Lucifer's Hammer
by Larry Niven, Jerry Pournelle · first published 1977
63% recommend37% neutral
Why HN recommends it
Big-cast disaster novel about a comet striking Earth and the chaotic aftermath; readers like its lucid impact scenario, post-apocalyptic society, twisty plot, and fun pacing. Suits fans of Niven and Pournelle.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
Lucifer's Hammer is a post-apocalyptic science fiction novel by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle, first published in 1977. It was nominated for the Hugo Award for Best Novel in 1978. The story details a cometary impact on Earth, an end to civilization, and the battle for the future. It encompasses the discovery of the comet, the LA social scene, and a cast of diverse characters whom fate seems to smile upon and allow to survive the massive cataclysm and the resulting tsunamis, plagues, famines and battles amongst scavengers and cannibals.
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…topic quite a bit, so it was interesting to me to see that the author is an astrobiologist who wrote "The Knowledge", about restarting civilization from scratch. Niven (who wrote Ringworld) also co-wrote "Lucifer's Hammer" with Jerry Pournelle, which was like a fun book version of a big-cast disaster movie, about a comet colliding with the earth in the mid-1970s. Lucifer's Hammer had some fairly realistic assessments…
on “Could we reboot a modern civilization without fossil fuels? (2016)” ↗…might: - The Story of Your Life by Ted Chiang (superb short story that Arrival was based on) - The Three Body-Problem (Cixin Liu) - Dune (Frank Herbert) - The Parable of the Sower (Octavia Butler) - Lucifer's Hammer (Larry Niven) - The Kundalini Equation (Steven Barnes)
on “Ask HN: What are the best Sci-Fi books you've ever read?” ↗…the problem with a lot of science-fiction books is that, once the core ideas are explored and the conflict resolved, it's best to kind of move on. EDIT: Actually, a post-apocalyptic series based on Lucifer's Hammer or War Day would be great. Jericho actually had its moments, but went too soon. Comedy option for HBO: The Stone Dogs. Even better option: a port of Turtledove's World War alternate history.
on “Ask HN: Which SciFi novel(s) would you want made into a TV series?” ↗…being well prepared with clean water, food, medicine and shelter does you no good if someone else takes it from you. The very first item on your list should be a powerful firearm & sufficient ammo. Lucifer's Hammer by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle has a pretty good take on the post-apocalyptic chaos & breakdown in society that will likely ensue.
on “The Really Big One” ↗So, I'd suggest a few different books on that topic--Farnham's Freehold not being one of them. Lucifer's Hammer by Niven and Pournelle goes into a bit of the politics and aftermath of a comet striking the Earth. It talks about survival, civil defense, and a few other things that would be spoilers to mention. That…
on “Why a Post-Nuclear World Would Look Nothing Like “Mad Max”” ↗For an interesting fictional description of a comet hitting the earth (and the resulting aftermath), check out Lucifer's Hammer by Jeremy Pournelle and Larry Niven.
on “The city of Tall el-Hammam was destroyed by an airburst 3600 years ago” ↗Currently reading Pournell/Niven's "Lucifer's Hammer" right now. This was an excellent companion to it.
on “The Tunguska Event” ↗For a good take on this kind of thinking, I'd recommend reading Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle's "Lucifer's Hammer" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucifer's_Hammer). From the wikipedia page: "Some advanced technical knowledge was maintained by the means of the preservation of the book The Way Things Work, which had…
on “Are We Losing the Secrets of the Masters?” ↗Larry Niven was awesome at apocalypses. The short story Inconstant Moon is one of the greats, plus he did a couple of thick novels on the theme with Pournelle -- Lucifer's Hammer and Footfall.
on “The Day the Moon Blew Up” ↗Some of my favorite SF is stuff he wrote with Larry Niven: Footfall, Inferno, Lucifer's Hammer, The Mote in God's Eye (and The Gripping Hand)
on “Universities are broke – let’s cut the pointless admin and get back to teaching” ↗Like other's have said; his collaborations with Niven are really great. Footfall, Lucifer's Hammer, and A Mote in God's Eye were my personal favorites.
on “Jerry Pournelle has died” ↗Yes, Stirling's Nantucket series is a good example. Loosely also his Emberverse (basically the flip side of the Nantucket series) although I lost interest as I often do with long-running series. Lucifer's Hammer by Niven and Pournelle. A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court is probably the classic of the genre (Mark Twain). Most of these books are probably overly optimistic about what one or a small group…
on “1632 by Eric Flint (2000)” ↗…democratic process are more worrisome -- and yet at the same time, much more within our capability to fix than an asteroid strike. For a lucid fictional presentation of an asteroid strike, I recommend "Lucifer's Hammer" by Niven and Pournelle.^1 [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucifer%27s_Hammer
on “NASA predicts asteroid to make one of closest approaches to Earth ever recorded” ↗It was a Niven / Pournelle mashup. Also, Lucifer's Hammer is a fun read I recall.
on “Project Orion” ↗Btw, I really enjoyed Lucifer's Hammer (1977, Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle) as it explored the issues we are discussing. The source of that story was a meteor and not a solar flare, but the effect is the same.
on “Solar cycle is more powerful and surprising than predicted” ↗