Los hijos de nuestros hijos

by Clifford D. Simak

Un día de verano como otro cualquiera, se abre una puerta en el vacío y empiezan a salir cientos, miles, millones de personas procedentes de ninguna parte. Dicen que vienen del futuro. Son los hijos de nuestros hijos. Un peligro incontrolable acecha en el futuro, y se hace preciso cortar el puente que los ha traído a través del tiempo. Pero, como suele ocurrir en estos casos, alguien se deja, una puerta abierta…Y es precisamente como se dice en la Sinopsis, que una puerta en el vacío se abre ante un hombre en su jardín. Luego se abrirán más puertas, y unos dos millones de personas, procedentes del siglo XXV, regresan al siglo XX. Se pide al ejército que si algo anormal sucede en las puertas, éstas deben ser destruidas al instante, sin importar las personas que crucen o estén por cruzar. Pronto, se sabe que ésta gente huye de un peligro que amenaza a toda la humanidad del futuro: una raza de seres parecidos a dragones, prácticamente indestructibles y que son altamente hostiles, llega a la Tierra para destruirlo todo

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction, Time Travel, Science Fiction Fantasy, Fantasy, Ebooks

160 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1974

About the author

"He was honored by fans with three Hugo awards and by colleagues with one Nebula award and was named the third Grand Master by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA) in 1977." (Wikipedia)

See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clifford...

Reviews

[Zain · Rating 3 out of 5]

The First Future.

Descendants from the future are returning to the past which is the present time using time tunnels.

The future, five hundred years from now, is being overrun by alien monstrosities.

Humans are unable to successfully fight them so they choose a different time period to hide out while they build new time tunnels to travel further back in time.

Sounds confusing? Do worry, it’s meant to be.

Three stars. ✨✨✨

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another solid Simak. This is the one that begins with people walking out of a tree....

Simak is pretty darn smart.

When leaders are discussing what to do about the refugees and about the threat of the monsters, and whether they can think about their own careers or have to focus completely on the issues, a long-time Senator explains:

"Politics is a very complicated and a most practical business.... You can't ever afford to get emotional.... Oh, it's all right to appear to be emotional. Sometimes that has a certain appeal for the electorate. But before you can afford to get emotional you must have everything all figured out ahead of time. You may be emotional for effect, but never because you feel that way."
----
Some notes on the reread, for the Time Travel group read:

I love stories with "no bad guys" - I have a Listopia for them even, and will add this. I mean, yeah, there is a threat, but all the people from both eras are just doing the best they can.

In fact, the one farmer, with the chickens, dang, he's a hero for prioritizing the way he did.

I'm glad Simak didn't live to see our divisiveness that enabled the election of Trump. I do note that southern Wisconsin, Simak's home, voted for him, but they were desperate for jobs iiuc and believed the charm of the businessman. I wonder if we'll ever have the kind of world, or even country, that Simak saw as a possibility.

[Choco Con Churros · Rating 3 out of 5]

Qué rápido!. No me había dado cuenta de que era tan cortito. Pueeees... no llegué a aburrirme pero andaba cerca de la frontera. La idea de partida me encantaba y aunque tengo debilidad por tantas cosas que soy casi una simple amalgama de ellas... ninguna de mis innumerables debilidades, se compara a la que tengo por las paradojas temporales. Es pasión. Pues aún así... se dejaba leer pero poco más.
Como dije su idea de partida me encantaba, pero pasó a ser un "Qué pasaría si...?" con el que el autor jugueteó un poco y nada más. Los personajes son casi arquetipos sin más identidad. Y ni eso, "mini arquetipos" el presidente, el fotógrafo de noticias, el religioso, el aprovechado... así que no los conoces y no te importan. La historia se desarrolla en tan poco tiempo (el tiempo de la historia, no el que tardas en leerlo) que cuesta creérsela incluso dentro de este supuesto fantástico. El final, que podría dar bastante de sí con esa idea y sus reflexiones, tampoco está bien desarrollado y la explicación que te dan sobre esos seres y sus capacidades de aprendizaje intelectuales y corporales, es un poco patatera y traída por los pelos.
No le pongo 2 estrellas porque es más bien un psss que un espanto, pero es una pena el desperdicio de posibilidades.
En fin, una historia con un par de buenas ideas que no se trabajaron bien.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

The writing is impeccable. I enjoyed the story. Just imagine, our brethren from the future. They was a certain...pollyanna quality about this. Maybe I am just in a negative space right now. I did appreciate the mention of people gathering at LaFayette Square in solidarity and protest. It felt relevant to now. I wish the story had been longer. There are still things I want to know.

[Craig · Rating 4 out of 5]

Our Children's Children was serialized in Worlds of If magazine, which was edited by the under-appreciated Ejler Jakobsson, from May through August in 1973 and was then released in book form by Putnam the following year with an interesting Richard Powers cover. The examines some issues that are even more pressing now than they were then, such as our responsibility to our descendants and the compassion that should be shown to refugees. The role of the Fourth Estate plays a big part, as it does in many of Simak's works, and the love he shows for small-town vales and society is apparent. The ending is a little bit of a let-down, but it does conclude the situation satisfactorily even though it lacks flash. It's a nice, thought-provoking read.

