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Empire
Spencer Chambers wants to make the solar system his own personal Empire. A trillionaire and industrialist he owns the ships that can carry humanity to freedom and plenty in the untapped riches of the solar system. In return he wants to charge exorbitant prices making it so that he will end up owning every planet and asteroid.
Gregory Manning has a different idea. He sees a solar system open to everyone. Only one man's vision for the future of humanity can come true: slavery or freedom. Gregory Manning has an ace up his sleeve--a scientific ace.
Empire is a story of political Iintrigue by Clifford Donald Simak an American science fiction writer honored by fans with three Hugo awards and by colleagues with one Nebula award. He was named the third Grand Master by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America in 1977.
168 pages, Nook
First published January 1, 1951
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About the author
Clifford D. Simak
963 books1,064 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 58 reviews
May 24, 2017
Time to catch up on some long outstanding reviews - apologies over the dates I cannot remember them exactly since I was travelling at work (dragging around books you reading when on the road is hard work but ultimately rewarding or is that just me).
Anyway here is the first of several going up (I hope the jet lag stays off long enough) today/
This is a fun read if for not other reads that my copy is so old the pages are literally falling apart so much so that every time I would remove it from my case, my first job was to see what has reduced to powder and what I needed to do to be able to read the next section.
Okay so on to the book - this is a classic science fiction romance something I wonder if we will ever see again. Yes it is a creation of its time, the science is pure make believe, the characters stereotypical, and the moral message certain saccharin overload (although I think at the time of writing I am not convinced the saccharin was discovered (okay Google has just proven me wrong).
However through all of this there is such an element of fun, you very quickly spot all of these flaws (after all having one of the characters furiously puff away at his pipe in the middle of a control room buried deep within a space ship?) but something strange happens.
You don't care!
It in fact adds to the charm yes it dates it but to me dates it firmly in the era of wonder and exploration something I think this world is lacking at times. Think of the works of EE Smith and in particular his Skylark of space series. Similarly you have the conflict of two totally opposite minds and all their clashes both physical and verbal that went on between them. Where again science is a tool for the storyline rather than another unnamed character in the story.
This book was far more enjoyable that I anticipated especially on how difficult it was for me to find a copy of it - now all I need to do is figure out how stop my copies from self destructing.
Anyway here is the first of several going up (I hope the jet lag stays off long enough) today/
This is a fun read if for not other reads that my copy is so old the pages are literally falling apart so much so that every time I would remove it from my case, my first job was to see what has reduced to powder and what I needed to do to be able to read the next section.
Okay so on to the book - this is a classic science fiction romance something I wonder if we will ever see again. Yes it is a creation of its time, the science is pure make believe, the characters stereotypical, and the moral message certain saccharin overload (although I think at the time of writing I am not convinced the saccharin was discovered (okay Google has just proven me wrong).
However through all of this there is such an element of fun, you very quickly spot all of these flaws (after all having one of the characters furiously puff away at his pipe in the middle of a control room buried deep within a space ship?) but something strange happens.
You don't care!
It in fact adds to the charm yes it dates it but to me dates it firmly in the era of wonder and exploration something I think this world is lacking at times. Think of the works of EE Smith and in particular his Skylark of space series. Similarly you have the conflict of two totally opposite minds and all their clashes both physical and verbal that went on between them. Where again science is a tool for the storyline rather than another unnamed character in the story.
This book was far more enjoyable that I anticipated especially on how difficult it was for me to find a copy of it - now all I need to do is figure out how stop my copies from self destructing.
April 6, 2025
Check out a book discussion with Shawn, Scott and Gavin on Shawn D. Standfast’s channel HERE.
