Forge of Heaven
C. J. Cherryh
(Reviewer - D. H. BROWN)
2004 Eos/HarperCollins
ISBN: 0380979039

At the far edge of the galaxy, tiny Concord Station is the one place where enemies, humans & aliens, coexist, as a fragile world below evolves.

Scarred by vicious nanotechnology unleashed by the ondat, this lone desert planet acts as the crucible where peace & war must be forged.

The fate of one man will decide the future of humans & aliens alike ... & the ondat are watching.

Sr. Staff Reviewer D. H. BROWN writes:

Many authors have created, or attempted to create, entirely new universes in which to set their tales. Some do it seemingly without effort, like Robert Heinlein, Peter Hamilton & Greg Bear. Many others, often very forgettable, miss the mark completely, leaving their story hanging over the starless abyss with no foundation.

C. J.Cherryh definitely falls in the first category, & after 30 years of telling us tales, does it with grand style. I remember back when she wrote Hammerfall, I was thoroughly taken with her simple & yet complex new universe, complete with humanity in all its failings & variations, an alien race.

I think where some writers fail in creating a new universe in which to blaze a new trail for science fiction, is their failure to acknowledge that humanity, in all of its glorious adaptability, will, in the future, change. Even as portions of it struggle to remain the same.

This is a repeating pattern all too familiar to anyone who is a student of history. & that failure makes for bland one dimensional storytelling. Change & adaptability IS the human condition, & is the norm rather than static normalcy. Hammerfall had all of this, in spades.

Now comes Forge of Heaven. I've often been interested in how an author can take vast expanses & seemingly apply great pressures, condense that vastness into a single, or even multiple views, into a diamond of a story.

The richness, flavors & even smells that C. J. Cherryh brings to a book are incomparable, transporting you to that totally imaginary place in time & makes you a part of the lives of all of her characters that people that created world.

Beginnings, middles & ends can be crafted by any professional writer. It is the true master who forges them into an experience that sticks with you for evermore. C. J. Cherryh is such a master.

Without a doubt a magnificent masterpiece. While buying Forge of Heaven treat yourself to the appetizer of Hammerfall, then wait with anticipation for the dessert & coffee of its sequel.

Forge of Heaven is highly recommended reading & re-reading for all true science fiction aficionado. 4 teapots? Oh yes!

More from C. J. Cherryh:
Foreigner Series
Explorer
Defender
Invader
Cyteen
Rimrunners
The Faded Sun Trilogy
The Chanur Saga
Fortress of Owls
Fortress in the Eye of Time
Fortress of Eagles & many more!
(10/10/04)

D. H. BROWN
A RebeccasReads.Com Sr. Staff Reviewer

Reviewer's Bio:
D. H. BROWN is the author of the critically acclaimed HONOR DUE and the Citizens Warrior Series. The son of missionary parents and with the help his Uncle Sam, he has touched base in more than 40 countries.  In 1986 he produced the independent children's film Lessie's Rainbow.  During the late 80s and early 90s, he wrote the book Common Sense and delivered the seminars of the same name for the Community Action Network of Seattle (CAN).  While doing his early Vietnam recovery work, he counseled Veterans and spoke widely to men's groups in Washington state, and was a founder of The Lodge of the Wolf.

D. H. BROWN has worked as a Logistics and Weapons Specialist in Viet Nam; day laborer; Director of Security; Armored Car Driver; Police Officer; Professional Hunting Guide; Trapper; Dog Sledder; Homesteader; Truck Driver; General Contractor; Minister; Editor; Writer; Speaker; Restaurateur; Movie Producer; Antique Restoration Specialist; Personal Care Worker; PC Repair Specialist; Computer Instructor; Webmaster and Web Designer. "I write about what I know."

He lives deep in the Pacific Northwest rainforest with his wife, author and editor Rebecca and Buddy Dog, working on his next book.
Visit him at: www.dhbrownbooks.com