[J.j. Metsavana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kauge tulevik on nagu liberaali unistus, rahvariike pole, arvutid on kõikjal, loodusresursse ei raisata ja kõik masinad kestavad igavesti. Õnnetuseks ilmuvad kosmosest Alieni ja Predatori ristsugutised, kes otsustavad inimesed maha tappa ning igasuguse võidulootuse kaotanud inimkond põgeneb läbi ajatunnelite viissada aastat minevikku ehk siis Simaki kaasaega.

Kui see romaan oleks kirjutatud tänapäeval, siis oleks sellest saanud lihtsalt järjekordne sotsiaalne vaade kultuuride põrkumisest ja migrantide omaksvõtust või kiusamisest. Ehk siis vaade lihtsa inimese vaatepunktist, kes on keset seda jama sattunud. Seetõttu mõjub Simaki vaade mõnusalt originaalselt, kuna ta eeldab, et kaugete järeltulijate läbisaamisega pole erilist muret (mingeid mässe linnades küll mainitakse aga põgusalt) ning vaatleb toimuvat katastroofi läbi ajakirjanike, poliitikute ning muude kõrgel kohtadel asuvate ametnike silmade. Ajakirjanikud kaklevad parimate uudiste esmaavaldamisõiguse üle poliitikud üritavad asju mätsida, muretsevad oma tagasivalimiste pärast ja takerduvad muudesse väiklastesse probleemidesse. Maailm samal ajal laguneb, mitme miljardijagu tuleviku inimesi on majanduse põhjalikult sassi löönud ja mis kõige hullem on see, et neid minema peletanud tulnukad hakkavad tasahilju põgenikele järgnema.

Mulle meeldis, oli head fantaasialendu ja originaalseid ideid, suurejoonelisust ning lõpus leidus ka üks päris nutikas puänt.

[Watt ✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Es un libro entretenido y muy fácil de leer, no profundiza mucho en los temas tratados por eso su poca complejidad. Escrito en 1973 sorprende que se perfilen temas como la obsolescencia programada, el agotamiento de materias primas, el consumo desmesurado, la superpoblación, los problemas ecológicos... En otros aspectos ha envejecido bastante mal: los norteamericanos son muy buenos, espabilados, generosos... y los rusos muy malos; un romance cursi y totalmente innecesario en el desarrollo de la historia.
Libro curioso y ameno. (6/10)

[Иван Величков · Rating 2 out of 5]

Саймък нееднократно е заявявал, че ако една раса е достатъчно напреднала, за да пътува в космоса, би трябвало да е надраснала ксенофобията и агресията. Тук предлага сценарий, който противостои на тези му разбирания и не му се получава особено добре.
Другото нещо е, че се опитва да екстраполира глобална политика в условия на криза, още нещо в което не е добър. Книгата се е получилла повърхностна и недоразвита.

Един слънчев ден на Земята се отварят десетки портали, през които преминават милиони хора. Оказва се, че са бежанци от бъдеще в което извънземна раса почти е успяла да унищожи човечеството. Светъ като цяло, и в частност САЩ, са изправени пред глобален емиграционен проблем, а когато през един от порталите се промъква и ръвожаден иноземен хищник, нещата съвсем отиват подяволите.

[Snood · Rating 4 out of 5]

In recent years, we've become very aware of refugee crises and the kind of reactions they garner: moral panic, shouts of economic disaster, do-gooders with both kind and self-serving agendas, and the like. But what would happen in the event of a global refugee crisis? Something to the number of two billion refugees walking through time into our unprepared laps...?

That's the strange hypothetical question asked by this book and the answer involves less monster carnage than the back of the book implies. The monsters are really just another problem heaped onto the US government as we watch it struggle with feeding, housing, and managing press coverage. Unlike the last book I read that sidelined the monster to focus on the press, On Dangerous Ground, this one actually manages to make it interesting. The chapters are only a few pages long and bounce from person to person, which gives the book a much faster pace and wider scope. Time travel's inherent paradox issue is handled fairly well with a plausible explanation and knowing shrug.

Although the tone was darker than my previous Simak, it wasn't miserable like so much other apocalyptic/disaster stories. He manages to get the danger across to the reader without making it exhausting to read.

[Metaphorosis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Our Children's Children isn't so much a novel as an exploration. The idea is one echoed later by Julian May in her Saga of Pliocene Exile - humans come to our time, escaping from 500 years in the future, only our time is a pit-stop on the way to the Miocene.
The story is a careful and thoughtful examination of the ways in which humans - generous, cautious, and venal - might react. It's packaged nicely - mainly through the eyes of the White House press secretary - but what Simak is interested in here is the idea, not primarily the people.

