The Last Theorem by Arthur C. Clarke, Frederik Pohl Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of The Last Theorem
Book Review: Themes from the past, more should've been done with 'em
Summary: 3 Stars
On the morning of Sir Arthur's death, I pre-ordered this, his last novel. And that after having panned his last three, which were co-written with Stephen Baxter.
First, an observation. I think Sir Arthur may be more "religious" than he claimed to be. Even in ""2001: A Space Odyssey" which clearly put Clarke on the map, he referred to a creature, transcending the material world, close to "God." In this one, the authors create the "Grand Galactics," known collectively as "Bill." There is something distinctive, bordering on the "divine" about them/it.
The story itself is a biography of a young man in Sri Lanka, where Clarke lived for many years. In the book's beginning, the boy, Ranjit Subramanian, has an "affair" of sorts with a good friend. That friend pops up throughout the rest of the man's life, but sporadically, without much rhyme or reason.
In the meantime, the Grand Galactics witness Hiroshima and Nagasaki from afar. Their subordinate creatures of which there are many, the One Point Fives and the Nine Limbeds, for example, are authorized to destroy earth which has become a threat to life elsewhere. It's a theme not unlike "The Day the Earth Stood Still," and inferably "divine."
While this is happening, and while Subramanian is getting a little older, he's imprisoned for a couple of years. That was my first major problem with the text. That imprisonment served no purpose other than to indicate that other technical changes were taking place around the earth. And nothing later came of the imprisonment, no revenge on those who'd imprisoned him, no enlightenment as a result of it, or anything like that. What was the point?
Anyway, during the period, a nuclear weapon is developed which, like Clarke's (and Kube-McDowell's) book "The Trigger," renders its victims' weapons impotent. And that eventually provided a reason for the Grand Galactics' reconsideration of the earth's fate.
Then there was a space transportation means developed, taken from Clarke's novel "The Fountains of Paradise." In neither this book nor that one was I able to picture that means very clearly, but that may be my weakness rather than that of the books. Ranjit's daughter uses that means in a "solar sailing" race from which the message of the Grand Galactics and their subordinates' message comes to us earthlings--in ways that I dare not give away to the potential reader.
The whole story was rather slow in here. We saw Ranjit's kids develop; they had their own gifts and weaknesses. It was interesting, but didn't make me long for the next chapter.
All of these creatures by the way make themselves known by the end of the novel. Even the text refers to how boring the creatures' dissertations and inquiries could be!
And the end of the book I'm still trying to figure out. Ranjit's beloved spouse dies in a diving accident, her consciousness is inserted into a machine, somewhat like the theme of Clarke's (and McQuay's) novel "Richter 10." One passes thousands of years into the future as this consciousness survives and...what? Who is that guy behind the curtain?
I guess the most interesting theme of the text is that of the "theorem." in fact, it interested me enough to study a little about Fermat and that theorem. I'm still trying to figure out its utility, but at least I looked it up. Then there was the incorporation of contemporary themes into the text, especially US hegemony and militarism. But the authors didn't do much with those themes. I appreciate that they were there as that what makes a "story" good. But something more might have been done with them.
I guess I felt let down at the end of the book as I had more questions than answers. Again, there were themes that didn't serve any discernable purpose, others that didn't go where they might have.
If you're a Clarke collector, as I am, you might want it. If you want an uplifting story, any mathematical or scientific insights, you're going to be let down.
Book Review: Thoroughly Entertaining...
Summary: 5 Stars
Great book, compelling story. I plowed through the pages quickly and if you've read anything by either of the authors you will to. It seems to me that this book refined some ideas that were touched on by previous books that these authors had written seperately. My respects to the late great Arthur C. Clarke.Book Review: Yawn
Summary: 1 Stars
This book is essentially a fictional biography which is about as exciting as kissing your sister. I kept waiting for connections to appear and for things to unfold but alas it never happened. Also horribly anti-climatic. Through 3/4 of the book aliens are plotting to sterilize the earth then suddenly they just change their mind with very little explanation given. Skip it!Book Review: a tasty blend
Summary: 4 Stars
The Last Theoremis written by two masters of science fiction, for one of them the definite last book. Each one parts are clearly distinguishable, but entertaining as well. A bit too honey-laced at the end, sometimes a not too logical twist of the plot, nevertheless a book that gave me two days of clever entertainment.Book Review: interesting
Summary: 4 Stars
In the middle of the twentieth century, atomic bomb testing was conducted on the land, at sea and in the air; eventually the radiation traveled into outer space, which brought the planet to the attention of the Grand Galactics who ordered the destruction of Earth before the barbarians devastated the universe. They sent their client races, the Machine Stored, a sentient species who left their bodies behind and become inhabitants of cyber pace. Also on assignment to destroy Earth is The Nine Limbed, the civilized race that speaks on behalf of the Grand Galactics and the one point five, the race that destroyed their world and needs prosthetics to survive.
Brilliant Sri Lankan mathematician Ranjit Subramanian is obsessed with Fermat's Last Theorem. While he is in a prison, he works out the proof in his head and soon becomes an international sensation. He is privy to the non lethal weapon mankind has developed to bring peace to the world, but when the Grand Galactics learn there is no more need to destroy this orb, will they cease the eradication order or bureaucratically wipe out the planet.
THE LAST THEOREM is an interesting work that occurs on two levels. One plot focuses on Ranjit's life from the time he is sixteen; while the other centers on alien invaders sent by their overlords to destroy the warmongering earthlings. Both subplots are fascinating as readers follow the progress made by earthlings to attain Pax through a special non-killing weapon. As fans wait for the macro and micro plots to merge, first contact could prove lethal.
Harriet Klausner