⋙ Libro To Your Scattered Bodies Go Riverworld Saga Book 1 Philip Jose Farmer 9780345419675 Books

To Your Scattered Bodies Go Riverworld Saga Book 1 Philip Jose Farmer 9780345419675 Books

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To Your Scattered Bodies Go Riverworld Saga Book 1 Philip Jose Farmer 9780345419675 Books

Some really scathing reviews here and some quite unfair given that this novel was written 32 years ago. Film, theater, television and, yes, novels all age just as we do. They (like their author)are products of their time. I haven't read this book since the mid-70's and decided to revisit based on some of the reviews here to see if it was all that bad.

Guess what, it's still a pretty terrific book. Science fiction ages a bit less well than most mainstream or contemporary lit. Why? Because you're imagining the future--science fiction is like gambling you know the odds, you know that you could lose or be wrong, yet you do it anyway. Sometimes you're right and sometimes you're wrong. Really, predicting the future isn't the point but observing human behavior because science fiction--the best science fiction--isn't just about doo hickeys and gadets. It's about human behavior.

If Phil Farmer's Rvierworld books are a bit dated, it's because the author wrote the first installment (before it was a novel) in 1966. The only thing that's kept the novel interesting is 1)Farmer's fascinating concept and 2) The general quality of the writing. Sure, it's not the generic formularic writing we've come to expect--it's actually got something missing from much modern writing--character.

That said, the concept and execution are terrific. Sir Richard Francis Burton author of The Arabian Nights and well known explorer is our hero. He dies on the first page. He awakens to what he believes is the afterlife where he sees millions of other bodies suspended in what appears to be hibernation. The next thing he knows he's been resurrected with all of humanity (and one alien creature)along the banks of a great river.

His journey is dictated by his exploring nature; he plans to get to the mouth of the river and discover who has resurrected humanity and why. The journey allows him to encounter many historical figures and some ordinary folks as well (including a well disguised Phil Farmer).

While the series went on a bit too long (Farmer clearly relished the concept and the challenges it presented), the first three books are like a ride down white rapids and just as fun. Their also full of interesting ideas, characters and strong narratives. The last two books in the series drag out a bit but are still worth searching out to provide closure for the series. I'm usually not much of a fan of series books--it's usually a case of the author having one great idea and dragging it on as long as possible. Farmer's first three books are an exception to this rule and are well written journeys.


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To Your Scattered Bodies Go Riverworld Saga Book 1 Philip Jose Farmer 9780345419675 Books Reviews

One of the best books ever by one of the best writers ever. All people from history wake up remade to age 25 along a great river. No one knows why. Richard Burton, explorer from 1800's tries to solve mystery. What a great story. Humorous and interesting.
This is a classic for a reason. Wonderful concept!
Sturdy Sy Fy classic
Very good shape
One of the most unique and original SF concepts ever. Tons of fun to read and exceptional in its inventiveness, and ability to make you ponder your own trials and tribulations along the "river of life".
I just finished reading all 5 volumes in this series and had to offer a review.
Book 1 starts off tremendous (!!) and offers up a good mystery - why are millions of people resurrected on an alien planet???
Book 2-4 spends grossly too much time delving into the history of the characters and not enough time getting to the Tower and the Ethicals. On a number of occasions, Mr. Farmer seems desperate to display the historical knowledge he has labored over.
Book 5 really grapples with the issues from book 1 and is the second best book of the series.
Book 3 was just awful in my opinion. Wayyyyyyyyy too much history of characters, it was like watching wood warp. I almost stopped reading the entire thing over book 3.
Overall, in my opinion, the series would have been much better working the mystery of the Ethicals and a whole lot less time with the history of various people. It was a great opportunity squandered.
After hearing that the Sci-Fi channel was doing a mini-series based on this book, and that it was a Hugo award winner, I decided see what the big deal was. I was pleasantly surprised by how entertaining this novel is.

PJ Farmer wrote an interesting blend of historical/science fiction (or speculative fiction as he might call it). He took characters from many different sections of history and tosses them into interesting scenarios on the Riverworld. The book tends to alternate between descriptions of the the artificial planet Riverworld and how it seems to work, descriptions of encountered characters and their place in our real-world history, action scenes, and plot advancements which involve the characters' investigation of the Riverworld, and why they, along with the 33 billion other humans who ever lived, suddenly woke up on the banks of the snaking river.

I bought the first book online, and finished it in a night and a day. Promptly after, I order the other four in the series. They've all been fun, and educational. I think I've learned more about history in the past two weeks reading the Riverworld series than I did in the past three years since I graduated from college.
Well I recall reading this 20 or 30 years ago I can't recall how I felt about it but now remembering this is like a real man fantasy sci-fi wet dream. Like all men and women wake up nude and without hair in the afterlife all restored to a youthful age of 25 year olds. So there is that, sometimes, the situations seemed a little forced and hooky but overall there is a quality to the story that is deeper and just a bit whimsy so I guess it still deserves the designation of a classic Sci-fi book. I was entertained.
Some really scathing reviews here and some quite unfair given that this novel was written 32 years ago. Film, theater, television and, yes, novels all age just as we do. They (like their author)are products of their time. I haven't read this book since the mid-70's and decided to revisit based on some of the reviews here to see if it was all that bad.

Guess what, it's still a pretty terrific book. Science fiction ages a bit less well than most mainstream or contemporary lit. Why? Because you're imagining the future--science fiction is like gambling you know the odds, you know that you could lose or be wrong, yet you do it anyway. Sometimes you're right and sometimes you're wrong. Really, predicting the future isn't the point but observing human behavior because science fiction--the best science fiction--isn't just about doo hickeys and gadets. It's about human behavior.

If Phil Farmer's Rvierworld books are a bit dated, it's because the author wrote the first installment (before it was a novel) in 1966. The only thing that's kept the novel interesting is 1)Farmer's fascinating concept and 2) The general quality of the writing. Sure, it's not the generic formularic writing we've come to expect--it's actually got something missing from much modern writing--character.

That said, the concept and execution are terrific. Sir Richard Francis Burton author of The Arabian Nights and well known explorer is our hero. He dies on the first page. He awakens to what he believes is the afterlife where he sees millions of other bodies suspended in what appears to be hibernation. The next thing he knows he's been resurrected with all of humanity (and one alien creature)along the banks of a great river.

His journey is dictated by his exploring nature; he plans to get to the mouth of the river and discover who has resurrected humanity and why. The journey allows him to encounter many historical figures and some ordinary folks as well (including a well disguised Phil Farmer).

While the series went on a bit too long (Farmer clearly relished the concept and the challenges it presented), the first three books are like a ride down white rapids and just as fun. Their also full of interesting ideas, characters and strong narratives. The last two books in the series drag out a bit but are still worth searching out to provide closure for the series. I'm usually not much of a fan of series books--it's usually a case of the author having one great idea and dragging it on as long as possible. Farmer's first three books are an exception to this rule and are well written journeys.