It's an interesting exploration, and holds up for most of the book. The end, however, is something of a letdown. Having created a troublesome situation, Simak cops out at the resolution. It essentially fixes itself.

Despite the somewhat weak ending, the concept is interesting and thought through. Plus, this is written with Simak's characteristic engaging style and pleasant characters - that's primarily what rounds it up to 4 stars from 3.5.

[Gina Rheault · Rating 2 out of 5]

The premise is great: billions of our descendants coming from 500 years in the future through time tunnels popping up all over the world. The decade seems to be the 1960's, and all the president's men are white guys with WASPy names. Dialog is pretty good, like a "B" movie, and action is slow and focused on the government response: bring out the ray guns! call the New York Times!

But beyond the premise there's a huge amount of take-me-to-your-leader nonsense, endless dithering, hemming and hawing, repeating the time tunnel story over and over and over, with scant secondary crisis beyond a monster coming through with the refugees. It all ends with a vague promise of resolution.

Not all that original, nor very good, but worth scanning to see what passed for sci-fi pop in 1974, the year of publication.

[BRT · Rating 4 out of 5]

This man is the once and true genius of science fiction and I'm sorry that I hadn't discovered him earlier. He creates creatively unusual situations yet presents them in such a matter- of-fact manner that it feels more like you're reading history not sci-fi. It seems almost likely now to me that our descendants 500 years in the future will make use of time tunnels to evacuate to our time period in an desperate attempt to escape terrifying, rampaging aliens. My only complaint with this story is its abrupt and unfulfilling ending.

[Xabi1990 · Rating 3 out of 5]

6/10. Media de los 7 libros leídos del autor : 6/10

A todos y cada uno de los libros de este autor le puse un 6/10. Más normalito -pero constante- no se puede ser.

[Alexander Theofanidis · Rating 4 out of 5]

(ελληνική κριτική μετά την αλγγλική)

One fine morning, suddenly and with even less warning than the attack on Pearl Harbor, millions of people appear across the globe, emerging from (spatiotemporal) gateways. They are the “children of our children” — refugees from the future, fleeing an unspeakable horror: a relentless alien threat that is annihilating Earth and has, for the first time since the early Palaeolithic, rendered humankind primarily prey. As contemporary societies struggle to receive, shelter, and comprehend these unexpected visitors, complex issues arise: economic collapse, social tensions, and profound moral dilemmas regarding our responsibility towards those who have come to us from the time yet to be.

As present and future collide, a crucial question emerges: might the salvation of our descendants demand sacrifices we are unprepared to make? True to form, Clifford poses the question — "What sacrifices are you willing to make for your children and the generations to come?" — with a directness that leaves no room for evasion. Your children stand before you, hunted, without a future. There is no "wait and see," no "the future lies far ahead," no "let us wait for the structured bonds to recover," nor "who knows what will happen in X years." There are no loopholes, no evasions. The children of your children stand before you, in need, destitute. What. Will. You. Do? It is both an allegory and a stark reality. And it is so brilliantly, humanely, and cunningly clear that one cannot help but admire the genius of the man who penned it.

Despite the premise of a dual invasion (one aspect of which involves terrifying “predators”), there is remarkably little action. For, as is characteristic of Simak, this is a novel of contemplation, written with that rare serenity that marks his prose. He constructs a world literally flooded with our descendants — men and women fleeing an inconceivable future horror. Yet rather than dwelling on chaos and destruction, Simak looks elsewhere: to the small gestures of compassion, to the uneasy question of our responsibility towards people we have not even imagined... and yet here they are, before us. The future is no longer distant or abstract; it is here, and the time for decisions is now.

His narrative flows with a paradoxical rhythm: quiet, almost intimate, yet suffused with an underlying sense of unease. His language is spare, free from any trace of affectation — as if recounting an old family secret by the fireside. In this work, the "fantastical" is never ostentatious or external; rather, it is a bittersweet extension of human nature itself.

If there is one prevailing tone to the novel, it is sorrow — not despair, but that gentle, melancholic awareness that humanity moves in circles, often helpless before the consequences of its own actions. Simak does not write of heroes and monsters; he writes of ordinary people doing the best they can — and sometimes, that simply is not enough. And of those spineless opportunists who see crisis as opportunity, even when the sword of Damocles hangs over their very own children — or, at least, the children of their children.

Our Children's Children does not shout; it whispers. And it is for this reason that it lingers in the memory. It is also one of Simak's rare works wherein, though his faith in humanity remains intact, a quiet pessimism seeps through. No solution is found; no climactic resolution is offered. Not because the author could not craft a decisive conclusion, but because the answer to the question the novel poses lies beyond its pages — in the choices each of us makes, every day: What are we doing for the children of our children? What are we doing for the future? And the answer, alas, does little to buoy Clifford's spirits.

