, New Mexico and its nearby pueblo ruins play a major part in the story. Similarly, as in 1967's "The Time Hoppers," we find here too that the so-called "sniffer palaces" allow the populace a legal means of escaping reality via inhaled drugs. And as in many of Silverberg's other books of the same period, here, we also encounter "gravshafts," superminiaturized bugging devices, and "televectoring" as a governmental means of locating any member of society. "To Open the Sky" is a serious work, and yet still manages to startle the reader with pleasing bursts of humor; for example, Silverberg gives us a page of the Vorster litany as the book opens, with a special section for the "high holidays only" (perhaps only my fellow Jews will appreciate this); later, a female character is described as being a "proselyte with a heart of gold." It's not easy to make me laugh out loud, but those two lines somehow did!
All told, "To Open the Sky" is a wonderful read, just bursting with invention, colorful descriptions and well-written dialogue. The book is epic in scope, covering as it does nearly 100 years in the histories of three planets, and ultimately, Noel Vorst strikes the reader as being on a par with the farseeing and endlessly maneuvering Hari Seldon character in Isaac Asimov's "Foundation" books. The reader can only marvel as his century of machinations comes to fruition, in the novel's pleasing finale. Indeed, this reader could only discern one single slip in Silverberg's work here. It is when the author tells us that May 8, 2077 is a Wednesday, whereas in truth, it will be a Saturday. But this is the most picayune of problems, in a work so abundantly entertaining. Inaugurating as it does Silverberg's second major phase of writing (1967 - '76, and including some two dozen remarkable full-length works of science fiction), "To Open the Sky"--in the pages of "Galaxy" and via the inspiration of its editor--in no uncertain terms declared to the world that its author was back in a very major way. No wonder that the book begins "For Frederik Pohl"....
(By the way, this review originally appeared on the FanLit website, a most excellent destination for all fans of Robert Silverberg.... http://www.fantasyliterature.com/ )
April 23, 2025
To Open the Sky is a fix-up novel which was published as a sequence of five novelettes in Galaxy magazine (edited by Frederik Pohl, to whom Silverberg dedicated the book) between June of 1965 and June of 1966. The stories marked something of a return to the science fiction field by Silverberg, who had experienced the first of his several "retirements" from the genre a few years prior. The stories comprise a mini-future history sequence in the footsteps of (or perhaps as an homage to) Asimov and Heinlein, and the stories are set in 2077, 2095, 2135, 2152, and 2164. The Berkley edition from 1978 includes an introduction in which the author expresses his vision of the stories as an updating of Neil R. Jones, with overtones of Cordwainer Smith and Poul Anderson. Now, that's return to the genre with a vengeance! It's a fun and far-ranging book, too, with a religious theme centering on Mars and Venus and the choice of eternal life or "a far-flung destiny among the stars." I can't say it's one of his best books, but I found it to be one of his most enjoyable.
July 13, 2022
During the 1960s, before he was well established as a leading science fantasy writer with works such as his award winning Majipoor series (Lord Valentine's Castle), Robert Silverberg was noted as science fiction writer of well-crafted novels and stories. To Open the Sky was originally published in the form of five episodic novelettes, and then fixed up into a novel in 1967. The novelettes are
1) Blue Fire, first published in Galaxy Magazine, June 1965
2) The Warriors of Light, first published in Galaxy Magazine, December 1965
3) Where the Changed Ones Go, first published in Galaxy Magazine, February 1966
4) Lazarus Come Forth!, first published in Galaxy Magazine, April 1966
5) Open the Sky, first published in Galaxy Magazine, June 1966
The story chronicles the establishment and utility of a theocracy on Earth, a secular frontier society on Mars, and a heretical religious group among the modified humans of Venus. Isaac Asimov was one of Silverberg’s mentors, and as in his Foundation series, the future history is planned and guided by a brilliant human mastermind. Noel Vorst has mild precog abilities, and uses them to develop his Vorster religion, which eventually dominates Earth governments. Each novelette introduces more of the critical individuals into the wide-ranging story arc, and the scheme develops. This profound reorganization of human civilization is for purposes of the scientific development of longevity and esp abilities, which are necessary to enable humanity to break out of the Solar System. But the plot is not so straight-forward as it might seem, and there is a complexity to the world building along the way, that make this an interesting, although somewhat dated concept novel.