This novel was originally written by John W. Campbell when he was 18, he didn’t like it so years later he gave it to Simak to rewrite, he didn’t like the rewrite so he refused to publish it. Years later H. L. Gold was looking for a novel to publish for his Galaxy Novel series and asked Simak for it and Gold then published it. I feel all this is worth noting because this is not a good story in my opinion and didn’t feel like something that Simak would have written. It is a very pulpy space opera with little to no characterizations, no female characters at all, and the premise is based around some pseudoscience involving the fourth dimension. This device that is invented can basically do anything the scientists can conceive of with little to no effort. I think this book is only for the Simak completists out there, but even that could be dismissed on the technicality that Simak really didn’t write the original story.
This novel was originally written by John W. Campbell when he was 18, he didn’t like it so years later he gave it to Simak to rewrite, he didn’t like the rewrite so he refused to publish it. Years later H. L. Gold was looking for a novel to publish for his Galaxy Novel series and asked Simak for it and Gold then published it. I feel all this is worth noting because this is not a good story in my opinion and didn’t feel like something that Simak would have written. It is a very pulpy space opera with little to no characterizations, no female characters at all, and the premise is based around some pseudoscience involving the fourth dimension. This device that is invented can basically do anything the scientists can conceive of with little to no effort. I think this book is only for the Simak completists out there, but even that could be dismissed on the technicality that Simak really didn’t write the original story.
August 4, 2013
A classic style science fiction story that loses itself in the science part. It starts as an engaging story of political intrigue, with the human-colonized planets dominated by one corporation that maneuvered itself into a monopoly of the supply of energy. The monopoly is challenged by a new, somewhat accidental discovery of material energy, and the story evolves from there. That core is good, or even great, if it stuck to political intrigue between an existing monopoly and an upstart new technology, and the social and political consequences of that.
Instead, the story loses itself in the implausible endless things that the material energy field can do, such as spying on anyone anywhere, material projection of anything to anywhere, 3D projection of images anywhere, and even time-travel. The book just piles up these abilities with little sense of pace or suspension of disbelief, and never truly faces up to the consequences of the unlimited power granted to anyone in control of material projection, until a throw-away line is given it at the end.
It is a pity that a good story is driven of the rails like that. Many of the elements that make Simak's stories great are here, but it does not work as a whole.
Instead, the story loses itself in the implausible endless things that the material energy field can do, such as spying on anyone anywhere, material projection of anything to anywhere, 3D projection of images anywhere, and even time-travel. The book just piles up these abilities with little sense of pace or suspension of disbelief, and never truly faces up to the consequences of the unlimited power granted to anyone in control of material projection, until a throw-away line is given it at the end.
It is a pity that a good story is driven of the rails like that. Many of the elements that make Simak's stories great are here, but it does not work as a whole.
March 6, 2012
I could not stop reading this. It is filled front to back with old school Science Fiction cliches from the wealthy adventurous super scientists who smoke pipes and design and develop new technologies on the fly in the middle of a space battle to the lowly tech who sells out the scientists to the evil corporation. There is no sex or even any female characters and everybody smokes. (The scientists are high class they smoke pipes and you have to look down on the cigarette smoking tech who exhales smoke through his nose). Actual science is hard to find here because just by studying force fields the main characters are able to develop any use we could possibly need including, but no limited to, near instantaneous travel / communication, undetectable spy cameras, unlimited cheep energy, beam weaponry and shielding to block it and they top it all off with time travel.
July 29, 2025
Back in my university days, I took a Sci Fi reading course and one of the books I enjoyed immensely was City by Clifford D. Simak. I've since read it a couple of more times. It's a true classic. In the past few years I've begun to explore his work a bit more and I've found him to be kind of hit or miss. I really enjoyed The Werewolf Principle but the rest have been enjoyable but haven't really grabbed me. And that's kind of how I found Empire, originally published in 1951. I liked the concept and it was an exciting space adventure but it wasn't like City or The Werewolf Principle which both affected me much more.
In Empire, you've got to competing billionaires, Spencer Chambers and Greg Manning. Chambers wants to control the Federation, Earth and all the colonized planets. He controls, for the most part, the source of power generation and with this control, has basically taken over the governments of Venus, Mars and Jupiter and the others. He believes the only way mankind can move to the stars is under an economic dictatorship. To that end, he's basically gotten rid of the revolutionary leaders, having them arrested, sent out on prison ships, etc.