Let us briefly consider the key themes the novel presents:

1. Responsibility towards the future
At the heart of the novel lies the question of our duty to those who come after us. The refugees from the future are not merely seeking shelter; they are living, undeniable evidence of the consequences of our actions. Simak urges us to reflect: if the future we are building leads to despair, do we not share in the blame? Society is called upon to make room for those who no longer have a place in their own time. Our choices shape the future → for others, that future is already the present → if we render that present uninhabitable, the fault lies with us, not with those who must endure it.

2. Fear of the Other
Despite the good intentions of some, fear and suspicion are rife. The newcomers, through no fault of their own, threaten the stability of existing society. Simak captures with deep humanity the tension between the instinct of fear and the moral imperative of hospitality. The stranger — often god and monster alike — is here, even in their familiar, human form, still met with distrust. What does this say about us, as a species and as a society?

3. Collapse of social structures
Simak depicts a society crumbling not through war or cataclysm, but through its inability to absorb sudden, vast change. The state, the economy, traditional power structures — all are challenged, many fall. What remains is the need for new forms of cooperation. Sixty-five million years ago, the dinosaurs were unable to survive an unforeseen meteorite. How much better are we? How much of our current dominance is mere luck? And what happens when our own choices begin to have cataclysmic consequences?

4. Human kindness and despair
In contrast to many dystopian writers, Simak insists that goodness persists within humanity. Many of the novel's characters — ordinary people — open their homes, take risks, strive to help. Yet despair and fear are constant shadows. Kindness survives, but it is hard-won, and never guaranteed.

The novel ends not with a clear solution or catharsis, but with uncertainty and sorrow — and yet, with a faint hope that even amidst collapse, small human acts of kindness and solidarity might preserve something of what it means to be human. Whether that hope is enough to bring solace, however, is another question altogether.


Μια ωραία πρωία, ξαφνικά και με λιγότερη προειδοποίηση κι από την επίθεση στο Pearl Harbor, εκατομμύρια άνθρωποι εμφανίζονται από (χωροχρονικές) πύλες σε όλο τον κόσμο. Είναι οι "παιδιά των παιδιών μας" — πρόσφυγες από το μέλλον, που διέφυγαν για να σωθούν από έναν ανείπωτο τρόμο: μια ανελέητη εξωγήινη απειλή που αφανίζει τη Γη και έχει μετατρέψει τον άνθρωπο για πρώτη φορά μετά την πρώιμη παλαιολιθική σε «κυρίως θήραμα». Καθώς οι σύγχρονες κοινωνίες πασχίζουν να τους υποδεχτούν, να τους στεγάσουν και να τους κατανοήσουν, αναδύονται σύνθετα ζητήματα: οικονομική κατάρρευση, κοινωνικές εντάσεις, αλλά και θεμελιώδη ηθικά διλήμματα για την ευθύνη απέναντι σε αυτούς τους απροσδόκητους επισκέπτες.

Καθώς το παρόν και το μέλλον αλληλοσυγκρούονται, τίθεται το ερώτημα: μήπως η σωτηρία των απογόνων μας απαιτεί θυσίες που δεν είμαστε έτοιμοι να κάνουμε; Όπως πάντα, ΠΟΛΥ ΜΠΡΟΣΤΑ ο Κλίφορντ, θέτει το ερώτημα «τι θυσίες είσαι διατεθειμένος να κάνεις για τα παιδιά σου και τις επερχόμενες γενιές» με ένα τρόπο που δεν μπορείς να το παρακάμψεις. Τα παιδιά σου είναι εδώ, μπροστά σου, κυνηγημένα και χωρίς μέλλον. Δεν έχει «περίμενε», δεν έχει «θα δούμε», «το μέλλον κείται μακράν», «περιμένουμε ανάκαμψη των δομημένων ομόλογων» ή «σε Χ χρόνια ποιος ζει ποιος πεθαίνει». Δεν υπάρχουν υπεκφυγές, δεν υπάρχουν παραθυράκια. Τα παιδιά σου και τα παιδιά των παιδιών σου είναι εδώ μπροστά σου, σε ανάγκη, πρόσφυγες, χωρίς μέλλον. ΤΙ. ΘΑ. ΚΑΝΕΙΣ; Είναι αλληγορία και δεν είναι. Και είναι τόσο υπέροχα ανθρωπιστικά καλοπροαίρετα πονηρό και ξεκάθαρο που μένεις να θαυμάζεις την ιδιοφυΐα του ανθρώπου που το έγραψε.

Παρά το γεγονός ότι έχουμε μια διπλή εισβολή (το ένα σκέλος της είναι τρομακτικοί «predators»), η δράση είναι λίγη. Επειδή, ακριβώς, Simak, είναι ένα μυθιστόρημα στοχασμού, γραμμένο με εκείνη τη σπάνια ηρεμία που χαρακτηρίζει την πένα του. Ο συγγραφέας στήνει έναν κόσμο που κυριολεκτικά πλημμυρίζει από τους απογόνους μας — ανθρώπους κυνηγημένους από μια αδιανόητη μελλοντική φρίκη. Όμως, αντί να εστιάσει σε σκηνές χάους και καταστροφής, ο Simak κοιτάζει αλλού: στις μικρές χειρονομίες συμπόνιας, στο άβολο ερώτημα της ευθύνης απέναντι σε ανθρώπους που δεν έχουμε καν φανταστεί ακόμα… αλλά να τοι, μπροστά μας. Το μέλλον δεν είναι πλέον άδηλο, είναι εδώ και η ώρα των αποφάσεων είναι τώρα.

