Eon
by Greg Bear · first published 1985
65% recommend31% neutral4% critical
Why HN recommends it
Big-concept hard SF in the vein of Rama: a vast mysterious object, adventure-driven exploration, and ideas like people as virtual machines and picting. Suits readers of Niven, Vinge and Reynolds.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
"Perhaps it wasn't from our time, perhaps it wasn't even from our universe, but perhaps the arrival of the 300 km long stone was the answer to humanity's desperate plea to end the threat of nuclear war. Inside the deep recesses of the stone lies Thistledown: the remnants of a human society, versed in English, Russian and Chinese. The artifacts of this familiar people foretell a great Death caused by the ravages of war, but the government and scientists are unable to decide how to use this knowledge. Deeper still within the stone is the Way. For some the Way means salvation from death, for ot
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What Hacker News says
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…$4.55 at smile.amazon.com, used is about 1 to 3 dollars, Kindle version is $7.59. I don't recommend the other books in the series, they don't live up to the original, in my opinion. A similar book is Eon by Greg Bear, although less pure sci-fi exploration and more sci-fi adventure.
on “Another Interstellar Object Detected in the Solar System” ↗…wonderful stuff to randomly pick off the library shelf because they had a cool sounding name. I actually read the 2nd book first by accident, and thought it worked pretty well in retrospect. I also liked Eon by Greg Bear, for actually quite similar reasons.
on “Ask HN: Books you read in 2023 and recommend for 2024” ↗…them already. * Xeelee Sequence, by Stephen Baxter. * Revelation Space by Alastair Reynolds. * The Mote in God's Eye, by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle. * Children of Time, by Adrian Tchaikovsky * Eon, by Greg Bear * A Fire Upon The Deep, by Vernor Vinge * The Golden Age, by John C. Wright.
on “Five of the best science fiction books of 2024” ↗Eon by Greg Bear. A Deepness in the Sky by Vernor Vinge.
on “Ask HN: What fiction books would you recommend for programmers?” ↗Missing: Eon by Greg Bear http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eon_(novel)
on “The Best Science Fiction Books (According to Reddit)” ↗I recently really enjoyed the Revelation Space series by Alistair Reynolds. Also, Greg Bear's books about The Way (Legacy, Eon, etc) make a great series.
on “Has sci-fi run out of steam?” ↗Definitely Greg Bear. When I started reading grown-up SF decades ago it was with Bear, Bova, Niven, Pournelle, and the like. Back then Eon, Blood Music, and Ringworld (for example) were mind-blowingly vast concepts. As an aside (and purely because it's probably my turn for some hefty downvotes) I'd definitely agree with the comment elsewhere…
on “The Realism of Our Times: Kim Stanley Robinson on how science fiction works” ↗Programming in Haskell by Graham Hutton A.I. A Modern Approach (ch 13-16) by Russell and Norvig A Tunnel In The Sky by Robert Heinlein The Revelation Space series (3 of the 5 books) by Alistair Reynolds Eon/Eternity (both by Greg Bear)
on “Ask HN: Great books you read in 2009?” ↗…its's sequel Judas Unchained are superb. Would also recommend the Void Trilogy by Peter F Hamilton too - strong mix of scifi and an alternate fantasy world. Missing in my view would be: Greg Bear - Eon (as people have mentioned, but also: M John Harrison - Light James Blish - Cities in Flight Battlefield Earth (awesome book, hopeless film) Brave New World for my ultimate "classic"
on “The Best Science Fiction Books (According to Reddit)” ↗…the far, far future I could see visual communication multi-tasked into everyday life. It will take a lot of societal changes for that to happen though. I like the portrayal of "picting" in Greg Bear's EON series.
on “Bad News: Google Is Doing The Corporate Future-Vision Video Thing” ↗…of from authors who deal in technology and whose works have also taken the top science fiction awards. Neal Stephenson's Snow Crash and The Diamond Age. Greg Bear's Moving Mars, Anvil of Stars, and Eon. John Barnes' A Million Open Doors, and Mother of Storms.
on “Earliest images of the moon were better than people realised” ↗…than next 100 years. Some of Stephenson's books (Seveneves, etc). Others Stephen Baxter, Richard Morgan (Altered Carbon). All great, but I'm more old-school, William Gibson, James P. Hogan, Greg Bear (Eon series), Mary Doria Russell (The Sparrow).
on “Particle physics may have reached the end of the line” ↗There is Eon from Greg Bear. Similar thing, but WAYYY different. I recommend it for people who liked Rama. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eon_(novel)
on ““Snowcrash” to be HBO series, compete with actual early Metaverses for viewers” ↗Agreed. I highly recommend: * Eon - Greg Bear * A Deepness In The Sky - Vernor Vinge
on “Ask HN: What are less known hard Sci-Fi books to read?” ↗Forge of God and Anvil of Stars are 2 of my favourite books, as is Eon. He really helped me soar among the stars. Thank you Greg Bear, rest easy now.
on “Greg Bear has died” ↗