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Cemetery World
Earth: expensive, elite graveyard to the galaxy. Ravaged 10,000 years earlier by war, Earth was reclaimed by its space-dwelling offspring as a planet of landscaping and tombstones. None of them fully human, Fletcher, Cynthia, and Elmer journey through this dead world, discovering human traits and undertaking a quest to rebuild a human world on Earth.
159 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 1973
About the author
Clifford D. Simak
956 books1,079 followers"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...
See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clifford...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 135 reviews
December 27, 2020
If you haven’t ready any of my Simak’s reviews in the past, I’m a fan of his work. I find it a rare breed of calm but wonderous science fiction. And I love the premise of this story. Earth is the victim of a devastating global war and mankind flees to the stars. Fast forward 10 thousand years into the future, and mankind has successfully spread across the galaxy, while the Earth has recovered and has been claimed as a planetary-wide cemetery. People across the galaxy pay extraordinary fees to send their dearly departed back to mankind’s cradle.
Simak creates an incredible feeling of nostalgia at the beginning of this book.
“The cemetery stretched away in the morning light, a thing of breathless beauty.”
“The stately pines, planted in the aisles that ran between the rows of graves, made soft and moaning music.”
But just as quickly, he creates a feeling of unease. Earth, it seems, is not the serene, tranquil resting place it has been proclaimed. To me, the story unfolded a bit like the “Wizard of Oz.” A journey across a strange land, where odd creatures join the party, and must ward off various evils. Maybe I saw too much into this, but it seemed to me that the scarecrow and the tin man, at least were present. Nevertheless, I greatly enjoyed the first half of the story.
But then, I felt like Simak lost his footing. The plot became unfocused and the book couldn’t seem to decide what it was. Is it a love story, a treasure hunt, voyage and return, quest for adventure, or defeat the monster? Well, it’s all those things and ultimately does none of them well. The caretakes of Earth, “Cemetery, Inc.” are established as the villain and a great treasure is suggested, but neither of these plotlines had satisfactory resolutions in my opinion. The second half of the book wandered and could have used more focus and clarity of plot.
Despite these disappointments, I still enjoyed the book through to the end. It’s creative, quaint, and well-told. Simak is not hard sci-fi, he’s not rip-roaring action adventure, but he is a wonderful storyteller and that carries the day for me.
An imaginative journey across a graveyard Earth, set in the far future with an eclectic cast of characters that concludes in a somewhat unsatisfying ending. Four ornate marble stars.
Simak creates an incredible feeling of nostalgia at the beginning of this book.
“The cemetery stretched away in the morning light, a thing of breathless beauty.”
“The stately pines, planted in the aisles that ran between the rows of graves, made soft and moaning music.”
But just as quickly, he creates a feeling of unease. Earth, it seems, is not the serene, tranquil resting place it has been proclaimed. To me, the story unfolded a bit like the “Wizard of Oz.” A journey across a strange land, where odd creatures join the party, and must ward off various evils. Maybe I saw too much into this, but it seemed to me that the scarecrow and the tin man, at least were present. Nevertheless, I greatly enjoyed the first half of the story.
But then, I felt like Simak lost his footing. The plot became unfocused and the book couldn’t seem to decide what it was. Is it a love story, a treasure hunt, voyage and return, quest for adventure, or defeat the monster? Well, it’s all those things and ultimately does none of them well. The caretakes of Earth, “Cemetery, Inc.” are established as the villain and a great treasure is suggested, but neither of these plotlines had satisfactory resolutions in my opinion. The second half of the book wandered and could have used more focus and clarity of plot.
Despite these disappointments, I still enjoyed the book through to the end. It’s creative, quaint, and well-told. Simak is not hard sci-fi, he’s not rip-roaring action adventure, but he is a wonderful storyteller and that carries the day for me.
An imaginative journey across a graveyard Earth, set in the far future with an eclectic cast of characters that concludes in a somewhat unsatisfying ending. Four ornate marble stars.
March 17, 2026
Носталгични, но и заслужени пет звезди от мен!
Приятно и грамотно списана лека фантастика, запазена марка за творчеството на големия Клифърд Саймък. Интригува, но не досажда!
След ужасяваща последна война, Земята е опустошена почти напълно, а най-добрите ѝ чеда завинаги са се пръснали между звездите. Хилядолетия по-късно, планетата се рекламира като ексклузивен и луксозен гробищен парк, където богаташите ще намерят вечен покой.
Но всеки медал си има обратна страна и на нашите герои им предстои да се запознаят с другото лице на захаросаната представа за идеално контролирана корпоративна утопия.
Остават и няколко загадки неизяснени, които всеки читател може да реши по свое усмотрение.
Приятно и грамотно списана лека фантастика, запазена марка за творчеството на големия Клифърд Саймък. Интригува, но не досажда!
След ужасяваща последна война, Земята е опустошена почти напълно, а най-добрите ѝ чеда завинаги са се пръснали между звездите. Хилядолетия по-късно, планетата се рекламира като ексклузивен и луксозен гробищен парк, където богаташите ще намерят вечен покой.
Но всеки медал си има обратна страна и на нашите герои им предстои да се запознаят с другото лице на захаросаната представа за идеално контролирана корпоративна утопия.
Остават и няколко загадки неизяснени, които всеки читател може да реши по свое усмотрение.
February 18, 2024
A graveyard on planet Earth, destroyed by war 10,000 years ago!
Music is no longer called simply “music”. In a distant future, an artist imbues a radical, specially designed artificial intelligence with his own thoughts and creativity. The computer/robot (styled a “compositor”) then uses that uploaded information together with the sensory inputs that it receives from the environment around it to create a multi-media piece of art/music that is characterized as a “composition”. Fletcher Carson wants to return to earth, humanity’s birthplace, to create a revolutionary piece of art that would reflect the birth and death of the planet together with its current status as graveyard to the galaxy.