Η αφήγησή του ρέει με έναν παράδοξο ρυθμό: ήσυχος, σχεδόν οικείος, αλλά ταυτόχρονα γεμάτος υπόγεια αγωνία. Η γλώσσα του είναι λιτή, χωρίς ίχνος επιτήδευσης — σαν να αφηγείται κάποιος ένα παλιό οικογενειακό μυστικό γύρω από τη φωτιά. Σε αυτό το έργο, το «φανταστικό» δεν είναι ποτέ εξωτερικό ή θεαματικό, αλλά μια γλυκόπικρη προέκταση της ανθρώπινης φύσης.

Αν κάτι χαρακτηρίζει το βιβλίο, είναι η θλίψη — όχι η απόγνωση, αλλά εκείνη η ήπια, μελαγχολική αίσθηση ότι η ανθρωπότητα βαδίζει σε κύκλους, συχνά αβοήθητη απέναντι στα ίδια της τα δημιουργήματα. Ο Simak δεν γράφει για ήρωες και τέρατα· γράφει για απλούς ανθρώπους που κάνουν το καλύτερο που μπορούν — και που, κάποιες φορές, αυτό δεν είναι αρκετό. Και για ασπόνδυλα «δίποδα» που βλέπουν την κρίση σαν ευκαιρία. Ακόμη κι όταν η κρίση κρατάει δαμόκλειο σπάθη πάνω από τα ίδια τους τα παιδιά. Ή έστω, τα παιδιά των παιδιών τους.

Το Our Children's Children δεν κραυγάζει· ψιθυρίζει. Και γι' αυτό ακριβώς μένει αξέχαστο. Όπως και επειδή είναι ένα από τα λίγα έργα του Σίμακ που (ενώ η πίστη του στον άνθρωπο παραμένη ισχυρή) διακατέχεται από μια σχετική απαισιοδοξία. Η λύση δεν βρίσκεται, δεν υπάρχει κορύφωση, δεν υπάρχει κάθαρση. Όχι φυσικά επειδή ο συγγραφέας δεν μπορούσε να κλείσει το βιβλίο με τελευταίο κεφάλαιο και αποφασιστική κατακλείδα, αλλά επειδή η απάντηση στο ερώτημα που θέτει το βιβλίο δίνεται έξω από αυτό από τον καθένα μας, καθημερινά: Τι κάνουμε για τα παιδιά των παιδιών μας; Τι κάνουμε για το μέλλον; Και η απάντηση αυτή, δεν κάνει τον καλό μας Κλίφορντ να νιώσει πολύ αισιόδοξος…

Ας δούμε λίγο τα θεματάκια που παρουσιάζει το βιβλίο:

1. Ευθύνη προς το μέλλον
Το κεντρικό θέμα του μυθιστορήματος είναι η ευθύνη μας απέναντι σε αυτούς που έρχονται μετά από εμάς. Οι πρόσφυγες από το μέλλον δεν ζητούν μόνο φιλοξενία· είναι ένα ζωντανό, αδιάψευστο αποτέλεσμα των επιλογών μας. Ο Simak μας καλεί να αναρωτηθούμε: Αν το μέλλον που κτίζουμε οδηγεί σε απόγνωση, δεν φέρουμε και εμείς μερίδιο της ευθύνης; Η κοινωνία του «παρόντος» καλείται να δώσει χώρο σε εκείνους που δεν έχουν θέση πια στο δικό τους χρόνο. Οι επιλογές μας, διαμορφώνουν το μέλλον -> το μέλλον είναι παρόν για άλλους -> αν καταστήσουμε το παρόν τους μη βιώσιμο, φταίμε εμείς και μόνο εμείς, όχι εκείνοι που θα το βιώσουν.

2. Ο φόβος του Άλλου
Παρά την καλοπροαίρετη διάθεση μερίδας του πληθυσμού, υπάρχει διάχυτος ο φόβος και η καχυποψία. Οι νεοφερμένοι απειλούν, χωρίς να το θέλουν, την ισορροπία της υπάρχουσας κοινωνίας. Ο Simak καταγράφει με πολύ ανθρώπινο τρόπο την ένταση ανάμεσα στο ένστικτο του φόβου και στην ηθική επιταγή της φιλοξενίας. Ο ξένος, θεός και τέρας ενίοτε, εδώ παρά την ήπια και οικεία φύση του (άλλωστε είναι όντως παιδιά μας) αντιμετωπίζεται με καχυποψία και φόβο. Τι μπορεί να λέει αυτό για εμάς, ως είδος και ως κοινωνία;