On the other hand, Greg Manning wants to find a source of energy that will basically bring equality to mankind, not hold them to ransom. To that end, he begins financing another scientific genius, Russell Page who has been working on energy fields and seems to be succeeding. Page's assistant, jealous of their genius, decides to betray their work to Spencer Chambers.
That's the basic premise and the rest of the story is the battle between the two organizations with Manning and Page seeming to have the upper hand for the most part. Page's inventions keep helping them get info from Chambers; 4 dimensional TV, detective shadowing devices, etc.
The story, a very short one, will culminate in a final battle between the two men, utilizing their scientific wizardry to try and gain the upper hand. It's all very entertaining, somewhat technical (but you don't have to get bogged down by it) and filled with action and tension. An enjoyable space adventure. I still have a collection of Simak's short stories and will continue to explore his work because he's always entertaining (2.5 stars)
In Empire, you've got to competing billionaires, Spencer Chambers and Greg Manning. Chambers wants to control the Federation, Earth and all the colonized planets. He controls, for the most part, the source of power generation and with this control, has basically taken over the governments of Venus, Mars and Jupiter and the others. He believes the only way mankind can move to the stars is under an economic dictatorship. To that end, he's basically gotten rid of the revolutionary leaders, having them arrested, sent out on prison ships, etc.
On the other hand, Greg Manning wants to find a source of energy that will basically bring equality to mankind, not hold them to ransom. To that end, he begins financing another scientific genius, Russell Page who has been working on energy fields and seems to be succeeding. Page's assistant, jealous of their genius, decides to betray their work to Spencer Chambers.
That's the basic premise and the rest of the story is the battle between the two organizations with Manning and Page seeming to have the upper hand for the most part. Page's inventions keep helping them get info from Chambers; 4 dimensional TV, detective shadowing devices, etc.
The story, a very short one, will culminate in a final battle between the two men, utilizing their scientific wizardry to try and gain the upper hand. It's all very entertaining, somewhat technical (but you don't have to get bogged down by it) and filled with action and tension. An enjoyable space adventure. I still have a collection of Simak's short stories and will continue to explore his work because he's always entertaining (2.5 stars)
October 17, 2018
This book was full of clunky prose and dull male characters. Everyone in the story was a man, and the word “she” was only used when Boring Guy One talked to Boring Guy Two about a spaceship.
Craven, the scientist who worked for the giant, evil interplanetary corporation (literally called “Interplanetary”) was the only character who verged on interesting.
Repeated references to one character “drooling smoke out his nostrils” was kind of weird, and Simak could have done with an editor to head off some of the adverb abuse:
"By Heaven," he said satisfiedly, "I've never enjoyed anything so much in all my life."
Craven, the scientist who worked for the giant, evil interplanetary corporation (literally called “Interplanetary”) was the only character who verged on interesting.
Repeated references to one character “drooling smoke out his nostrils” was kind of weird, and Simak could have done with an editor to head off some of the adverb abuse:
"By Heaven," he said satisfiedly, "I've never enjoyed anything so much in all my life."
July 6, 2018
I'm a big Simak fan so when I saw Empire was available on LibriVox I went for it. Meh. This was one of his earlier novels, from 1951, and it really felt dated. The plot pacing was slow and I had a hard time remaining interested at points. There were some neat scientific concepts scattered throughout, cutting edge for the time, such as holograms, gravity manipulation, and advance energy generation techniques. But the story just didn't hold up for me.
January 28, 2018
Plot-driven, character-driven? Technologically driven. Wars of patents. Solar versus coal? The established versus the newly invented? Humans pulled along by their evolutionary limits in the technology their evolution called for?
July 16, 2022
This science fiction novel is about the convergence of three things: science, power, and freedom. I enjoyed reading the book, though I like my heroes to be a little less ruthless. The concept of matter transmission was interestingly developed in a way that I do not often see.
