Helliconia Winter: Helliconia Spring; Helliconia Summer; Helliconia Winter (Helliconia Trilogy, Volume #3)

Synopsis

Brian Aldiss's epic science fantasy trilogy tells how scientists from earth;, living in a sociologically altered orbital observation station, study the conflict between primitive human-like and cattle-like beings on a planet with seasons lasting centuries. Atheneum's summary of the third volume reads as follows. Brian Aldiss's Helliconia Trilogy-already hailed as his greatest achievement and possibly the greatest science fiction epic of our time-comes to a spectacular conclusion in Helliconia Winter. On Helliconia, Aldiss's special planet, where one year lasts two and a half thousand earth years and winter is seven centuries long, snow is now falling. As Helliconia moves on its elliptical path away from the warmth of the sun Freyr, crops fail, and the growing harshness of the climate is matched by the harshness of government under the Oligarch. Now, too, mankind's ancient enemies, the phagors, begin to leave their mountain fastnesses to war upon human civilization. Here is a magical story of journeys, strange transformations, and the world of events that paralyze or alter the lives of men and women. It is the story of a great battle, whose victors are betrayed and exterminated. The story of a beautiful woman who falls into the hands of her husband's slayer. The story of Luterin Shokerandit, who undertakes a pilgrimage of breathtaking peril through the gathering winter to the farthest polar reaches of the planet, and enters the Great Wheel of Kharnabhar, where the prisoners of the Wheel are believed to row their planet back to light. Involved in this drama are other dimensions: the world of the dead; distant Earth-also undergoing winter-and the deities that preside over the life of both planets. Out of all this vast and rich material, Brian Aldiss has created a grand and panoramic novel, a climax to his trilogy, in which metaphysical speculation flows side by side with memorable settings and an assembly of striking characters. In a long and enthusiastic review of Helliconia Spring and Helliconia Summer, the New York Times concluded by saying, "Mr. Aldiss is now in competition with no one but himself." This time, he has beaten the competition.

Copyright:

1985

Book Details

Book Quality:

Publisher Quality

Book Size:

278 Pages

ISBN-13:

9781497608351

Publisher:

Open Road Media

Date of Addition:

03/09/21

Copyrighted By:

Brian W. Aldiss

Adult content:

No

Language:

English

Has Image Descriptions:

No

Categories:

Literature and Fiction, Science Fiction and Fantasy

Submitted By:

Bookshare Staff

Usage Restrictions:

This is a copyrighted book.