3. Κατάρρευση των κοινωνικών δομών
Ο συγγραφέας απεικονίζει πώς μια κοινωνία μπορεί να διαλυθεί όχι από πόλεμο ή φυσική καταστροφή, αλλά από την αδυναμία της να απορροφήσει τεράστιες, απροσδόκητες αλλαγές. Το κράτος, η οικονομία, οι παραδοσιακές δομές εξουσίας αμφισβητούνται ή καταρρέουν, αφήνοντας πίσω τους την ανάγκη για νέες μορφές συνεργασίας. Πριν 65 εκατομμύρια χρόνια οι δεινόσαυροι δεν κατάφεραν να ανταπεξέλθουν σε έναν «unforseen» μετεωριτάκο. Πόσο καλύτεροι είμαστε από αυτούς; Πόσο η θέση μας αυτή τηστιγμή στην κορυφή της τροφικής αλυσίδας είναι καθαρά από τύχη; Τι θα γίνει όταν οι επιλογές μας αρχίσουν να έχουν αντίκτυπο;

4. Ανθρώπινη καλοσύνη και απελπισία
Σε αντίθεση με πολλούς συγγραφείς δυστοπίας, ο Simak επιμένει ότι υπάρχει καλοσύνη στον άνθρωπο. Πολλοί ήρωες του βιβλίου —συνηθισμένοι άνθρωποι— ανοίγουν τα σπίτια τους, ρισκάρουν, προσπαθούν να βοηθήσουν. Παράλληλα όμως, η απελπισία και ο φόβος είναι πάντα παρόντες — ένα μόνιμο, σκιώδες υπόβαθρο.

Το βιβλίο δεν κλείνει με μια οριστική λύση ή κάθαρση: κλείνει με αβεβαιότητα και θλίψη, αλλά και με μια αμυδρή ελπίδα ότι, ακόμα και σε συνθήκες κατάρρευσης, οι μικρές ανθρώπινες πράξεις καλοσύνης και αλληλεγγύης ίσως μπορέσουν να διατηρήσουν κάτι από την ουσία της ανθρωπότητας. Αλλά αν νιώθει κανείς λυτρωμένος, είναι άλλο ζήτημα…

[Mateo Tomas · Rating 2 out of 5]

Starts out with juicy ideas about refugees from the future….then it flirts with the plot of his book “Mastodonia” which I think was published in the same year,….for example.

"Not as insane as you might think. Imagine what a sportsman would be willing to pay for the privilege of going back to prehistoric days for a spot of hunting. Universities would want to send teams of paleontologists back to the Age of Reptiles to study and photograph the dinosaurs. Classical historians would sell their souls to go back and learn what really happened at the siege of Troy..


"And the church," said Douglas rather acidly, "might want a first-class ticket for a seat at the Crucifixion.”

"I suppose that, too," Chapman agreed, "and, as you imply, there would be times when it might get slightly sticky. There'd have to be rules and regulations worked out and certain safeguards set up not to change the course of history, but....
"It wouldn't work," said Douglas flatly. "Time traveling, we are told, works in only one direction, back toward the past.


“Our Children’s Children” takes place in 1998 (published in 1974 )feels and reads like 1954, but that’s all of his stuff. The protagonists names are always very rural America. Evan a woman 500 years from the future is named Alice. Still when he’s good he’s good, and there are some fun scenes and ideas peppered throughout this.

However

With all of these different plot points colliding and tension mounting, I was looking forward to what the resolution was. Very anti climactic. Lacks satisfaction. Ends with two characters who we never really got to know getting back together. It feels like the ending to any number of books he’s written.

[Edwin · Rating 3 out of 5]

All over the world, gates are appearing out of nowhere and people are entering our world. They turn out to be refugees from the far future, fleeing from an invasion by fierce, violent and quite deadly alien creatures. Soon, millions, billions of 'our children's children' are overcrowding the planet and a gigantic economic and humanitarian crisis looms. And then a couple of the aliens manage to get through as well and start reproducing at an alarming rate. Is present Earth -like its future- now also doomed?
Clifford Simak was one of the pioneers of science fiction in the 20th Century. This book is from 1974, but his writing always remained comfortably rooted in the Golden Age. That makes this novel seem a bit dated, but at the same time gives it that 'sense of wonder' that was so special about that era. It's quite naïve at times, but it is a style I am very comfortable with. It raises a few interesting issues, although they are only dealt with in a rather superficial manner. The characers are rather flat and the character growth is all but nonexistent. The US-centered point of view is also a bit distracting ("On the basis of history, we knew there were few governments we could trust-actually, only two, you and the British." Yeah, right.) Still, it's a great read if you're interested in classic science fiction.

[Daniel Lewis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting idea for time travel, they discovered a way to go back in time but not forward, only backward. People from the future, our children's children, came back in time fleeing monsters and then the rest I could say would be a spoiler so I wont. Well worth a read, well written and only one minor plot flaw in my mind but thats not too bad.