November 29, 2012
This was a good LibriVox find. I've liked very much most of the Simak stories and novels I've read so far. He was a true quality SF golden age writer. Was right up there with Doc Smith, Pohl, Asimov and Williamson. A deserving grand Master. This story is packed with colossal ideas written with big ol' sense of wonder pros that was just right for its time. The story, though a bit "geeky" (but rightly so, considering its intended audience) is a grand fast paced technological and sociopolitical space adventure.
If listening to the audio version, it is expertly narrated.
If listening to the audio version, it is expertly narrated.
July 26, 2011
great science fiction
Mr Simak was a great writer
Mr Simak was a great writer
Want to read
January 6, 2017Unfinished. Didn't like the librivox sound quality
March 21, 2021
Pretty average and predictable for the most part (and yes, that’s taking into account the time of publishing), but an engaging and fast-paced read nonetheless. Although the main idea about monopoly on power was quite intriguing, the execution was rather poor, the action was flashy and chaotic, and there were some charming, albeit outdated, clichéd undertones (the villain of the story is a New York business magnate called Spencer Chambers - you couldn’t make this up). I’ll be reading more from Clifford D. Simak, I understand this is one of his earlier and lesser known works, so I can’t really hold it against him.
———————————
”The migration of races had started long ago. In the Old Stone Age, the Cro-Magnon had swept out of nowhere to oust the Neanderthal. Centuries later the barbarians of the north, in another of those restless migrations, had overwhelmed and swept away the Roman Empire. And many centuries later, migration had turned from Europe to a new world across the sea, and fighting Americans had battled their way from east to west, conquering a continent.
And now another great migration was on—man was leaving the Earth, moving into space. He was leaving behind him the world that had reared and fostered him. He was striking out and out. First the planets would be overrun, and then man would leap from the planets to the stars!
For years after America had become a country, had built a tradition of her own, Europe was regarded by millions as the homeland. But as the years swept by, this had ceased to be and the Americas were a world unto themselves, owing nothing to Europe.
And that was the way it would be with Earth. For centuries, for thousands of years, Earth would be the Mother Planet, the homeland for all the millions of roaming men and women who dared the gulfs of space and the strangeness of new worlds. There would be trips back to the Earth for sentimental reasons [...]
In the end, Earth would bejust a worn-out planet. [...] A world that was too full, that had too many things, too many activities, too many people. A world that didn't need men and women. A world where even genius was kept from rising to the top.
And this was what was driving mankind away from the Earth. The competition, the crowded conditions, in business and industrial fields, the lack of opportunity for new development, the everlasting struggle to get ahead, fighting for a place to live when millions of others were fighting for the same thing. But not entirely that, not that alone. There was something else—that old adventuresome spirit, the driving urge to face new dangers, to step over old frontiers, to do and dare, to make a damn fool of one's self, or to surpass the greatest accomplishments of history.
But Earth would never die, for there was a part of Earth in every man and woman who would go forth into space, part of Earth's courage, part of Earth's ideals, part of Earth's dreams. The habits and the virtues and the faults that Earth had spawned and fostered ... these were things that would never die.
Old Earth would live forever. ”
———————————
”The migration of races had started long ago. In the Old Stone Age, the Cro-Magnon had swept out of nowhere to oust the Neanderthal. Centuries later the barbarians of the north, in another of those restless migrations, had overwhelmed and swept away the Roman Empire. And many centuries later, migration had turned from Europe to a new world across the sea, and fighting Americans had battled their way from east to west, conquering a continent.
And now another great migration was on—man was leaving the Earth, moving into space. He was leaving behind him the world that had reared and fostered him. He was striking out and out. First the planets would be overrun, and then man would leap from the planets to the stars!
For years after America had become a country, had built a tradition of her own, Europe was regarded by millions as the homeland. But as the years swept by, this had ceased to be and the Americas were a world unto themselves, owing nothing to Europe.
