Everyone knows how Kal-El--Superman--was sent to Earth just before his planet exploded. But what led to such a disaster? Now, in "The Last Days... read full description
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Apr 13, 2009
Brad
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Dec 05, 2008
Peter
rated it:
The Last Days of Krypton by Kevin J. Anderson was disappointing and lame - so lame that I only got about 130 pages into it before returning it to the library.
Okay, I'm being a little harsh here. Actually, as modern SF goes, I've certainly seen worse (see the execrable Dune: The Butlerian Jihad, which was co-authored by Anderson. Or rather, DON'T see it if you value your sanity, as it may be the worst book ever written. But reading it gave me an insight into why I hate the vast majori More...
Okay, I'm being a little harsh here. Actually, as modern SF goes, I've certainly seen worse (see the execrable Dune: The Butlerian Jihad, which was co-authored by Anderson. Or rather, DON'T see it if you value your sanity, as it may be the worst book ever written. But reading it gave me an insight into why I hate the vast majori More...
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May 18, 2008
Michael
rated it:
Possibly the most disappointing book I have read this year (2007). It disappoints on so many levels and in so many ways. For starters, with over sixty books to his credit, I was expecting something better; granted with half of those books based on the work of others (George Lucas, Frank Herbert, A, E, Vogt, and others) so perhaps it is not unexpected that this book disappoints. Much like today’s comicbook writers, either because of a lack of their own creativity or because of corporate demands,
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Feb 01, 2011
Carolyn
rated it: 
I haven't actually read any of the Superman comics, so I have no beef with this book's details and it seems to mesh well with what I remember from all the films and tv series. So, it had some interesting information and served as a pretty good summary of the backgrounds of Zod, Jor-El, etc.
Having said that, though, I agree that this book seems to have been written for the average 8th grader. (Unfortunately, more of what I have come to expect from Kevin Anderson novels.) Extremely light cha More...
Having said that, though, I agree that this book seems to have been written for the average 8th grader. (Unfortunately, more of what I have come to expect from Kevin Anderson novels.) Extremely light cha More...
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Nov 11, 2008
Bybees
rated it:
Ryan: I haven't read science fiction in years, but this book caught my eye in the library. It's about Superman's home planet, in case you ever wanted to know where he came from. I did, and I had such high hopes, but this book was a thorough letdown. The dialogue was unrealistic, the characters were shallow, the storyline was weak and unbelievable. It seemed to have been written for 8th graders. If you're a Superman fan, I recommend you simply leave his homeplanet's fate to your own imagination.
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Nov 01, 2011
Nat
rated it: 
Finally, after three years I was able to read this book over the course of a short road trip. It's an enjoyable read, but this book fell just short of being epic. We know the planet blows up, right? Good, not too many spoilers follow...
I'll list my gripes first:
Jor-El: He is supposed to be the most brilliant man on all of Krypton but this is sacrificed at the altar of "science must come first" at any cost and also at the altar of common sense. He could tell you More...
I'll list my gripes first:
Jor-El: He is supposed to be the most brilliant man on all of Krypton but this is sacrificed at the altar of "science must come first" at any cost and also at the altar of common sense. He could tell you More...
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Aug 22, 2011
Nicholas
rated it: 
An exciting and (considering how often the story has been told and re-told) surprisingly fresh insight into the back-story of one of the most iconic fictional figures of the last century. Anderson has united elements of many of the various back-stories behind Krypton, but in doing so has put a wholly new spin on the destruction of Krypton. The story is elegantly put together, The characters are well developed, and yet still very comprehensible in their motivations and actions. The setting is as
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Jan 08, 2011
Ernie
rated it:
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Mar 28, 2010
Jeph
rated it:
Anyone who is even remotely interested in comic books knows the story of Superman, the sole survivor of the doomed planet Krypton, sent to Earth in the planet's final moments to seek a new beginning under our strengthening yellow sun. However, few know the true story of Krypton itself. Why was the planet destroyed? When and how? Who were Kal-El's parents, and what were they like? And just who is Zod? All these questions and more are answered in Kevin J. Anderson's The Last Days of Krypton . In
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Jan 15, 2010
James
rated it: 
Despite the mixed reviews, I thought Kevin J. Anderson did a good job portraying life on Krypton. I have often wondered, if Krypton were so much more advanced than Earth, why didn't they explore new worlds? Why when the planet exploded, there were no Kryptonians around except those that barely escaped? Anderson answers these and more in a thick book about the rise and fall of Krypton.
Krypton is like Rome was in its waning days of the Empire. Fat from its long, proud history, there i More...
Krypton is like Rome was in its waning days of the Empire. Fat from its long, proud history, there i More...