#timetravel #cliffordsimak

[Daniel · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've enjoy many of Simak's books and so picked this one up as one I hadn't seen. It's less than a novel than notes for a novel. After setting up a premise a bunch of barely defined stick figures try to figure out what to about it. Both plot and characters are barely sketched in. There are some interesting ideas poking around at the edges but he doesn't seem interested in exploring them. Unless you're a Simak "completist" this is one you can skip.

[David Haverstick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Promising start, the conclusion wraps up nicely as well. It's the middle that drags. Lots of political dialogue, some of it seeming quite contrived. A pair of half-thought through infatuations as well that I think were supposed to be love interests. I think if a lot of the middle was pared out if this story, then it would make for a much stronger novella.

[Ian Wells · Rating 2 out of 5]

It has not aged well

This was written in a different era, and that permeates the story. Sadly it has not aged well.
The actual story is interesting, with another twist on time travel.
The ending comes suddenly, as though the last few chapters were lost.

[Janmi Pace · Rating 3 out of 5]

🎬 Nos encontramos ante una novela que nos puede recordar por su argumento a la reciente película «La guerra del mañana» (Amazon Prime video). Las premisas son parecidas, aunque en lugar de ser tan militarista, este libro trata más los problemas y consecuencias de los refugiados del futuro en la época pasada a la que emigran.

🏍 Pese a tener una línea argumental, así como los cargos de sus personajes, más política, el libro es entretenido y fácil de leer. Su corta extensión (160 páginas) también lo favorece, aunque más adelante veremos que esto es un inconveniente.

✒ La novela está escrita y transcurre en los años 70 del pasado siglo. Veremos muchos elementos hoy en día ya olvidados como «teletipos» o «máquinas de escribir». Para un lector actual quizás lo que más cueste sea la falta de personajes femeninos con peso real en la trama. Por cierto, está prácticamente centrado en los estadounidenses, a quienes caracterizan como salvadores.

⚡ Me gusta que, habiendo sido publicado en los años 70, el autor pone de manifiesto los problemas de consumo de materias primas de la época, el ecologismo, la obsolescencia, la energía o incluso la necesidad o no de religiones. Una visión muy actual, que debió de ser novedosa en su época.

👎🏻 Pese a ser entretenido, podría haberse aprovechado mejor la premisa argumental y haber explotado más la tecnología y conocimientos del futuro, así como «su amenaza» (no lo detallo para no hacer spoilers).

🎢 A mi juicio el final es inconcluso y creo que a la novela le faltan unas 100 páginas más como mínimo. Es una pena que este corte tan abrupto deje todo en el aire y no de mayor calidad a la novela.

⭐⭐⭐ De cualquier forma, es un libro entretenido que puede agradar a los lectores asiduos de ciencia ficción. Eso sí, teniendo en cuenta que es una lectura ligera.

[N. M. D. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Billions of refugees from the future flee extinction from vicious aliens by traveling back to the 1970s.

Here are some fun ideas from this book: A rapidly-reproducing, outrageously adaptive alien getting lose in the US and Russia threatens America with invasion to stop it. Irreligious future decendants rubbing Bible-thumping Americans the wrong way. Future people planning to go back to the Miocene era and work towards leaving for space so they don't affect humanity's timeline. Exclusive rights to time tunnel blueprints so to profit off tourist travel. A completely crazy reason the dinosaurs went extinct. Two universes, one moving forward in time, the other, backward.

Clifford Simak gathered up these ideas and then said to himself, "How can I make all of this bland as hell?" And he found the answer: present them almost entirely through backroom political machinations.

The story is told almost entirely through dialogue by too-many indistinct characters that you can't keep track of. It wasn't until two thirds through that I realized the White House press secretary was the story's closest thing to a main character. By then, I didn't really care, and I was bored.

I've loved some Simak but he is proving to be very uneven.

[Colleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is actually a 200 page short story that answers a burning question back in the mid 1970s. Bentley is a war photographer who witnesses the first refugees from 500 years in the future escaping into the present day. The first of a few billions of them running from the alien monsters loose on the planet. Most of the action takes place in Washington DC and involves the President, some of his Cabinet, a few power hungry Senators, the Press, and some of the evangelical clergy. The planet is already over populated so adding the burden of new mouths to feed and people to house sets the whole world on edge. Nobody really believes they came from the future but there's no other explanation. And then they find out about the monsters. - It's nice to see how functional government works after watching the MAGA Congress try to select a Speaker whose primary skill is blowing up discussions. The book was a nice diversion from Israel bombing Gaza into the stone age. Almost took my mind off the disaster our actual timeline has developed.