And that was the way it would be with Earth. For centuries, for thousands of years, Earth would be the Mother Planet, the homeland for all the millions of roaming men and women who dared the gulfs of space and the strangeness of new worlds. There would be trips back to the Earth for sentimental reasons [...]
In the end, Earth would bejust a worn-out planet. [...] A world that was too full, that had too many things, too many activities, too many people. A world that didn't need men and women. A world where even genius was kept from rising to the top.
And this was what was driving mankind away from the Earth. The competition, the crowded conditions, in business and industrial fields, the lack of opportunity for new development, the everlasting struggle to get ahead, fighting for a place to live when millions of others were fighting for the same thing. But not entirely that, not that alone. There was something else—that old adventuresome spirit, the driving urge to face new dangers, to step over old frontiers, to do and dare, to make a damn fool of one's self, or to surpass the greatest accomplishments of history.
But Earth would never die, for there was a part of Earth in every man and woman who would go forth into space, part of Earth's courage, part of Earth's ideals, part of Earth's dreams. The habits and the virtues and the faults that Earth had spawned and fostered ... these were things that would never die.
Old Earth would live forever. ”
August 20, 2021
Being a Simak fan I picked this up, and it was hard to put down. An interesting premise that controlling power sources can be the basis for temporal authority. Probably something that most of us haven't considered, but it makes sense. Especially for a civilization that has expanded throughout the solar system.
The "chief villain" is a proponent of running government scientifically, by business principles, in a benevolent dictatorship. The opposing view is that Man is entitled to his freedom, to doing whatever he wants to, including making mistakes, even if they make him a "damned fool." As with most things, I suspect the truth lies somewhere in between.
In any case, we have a science fiction setting, spaceships and planets, brave heroes with principles, evil villains, action, debate and the prose flows right along. I don't know what more you could ask for. Enjoy.
The "chief villain" is a proponent of running government scientifically, by business principles, in a benevolent dictatorship. The opposing view is that Man is entitled to his freedom, to doing whatever he wants to, including making mistakes, even if they make him a "damned fool." As with most things, I suspect the truth lies somewhere in between.
In any case, we have a science fiction setting, spaceships and planets, brave heroes with principles, evil villains, action, debate and the prose flows right along. I don't know what more you could ask for. Enjoy.
March 2, 2019
This is early Simak and its before he found his niche. Empire is a tale of a solar system wide power grab by a dictator. With a dash of space opera and mighty machines and super science. None of which were Clifford D. Simak's strong points. This was published in 1951 making it his second novel. His first, Cosmic Engineers was another attempt at space opera. Luckily it wouldn't take him long to narrow his focus and start writing the type of stories that made him a beloved author of "pastoral" science fiction, character driven stories with plenty of heart. This was a serviceable read, I recommend it to Simak fans and completists, it is dated, with no female characters at all. But with occasional flashes to show what will be.
May 28, 2022
Wonderful entertaining space listening 🎶🔰
Another will written fantasy Sci-Fi space opera adventure thriller short story by Clifford D. Simak about a man 🚹 who controlled earth 🌎 and most of space and the planets. But the people rebelled against him and the power 🔋 was gone. Now he and his friend head into the unknown while his conquer heads back to earth 🌎 and will lead the immigration to the 🌟 stars. I would highly recommend this novella to readers of fantasy space novels 👍🔰. Enjoy the adventure of reading 👓 or listening 🎶 to Alexa as I do because of health issues. 2022 😮
Another will written fantasy Sci-Fi space opera adventure thriller short story by Clifford D. Simak about a man 🚹 who controlled earth 🌎 and most of space and the planets. But the people rebelled against him and the power 🔋 was gone. Now he and his friend head into the unknown while his conquer heads back to earth 🌎 and will lead the immigration to the 🌟 stars. I would highly recommend this novella to readers of fantasy space novels 👍🔰. Enjoy the adventure of reading 👓 or listening 🎶 to Alexa as I do because of health issues. 2022 😮
December 16, 2019
This is essentially The Skylark of Space written by Clifford Simak. It has the same inventor who discovers a new power source that can also be put to myriad other uses, the rich friend banker, the world spanning monopolistic corporation and so on. It is somewhat bloodless compared to Doc Smith's work, and is missing any hint of romance, but otherwise the stories are remarkably similar. I believe that if you like one you will like the other.