1) Blue Fire, first published in Galaxy Magazine, June 1965
2) The Warriors of Light, first published in Galaxy Magazine, December 1965
3) Where the Changed Ones Go, first published in Galaxy Magazine, February 1966
4) Lazarus Come Forth!, first published in Galaxy Magazine, April 1966
5) Open the Sky, first published in Galaxy Magazine, June 1966
The story chronicles the establishment and utility of a theocracy on Earth, a secular frontier society on Mars, and a heretical religious group among the modified humans of Venus. Isaac Asimov was one of Silverberg’s mentors, and as in his Foundation series, the future history is planned and guided by a brilliant human mastermind. Noel Vorst has mild precog abilities, and uses them to develop his Vorster religion, which eventually dominates Earth governments. Each novelette introduces more of the critical individuals into the wide-ranging story arc, and the scheme develops. This profound reorganization of human civilization is for purposes of the scientific development of longevity and esp abilities, which are necessary to enable humanity to break out of the Solar System. But the plot is not so straight-forward as it might seem, and there is a complexity to the world building along the way, that make this an interesting, although somewhat dated concept novel.
August 11, 2020
Silverberg is my favorite science-fiction writer (and I’ve read a lot of SF) but let’s be honest here: for all the fascinating ideas that it contains, “To open the skies” lacks direction. Of course, it’s Silverberg, so it is extremely readable, and not in the sense “YA book readable”, but in the sense that you keep reading because you are attracted by the strength of the author’s intelligence. But it’s very clear that he didn’t know where he was going, especially with the second part.
There are many things I loved, I’d say most of it, and especially the parts about the Vorst and the Harmonic religions, but you cannot call this “a well-crafted novel” with a straight face. Probably this is also because it came out as a series of separate novellas, and even if some characters are recurring, you never care much for any of them. But the main problem is the overarching plot: it’s ingenious, yes, but if you stop and THINK about it for a second, it doesn’t quite work.
And here’s why (spoiler alert): Vorst’s “master plan” or “sophisticated chess game” relies entirely on the Harmonists developing the “push” paranormal powers, which is not simply “a risk I was willing to take”, as Vorst himself puts it towards the end, but an extremely highly unlikely occurrence. It’s something that in all probability would not have happened. The fact that Vorst would center his century-long masterplan on such an odd and almost-impossible variable makes the entire plot structure a little weaker and less plausible than what it could have been otherwise.
There are many things I loved, I’d say most of it, and especially the parts about the Vorst and the Harmonic religions, but you cannot call this “a well-crafted novel” with a straight face. Probably this is also because it came out as a series of separate novellas, and even if some characters are recurring, you never care much for any of them. But the main problem is the overarching plot: it’s ingenious, yes, but if you stop and THINK about it for a second, it doesn’t quite work.
And here’s why (spoiler alert): Vorst’s “master plan” or “sophisticated chess game” relies entirely on the Harmonists developing the “push” paranormal powers, which is not simply “a risk I was willing to take”, as Vorst himself puts it towards the end, but an extremely highly unlikely occurrence. It’s something that in all probability would not have happened. The fact that Vorst would center his century-long masterplan on such an odd and almost-impossible variable makes the entire plot structure a little weaker and less plausible than what it could have been otherwise.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 11, 2012
Although this book doesn't transcend its era in its treatment of non-white and female characters, it's also not bogged down by it (in that they're mostly absent rather than mostly ridiculous), and it constantly surprised me with incisive observations of people-at-large. I'm a sucker for religious sci-fi, and as invented religions go, this is one I could imagine signing on to.
August 14, 2025
4,5 Sterne
ein Buch über eine Religion/einen Kult der Zukunft, die gegründet wird um der Menschheit wieder feste Ziele (Unsterblichkeit und Besiedlung der Sterne) zu geben. Fand ich echt spannend! 150 Seiten und ein Zeitraum von über 100 Jahren, und es geht echt ausführlich auf die Entwicklung dieser Religion, eine Splittergruppe die entsteht, die aus der puren Fokus auf wissenschaft eine mystizierung(?) der Wissenschaft und der religiösen Ziele macht und wie die beiden Gruppen auf ihre Ziele mithilfe von espers mit telekinetischen kräften und genetischer Modifizierung zuarbeiten
ein Buch über eine Religion/einen Kult der Zukunft, die gegründet wird um der Menschheit wieder feste Ziele (Unsterblichkeit und Besiedlung der Sterne) zu geben. Fand ich echt spannend! 150 Seiten und ein Zeitraum von über 100 Jahren, und es geht echt ausführlich auf die Entwicklung dieser Religion, eine Splittergruppe die entsteht, die aus der puren Fokus auf wissenschaft eine mystizierung(?) der Wissenschaft und der religiösen Ziele macht und wie die beiden Gruppen auf ihre Ziele mithilfe von espers mit telekinetischen kräften und genetischer Modifizierung zuarbeiten
October 22, 2024
Check out my full, spoiler free, video review with Jack HERE. This is a story that has an interesting setup and premise but faltered a bit at the end for me. In the future, religions and cults have gained popularity by promising longevity of life and a path to distant worlds. Humanity is struggling with the reality of life on Earth and has also colonized Venus and Mars. From what I can tell this was written during a transitional phase for Silverberg when he was going from writing in the pulps for money to writing for passion. While I didn’t love this one, it was still entertaining and is the start of an amazing 10 year stretch of prolific output from Silverberg.