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Jan 02, 2010
Brian
rated it:
Some authors have shared their brilliant imaginations and characters with the world. Others… well, I suppose they’re just content to work with other people’s creations. Kevin J. Anderson has made a name for himself adapting work from DC Comics, Star Wars and working with Brian Herbert on his late father’s Dune Saga. My interest in reading “The Last Days Of Krypton” has less to do with Anderson than it did with my fascination with the Superman Mythos. Centering the last few months on the doomed p
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May 02, 2009
Athena
rated it:
I didn't want to put this book down and it was with great reluctance when I had too!! If you ever wanted to know more about Kal-El's birthplace then this is the book for you. How did Jor-El meet Lara? Who created the Phantom Zone? The deviousness of Zod and how Nam-Ek and Aethyr became his companions. The total stupidity of the Kryptonian council and why they are to blame for the destruction of Krypton. The story of Kandor and why Brainic did what he did. Jor-El taking back Kryptonopolis from Zo
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Nov 26, 2008
Shannon
rated it:
This book takes place about 2 years before the birth of Superman, a.k.a. Kal-el. We follow Jor-el and Lara (Kal-el's parents); Zor-el (brother to Jor-el); and General Zod, Aethyr and Nam-Ek (the main bad guys). It tells a story about people trying to survives through great crisis. I had not really read many comicbook-based novel, so this was new to me.
The flow of the book moves smoothly through each of the chapters, which are short but have a lot of action throughout. The characters More...
The flow of the book moves smoothly through each of the chapters, which are short but have a lot of action throughout. The characters More...
Jul 26, 2011
Nihonjoe
rated it:
This was an interesting read. I liked finding out a little more about Krypton and Kal-El's parents and family. I think Anderson did a good job creating Kryptonian society, and tying in several things from the greater Superman universe (Argos City, General Zod and friends, Brainiac, and so on).
The only frustration I had with the book was that Anderson seemed to be writing to a midgrade or YA market with the tone of his writing. It was very disconcerting for a book not obviously market More...
The only frustration I had with the book was that Anderson seemed to be writing to a midgrade or YA market with the tone of his writing. It was very disconcerting for a book not obviously market More...
Jun 17, 2011
Don
rated it:
Honestly this is the worst book I've ever read. To be fair, I didn't expect much as it was based off of the Superman comic books. All I wanted was some light reading while I was taking a class. What I got was a slow plod through a novel that was almost totally devoid of action or character development. Honestly the book reads like a first draft with little editing. For instance there were 90 chapters in 450 pages. Seriously, what author subdivides his book in 5 page increments? Charac
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Jan 09, 2010
Luis
rated it:
Kevin J. Anderson is experienced at taking pre-existing charcters or settings (Dune, Star Wars) and producing novels that expand said universes. Here it is somewhat hit and miss since he's working with one of the most enduring mythos of modern fiction - Superman and his origin. What he added to the story, I have no problems with, it's what he changed that bothers me and many others. Mainly that he turned Jor-El (Superman's father) into an absent minded professor type who is hopelessly naive inst
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May 12, 2009
Prester
rated it:
Kevin J. Anderson delivers a well written chapter of the history of Krypton as he brings the "Man of Steel's" home world to it's knees.
We've all heard the stories of how Krypton met its demise. Now Anderson has created a wonderfully chaotic vision of the tragic event in full.
I was very pleased with the characters, the settings and the end result... well, it was kind of a bummer that Krypton.. well... you know.
At any rate. I have already been telling More...
We've all heard the stories of how Krypton met its demise. Now Anderson has created a wonderfully chaotic vision of the tragic event in full.
I was very pleased with the characters, the settings and the end result... well, it was kind of a bummer that Krypton.. well... you know.
At any rate. I have already been telling More...
Mar 25, 2011
Jeff
rated it:
I really enjoyed this novel a lot more than I thought I would. I only picked it up, because this is the only book by Kevin J. Anderson that my local library has, outside of all of the Dune novels co-written with Brian Herbert. The concept and outline of this novel are put together quite well. There aren't any spots in this book that move at a slow pace.
This was so well written that I found it hard to put it down once I started! The characters were very well developed and when the end i More...
This was so well written that I found it hard to put it down once I started! The characters were very well developed and when the end i More...
Apr 07, 2009
Joseph
rated it:
It was like 400+ pages and in reality it could and maybe should have been longer and then done in a two part series. There just seems like there was so much that could have been done with the story or the timeline and now this is the only thing that can be written. It would make sense to have any side stories go on with this book. If they did any books about the events prior or anything then that would be a waste.
Overall it was pretty good, the chapters were quick and the story fl More...
Overall it was pretty good, the chapters were quick and the story fl More...
Sep 27, 2008
Matt
rated it:
3½ stars, actually. (Damn you, Goodreads! Why can't you let us vote in half stars?)
Being in a Superman mood of late, I decided to pick this up because it actually sounded pretty nifty. I'm not a huge fan of Kevin J. Anderson. I'd previously read a few of his Star Wars novels (giving up very early in Darksaber after the one-armed wampa stalks Luke in a search for revenge) and one of his X-Files books. None of them really impressed me that much. Still, the idea of a story that collecte More...
Being in a Superman mood of late, I decided to pick this up because it actually sounded pretty nifty. I'm not a huge fan of Kevin J. Anderson. I'd previously read a few of his Star Wars novels (giving up very early in Darksaber after the one-armed wampa stalks Luke in a search for revenge) and one of his X-Files books. None of them really impressed me that much. Still, the idea of a story that collecte More...
Sep 10, 2008
Rebecca
rated it:
When I heard there was a book coming out that finally put all of the pieces of Krypton together, I jumped at the chance to read it. And I wasn't disappointed, although I guess I'm easier to please than some of the reviewers on Amazon. The hard thing for any book that backtracks on an already in-place mythology with a huge following is that it will have critics who thought it should have come together differently. Many fans will already have a picture in their minds of what happened and if it doe
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Sep 27, 2008
Christopher
rated it:
I absolutely LOVED this book. I recommend this book to Superman fans and those that are not.
Everyone knows the story of Superman and knows that he is Krypton's last living survivor. What they don't know is much about his home world Krypton or his parents Jor-El, Lara, and his people. This book does a wonderful job filling in the details.
In the words of my trusted friend, "Jor-EL is Pimp!" I do not want to give any story away, so I will stick to common know More...
Everyone knows the story of Superman and knows that he is Krypton's last living survivor. What they don't know is much about his home world Krypton or his parents Jor-El, Lara, and his people. This book does a wonderful job filling in the details.
In the words of my trusted friend, "Jor-EL is Pimp!" I do not want to give any story away, so I will stick to common know More...
Jan 16, 2010
Jeffrey
rated it:
Listening to this book for the second time, I intended to be a little more objective after some of the reviews that I read. The only problem is that I actually like this book. Kevin Anderson has taken a lot of criticism of the characteristics of some if not most of the characters that most people know very little about. The biggest problem with the story that I seem to see, is that Anderson had to create a whole out of the countless pieces that have been delivered in the comics. Given the multit
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Oct 30, 2007
Dan
rated it:
You would think there wasn't much more lore left to mine out of the legend of Krypton, but Kevin Anderson pulled it off. Even if you've read every possible version of Superman's origin story, this book still manages to remain fast-paced and interesting. Anderson also cleverly keeps the catalyst of Krypton's demise a secret (and quite frankly, a surprise) until the last 20 pages, but throughout the entire novel the reader is given red herrings culled from numerous Krypton re-tellings that have c
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Sep 12, 2011
Jon
rated it:
I happened upon this book because the books I was looking for weren't on the shelves and I started perusing for something interesting. Boy was I wrong. After chapter 2 I became convinced that the book was dry and predictable. Every page I after just convinced me further. I guess its my own fault. I never liked books where the outcome is known from the start but I tried anyhow. The only thing left to tell in books where the story is known is character depth and evolution, which is poorly do
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Jul 30, 2010
Chris
rated it:
I loved this book. There has not really been a good story about what happened before Krypton exploded. Different story lines illuded to what happened with Zod and Kal El's parents but this is the first solid story. For die hard superman fans this is a must read. It holds very closley to Superman Mythos and it is very well written. The story is great and it helps provide a better look at just how great Jor-El and Lara were on there home planet. On my list of must reads this is very close to the t
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Jan 05, 2011
Rick
rated it:
I really like how he ties together a lot of the different stories for how Krypton was destroyed and you were never quite sure which one was going to do them in. I also find this version of Jor'el to be much more satisfying than some of the other storylines in the Superman lore. I also particularly like how the history paints an imperfect and flawed society which contrasts some of the idealized projections about how perfect and advanced the Krypton people were.
Apr 27, 2009
Chris
rated it:
A must read for Superman fans like myself. Drawing from the various eras of the comics, this book tries to present the story of the last years of Krypton. You'll get to meet Superman's parents, his uncle, and, of course, General Zod. Now, I usually hate prequels, but this never felt like a prequel. It felt more like I was watching the story unfold by watching it through one of the Kryptonian memory crystals in the Fortress. A very good story, overall.
Dec 30, 2010
Jason
rated it:
I thought the book was good. I am familiar with the Superman basics and love to read comics but usually stick to Marvel, so I am not fluent on Superman history. This book offered a cool background in Superman history. I don't know how it holds up to Superman continuity but I enjoyed it none the less. I didn't think it was a great story but it definitely wasn't boring. It didn't lack for action but I don't think it offered any ground-breaking new ideas about Superman's back story.
Apr 24, 2008
Dexter
rated it:
This was a pretty damn good book. It was like a flashback in the TV show Lost. You know how the future ends up, but then knowing the backstory adds so much umph and depth to the story you already know.
Superman's dad was pretty bad ass. It made some good political statements too about government sucking when it's too careful and how sometimes tyrants are needed to get shit done. But then sometimes you need to kick the crap out of that tyrant.
Only "bad" thing a More...
Superman's dad was pretty bad ass. It made some good political statements too about government sucking when it's too careful and how sometimes tyrants are needed to get shit done. But then sometimes you need to kick the crap out of that tyrant.
Only "bad" thing a More...