Full marks to author Clifford D Simak (long one of my classic sci-fi favourites) for a novel full of provocative ideas – robotic intelligence that is both sentient and fully autonomous, reminiscent of Star Trek’s innovative use of Data in the original series; a futuristic idea for the combination of art and music into “compositions”; the metaphorical use of planet Earth as a graveyard for humanity that perforce emigrated to other planets after they had destroyed their home planet in a senseless war; the use of unthinking programmed machines left behind to carry on a meaningless war long after humanity had evacuated Earth; the notion that sentient artificial intelligence left to its own devices in the long-term might evolve and grow; and more.
Sounds gripping and positively rife with potential, doesn’t it? And you’d think that ideas like that in the hands of a masterful wordsmith like Simak would make CEMETERY WORLD a hands-down winner! Consider this brief poetic segment on the “compositor” hard at work communing with the world around it creating a futuristic masterpiece:
“He is sitting out there soaking it all up … He is weaving a woodland fantasy out of the dark shapes of the trees, the sound of nighttime wind in leaves, the chuckle of the water, the glitter of the stars and three black shapes huddled at a camfire. A campfire canvas, a nocturne, a poem, perhaps a delicate piece of sculpture – he’s putting it all together.”
Sadly, CEMETERY WORLD fails pretty miserably. The plot-line and the character development never really rise much above the weakest B-grade spaghetti westerns. The hero and his love interest remain well below the threshold of credible and the villains are little more than hokey hillbillies. Indeed, the stillborn possibilities inherent in those ideas were the only reason I decided on a 2-star rating as opposed to 1-star or perhaps even a DNF. If you’ve never read Simak’s work before then, for goodness’ sake, do NOT start here. It’d be a sure bet that you’d never pick up other classics of the genre such as WAY STATION, TIME AND AGAIN or CITY.
Paul Weiss
Music is no longer called simply “music”. In a distant future, an artist imbues a radical, specially designed artificial intelligence with his own thoughts and creativity. The computer/robot (styled a “compositor”) then uses that uploaded information together with the sensory inputs that it receives from the environment around it to create a multi-media piece of art/music that is characterized as a “composition”. Fletcher Carson wants to return to earth, humanity’s birthplace, to create a revolutionary piece of art that would reflect the birth and death of the planet together with its current status as graveyard to the galaxy.
Full marks to author Clifford D Simak (long one of my classic sci-fi favourites) for a novel full of provocative ideas – robotic intelligence that is both sentient and fully autonomous, reminiscent of Star Trek’s innovative use of Data in the original series; a futuristic idea for the combination of art and music into “compositions”; the metaphorical use of planet Earth as a graveyard for humanity that perforce emigrated to other planets after they had destroyed their home planet in a senseless war; the use of unthinking programmed machines left behind to carry on a meaningless war long after humanity had evacuated Earth; the notion that sentient artificial intelligence left to its own devices in the long-term might evolve and grow; and more.
Sounds gripping and positively rife with potential, doesn’t it? And you’d think that ideas like that in the hands of a masterful wordsmith like Simak would make CEMETERY WORLD a hands-down winner! Consider this brief poetic segment on the “compositor” hard at work communing with the world around it creating a futuristic masterpiece:
“He is sitting out there soaking it all up … He is weaving a woodland fantasy out of the dark shapes of the trees, the sound of nighttime wind in leaves, the chuckle of the water, the glitter of the stars and three black shapes huddled at a camfire. A campfire canvas, a nocturne, a poem, perhaps a delicate piece of sculpture – he’s putting it all together.”
Sadly, CEMETERY WORLD fails pretty miserably. The plot-line and the character development never really rise much above the weakest B-grade spaghetti westerns. The hero and his love interest remain well below the threshold of credible and the villains are little more than hokey hillbillies. Indeed, the stillborn possibilities inherent in those ideas were the only reason I decided on a 2-star rating as opposed to 1-star or perhaps even a DNF. If you’ve never read Simak’s work before then, for goodness’ sake, do NOT start here. It’d be a sure bet that you’d never pick up other classics of the genre such as WAY STATION, TIME AND AGAIN or CITY.
Paul Weiss
February 7, 2023
В далечното бъдеще хората са успели да се заселят из цялата Вселена… Една огромна корпорация е превърнала Земята в гробище, където да бъдат погребвани покойниците от различните светове. Флечър пътува с поклоннически кораб до Земята, за да научи повече за планетата, откъдето произлиза човечеството, а също така и за да сбъдне там своята мечта, да създаде Композитор. Той води със себе си освободения робот Елмър, а пък на Земята среща Синтия, която иска да му помогне, а и също да провери, дали наистина съществува едно легендарно съкровище... Заедно, героите се забъркват в доста опасни приключения, опитвайки се да разкрият мистериите, случващи се на планетата... Корпорацията естествено ги преследва, а те дори предприемаъ по странен начин вълнуващо пътешествие във времето.
За мен, „Гробищен свят“ определено е една от най-силните и увлекателни истории, написани от големия Клифърд Саймък!
За мен, „Гробищен свят“ определено е една от най-силните и увлекателни истории, написани от големия Клифърд Саймък!
October 14, 2018
Много типичен роман на автора, в който редува красиви описания с дълбоки разсъждения, глуповат екшън с абсурдни ситуации, времеви и космически пътувания с паралелни и алтернативни вселени. Както обикновено тези десетина малки допуски променят хода на повествованието и успяват да изненадат читателя, къде приятно, къде го хвърлят в недоумение. Героите са само скицирани, както главните, така и второстепенните и оставят полето на романа да бъде завладяно от Земята, но цялото нещо е доста далече от лилава проза, поне от втората третина нататък.
Първите глави са едно от най-красивите неща, които съм чел. Целия контраст между красотата на Земята, превърната в гробище, и бича на алчната бюрокрация на държащата я корпорация е толкова дълбок, че ти се иска да ревеш и да се смееш едновременно.