December 16, 2019
This is essentially Doc Smith's The Skylark of Space re-written by Clifford Simak except without any romance and emphasising the fight against the corporate monopolists on Earth and in the solar system over the space opera fight among the stars. It feels almost like an answer to Skylark in the same way that Forever War was an answer to Starship Troopers. In Skylark, Seaton's enemies are cut down without sympathy, whereas Empire is rather bloodless overall.
August 10, 2021
Spenser Chambers monopolizes the solar system through control of the energy source that fuels the worlds. Greg Manning and Russ Page discover a new and inexpensive energy source. They battle with Chambers to free the planets.
Not particularly inspiring. The plot line is interesting, but not suspenseful or exciting. Reads as one note, but I continue to enjoy science fiction. This one made me think about the day when humans will find another habitable planet.
Not particularly inspiring. The plot line is interesting, but not suspenseful or exciting. Reads as one note, but I continue to enjoy science fiction. This one made me think about the day when humans will find another habitable planet.
February 13, 2024
Good, old fashioned sci-fi! If you like Doc Smith's books, you'll like this. It's a lot different than Simak's later style but just as good in its own way.
I have no doubt that both George Lucas and Gene Roddenberry had read this before creating Star Wars & Star Trek. Several of the core ideas are here.
The only negative thing I see is that it was all a little too easy. I won't give any spoilers, but I'll just say the protagonists were really, really smart.
I have no doubt that both George Lucas and Gene Roddenberry had read this before creating Star Wars & Star Trek. Several of the core ideas are here.
The only negative thing I see is that it was all a little too easy. I won't give any spoilers, but I'll just say the protagonists were really, really smart.
July 15, 2023
Naive
Science fiction from this era just doesn’t hold up. I’m sure I read this 40 or more years ago and definitely wouldn’t see what I notice now. All characters are male, no real understanding of how science works, naive politics and economics, and so. It’s interesting to see how far SF has come, but younger, modern readers would be put off by a lot in this book.
Science fiction from this era just doesn’t hold up. I’m sure I read this 40 or more years ago and definitely wouldn’t see what I notice now. All characters are male, no real understanding of how science works, naive politics and economics, and so. It’s interesting to see how far SF has come, but younger, modern readers would be put off by a lot in this book.
July 29, 2017
Certainly a dated book in terms of the science that it suggests, but still with a story about would be emperors and tyrants and the drive of man to be free and to explore. Maybe a hair too preachy in the last chapter or so, but still, a good and very readable yarn.
December 3, 2018
A Simple Juvenile work
This is a short book it only 145 Pages. It has a simple plan. And simple characters. The science fiction is also very simple and not well explained. I believe this is most likely intended for juvenile perhaps preteen audience from 1951 when it was published.
This is a short book it only 145 Pages. It has a simple plan. And simple characters. The science fiction is also very simple and not well explained. I believe this is most likely intended for juvenile perhaps preteen audience from 1951 when it was published.
May 30, 2020
An excellent, and thought provoking read. Current science can prolly poke a few holes, and I'd love to see a group of appropriate scientist discuss everything in this story. Still, it's well done and knowledgeable. Nerd approved, nerd entertained.
October 18, 2018
Old, but good.
December 15, 2018
Wonderful super-science adventure with geniuses versus evil corporations. Some creative stuff here that is quite enjoyable. I think this could make a swell 2 or 3 part miniseries.
January 2, 2019
Standard for the time and doesn't hold up well.
February 18, 2019
I struggled to get into this story and I kept falling asleep.
March 11, 2021
A solid read 3.25/5
Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews