Hammerfall (C. J. Cherryh) Conclusion

Okay, so we do finally get a glimpse of the “ondat” whoever or whatever they are; but just the merest glimpse!  Marak is finally shown a vision by Luz of where the ondat are located; “Then a strange thing appeared in the night, white, and looking like a village from a distance.” … “It glittered with lights, some that blinked, others that lit its walls.”… “Ondat, his voices said to him.  ‘Do you see it?’ he asked Luz … ‘Do you see a village in the night sky?’  ‘I see something white,’ Hati said … ‘It could be a village.  But its towers go off in every direction.’” And, upon, being interrupted by Tofi, “The vision of the tower in the stars broke apart, became irretrievable, something beyond imagination.”

Throughout the narrative, Cherryh has been largely successful at depicting these people as primitives who know nothing of the universe outside their immediate world.  Hati’s description of a space station is as close as they’re likely to come, until Luz decides to elucidate further.  After having seen a vision so unlike anything they have ever experienced (the space ship at Luz’s camp having been identified only as a “tower,” and very admirably depicted on the cover of the book), it would, indeed, become “irretrievable” to their memory and “something beyond imagination.”  Even a reader who is generally unfamiliar with conventional Sci-Fi concepts and imagery, like my mom, would struggle with this.  Cherryh knows her audience, and she doesn’t waste a lot of words trying to help the uninitiated to “get it.”  The rest of us appreciate that, and admire her choice of words and economy of description.

At the beginning of the book, we noted the similarity to the Star Wars opening situation; an off-the-beaten-path desert world, the protagonist’s family having just been destroyed or torn apart by evil political forces.  Sure enough, we end with a showdown between the hero and his father, who has become his nemesis!  What a relief that Marak didn’t scream, “Nooooooo!”  when he discovered his father in the last place he would have imagined!

Some things we saw coming…  After the planet wide catastrophe that the book was titled for, with the “hammer” falling into the “bitter water” (salt water of the nearby sea, for the non-Sci-Fi types) the people would suddenly see rains and overcast skies like they’ve never seen, leading to major flooding.  Memnanan’s baby boy being born in the same tent in which Norit’s baby girl was riding out the storm led, in the future, to their becoming husband and wife with kids of their own.  The hammerfall, though it didn’t wipe out humans, thanks mostly to our hero(s), does seem to have wiped out the “vermin.”  These creatures  were interestingly left undescribed, for most part.  Though the beshti were very thoroughly fleshed out, the scavengers were not, perhaps subscribing to the Negligee Factor; “the more you leave to the imagination, the more enticing it is.”  It mostly works here, with occasional hints.  At one point our heroes are “hissed at” by something that disappears into the rocks.  Some of them are denoted as flying creatures.  They scuttle, they slink, they mob and the big ones eat the little ones, which are frequently crushed under the feet of the beshti.  One particularly nasty one comes up to about knee-level on a beshti.  That’s about it.  Again, the author gets points for showing her faith in her readers to fill in the grisly details as our imaginations deem fit.

Was the book too long and tedious in places?  For myself, I have to say it was.  I think authors tend to write for the readers who read the way the author does.  Cherryh is probably a much faster reader than I am – as many people are.  Each reader must judge for him- or herself.  This book does make me want to go back and re-read her fast-paced Chanur novels!  And I have still yet to read her most acclaimed work, “Downbelow Station.”  Yes, she’s definitely still on my To-Read List!

 

Next week:  The first segment of our April book, “Innocence,” by Dean Koontz!  (Chapters 1-21)


“A thriller that’s both chilling and fulfilling.”—People (four stars)

“Laced with fantastical mysticism, it’s an allegory of nonviolence, acceptance and love in the face of adversity. . . . The narrative is intense, with an old-fashioned ominousness and artistically crafted descriptions. . . . An optimistic and unexpected conclusion [mirrors] his theme. Something different this way comes from Mr. Koontz’s imagination. Enjoy.”—Kirkus Reviews
 
“Mystery and terror, the paranormal and romance—all combine to make Innocence a challenging and emotional experience.”—New York Journal of Books

“Entrancing . . . as speedy a chase-thriller as any Koontz . . . has ever constructed. Written in Koontz’ late mellifluent and reflective manner . . . [Innocence is] fueled by deep disgust with the world’s evils [and] hope for redemption.”—Booklist (starred review)
 
“[An] imaginative, mystical thriller from bestseller Koontz . . . This is the most satisfying Koontz standalone in a while.”—Publishers Weekly
 
“Masterful storyteller Koontz delivers perhaps his most eerie and unusual tale to date. The timeline in this amazing story is compact, and readers will be swept along as they try to unravel hints and clues as to the true nature of both the protagonists and the unfolding drama. Unpredictably spine-chilling and terrifying, this is a story readers won’t soon forget.”—RT Book Reviews