Карсън е модерен артист правещ нещо като комбинирани инсталации от всички възможни изкуства с помощта на Мустанг – изкуствен интелект поместен в тяло с големината на вагон и способен да улови хиляди понятия едновременно. Заедно с робота Елмър отиват на Земята, за да намерят вдъхновение. Там ще се сблъскат с безмилостните агенти на корпорация „Гробище“, една симпатична историчка, призраци, кибервълци, мародери, хилядолетен извънземен, пътуване във времето и много други неща, само за да открият древно съкровище и една порочна схема за печелене на пари.
На места прозата тук почти ми напомни за тази на Бийгъл. Наистина, ако я беше кондензирал в едно направление (това за гробището) книгата може би щеше да стане Саймъковия Magnum Opus.
Първите глави са едно от най-красивите неща, които съм чел. Целия контраст между красотата на Земята, превърната в гробище, и бича на алчната бюрокрация на държащата я корпорация е толкова дълбок, че ти се иска да ревеш и да се смееш едновременно.
Карсън е модерен артист правещ нещо като комбинирани инсталации от всички възможни изкуства с помощта на Мустанг – изкуствен интелект поместен в тяло с големината на вагон и способен да улови хиляди понятия едновременно. Заедно с робота Елмър отиват на Земята, за да намерят вдъхновение. Там ще се сблъскат с безмилостните агенти на корпорация „Гробище“, една симпатична историчка, призраци, кибервълци, мародери, хилядолетен извънземен, пътуване във времето и много други неща, само за да открият древно съкровище и една порочна схема за печелене на пари.
На места прозата тук почти ми напомни за тази на Бийгъл. Наистина, ако я беше кондензирал в едно направление (това за гробището) книгата може би щеше да стане Саймъковия Magnum Opus.
June 16, 2023
I am very fond of Clifford D. Simak(August 3, 1904 – April 25, 1988) his particular brand of sci-fi/speculative fiction was one I sound entrancing. The complexity of his scenarios was pretty unique, I still think for the era he wrote in and I guess a lot of his contemporaries felt the same, as Wikipedia tells me "He won three Hugo Awards and one Nebula Award. The Science Fiction Writers of America made him its third SFWA Grand Master, and the Horror Writers Association made him one of three inaugural winners of the Bram Stoker Award for Lifetime Achievement".
In any case, I love his work and Cemetery World was one of my favourites, BUT I never owned it, I only got to read it once very fast. It left a lasting memory of through enjoyment in a book and I was delighted to come across it in a second hand book shop the other day.
Cemetery World postulated a galaxy, ten thousand years into the future. The world was wracked with un-survivable wars that left it covered in pollution and radiation, a ruin in which few survived. Meanwhile, humanity spread to the stars and their worlds and returned eventually to Earth only as a huge corporation, which makes it's money by offering the Earth as a final resting place for those who can afford it - hence Cemetery World, that is what it has become, manicured and controlled by Cemetery.
Fletcher Carson is an artist from a world on which artist weave together unimaginable (and, not fully described) compositions using sight, sound and who knows what else. Fletcher has built a special 'compositor' which will enable him to create compositions from Earth. But first he must fight free of the tendrils of Cemetery, for Fletcher wants to create from 'the wild' outside the bounds of the neat rows of graves and evergreens. The wild that the corporation has nothing of interest.
The adventure is a real ride! Far more complex than one would image, looking at this slim volume. There is such a lot happening and as we think we are slowing down toward an expected end - well, the plot turning on it's head, shakes you off and goes off on unexpected tangents.
I enjoyed every moment of it. I also feel that Simak is one of the authors who has not dated badly, among the early sci-fi greats his work often keeps a freshness to it that feels contemporary. Not always of course, some have dated but I did not feel this was one of them.
In any case, I love his work and Cemetery World was one of my favourites, BUT I never owned it, I only got to read it once very fast. It left a lasting memory of through enjoyment in a book and I was delighted to come across it in a second hand book shop the other day.
Cemetery World postulated a galaxy, ten thousand years into the future. The world was wracked with un-survivable wars that left it covered in pollution and radiation, a ruin in which few survived. Meanwhile, humanity spread to the stars and their worlds and returned eventually to Earth only as a huge corporation, which makes it's money by offering the Earth as a final resting place for those who can afford it - hence Cemetery World, that is what it has become, manicured and controlled by Cemetery.
Fletcher Carson is an artist from a world on which artist weave together unimaginable (and, not fully described) compositions using sight, sound and who knows what else. Fletcher has built a special 'compositor' which will enable him to create compositions from Earth. But first he must fight free of the tendrils of Cemetery, for Fletcher wants to create from 'the wild' outside the bounds of the neat rows of graves and evergreens. The wild that the corporation has nothing of interest.
The adventure is a real ride! Far more complex than one would image, looking at this slim volume. There is such a lot happening and as we think we are slowing down toward an expected end - well, the plot turning on it's head, shakes you off and goes off on unexpected tangents.
I enjoyed every moment of it. I also feel that Simak is one of the authors who has not dated badly, among the early sci-fi greats his work often keeps a freshness to it that feels contemporary. Not always of course, some have dated but I did not feel this was one of them.
February 17, 2016
I can't remember where I first heard of this. I thought it was from a goodreads friend but no one seems to have reviewed it that I'm friends with. But this was just AMAZING! I can't believe I've spent so many decades reading science fiction and never come across this author before.
I LOVED this. A woman historian, robots who'd lived 1000s of years, ghosts, and a post-apocalyptic Earth that had been reborn. The book reminded me most of Peter Beagle's work. There was a gentleness to the characters and the setting that despite the context made it feel comforting. It had some definite science fiction tropes but played them out in a wonderfully unique and interesting way. I am definitely going to read everything else I can find by this author.
I LOVED this. A woman historian, robots who'd lived 1000s of years, ghosts, and a post-apocalyptic Earth that had been reborn. The book reminded me most of Peter Beagle's work. There was a gentleness to the characters and the setting that despite the context made it feel comforting. It had some definite science fiction tropes but played them out in a wonderfully unique and interesting way. I am definitely going to read everything else I can find by this author.