[Kaupo Rebane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kuhjaga naiivsust ja pisut palju jutlustamist. Kuigi siin on ka peategelane, pühendatakse palju leheruumi kõrvalepõigetele, et näidata USA ühiskonna eri liikmete reaktsioone. See “teil on parim riik” õhkamine ja jumalik president muutub lausa koomiliseks. Miljardid ja paar-kolm võtmeisikut - see tundub kuidagi maailmavaateline. Ennastsalgav, üdini aus, põhimõttekindel press ja ahne tööstur võiks ehk olla oma ajastu koondportreed.
Üks väheseid Simaki teoseid, kus ei manustata ohtralt viskit ega kütita pesukarusid. Ajarännu tehnoloogia on huvitav.
Kurb on see, et nii mõnedki arengud on läinud risti vastupidises suunas optimistliku ulmekirjaniku soovitule. Ei no võib-olla veel jõuab, viiesajast aastast on kulunud vaid kümnendik.
Kusagil neljakümne üheksanda lehekülje paiku tekkis mul selge nägemus, kuidas see lugu võiks lõppeda nii, et ajajooned jälle üheks saaks. Olen kindel, et ka autor plaanis sama, kuid tellija nõudmisel pööras pehmoks. Või siis mõtles seda arendada teises köites, aga ei jõudnud. Äkki peaksin järje kirjutamise enda peale võtma.

[Tom Britz · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel begins with a strange premise, our future ancestors have run up against an unrelenting and invincible foe and are streaming back to our time via one-way time tunnels that they hastily have built. Suddenly the predicted over-population problem has become a right-in-your-face reality. With millions of our future progeny streaming in through these many time tunnels back to our time this problem suddenly takes a back seat, when a few of the alien invaders that they were running from also come through. The storyline seems to have holes that you could drive through, but Clifford D. Simak weaves a believable story around and through it. Certainly not one of his best, but even his less-than-stellar efforts are better than many others.

[Lauri · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lame muinasjutt teada tuntud Simaki pehmes stiilis. Mingid ajatunnelid, mingid tulevikuinimesed, mingid übermacho tulnukaselukad, kes on võitmatud, munevad välgukiirusel tuhandeid mune, kasvavad täis paari tunniga ja on põhimõtteliselt alieni ja predatori ristsugutised. Ühtlasi on kogu stoori sama usutav nagu Bill Clintoni kuulus "I did not have sex with that woman!".
Simakil on mõned head lood, eriti mõnusad on teravuste ja karmi liini vältimine. Kõik tegelased on sellised pehmod ja ajavad pehmot juttu. Igasugu klassikad, härjapõlvlaste kaitsealad, linnad ja vahejaamad. See siin on paraku ajale jalgu jäänud ja rõhuva enamuse oma väärtusest - mis polnud ilmselt eriti kõrge juba ilmudeski - ammu kaotanud.

[Alice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Original idea

Wow. What a ride. A billion people from 500 years in the future suddenly appear by marching through time portals 5 abreast in numerous locations throughout the world. The story focused on the USA and the response of the President. As he points out these are the Children of our Children. Lots of fun as the various repercussions are worked out. Of course aliens are involved this is Sci-Fi after all. Brilliant. Loved it. The ending was abrupt and I wished it had gone further. Obviously written by a man as the romance was barely sketched out.

[karolina · Rating 2 out of 5]

Czy tę książkę ktoś uciął w połowie? Ta książka zakończyła się w momencie, gdy akcja mogła się na dobre rozkręcić i to sprawiło, że mam co do niej trochę mieszane uczucia. Trochę wygląda to tak jakby autor przygotował się pod pisanie fajnej, może w dzisiejszych czasach nieco oklepanej już historii, ale stracił wenę albo pomysły i poprostu przestał pisać XD. Przyjemnie się to czytało, ale ta historia praktycznie nie ma zakończenia. Może specjalnie, żeby zmusić czytelnika do zastanowienia się jakie decyzje mogliby podjąć bohaterowie, ale ja tego nie kupuję😁

[Greg · Rating 2 out of 5]

Only slightly better than Simak's other invader novel, The Visitors, which deals with the same political, sociological, and journalistic issues of incorporating new technology forced upon an unsuspecting world. This one at least has some monsters. But it has that same '50s style of characterless storytelling that makes one suspect it was a older work dusted off and presented as something new. Very had to slog through.

[Aimi Tedresalu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tundub, et Simaki ulmelooming mulle täitsa sobib. Selle raamatu avalõiku kujutasin igatahes elavalt ette: istub tüüp sõprade valvatava suvemaja terrassil mugavalt aiatooli, lihalõik grillil küpsemas ja külma õlle purk käeulatuses. Oodatavast idüllist ei tule aga midagi välja, sest iidse valge tamme all avaneb järsku uks ja sellest hakkavad välja kõndima inimesed. Peategelase veenmiseks ei kulu üldse palju aega ja peagi on kogu maailmal selge, et nende juurde kõnnivad põgenikud 500 aasta kauguselt tulevikust, põgenedes ähvardava ohu eest. Mu meelest oleks siin ainest isegi kopsakamaks looks ja saaks veel igasuguseid teemasid ja liine arendada, kuigi kes seda ikka nii pikalt lugeda viitsiks. Kohati läkski isegi juba nämmutamisekes, kuid üldjoontes mulle meeldis.