March 25, 2018
Can human beings live forever?
Of course, we all know the answer to that question. One death per person. However, science fiction has tackled the immortality theme throughout its history as a genre and Robert Silverberg addresses it in several of his books during his most prolific period of 1967-1976.
To Open The Sky presents a scenario where Earth’s survival is hanging on by a thread. The planet is overpopulated and needs a miracle to continue surviving. Noel Vorst, leader of a religious science cult, believes they have found the means for immortality. His group, the Vorsters, want to provide this miracle to create everlasting peace and order. However, Vorst’s plan had not been able to come to fruition until an interaction with a rival cult changes everything. Vorst’s plan transforms into something that believers of both cults did not expect.
Silverberg has shown a willingness to include religious themes (mostly from Christianity and Judaism) throughout these books from his most prolific period. To Open The Sky continues in that same vein. What I have appreciated about Silverberg’s engagement with religious ideas in his science fiction is that he takes it seriously and does not pander or fall into lazy stereotypes regarding religiosity.
To Open The Sky is not my favorite of the Silverberg novels I have read so far. But, I appreciate his attempts to add depth in these pulp sci-fi novels. It shows that you do not need to write five or six hundred pages to have an intelligent and engaging narrative. I would recommend To Open The Sky for those readers who are Silverberg fans but not newcomers to his work. I would rather newcomers try Downward to the Earth, A Time of Changes, or Dying Inside before this novel.
Of course, we all know the answer to that question. One death per person. However, science fiction has tackled the immortality theme throughout its history as a genre and Robert Silverberg addresses it in several of his books during his most prolific period of 1967-1976.
To Open The Sky presents a scenario where Earth’s survival is hanging on by a thread. The planet is overpopulated and needs a miracle to continue surviving. Noel Vorst, leader of a religious science cult, believes they have found the means for immortality. His group, the Vorsters, want to provide this miracle to create everlasting peace and order. However, Vorst’s plan had not been able to come to fruition until an interaction with a rival cult changes everything. Vorst’s plan transforms into something that believers of both cults did not expect.
Silverberg has shown a willingness to include religious themes (mostly from Christianity and Judaism) throughout these books from his most prolific period. To Open The Sky continues in that same vein. What I have appreciated about Silverberg’s engagement with religious ideas in his science fiction is that he takes it seriously and does not pander or fall into lazy stereotypes regarding religiosity.
To Open The Sky is not my favorite of the Silverberg novels I have read so far. But, I appreciate his attempts to add depth in these pulp sci-fi novels. It shows that you do not need to write five or six hundred pages to have an intelligent and engaging narrative. I would recommend To Open The Sky for those readers who are Silverberg fans but not newcomers to his work. I would rather newcomers try Downward to the Earth, A Time of Changes, or Dying Inside before this novel.
June 12, 2018
As much as I dislike the intersection of religion and politics, I do enjoy science fiction that uses religious themes (quasi or otherwise). Canticle for Leibowitz is a notable case in point. To Open the Sky centers on the Vorsters, a religious cult that worships the power of the atom and their heretical counterpart the Harmonists. The former has made impressive progress in converting people on Earth. However, they have floundered on a colonized Venus, where the Harmonists have, against many odds, made inroads. Furthermore, they are blessed with a population that can use brain power to manipulate matter. Mars, which has also been terraformed and colonized, sets itself off from religious issues until a Harmonist martyr is found entombed on their turf. Robert Silverberg has blessed us with a wonderfully pulpy novel. If nothing else I would pick it up to read the preface: The Electromagnetic Litany - Stations of the Spectrum.
August 23, 2018
One of Silverberg's weaker works. Seems like he didn't really know where he wanted to go with it, and then you reach the end and realize he really didn't know where he wanted to go with it. Disappointing but it's Silverberg so still very readable.
June 4, 2020
Full review: https://sciencefictionruminations.com...
3.5/5
"“And there is light, before and beyond our vision, for which we give thanks. And there is heat, for which we are humble. And there is power, for which we count ourselves blessed. Blessed be Balmer, who gave us wavelengths. Blessed be Bohr, who brought us understanding. Blessed be Lyman, who saw beyond sight. Tell us now the stations of the spectrum […]” (3).
Robert Silverberg’s To Open the Sky (1967) is an enjoyable pulp future history with a somewhat “different” premise–religion will be the main force that facilitates mankind’s exploration of the stars. In his intro of 1978 edition he discusses how the project came about. In the early 60s Frederik Pohl became his editor and allowed him to published, for the first time, SF “for [...]"
3.5/5
"“And there is light, before and beyond our vision, for which we give thanks. And there is heat, for which we are humble. And there is power, for which we count ourselves blessed. Blessed be Balmer, who gave us wavelengths. Blessed be Bohr, who brought us understanding. Blessed be Lyman, who saw beyond sight. Tell us now the stations of the spectrum […]” (3).
Robert Silverberg’s To Open the Sky (1967) is an enjoyable pulp future history with a somewhat “different” premise–religion will be the main force that facilitates mankind’s exploration of the stars. In his intro of 1978 edition he discusses how the project came about. In the early 60s Frederik Pohl became his editor and allowed him to published, for the first time, SF “for [...]"
January 27, 2022
4 / 5 for 'To Open The Sky' by Robert Silverberg
This is another one of Silverberg's books which is essentially a handful of long short stories, which have been expanded somewhat to make a novel. This format worked really well for the subject matter of this book, with advancements of a number of years between each short story giving the characters time to grow and change, and giving their plans time to advance. I must admit, this is another Silverberg book (my 3rd read of his) that has exceeded my expectations.
Essentially, this book details the growth of a new scientific quasi-religious movement on Earth, and its attempted expansion on Mars and Venus, which humanity has colonised. The movement named The Vorsters after the still-living leader Vorst, suffers a fracture, and a splinter movement called The Harmonists ends up being the stronger faction on Venus. The ultimate goal of these movements is to perfect human longevity, as well as interstellar travel. The Vorsters seem to be the leading faction in terms of scientific advances, enabling extraordinarily long lifespans, whilst The Harmonists is the leading faction in its nurturing of and advances with Espers - people who can use powers such as teleportation, telepathy and telekinesis. Vorst manages to conspire a clever way of merging the two factions so that they can combine their respective advancements for the pursual of their ultimate goals as one.
The story is told in 3rd person, from the points of view of a few acolytes who end up changing sides and becoming increasingly important to the two factions; namely Kirby, Mondschein and Martell. All three men are different enough to have differing viewpoints, opinions, voices and compulsions... though, at the same time, there isn't really very much characterisation in this book. Many supporting characters can sometimes blur somewhat, but the three main characters are unique and enjoyable to follow.
Once again, Silverberg's world-building is phenomenally good. The amount of completely believable back story and future history he packs into a 200-page novel would put many other authors, of longer books, to shame. His worlds are so well-formed and so well-described, the reader feels comfortable reading about them very quickly. The characters enjoy the usual high quality, and often humorous, dialogue that I've seen so far in other Silverberg books, and even though there isn't really TONNES of action going on in this book, it remains hugely engrossing and pageturnery.
Silverberg's colloquial, conversational way of storytelling (much like Stephen King's) is evident once again and makes reading this book a truly enjoyable experience. His science is solid, especially considering how long ago this book was written, and his imagination is boundless - alien aspects (such as the physical changes needed to live on Venus, and some of the alien wildlife and plantlife) truly feel ALIEN.
The exposition can occasionally feel a little bit info-dumpy, and the characterisation is a little thin, but those are the only two small negatives against a boatload of positives. This is an engrossing and often thrilling book, detailing a wonderfully planned and executed future history, by one of the masters of science fiction.
Highly recommended to sci-fi fans, and even fantasy fans too.
4 / 5
This is another one of Silverberg's books which is essentially a handful of long short stories, which have been expanded somewhat to make a novel. This format worked really well for the subject matter of this book, with advancements of a number of years between each short story giving the characters time to grow and change, and giving their plans time to advance. I must admit, this is another Silverberg book (my 3rd read of his) that has exceeded my expectations.
Essentially, this book details the growth of a new scientific quasi-religious movement on Earth, and its attempted expansion on Mars and Venus, which humanity has colonised. The movement named The Vorsters after the still-living leader Vorst, suffers a fracture, and a splinter movement called The Harmonists ends up being the stronger faction on Venus. The ultimate goal of these movements is to perfect human longevity, as well as interstellar travel. The Vorsters seem to be the leading faction in terms of scientific advances, enabling extraordinarily long lifespans, whilst The Harmonists is the leading faction in its nurturing of and advances with Espers - people who can use powers such as teleportation, telepathy and telekinesis. Vorst manages to conspire a clever way of merging the two factions so that they can combine their respective advancements for the pursual of their ultimate goals as one.
The story is told in 3rd person, from the points of view of a few acolytes who end up changing sides and becoming increasingly important to the two factions; namely Kirby, Mondschein and Martell. All three men are different enough to have differing viewpoints, opinions, voices and compulsions... though, at the same time, there isn't really very much characterisation in this book. Many supporting characters can sometimes blur somewhat, but the three main characters are unique and enjoyable to follow.
Once again, Silverberg's world-building is phenomenally good. The amount of completely believable back story and future history he packs into a 200-page novel would put many other authors, of longer books, to shame. His worlds are so well-formed and so well-described, the reader feels comfortable reading about them very quickly. The characters enjoy the usual high quality, and often humorous, dialogue that I've seen so far in other Silverberg books, and even though there isn't really TONNES of action going on in this book, it remains hugely engrossing and pageturnery.
Silverberg's colloquial, conversational way of storytelling (much like Stephen King's) is evident once again and makes reading this book a truly enjoyable experience. His science is solid, especially considering how long ago this book was written, and his imagination is boundless - alien aspects (such as the physical changes needed to live on Venus, and some of the alien wildlife and plantlife) truly feel ALIEN.
The exposition can occasionally feel a little bit info-dumpy, and the characterisation is a little thin, but those are the only two small negatives against a boatload of positives. This is an engrossing and often thrilling book, detailing a wonderfully planned and executed future history, by one of the masters of science fiction.
Highly recommended to sci-fi fans, and even fantasy fans too.
4 / 5
May 13, 2016
Silverberg è uno dei pilastri della fantascienza sociologica, e questo Violare il cielo (la traduzione del titolo è pessima come nella più pura tradizione Urania dei tempi d'oro) rientra perfettamente nel quadro. La veste tecnologica tipica della fantascienza serve solo da paravento a una classica enunciazione dei desiderata dell'uomo moderno: la vita e la salute eterni, l'esplorazione del cosmo e la risoluzione dei problemi esistenziali. Forse c'è un po' di faciloneria nel presupporre che una religione tecnologica universale possa risolvere i conflitti dell'uomo, e forse questo è il libro in cui Silverberg si accosta di più al suo collega Hubbard, che come scrittore era decisamente peggiore, ma si è rivelato vincente come fondatore di religioni.
Una buona lettura invernale, ma lontana dai veri fasti di Silverberg.
Una buona lettura invernale, ma lontana dai veri fasti di Silverberg.
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June 4, 2007Three part science fiction novel about the evolution of a religion, and the way science with ritual can become a religion capable of producing real miracles.
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February 1, 20165 stars from Sandy: http://www.fantasyliterature.com/revi...
June 14, 2022
Summary: Noel Vorst’s new religion sweeps the Earth with its promise of eternal life, but Vorst’s plans extend far beyond Earth or even the near planets to the stars.
By 2077, the Earth has colonized Mars and Venus, terraforming Mars and adapting humans to live in the Venusian atmosphere. A UN functionary, Reynolds Kirby struggles with the high tension this high tech life creates, little relieved by temporary plunges into nothingness, or other pleasures. A new religion is on the rise, replacing those that no longer speak to the world Kirby lives in. They are called the Vorsters after Noel Vorst their founder. Their chapels are springing up in many cities, the central focus of which is the small cobalt reactor giving off a bluish light. Services follow a liturgy that is a pastiche of scientific mysticism with the promise of eternal life for followers. Kirby is drawn in, and over the years rises to become Vorst’s right hand man.
Meanwhile, another movement breaks off from the Vorsters, led by David Lazarus, until he was supposedly martyred. They are the Harmonist and they’ve succeeded where the Vorsters failed in establishing their mission to Venus. Vorsters who try either die from the vicious creatures on the planet or the inhabitants who want nothing to do with them, or they become Harmonists.
The Vorsters have advanced in extending life and the breeding of ever more effective ESPers at their Santa Fe center. The most visible sign is Vorst himself, who is still alive 100 years later. On Venus, the Harmonists have advanced in telekinesis with the development of “pushers” able to move things and people further and further. All the Vorsters efforts to train the ESPers to do this fail, often at the cost of their lives.
Then Lazarus is found in a nutrient bath encased and buried on Mars. The Vorsters bring him to life, only to turn him over to the Harmonists. It turns out that all of this is part of a grand plan of Vorst that extends far beyond Earth, Mars, or Venus, to “open the sky,” as it were, to the universe.
The question around this book is that of “at what cost” Is the cost warranted of the young lives wrecked, ESPers driven into insanity and a merciful death, “pushers” who are destroyed, all of these young and devout? Is this “religion” just the cloak for the ambitions of one man, as much as others seem to be helped?
In some ways, this book feels more timely today than in 1967, as we see many religious figures who have used religion to gain and abuse their power, and often their followers. In the human longing for something more, there is a great vulnerability, that may be twisted by the power, either tempting others who are needed to join in the quest for power, or to be used up and discarded by the powerful. In this, Silverberg may have been prescient.
By 2077, the Earth has colonized Mars and Venus, terraforming Mars and adapting humans to live in the Venusian atmosphere. A UN functionary, Reynolds Kirby struggles with the high tension this high tech life creates, little relieved by temporary plunges into nothingness, or other pleasures. A new religion is on the rise, replacing those that no longer speak to the world Kirby lives in. They are called the Vorsters after Noel Vorst their founder. Their chapels are springing up in many cities, the central focus of which is the small cobalt reactor giving off a bluish light. Services follow a liturgy that is a pastiche of scientific mysticism with the promise of eternal life for followers. Kirby is drawn in, and over the years rises to become Vorst’s right hand man.
Meanwhile, another movement breaks off from the Vorsters, led by David Lazarus, until he was supposedly martyred. They are the Harmonist and they’ve succeeded where the Vorsters failed in establishing their mission to Venus. Vorsters who try either die from the vicious creatures on the planet or the inhabitants who want nothing to do with them, or they become Harmonists.
The Vorsters have advanced in extending life and the breeding of ever more effective ESPers at their Santa Fe center. The most visible sign is Vorst himself, who is still alive 100 years later. On Venus, the Harmonists have advanced in telekinesis with the development of “pushers” able to move things and people further and further. All the Vorsters efforts to train the ESPers to do this fail, often at the cost of their lives.
Then Lazarus is found in a nutrient bath encased and buried on Mars. The Vorsters bring him to life, only to turn him over to the Harmonists. It turns out that all of this is part of a grand plan of Vorst that extends far beyond Earth, Mars, or Venus, to “open the sky,” as it were, to the universe.
The question around this book is that of “at what cost” Is the cost warranted of the young lives wrecked, ESPers driven into insanity and a merciful death, “pushers” who are destroyed, all of these young and devout? Is this “religion” just the cloak for the ambitions of one man, as much as others seem to be helped?
In some ways, this book feels more timely today than in 1967, as we see many religious figures who have used religion to gain and abuse their power, and often their followers. In the human longing for something more, there is a great vulnerability, that may be twisted by the power, either tempting others who are needed to join in the quest for power, or to be used up and discarded by the powerful. In this, Silverberg may have been prescient.
July 20, 2025
"The older religions were suffering. The Vorsters had something to offer that the others did not: the comforts of science, the assurance that beyond the spiritual ministry there was another that served the Oneness by probing into the deepest mysteries. A dollar contribution to your local Vorster chapel might help pay for the development of a method to assure immortality, personal immortality. That was the pitch, and it worked well."
"It's part of the plan of Lazurus."
Along with Thorns, this 1967 fix-up novel marks the emergence of Robert Silverberg as a science fiction writer of significance. Here he leaves behind the pulp action-adventure phase of his career. The glimpses of maturity that had already shined through in YA novels like Those Who Watch and Time Hoppers now blossom into fully realized story craft.
Each of these five stories is fun and seemingly simple. Taken as a whole, however, they reveal unexpected depth and nuanced layers of world building. They span a hundred years of future history. They touch on the evolving role of faith in a postmodern world, the limits of technology, the possibilities of human evolution, time travel paradox, and the colonization of faraway worlds.
"Blue Fire, 2077" -- UN diplomat Kirby must babysit a visiting official from the Mars colony. While chasing his drunken escapades from New York to Chicago, Kirby has run-ins with the Vorster cult, a new religion that worships atomic power, promises immortality through gene splicing, and wants to use the mental abilities of telepaths and empaths (known as espers) to power interstellar flights to the stars.
"Warriors of Light, 2095" -- Mondschein is a Vorster acolyte recruited as a spy by a rival sect known as the Harmonists. His job is to gather intel on the Vorsters’ longevity and esper breeding experiments.
"Where the Changed Ones Go, 2135" -- Vorster missionary Martell arrives on Venus and is surprised to find a Harmonist church is already flourishing under Mondschein. Earthmen must be genetically altered to survive on Venus, and at this point the descendants of the original colonists are not even human anymore. Their psi powers have grown to include telekinesis and, Martell believes, teleportation.
(Venus itself is a hyper-dangerous world reminiscent of World Seven of Star System Z-16 in Planet of Death, another Silverberg novel that came out the same year.)
"Lazarus Comes Forth, 2152" -- The body of David Lazurus, the martyred prophet of the Harmonist cult, is discovered in stasis on Mars. Noel Vorster promises to use his advanced technology to restore Lazurus in a calculated move to reunite the rival religious factions.
"To Open the Sky, 2164" -- Now one hundred forty-four years old, Noel Vorster consults precogs to get glimpses of his future. He needs to learn what decisions he will make to finish the century-long gambit to drive mankind to the stars.
I alternated between the kindle edition and the audiobook narrated by Craig Abbott.
5 stars
"It's part of the plan of Lazurus."
Along with Thorns, this 1967 fix-up novel marks the emergence of Robert Silverberg as a science fiction writer of significance. Here he leaves behind the pulp action-adventure phase of his career. The glimpses of maturity that had already shined through in YA novels like Those Who Watch and Time Hoppers now blossom into fully realized story craft.
Each of these five stories is fun and seemingly simple. Taken as a whole, however, they reveal unexpected depth and nuanced layers of world building. They span a hundred years of future history. They touch on the evolving role of faith in a postmodern world, the limits of technology, the possibilities of human evolution, time travel paradox, and the colonization of faraway worlds.
"Blue Fire, 2077" -- UN diplomat Kirby must babysit a visiting official from the Mars colony. While chasing his drunken escapades from New York to Chicago, Kirby has run-ins with the Vorster cult, a new religion that worships atomic power, promises immortality through gene splicing, and wants to use the mental abilities of telepaths and empaths (known as espers) to power interstellar flights to the stars.
"Warriors of Light, 2095" -- Mondschein is a Vorster acolyte recruited as a spy by a rival sect known as the Harmonists. His job is to gather intel on the Vorsters’ longevity and esper breeding experiments.
"Where the Changed Ones Go, 2135" -- Vorster missionary Martell arrives on Venus and is surprised to find a Harmonist church is already flourishing under Mondschein. Earthmen must be genetically altered to survive on Venus, and at this point the descendants of the original colonists are not even human anymore. Their psi powers have grown to include telekinesis and, Martell believes, teleportation.
(Venus itself is a hyper-dangerous world reminiscent of World Seven of Star System Z-16 in Planet of Death, another Silverberg novel that came out the same year.)
"Lazarus Comes Forth, 2152" -- The body of David Lazurus, the martyred prophet of the Harmonist cult, is discovered in stasis on Mars. Noel Vorster promises to use his advanced technology to restore Lazurus in a calculated move to reunite the rival religious factions.
"To Open the Sky, 2164" -- Now one hundred forty-four years old, Noel Vorster consults precogs to get glimpses of his future. He needs to learn what decisions he will make to finish the century-long gambit to drive mankind to the stars.
I alternated between the kindle edition and the audiobook narrated by Craig Abbott.
5 stars
October 13, 2024
To Open the Sky is about a cult called the Vorsters, who are attempting to prolong human life expectancy to effectively make people immortal. In addition to this, they are engaging in selective breeding programmes to create power telekinetic humans referred to as 'espers', with the intention that they will one day be able to physically propel spaceships to distant solar systems. Humanity has spread out to Mars and Venus in this universe, with the latter world requiring people to undergo extreme surgeries to alter their biologies so that they can survive the Venusian environment.
There is a bit of a leapfrogging here in terms of which characters you are following, which doesn't allow you to latch on to any one protagonist. In addition to this, there are dozens of ideas and tropes being thrown at you constantly, including genetic engineering, telepathy, telekinesis, precognition, space travel and more.
This left the novel feeling like a bit of a mess to me and despite the author's signature silky writing, I felt let down in the end. There are definitely elements that I enjoyed, although overall this is my least favourite Robert Silverberg book so far.
There is a bit of a leapfrogging here in terms of which characters you are following, which doesn't allow you to latch on to any one protagonist. In addition to this, there are dozens of ideas and tropes being thrown at you constantly, including genetic engineering, telepathy, telekinesis, precognition, space travel and more.
This left the novel feeling like a bit of a mess to me and despite the author's signature silky writing, I felt let down in the end. There are definitely elements that I enjoyed, although overall this is my least favourite Robert Silverberg book so far.
August 7, 2023
A century long look at the progression of a new, science driven religion. I like that it finds parallels with current religions, showing the religious behavior of humanity and how we can't seem to get past that despite our efforts.
I think current times make it more potent due to the religious behavior we see in people that would never consider themselves religious. (I'm an atheist, and I'm slowly seeing more of us point this behavior out, which is a relief)
(I took a long break in the middle of reading this because I get distracted with other books. That didn't seem to take away from the impact too much, I retained a lot of what I read at the beginning of the year.)
I think current times make it more potent due to the religious behavior we see in people that would never consider themselves religious. (I'm an atheist, and I'm slowly seeing more of us point this behavior out, which is a relief)
(I took a long break in the middle of reading this because I get distracted with other books. That didn't seem to take away from the impact too much, I retained a lot of what I read at the beginning of the year.)
May 8, 2020
I enjoyed this book which I read in 3 days. Written before the "information age" before cell phones & personal computers, I thought the author would be amazed how, in a few decades, people would have such easy access to each other across the planet for so little cost. His insights to the human ability of "remote viewing", which has been scientifically corroborated today, was interesting as well. The future that he writes about is well withing the possible, though probably would take a few centuries longer. I haven't decided yet if I want to read the next book in this drama, but I will read some of his other books as he is very imaginative.
July 12, 2020
Somehow, I missed the Silverberg stories during my youthful passion with early Sc-Fi (this was before Silverberg came into his own.) The story idea was intriguing – a future defined by a major religion based on science and the atom. The story followed traditional religious development with schisms, infighting, abuse and cynicism, an interplanetary backdrop, and a type of mad scientist (or charismatic all-powerful leader) manipulating everybody.
This was an enjoyable read, but the flow was a little jerky at times, and seemed to me he missed some opportunities to really grab the reader.
This was an enjoyable read, but the flow was a little jerky at times, and seemed to me he missed some opportunities to really grab the reader.
June 6, 2025
Engaging and enjoyable
I like Silverbergs straight forward yet not patronising approach to stories. He is able to create a sense of the world the story is set in, without pages of description or techno-babble to struggle through. In short, he is a good story teller. I enjoyed this book. Obviously it's dated in some respects, but I didn't really know where it was going to go and it had me engaged through out. It's not a stone cold classic, but it's good solid science fiction of the vintage variety.
I like Silverbergs straight forward yet not patronising approach to stories. He is able to create a sense of the world the story is set in, without pages of description or techno-babble to struggle through. In short, he is a good story teller. I enjoyed this book. Obviously it's dated in some respects, but I didn't really know where it was going to go and it had me engaged through out. It's not a stone cold classic, but it's good solid science fiction of the vintage variety.
September 15, 2025
This is not prime Silverberg, but it is certainly a transitional work hinting at the novels to come. This book is a series of five linked novelettes that show the development of a pseudo-religious cult that has the ultimate goal of human longevity and interstellar travel. Vorst, the leader of the cult, uses religious principals, scientific research, and psionic abilities to reach these goals. This fixup novel gets 3 stars because it is thoughtful and enjoyable, but it lacks the density of development and an emotional core that are characteristic of Silverberg's mature works.
May 24, 2024
I found this book in the outlet box at a used book store and I had no idea what to expect. I'm glad I picked it up. This is such a weird little story set in a grand universe. It cuts straight to the point without any fuzz and explores grand questions while keeping the story focused. It definitely lacks a bit here and there and it isn't a masterpiece. But it's definitely an enjoyable little read. A solid 3.5 stars.
February 10, 2020
A man creates a religion to fullfill his dream of travelling to the stars. Robert Silverbergs novel is set in the near future and it's all about new religions built on technical progress. While the ideas are great and interesting, the story is quite a let down.
It might have been worsened by the terrible german translation from the 1980's, which was the version I read.
It might have been worsened by the terrible german translation from the 1980's, which was the version I read.
June 6, 2020
In the future, Vorster starts a religion worshipping science in hopes that his cult's studies will figure out how to make him immortal and how to use telekinesis to enable interplanetary travel.
Silverberg sets the stage for this potential future, with colonies on Mars and Venus. Interesting premise.
Silverberg sets the stage for this potential future, with colonies on Mars and Venus. Interesting premise.
December 7, 2024
Another unexpected gem from a writer who was so very productive in the late sixties and early seventies that it's never a surprise to stumble over 'new' material. Religion, esp and interstellar travel blend happily in this refreshing combination which shows few signs of its age, unlike some from the same era.
May 1, 2020
4.5 Stars A Hidden Gem
5 pieces of of an old 1960's serial from SyFy mag combined seamlessly together to create a great SyFy story. I started reading, it was fast paced, I finished, then I wanted more.
5 pieces of of an old 1960's serial from SyFy mag combined seamlessly together to create a great SyFy story. I started reading, it was fast paced, I finished, then I wanted more.
January 7, 2021
I am currently as concerned by the Lazarus heresy and its challenge to the Vorsters in 2170, as by what's going on the USA. both weirdly similar -- except only one will get us to the stars. Silverberg lives.
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