November 26, 2024
This is a novel set very far in the future, when Earth has become a post-apocalyptic shadow of its former glory, home to the ghosts and graves of a vanished humanity. It's the story of a quest across the barren and hostile planet by an artist and his companions, and their interplay is the core of the tale. Somehow in the midst of the bleak setting, Simak captures the warmth of friendship and love and humanity. It's one of his better robot-centric stories, too, and a cautionary tale about corporate greed and ecological necessity and the horrors of war. It was serialized in Analog magazine from 11/72 to 1/73, and I still remember checking the mailbox, looking for the arrival of that third installment! Putnam published it in hardback in 1973, it was a main selection of the SF Book Club, and DAW brought it back in the '80s with a nice Frank Kelly Freas cover. The first third in Analog had a great John Schoenherr cover, and the Putnam/Berkley editions had a Vincent di Fate and then a Paul Lehr, so Simak really got the best coverage of his career with this title. This is one that hasn't suffered from aging much at all.
May 19, 2019
This is not a great novel, but it is likable. If you suppose that Simak's seminal work is his novel "City," then you probably measure all of his other works against it. For me, his best work was "The Goblin Reservation". I read it many years ago and have re-read it several times in the passing years. Simak has a talent for his gentle characters and beautiful landscapes. Simak clearly loves the people and places of the midwest in which he lived and this comes through in this novel, as it does in all of his novels. His later works are often disparaged, compared to "City", but there is still a warmth and imagination here that is well worth indulging as a late work by a master. If you are a Clifford D. Simak fan then definitely read this book.
November 25, 2018
Една от онези книги прочетени през летните ваканции, земята превърната в гробище, корпорация за власт , спомените се размиват след толкова години , но няма да забравя, че след нейният прочит Саймък стана един от любимите ми автори и все още е .Давам и 4 звезди , защото съвършенствто в "Градът" "Междинна Станция" "Всичко живо е трева " трудно може да бъде достигнато.
May 25, 2015
What begins, well, after a bit of exposition, as a classic survivalist tale ends up as a puzzle concerning alien intervention (perhaps, a deus ex machina and time-travel. At times, Cemetery World seems to be a cautionary morality tale about corporate greed and the futility of warfare (indeed, a peace message reverberates through the entire plot) and thuggery. It is no surprise that Simak introduces time-travel and bucolic landscapes; he’s done that on several occasions(most notably Way Station and Time and Time Again--both published under different titles, as well). The warp and woof of his work weaves together both the sense of destiny and futility with which humankind struggles.
Cemetery World begins with an artist’s dream, pulls together the desire for meaning inherent in archaeology’s quest, and ties in the Babylonian Captivity precedent of removing the creatives, intellectuals, and innovators from a civilization while leaving the backward, primitive, and unimaginative behind. Long before there were movies about the singularity involved in combining human and machine, Simak redefines what it means to be human in this story’s attempt to confront a soulless megacorporation.
The megacorporation, as one might guess from the title, is “The Cemetery.”
After earth’s best and brightest had colonized the stars, after an apocalyptic conflict had reduced human civilization to tiny pockets of backwoods survivalists and frightened urban scavengers, living in the wild and the ruins respectively, a huge corporation decided that earth would make an ideal cemetery for those who wished for their loved ones (and could, of course, afford it) to be grounded in Mother Earth. Since only a portion of the world has actually been civilized into “The Cemetery,” this seems the ideal world for Fletcher Carson to visit with his navigating compositor/computer/navigator/pack animal (robot) and gather the necessary data to create the ultimate artistic expression of a planet thwarted by war and corporate greed from reaching its potential—with all the tragedy and pathos that would include along with the standard aesthetic.
In attempting his task, Fletch (or Carson) finds the obligatory comely ally in one Cynthia Lansing. She is on a personal quest, a family quest that dovetails with the dream of a former professor of Carson’s. The quest involves both archaeology and xeno-archaeology. As with the Indiana Jones films, one hardly expects to find a conspiracy of powerful opponents aligned against them. As it turns out, the apparent monolithic conspiracy actually has seams to exploit. It becomes very interesting when the duo is forced to determine which machines are for them and which against them. Fletch and Cynthia have just the right amount of paranoia to make this plot work.
I don’t think this is Simak’s finest work, but I do think it’s worth reading. The ideas and sentiments work to make a thoughtful, yet pleasant, diversion.
Cemetery World begins with an artist’s dream, pulls together the desire for meaning inherent in archaeology’s quest, and ties in the Babylonian Captivity precedent of removing the creatives, intellectuals, and innovators from a civilization while leaving the backward, primitive, and unimaginative behind. Long before there were movies about the singularity involved in combining human and machine, Simak redefines what it means to be human in this story’s attempt to confront a soulless megacorporation.
The megacorporation, as one might guess from the title, is “The Cemetery.”
After earth’s best and brightest had colonized the stars, after an apocalyptic conflict had reduced human civilization to tiny pockets of backwoods survivalists and frightened urban scavengers, living in the wild and the ruins respectively, a huge corporation decided that earth would make an ideal cemetery for those who wished for their loved ones (and could, of course, afford it) to be grounded in Mother Earth. Since only a portion of the world has actually been civilized into “The Cemetery,” this seems the ideal world for Fletcher Carson to visit with his navigating compositor/computer/navigator/pack animal (robot) and gather the necessary data to create the ultimate artistic expression of a planet thwarted by war and corporate greed from reaching its potential—with all the tragedy and pathos that would include along with the standard aesthetic.
In attempting his task, Fletch (or Carson) finds the obligatory comely ally in one Cynthia Lansing. She is on a personal quest, a family quest that dovetails with the dream of a former professor of Carson’s. The quest involves both archaeology and xeno-archaeology. As with the Indiana Jones films, one hardly expects to find a conspiracy of powerful opponents aligned against them. As it turns out, the apparent monolithic conspiracy actually has seams to exploit. It becomes very interesting when the duo is forced to determine which machines are for them and which against them. Fletch and Cynthia have just the right amount of paranoia to make this plot work.
