Synopses & Reviews
Originally published in four volumes nearlyfifty years ago, Cities in Flight brings together the famed "Okie novels" of science fiction master James Blish. Named after the migrant workers of America's Dust Bowl, these novels convey Blish's "history of the future," a brilliant and bleak look at a world where cities roam the Galaxy looking for work and a sustainable way of life. In the first novel, They Shall Have Stars, man has thoroughly explored the Solar System, yet the dream of going even further seems to have died in all but one man. His battle to realize his dream results in two momentous discoveries anti-gravity and the secret of immortality. In A Life for the Stars, it is centuries later and antigravity generations have enabled whole cities to lift off the surface of the earth to become galactic wanderers. In Earthman, Come Home, the nomadic cities revert to barbarism and marauding rogue cities begin to pose a threat to all civilized worlds. In the final novel, The Triumph of Time, historyrepeats itself as the cities once again journey back in to space making a terrifying discovery which could destroy the entire Universe. A serious andhaunting vision of our world and its limits, Cities in Flight marks the return to print of one of science fiction's most inimitable writers. A Selection of the Science Fiction Book Club
Review
"A compelling future history, a tale of thistledown cities blown by the winds of time. This is one of sf's most original concepts, an exciting tale deepened and made utterly plausible by Blish s craft and his mature understanding of people and history. If you haven t read this yet, I envy you. Blish s cities will fly through your dreams." Stephen Baxter
"In a century that brimmed with human short-sightedness, James Blish was one of the very first genuine visionaries of a new millennium. If the universe doesn tturn out to be as bold and vivid and wonderful as he imagined, well . . . it ought to!" David Brin
Synopsis
In the first novel, They Shall Have Stars, man has thoroughly explored the Solar System, yet the dream of going even further seems to have died in all but one man. His battle to realize his dream results in two momentous discoveries anti-gravity and the secret of immortality. In A Life for the Stars, it is centuries later and antigravity generations have enabled whole cities to lift off the surface of the earth to become galactic wanderers. In Earthman, Come Home, the nomadic cities revert to barbarism and marauding rogue cities begin to pose a threat to all civilized worlds. In the final novel, The Triumph of Time, historyrepeats itself as the cities once again journey back in to space making a terrifying discovery which could destroy the entire Universe. A serious andhaunting vision of our world and its limits, Cities in Flight marks the return to print of one of science fiction's most inimitable writers A Selection of the Science Fiction Book Club
Synopsis
Long out of print, the science fiction masterpiece by Hugo Award-winning writer James Blish
About the Author
James Blish was one of the great science fiction writers of the twentieth century. His other novels include the Hugo Award-winning A Case of Conscience, Doctor Mirabilis, Black Easter andThe Day After Judgment. His later work includes the first twelve of the Star Trek novel series (all based on the original TV scripts) and Spock Must Die, the first original Star Trek novel.