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Dies the Fire: A Novel of the Change
by S. M. Stirling
Product Group: Book
Publisher: Roc Hardcover (2004-08-03)
ISBN: 0451459792
EAN: 9780451459794
Dewy Decimal #: 813.54
Hardcover: 496 pages
Release Date: 2004-08-03
SKU: 080702166
Condition: Fine
Comments: 0451459792 New, never read, may have minor damage on cover, ships within 24 hours. New, never read, may have minor wear on cover.
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Editorial Reviews
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Product Description
More of "the best straight-ahead science fiction the genre has ever seen" (Amazing) from the bestselling author of Conquistador.
An electrical storm over Nantucket causes all electronic devices to cease to function-computers, radio, even firearms-and plunges the world into a darkness humanity is unprepared to face. But as some people band together to help, others are building armies for conquest...
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Customer Reviews
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A Great Read With an Exciting Plot.....
Rating  (5)
Date: 2008-08-01
Dies the Fire, S.M. Stirling's first novel in the "Change" trilogy, takes a look at the world left behind by the Nantucket Islanders in his "Islanders" trilogy. Here, we see that the same Event that sent Nantucket three thousand years into the past has caused a devastating Change in the world they left behind: all modern technology based on chemical or electrical power - including electronics, internal combustion engines, and firearms - suddenly stops working.
The main characters of the novel are Michael Havel, pilot and former Marine; Juniper McKenzie, Celtic musician and priestess of the Craft; and Norman Arminger, history professor, anthropologist, and medieval expert. Unlike the Islanders trilogy, which splendidly evokes the past by showing an entire world, Dies the Fire evokes the horrors and trials of surviving the loss of a world by focusing on Havel and McKenzie, and their efforts to survive and start anew - with glimpses of Arminger's founding of a Protectorate based on medieval feudalism, with serfdom, slavery, and military conquest all a part of it.
Stirling has captured the sense of what a world without modern technology would look like - and he makes you think about just how much we take for granted is dependent on the last two hundred years or so of scientific advancement. From fantastic combat and action scenes to detailed, well-written explorations of how survivors could begin again, this book is a great read and a wonderful start to the new trilogy!
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If Only
Rating (5)
Date: 2008-07-27
1 out of 1 customers found this reveiw helpful
Like all major shifts in environment those that can't adapt die horribly. This strong first novel really sets you cheering the survivors. The second novel is also a worthy read, but the third is full of fluff. Too many pages decribing the pretty flowers. Hang all page number requirements by their entrails!
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Awesome story, mediocre pace
Rating  (4)
Date: 2008-07-11
1 out of 1 customers found this reveiw helpful
I really enjoyed the story in Dies the Fire. What would happen if all high tech (everything more complex than a steam engine) just stopped working? How would the world react?
Well, badly, it turns out. And reading about the collapse of society is fun. Fun, in a watching a train wreck kinda way. Very cool. Five stars for the story.
The characters were interesting and well drawn. Four stars for character development.
My only gripe with this book, indeed with all of Stirling's books, is the pacing. Things move a bit too slow for my tastes. Three stars for pacing.
Overall, I give Dies the Fire: A Novel of the Change four stars.
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I thought this was Sci-Fi, not medieval King Arthur
Rating  (1)
Date: 2008-07-03
If you're into the whole King Arthur lords and ladies stuff, then this book would be right up your alley. For me, however, I expected this post-apocalyptic novel to have a little more substance. Instead, all I got was 10 pages of interesting material, 390 pages of fluffy adventures, and 170 pages of Wiccan partying.
The premise is interesting--the explosive and electrical elements have somehow been removed from the laws of physics by some unexplained event. That means electricity doesn't exist (thus, no power), fuel won't burn (no more transportation), and gunpowder won't ignite (thus, no explosives or guns). Aside from the question of, "How are people still alive, seeing that our nerves run off electrical impulses," this book sets up an interesting beginning. However, it strays off fast, focusing instead on the petty problems of social bickering, overly intense focus on adapting to "natural resources", and an overly excessive amount of focus on Wiccan celebrations. Honestly, I was sick and tired of having the ol' gang get together and have some "joyous celebration". After the second page, it was enough, but I was delighted to find a good chunk of the book focusing on just that.
I cannot figure out why so many people liked this book. Maybe it's my tastes, but the work is so tangented that it's a dull read in my opinion.
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Dies the Fire
Rating  (2)
Date: 2008-06-07
1 out of 1 customers found this reveiw helpful
This book is okay, I guess. However, I stopped reading halfway through, for 2 reasons.
First, the story was just a re-hash of every other post-apoc story I've read. Same storylines, same people only with different names (and different religion, which we'll get to in a moment)... not to mention this story certainly doesn't lack dei ex machinis; with the one difference of showing up in the beginning of the story instead of the end.
Second, I did not want to read a freakin Wicca textbook.. the chapters that involve Juniper are nothing other than her trying to justify/plan her life around Wiccan ritual and blah blah blah blah blah. Every other sentence is "thank the goddess" and every action involves a deep analysis of risk/reward as it pertains to her religion. I'm sure Stirling was going for unique (I personally haven't encountered many books that have Wiccan protagonists), but it quickly becomes trite and overbearing. A typical chapter where she's involved is roughly 30% plot, 70% Wiccan pamphlet.
If you like post-apocalypse stories but haven't read many, this one is pretty good.. if you're read a lot of post-apoc, don't bother.. this is the same story as all the others, with different names. I wanted to like this one, I really did.. but, I didn't.
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