I don’t think this is Simak’s finest work, but I do think it’s worth reading. The ideas and sentiments work to make a thoughtful, yet pleasant, diversion.
January 19, 2019
"Гробището се бе ширнало в светлината на утрото — една бездиханна красота. Редиците от лъскави паметници се нижеха през долината и покриваха всички склонове и хълмове. Тревата, окосена подрязана с педантична грижливост, наподобяваше изумрудено покривало, скриващо грубата почва, в която се впиваха нейните корени. Откъм величествените борове, посадени на пътеките между редиците гробове, се долавяше нежна сърцераздирателна музика.
— Поразителна гледка — каза капитанът на погребалния космически кораб.
Той се тупна в гърдите, за да ми покаже къде точно бе поразен. Невероятен глупак беше този капитан."
— Поразителна гледка — каза капитанът на погребалния космически кораб.
Той се тупна в гърдите, за да ми покаже къде точно бе поразен. Невероятен глупак беше този капитан."
May 14, 2020
Супер приятно приключение разпространено из различни времена. В компанията на готини роботи, главният герой заминава за Земята, която се е превърнала в гигантско гробище. Какво ли да очакваме на едно такова свещено място... Уви много неща няма да са такива каквито очакваме. Причинете си това пътешествие и се подгответе за доста неочакван край!
October 2, 2021
Cemetery World is the 4th Science Fiction story by Clifford Simak that I've read in the past couple of years. I've enjoyed for the most part, especially enjoyed The Werewolf Principle and City. Cemetery World was an entertaining, enjoyable read.
Fletcher Carson returns to Earth, now a Cemetery World for the descendants of Earthlings. After a world destroying war thousands of years before, the majority of the remaining humans escaped and inhabited planets throughout the Universe. A company, Cemetery, has turned the Earth into the cemetery of choice for its descendants (of course, they make much money off of it). Carson, accompanied by a robot who was originally from Earth, Elmer, and a sentient machine, Bronco, wants to travel around Earth making a 'movie', let's call it. Arriving on Earth, he also meets Cynthia, who arrived before and joins the group, searching for treasure / artifacts, left behind by an alien Anachronian.
That's the basic story. As the group travel they are hounded by agents of Cemetery; grave robbers, war machines from the past, Wolves of Steel and even spirits, Shades. There is even a bit of time travel thrown in. On the whole, you won't learn any astounding theories from the book, but if you want a good, sound, entertaining story with interesting characters and a satisfying conclusion, you'll enjoy this story. (3 stars)
Fletcher Carson returns to Earth, now a Cemetery World for the descendants of Earthlings. After a world destroying war thousands of years before, the majority of the remaining humans escaped and inhabited planets throughout the Universe. A company, Cemetery, has turned the Earth into the cemetery of choice for its descendants (of course, they make much money off of it). Carson, accompanied by a robot who was originally from Earth, Elmer, and a sentient machine, Bronco, wants to travel around Earth making a 'movie', let's call it. Arriving on Earth, he also meets Cynthia, who arrived before and joins the group, searching for treasure / artifacts, left behind by an alien Anachronian.
That's the basic story. As the group travel they are hounded by agents of Cemetery; grave robbers, war machines from the past, Wolves of Steel and even spirits, Shades. There is even a bit of time travel thrown in. On the whole, you won't learn any astounding theories from the book, but if you want a good, sound, entertaining story with interesting characters and a satisfying conclusion, you'll enjoy this story. (3 stars)
July 16, 2023
Vanameister Clifford Simak naudib Eestis kultusmainet tänu juba 1975. aastal (originaal "All Flesh is Grass", 1965) "Mirabilia" sarjas ilmunud romaanile "Nagu õieke väljal". Tõelise boosti pani tema kultusmainele aga 1989. aastal ilmunud topeltköide "Libainimesed. Härjapõlvlaste kaitseala" ("They Walked Like Men", 1962 & "The Goblin Reservation", 1968). Kui "Libainimesed" oli rohkem selline keskpärane - ja pealegi tohutu loogikaauguga - siis "Härjapõlvlased" muutusid kohe terve generatsiooni kultusteoseks, mille tegelasi teati, mille fraase tsiteeriti erinevatel olengutel ja mille süžeekäänakute ja pöörakute üle vaieldi, arutati ja analüüsiti. Ilmselt oli tegu sellega, et seni polnud eestikeelses ulmekirjanduses esinenud teost, kus oleks olnud nii kirev galerii tegelasi, lisaks tõi vaimude, härjapõlvlaste ja lohede esinemine scifi teosesse pahvaku fantasy't, fantasy oli aga Nõuka Liidus haruldasem kui suitsuvorst või banaanid poes. Mu meelest on Simakil nende 3 esimese eestindusega latt nii kõrgele aetud, et kõik järgnevad tõlked jooksevad paratamatult selle alt läbi. Sellega ma ei taha muidugi öelda, et tegu oleks viletsa teosega, kaugel sellest. Ma ütleks, et "Libahundi printsiip", "Talismani vennaskond" ja "Nõitud palverännak" jätsid mulle oluliselt kehvema mulje.
Muidu on tegu Simakiga nagu Simakiga ikka. Need kes tema loomingut tunnevad, teavad et see tähendab pastoraalselt aeglast kulgemist eriskummalistel maastikel, tegelasteks kirju kompott tegelastest, kelledest mõned on rohkem fantasyžanri püsistaarid. Sel puhul siin siis vaimud ja guulid. Simaki robotid on alati väga ebarobotlikud ja inimlikud, tema inimestest on meespeategelane peaaegu alati alati mingi beeta- või gammaisane, kellele aga lõpus peale ühiselt läbitud retke täis katsumusi ja ohte rinnakas blond naispeategelane kaela langeb. Ühesõnaga, Simaki puhul ei tasu kunagi juurdlema jääda, miks robotid räägivad nagu elutargad vanaisad või miks metallist konstrueeritud murdjahunt korraga kodukoera iseloomujooni ilmutab. Loogika pole tema teostes eriti tähtsal kohal, aga see-eest on neis mingi helge pastoraalne vaim. Mitte kunagi ei kirjelda ta miljardeid sisaldavat hiigellinna, selle asemel on alati inimtühjad rohumaad üksikute veidrikutest asunikega, kahtlemata meenutavad need tema kodust Wisconsini või Minnesotat.
Sügavamat sisu ei tasu siit raamatust otsida aga helge ja pastoraalse ampsu saab kätte küll. Lisaks pole ta raamatud alati sirgjoonelised, vaid neisse on peidetud mingi veidike ajugümnastikat nõudev plotikäänak, käesoleval juhul siis see lõpus toimuv ajas edasi ja tagasi rändamine. Raamat sobiks ilmselt hästi neile, kes pole varem teda lugenud ja kes mingil põhjusel "Härjapõlvlasi" kuskilt kätte ei saa...
Muidu on tegu Simakiga nagu Simakiga ikka. Need kes tema loomingut tunnevad, teavad et see tähendab pastoraalselt aeglast kulgemist eriskummalistel maastikel, tegelasteks kirju kompott tegelastest, kelledest mõned on rohkem fantasyžanri püsistaarid. Sel puhul siin siis vaimud ja guulid. Simaki robotid on alati väga ebarobotlikud ja inimlikud, tema inimestest on meespeategelane peaaegu alati alati mingi beeta- või gammaisane, kellele aga lõpus peale ühiselt läbitud retke täis katsumusi ja ohte rinnakas blond naispeategelane kaela langeb. Ühesõnaga, Simaki puhul ei tasu kunagi juurdlema jääda, miks robotid räägivad nagu elutargad vanaisad või miks metallist konstrueeritud murdjahunt korraga kodukoera iseloomujooni ilmutab. Loogika pole tema teostes eriti tähtsal kohal, aga see-eest on neis mingi helge pastoraalne vaim. Mitte kunagi ei kirjelda ta miljardeid sisaldavat hiigellinna, selle asemel on alati inimtühjad rohumaad üksikute veidrikutest asunikega, kahtlemata meenutavad need tema kodust Wisconsini või Minnesotat.
Sügavamat sisu ei tasu siit raamatust otsida aga helge ja pastoraalse ampsu saab kätte küll. Lisaks pole ta raamatud alati sirgjoonelised, vaid neisse on peidetud mingi veidike ajugümnastikat nõudev plotikäänak, käesoleval juhul siis see lõpus toimuv ajas edasi ja tagasi rändamine. Raamat sobiks ilmselt hästi neile, kes pole varem teda lugenud ja kes mingil põhjusel "Härjapõlvlasi" kuskilt kätte ei saa...
November 30, 2011
Wow! I’ll cut right to the chase: “Cemetery World” is one of the most horrifically written, sloppily conceived, and all around terrible excuses of a novel I have ever had the misfortune to read.
After reading the stunning classic “A Canticle for Leibowitz” I couldn’t distance myself from a book set centuries (hell, millennia) into the future and at the quick glance, “Cemetery World” could almost be an unofficial and accidental sequel to “Canticle”; humans return to Earth from space 10,000 years into the future only to discover that the planet is not what it was originally perceived to be. Heck, the idea itself is not bad at all and Simak’s somewhat dystopian ideas of Earth becoming a massive cemetery are entertaining. Even the cover looks like something out of a cheesy 1980’s post-apocalyptic summer blockbuster.
But that’s about all there is to praise about “Cemetery Planet” because there really is NOTHING good about this book. Simak has to be one of the worst writers I have ever read. Aside from his repetitiveness and general lack of knowledge concerning the use of a thesaurus, it’s clear that the guy knows nothing of how to write a dialogue. I don’t know about other readers but I grew tired of the constant sentence interruptions with the typical “he said/she said”. For example: “So,” she said. “What about blah, blah blah.”
“I don’t know,” I said. “Let’s blah blah blah.” Seriously, Simak, take a creative writing course on how to craft decent dialogue structure. Conversations should show some sort of creativity and they surely do not have to be that boring.
Then there is the delivery. Like I said, the plot idea wasn’t bad, but Simak manages to ruin his own brainchild with his slow story telling that involves too many characters or settings only to leave the reader scratching their head going “whaaaaaaat?” Take for instance Bronco and Elmer. Interesting characters to be sure and the author goes into far too much detail describing them and how Fletcher found the robot Elmer, and yet he, as well as Bronco only compose maybe 1/4 of this book’s plot. Speaking of plot, the ending just doesn’t work, both literally and fictionally. Ignore the fact that it’s wrapped up in 2 paragraphs, but just like Terminator 2, it doesn’t make sense. Let’s just say it involves time travel like Back to the Future, but in no way does Simak even attempt to explain it.
“Cemetery World” was bad. Horribly rotten. I kept reading hoping the story would pick up or the loop holes that were created would be filled. As you can see from my scathing review, both of those hopes, like a bug, were smashed flat. This may not have been as bad as “Nueromancer” or “One Second After”, but it was pretty damn close to being the worst book I have read this year. Honestly, if you want a good take on the future of Earth after a devastating nuclear war, stick with “A Canticle for Leibowitz”.
After reading the stunning classic “A Canticle for Leibowitz” I couldn’t distance myself from a book set centuries (hell, millennia) into the future and at the quick glance, “Cemetery World” could almost be an unofficial and accidental sequel to “Canticle”; humans return to Earth from space 10,000 years into the future only to discover that the planet is not what it was originally perceived to be. Heck, the idea itself is not bad at all and Simak’s somewhat dystopian ideas of Earth becoming a massive cemetery are entertaining. Even the cover looks like something out of a cheesy 1980’s post-apocalyptic summer blockbuster.
But that’s about all there is to praise about “Cemetery Planet” because there really is NOTHING good about this book. Simak has to be one of the worst writers I have ever read. Aside from his repetitiveness and general lack of knowledge concerning the use of a thesaurus, it’s clear that the guy knows nothing of how to write a dialogue. I don’t know about other readers but I grew tired of the constant sentence interruptions with the typical “he said/she said”. For example: “So,” she said. “What about blah, blah blah.”
