The Cloud Walker

by Edmund Cooper, John Berkey (Illustrator)

[Back Cover]

"The Third Men...

Since it climbed down from the trees and out of the caves, the race that became man has been suspicious of innovators, has scoffed at new discoveries, persecuted the great thinkers---but eventually, kicking, screaming and fighting, has had to accept the effects of new thinking.

Twice such effects had brought mankind to the edge of extinction, twice men had climbed back.

Now, far in the future, the Third Men preserved an ancient, outdated culture with fanatic and bloody determination."

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction, Fantasy, Post Apocalyptic

216 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 1973

About the author

Excerpted from wikipedia:
Edmund Cooper was born in Marple, near Stockport in Cheshire on April 30, 1926. He served in the Merchant Navy towards the end of the Second World War. After World War II, he trained as a teacher and began to publish short stories. His first novel, Deadly Image (later republished as The Uncertain Midnight) was completed in 1957 and published in 1958. A 1956 short story, Brain Child, was adapted as the movie The Invisible Boy (1957).
In 1969 The Uncertain Midnight was adapted for Swiss television, in French. At the height of his popularity, in the 1970s, he began to review science fiction for the Sunday Times and continued to do so until his death in 1982.
Apart from the website mentioned above there was another Edmund Cooper website full of information about the author and his publications.

Known Pseudonyms:
Richard Avery
George Kinley
Martin Lester
Broderick Quain

Reviews

[Brian Cowlishaw · Rating 3 out of 5]

I recently ran across this volume in a used-book store, and instantly recognized it. This is one of the very first three books I bought with my own money, a $5 bill from Grandma. I was dumbstruck by the cover painting and kind of still am. The story was not at all what I would have guessed from that cover. A fun little portal back to my childhood!
The other two purchases, by the way (I still remember): Jonathan Livingston Seagull, and Jonathan Segal Chicken, which was a kind of Jewish-themed parody of the first featuring characters named things like Henny Youngchick, Yiddish expressions, and humor way over my 7-year-old head.

[Etola · Rating 1 out of 5]

Couldn't finish it. Bad pulp tropes, an unlikeable Gary Stu protagonist, sexist and racist cliches, shoddy worldbuilding, and ridiculously purple prose caused this story to crash and burn. Originally started out as so-bad-it's-fun, so I stayed along for the ride long past the point when saner readers would have flung themselves overboard. A product of its time, but unable to rise above its time, despite its lofty premise.

[Seth Anderson · Rating 1 out of 5]

Actual rating: 2/10

Pros: Cool concept/world, American cover art for the book is sick

Cons: All concept, no actual story. Definitely a product of its time concerning women specifically. Character depth almost non-existent, featuring Gary Stu protagonist

[River · Rating 3 out of 5]

Choosing what rating to give this book took me thirty minutes and I'm still not sure what it should be. Why? Because it's a wonderfully piled heap of what the actual frick.

Definitely a product of its time, this book is very sexist, very shallow, the main character is a Gary Stu crossed with Jesus at Christianity purity levels over 9000 - he is "mega ultra smart" at like 10yo and already has a god complex by 17.

It has it all. A shopping list of all the things old fantasy books used to bring and they all run rampant! The whole thing was fascinating, hilarious and baffling usually all at the same time. Like this cute little snippet, (Kieron witnesses his FIL get killed, basically in his arms) "Well, then," Said Kieron, standing up.

It speeds through normal human emotions randomly, and then drags out others. It spends half the book telling us about how amazing-super-awesomesauce Kieron is, then BAM, plot changes to an old school revenge-adventure. This was a rollercoaster indeed! I love and hate this book, and many times realized that this might be the reason why fantasy/sci-fi tends to have a stigma around it - especially the older works.

Would I recommend this? No clue.

[Alien · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kieron ist begabter Malerlehrling, doch seine sehnlichster Wunsch ist es, Luftschiffe zu bauen. Blöd, dass diese wie alle Maschinen verboten sind. Denn die Menschheit ist schon 2x an den Rand des Untergangs geraten, angeblich wegen der Maschinen. Jetzt herrscht eine Theokratie, die alle, die Maschinen bauen, als Ketzer verbrennt.

Der erste Teil war ganz charmant, doch die dann folgende düstere Rachestory gefiel mir nicht mehr so. Das ganze war auch nicht so glaubwürdig.
Später folgt naiver Technikoptimismus. Gegen Schluss habe ich nur noch quergelesen. Insgesamt 3.5 / 5

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has a special meaning to me - partly because this was one of the first books I read as I started my reading career and partly because it was such a great read. Let me elaborate - the book comes before best sellers and pampering to the masses - this book was writing with the same roots as the day of the triffids or the midwich cuckoos. As you know if you have read of my reviews I try not to give anything away - not because I dont want to - hey I will admit i will read the last page of a book to see who dies and still read it simply to see how it happened. No I dont give stories away as I will admit there are others out there who do better reviews - all I can say is this is a special book to me - the author easy to read and accessible to understand - the story is engaging and i really enjoyed it - I know there are many views on Edmund Cooper and I will not go in to them here but I will say this is one of his finer books and well worth reading

[Clive Ousley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I used to live in the location of this novel. It was back in the 1970's and it was great to read such an imaginative novel where I knew the general surroundings. As a then teenager I subsequently read all the authors novels - but loved this one most all.
One day a friend said he knew Edmund Cooper's son, who worked at a hospital in Chichester. This friend asked Edmund's son to get his father to sign three of my favorite Cooper books, The Cloud Walker was one of these. Its been a treasured but dilapidated copy ever since.

[SciFiOne · Rating 4 out of 5]

1981 grade B+
2017 grade B

The first part of the book is vibrant and alive with delightful characters despite the rather odious church ruled society that considers machines heresy. But it all goes bad in the middle of the book and the story becomes dreary and depressing and the writing becomes rather pedantic. It's also rather gross. I pretty much speed read the third quarter of the book and even some of the end. It stays pedantic to the end. but the story becomes more positive in the fourth quarter. It is a vary worthwhile read despite the problems. And the good guys win in many ways.

[Hank Hoeft · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cooper was a poet as well as a novelist, and it shows in his prose. I thoroughly enjoyed his writing style, even though some criticize it as "purple prose." I would have rated this story higher if it didn't smack so much of adolescent wish-fulfillment. Despite the protagonist's getting beaten up, tortured, having numerous bones broken, and losing many people near and dear to him, I never really felt any suspense or concern for him. Still, it was a fun read and I was drawn into the story and had difficulty putting it down, as the action moves along at a brisk pace (my paperback edition is only 216 pages long.)

[Alessandro · Rating 2 out of 5]

Peccato, la premessa è molto interessante ma è una delle poche cose che ricorderò del libro. I personaggi sono abbastanza piatti, compreso il protagonista. Alcuni, anche centrali nella narrazione, muoiono improvvisamente, senza troppe cerimonie, e questo mi ha fatto sorridere in più di un'occasione essendo qualcosa di totalmente inaspettato. In ogni caso il libro scorre veloce e l'azione non manca. L'avrei certamente apprezzato di più da bambino.

[Roger · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story of a man living in a future medieval society who dreams of flying. The church isn't happy and wants to burn him as heretic, but future history will prove him right. A slow start but it quickly gains speed into quite an exciting little novel. Very good.

[Dee Sanfilippo · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an engaging read. Great characters and a wonderfully unexpected hero.

[C.A. A. Powell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set in Britain of dystopian future. I man dreams of flying and is up against narrow minded leaders of this regressed dystopian world. It is a good story - typical post apocalyptic world story common with Edmund Cooper. A Sci/fi writer that does not get the recognition I believe he deserves.

[Pierre · Rating 3 out of 5]

De dagdromer

[Lysergius · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hmm, one could see this happening in the U.S of A.

[Michael Ward · Rating 4 out of 5]

I first read this book as a teenager and it is one of Edmund Copper's best books.

[Jonny Knowles · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a truly excellent adventure!

[adrianoates · Rating 3 out of 5]

Simple tale of a third mankind exploring aviation, finishes with a strong but albeit wishful point.

[Annette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quirky little story that is a fun read

[Mark · Rating 2 out of 5]

Juvenile fun. Our hero lives in a luddite/religious world, and rebels, saving the village with mad blimp skillz.

[Reagan · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's been too long ago for me to rate this fairly. My memories of it are definitely positive, though. And the cover art was done by one of my favorite artists: John Berkey, if I recall correctly.

[Betsy Nelson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as good as Cooper's others. Still better than most sci-fi.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic! Amazing dialogue!