“I don’t know,” I said. “Let’s blah blah blah.” Seriously, Simak, take a creative writing course on how to craft decent dialogue structure. Conversations should show some sort of creativity and they surely do not have to be that boring.
Then there is the delivery. Like I said, the plot idea wasn’t bad, but Simak manages to ruin his own brainchild with his slow story telling that involves too many characters or settings only to leave the reader scratching their head going “whaaaaaaat?” Take for instance Bronco and Elmer. Interesting characters to be sure and the author goes into far too much detail describing them and how Fletcher found the robot Elmer, and yet he, as well as Bronco only compose maybe 1/4 of this book’s plot. Speaking of plot, the ending just doesn’t work, both literally and fictionally. Ignore the fact that it’s wrapped up in 2 paragraphs, but just like Terminator 2, it doesn’t make sense. Let’s just say it involves time travel like Back to the Future, but in no way does Simak even attempt to explain it.
“Cemetery World” was bad. Horribly rotten. I kept reading hoping the story would pick up or the loop holes that were created would be filled. As you can see from my scathing review, both of those hopes, like a bug, were smashed flat. This may not have been as bad as “Nueromancer” or “One Second After”, but it was pretty damn close to being the worst book I have read this year. Honestly, if you want a good take on the future of Earth after a devastating nuclear war, stick with “A Canticle for Leibowitz”.
January 16, 2021
3,75/5
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Нека се шокирайте от заглавието! Саймък си пада по нестандартните заглавия, но в същината си историите му са класическа фантастика. Бъдещето на Земята е тежко, но космосът стои пред човечеството. Въпреки необятните възможности обаче хората все се завръщат към родната планета.
Десет хиляди години напред в бъдещето. Земята е била унищожена от безбройните войни, човечеството се е изселило на други планети, а нашата се е превърнала в огромно гробище. Хората изпращат починалите си близки, за да бъдат погребани на планетата-майка. Гробището се превръща в корпорация “Майка Земя”.
Флечър Карсън и роботите Елмър и Мустанг отиват на Земята, за да запишат нова композиция (така и не става напълно ясно каква, но е висша форма на изкуството, а Мустанг е най-добрият в това). Максуел Бел, директор на клон на “Майка Земя”, се опитва всячески да привлече Карсън към Гробището. Младият мъж обаче отказва, а към него се присъединява Синтия Ленсинг. Заедно се впускат в изследване на изоставената част на Земята, за да открият мистериозно съкровище. Съдбата ги среща с Преброителя на сенките (и неговите сенки), а това набързо преобръща цялото им виждане за време и пространство.
Дадох на “Резерватът на таласъмите” 4* (може би заслужаваше повече), а на “Братството на талисмана 3,5*. “Гробищен свят” гордо застава между тези два романа. Защото отново е перфектно написан, свеж е, нестандартен е, пълен с идеи, но свършва набързо и ти се иска да има още.
.
Нека се шокирайте от заглавието! Саймък си пада по нестандартните заглавия, но в същината си историите му са класическа фантастика. Бъдещето на Земята е тежко, но космосът стои пред човечеството. Въпреки необятните възможности обаче хората все се завръщат към родната планета.
Десет хиляди години напред в бъдещето. Земята е била унищожена от безбройните войни, човечеството се е изселило на други планети, а нашата се е превърнала в огромно гробище. Хората изпращат починалите си близки, за да бъдат погребани на планетата-майка. Гробището се превръща в корпорация “Майка Земя”.
Флечър Карсън и роботите Елмър и Мустанг отиват на Земята, за да запишат нова композиция (така и не става напълно ясно каква, но е висша форма на изкуството, а Мустанг е най-добрият в това). Максуел Бел, директор на клон на “Майка Земя”, се опитва всячески да привлече Карсън към Гробището. Младият мъж обаче отказва, а към него се присъединява Синтия Ленсинг. Заедно се впускат в изследване на изоставената част на Земята, за да открият мистериозно съкровище. Съдбата ги среща с Преброителя на сенките (и неговите сенки), а това набързо преобръща цялото им виждане за време и пространство.
Дадох на “Резерватът на таласъмите” 4* (може би заслужаваше повече), а на “Братството на талисмана 3,5*. “Гробищен свят” гордо застава между тези два романа. Защото отново е перфектно написан, свеж е, нестандартен е, пълен с идеи, но свършва набързо и ти се иска да има още.
June 3, 2013
my gosh this book was pretty terrible. I went into it with an open mind having read nothing else by this author. The whole story is a disaster, so very poorly put together that the badness at one point changes to pure laughs. Sadly it is not intended to be funny...
To avoid giving anything interesting away to the unfortunate souls who stumble upon this in the near or distant future, I will conclude by saying if you have a child, ask them to write you a story called "Cemetery World", and they will pen a story far better than this mess!!
To avoid giving anything interesting away to the unfortunate souls who stumble upon this in the near or distant future, I will conclude by saying if you have a child, ask them to write you a story called "Cemetery World", and they will pen a story far better than this mess!!
May 17, 2017
I would recommend, if considering a Simak novel for the first time, beginning with Way Station or City. This is an ok novel at best and not up to par with some of his other more poignant and poetically written books.
August 16, 2018
Classico Simak. Lirico, pastorale come il suo stile ciò ha abituati. Ma ... Il finale mi è sembrato un po un pasticcio buttato là in una confusione di uno strano approccio ai viaggi nel tempo che boh. Non posso dire di più per non spoilerare. Spunti interessanti come sempre.
December 22, 2017
Another unterstellar adventure through time and space by Simak. Featuring a smarter than average robot and a reluctant heroine. Interesting, but not quite up to the top tier of his output.
December 7, 2024
This book starts fun then gets rather boring. I was going to stick it out, but it started getting a bit misogynistic at page 100 and I DNFed it for something more enjoyable.
July 11, 2016
I've read other stuff by Simak and most of it is thought-provoking and hinting cleverly at the differences in the new universes of the stories. But something about the language of this book just didn't add up for me: Simak described the protagonists here using language that made them unsympathetic, sometimes downright unpleasant. I did not like the main character, I did not care about his concerns, hell, I wasn't even sure what his concerns are for most of the book. This was a bit of a disappointment. Otherwise, the idea of the Earth having become a cemetery for the very rich of the survivors of the last nuclear wars is interesting but it could have benefitted from a lot more detail and description. Instead, we spend a lot of time on descriptions of situations and tableaux that do not further our understanding of the universe we have been dropped in. I think it would have been much better to have more focus on describing the technology involved, and how the new world works.
December 29, 2016
I thought this would be a book about a visit back to old earth, where the characters would comb through the detritus of the past. Possibly they would meet an old robot or hologram... I expected it to be full of SF tropes. Instead it's a silly pulp action SF novel. Extremely boring and doesn't resemble Simak at all.
February 27, 2009
some great ideas and concepts, and lovely descriptions from time to time, but very disjointed, and ends up abruptly, like he was tired of writing it. plus a tacked-on romance. yargh.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 27, 2024
Not bad. At least Simak seems to be aware of how ridiculous this book is.
December 7, 2018
Мисля, че съм повтаряла доста пъти колко много обичам Саймък. Но конкретно това негово произведение издиша към края. Идеята е ударно изненадваща по някакъв особен начин. Обичам този автор и умението му да описва световете след краха на човечеството с някаква благост, с някаква изящна природна красота. И всичко това го има и тук. И всичко щеше да е съвсем наред, ако не усещах някаква прибързаност за завършването на историята. Особено когато се намесиха някакви Уелс-похвати и разни призраци, сенки и прочие. Тогава стана шантаво. И още повече...
Главният герой имаше също така особен маниер. Някакъв такъв... де да знам, американски. Беше леко мрънкащ и голямо магаре. Към "дамата" се отнасяше противно, към робота имаше отношение някак подобно на отношенията "бял господар - чернокож роб". Та Елмър дори имаше маниер на говорене доста типичен на този на работници в отдавнашна плантация... Изобщо, Флеч като цяло беше на ръба на противното. Доста странно чувство.
Главният герой имаше също така особен маниер. Някакъв такъв... де да знам, американски. Беше леко мрънкащ и голямо магаре. Към "дамата" се отнасяше противно, към робота имаше отношение някак подобно на отношенията "бял господар - чернокож роб". Та Елмър дори имаше маниер на говорене доста типичен на този на работници в отдавнашна плантация... Изобщо, Флеч като цяло беше на ръба на противното. Доста странно чувство.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 16, 2023
I have meant to read this book for a couple years. It just so happened that my local comic book shop recently got a shipment of pulp paperbacks printed in the 70s which included this very book. As if simulating the ancient timescales of the future Earth depicted in its text, this book that was printed more than a decade before I was born slowly began to disintegrate as I read through it. The cheap glue binding and yellow (though never read before) pages coming undone from each other.
Anyway, this is my first Simak book and it certainly will not be my last.
The book is not famous enough to have inspired much discussion online of where exactly it takes place geographically. This only makes the mystery more fun, however. I have a fair amount of familiarity with the Ohio River Valley (sadly in the news today for decidedly unfun reasons) and have my own theory given the vague hints given. In a blink-and-you'll-miss-it part, there is a one night temporary shelter the characters stay in that sounds suspiciously like the ruined remnants of the more permanent parts of Frank Lloyd Wright's Falling Water. I cannot prove that this is the case, but I felt it to be true so strong it clicked in me within one paragraph of the new location being introduced. It certainly jives with some of the circumstantial location hints given about the region elsewhere in the text.
My only real complaint was that the most interesting character, Elmer, gets effectively yeeted out of the story for much of it just when things are getting good.
Anyway, this is my first Simak book and it certainly will not be my last.
The book is not famous enough to have inspired much discussion online of where exactly it takes place geographically. This only makes the mystery more fun, however. I have a fair amount of familiarity with the Ohio River Valley (sadly in the news today for decidedly unfun reasons) and have my own theory given the vague hints given. In a blink-and-you'll-miss-it part, there is a one night temporary shelter the characters stay in that sounds suspiciously like the ruined remnants of the more permanent parts of Frank Lloyd Wright's Falling Water. I cannot prove that this is the case, but I felt it to be true so strong it clicked in me within one paragraph of the new location being introduced. It certainly jives with some of the circumstantial location hints given about the region elsewhere in the text.
My only real complaint was that the most interesting character, Elmer, gets effectively yeeted out of the story for much of it just when things are getting good.
March 7, 2026
I read this in serialized form (as published over 3 parts in the November 1972 through January 1973 issues of Analog). It may differ from the final complete publication.
I had had high hopes for this novel after a string of middling serializations in Analog, especially since I know Simak can write well. Unfortunately after a strong beginning with Carson, Elmer, Bronco, and Cynthia arriving on old Earth (now converted into a cemetery world), it almost felt like Simak got bored and started adding elements willy-nilly, and the addition of ghosts and time travel in the last half left me bewildered, especially with such an abrupt denouement.
I had had high hopes for this novel after a string of middling serializations in Analog, especially since I know Simak can write well. Unfortunately after a strong beginning with Carson, Elmer, Bronco, and Cynthia arriving on old Earth (now converted into a cemetery world), it almost felt like Simak got bored and started adding elements willy-nilly, and the addition of ghosts and time travel in the last half left me bewildered, especially with such an abrupt denouement.
September 24, 2020
Vividly imaginative 70s sci-fi. I really enjoy seeing another era's vision of the future; at the same time, this story isn't nearly as much just a product of its time as some other older sci-fi books I've read.
Each chapter added a new idea, it really doesn't bother to ruminate on just the over-all concept that it starts with. I found this style both frustrating and fascinating.
Each chapter added a new idea, it really doesn't bother to ruminate on just the over-all concept that it starts with. I found this style both frustrating and fascinating.
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