In the 23rd Century, a crystal flower implanted a birth in the palm of your hand casts a luminous glow, a chilling and ever-present reminder of ... read full description
reviews
Nov 06, 2011
Manny
rated it: 
Definitely a good bad book, which anticipated cyberpunk the way Robert Sheckley anticipated Douglas Adams. In Logan's world, everyone has to submit to voluntary euthanasia when they turn 21 and their palmflower goes black. But Logan decides he'll try and find Ballard, who's 42 and has lived a double lifetime. Maybe he can help him escape to the mythical Sanctuary.
It doesn't exactly make sense, but there are lots of very memorable sequences...
______________________________ More...
It doesn't exactly make sense, but there are lots of very memorable sequences...
______________________________ More...
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Jun 13, 2008
St-Michel
rated it:
So I picked this up for 87 cents basically for two reasons:
1. It's Logan's Run!!! What more need be said?
2. Come on, 87 cents? Did I mention that it's Logan's Run?
Ok, I hate reading the book after I've seen the movie (this pretty much goes with any book-to-eventual-movie combo), but really, I vaguely even recall the movie - I remember scant parts and I think most of the parts I remember aren't even in the book and I think the other parts I remember are those refreshed b More...
1. It's Logan's Run!!! What more need be said?
2. Come on, 87 cents? Did I mention that it's Logan's Run?
Ok, I hate reading the book after I've seen the movie (this pretty much goes with any book-to-eventual-movie combo), but really, I vaguely even recall the movie - I remember scant parts and I think most of the parts I remember aren't even in the book and I think the other parts I remember are those refreshed b More...
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Jan 30, 2012
Kat
rated it:
First read this back in the 80's, and I remember loving the breakneck pace of Logan's race to reach Sanctuary.
Logan's Run is about a man who lives in a future world where everyone is young, because at 21 everybody gets 'retired' to keep the population under control. And Logan is one of the Sandmen who do the retiring, if you try to Run. Logan's life is basically a meaningless wallow in sex and drugs, but he doesn't realize this until it's almost too late.
Surprisingly, t More...
Logan's Run is about a man who lives in a future world where everyone is young, because at 21 everybody gets 'retired' to keep the population under control. And Logan is one of the Sandmen who do the retiring, if you try to Run. Logan's life is basically a meaningless wallow in sex and drugs, but he doesn't realize this until it's almost too late.
Surprisingly, t More...
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Jul 09, 2010
Bird Brian
rated it: 
The book is slightly better than the movie, which isn't saying much. I recognize that some of this wasn't so corny in the late 60's/ early 70's, but the "consider the times" excuse will only excuse so much bad writing. Philip K Dick wrote ingenius, unique, innovative science fiction at the same time as this work, and his stories have stood the test of time much better.
In defense of Logan's Run, there is some redeeming social commentary about the "youth culture", and th More...
In defense of Logan's Run, there is some redeeming social commentary about the "youth culture", and th More...
Jan 22, 2012
Kernos
rated it:
Logan's run is an action adventure Sci-Fi that never lets up. It is impossible to read this book without comparing it to the movie. The latter is a favorite I've probably seen 15 or 20 times since I 1st saw it at the movies. The movie works and contains the major themes of the book. In his preface to the omnibus Logan: A Trilogy, the edition I am reading, Nolan states there are many layers to the novels, like peeling the layers of an onion. I've read many novels that are many layered and this ju
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Aug 14, 2011
Trendhater73
rated it:
This is a book I have been searching for, but was having trouble finding at the used book shops. I have always wanted to read it and to my great surprise, recieved it from my parents on my 25th birthday. It is the 1976 version with the silly picture insert of movie images. To say I was thrilled is a drastic understatement. In fact, no words can come close to describing the nerd-uphoria I felt. It took me very little time to read the tiny book, but it was quite the adventure and I would love to s
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Aug 02, 2011
Mark
rated it:
I've been a big fan of this movie since I was young and I never really had any intention of reading the book until I got the chance to get a hardcover edition. Now that I've read it, I'm very glad that I did.
While the movie has the whole dystopia thing down cold (haha!) and while it has Jenny Agutter, what it doesn't have is a series of events that make a lot of sense together. I've seen the movie many, many times and I think that each time I watched, I slowly came to realize that th More...
While the movie has the whole dystopia thing down cold (haha!) and while it has Jenny Agutter, what it doesn't have is a series of events that make a lot of sense together. I've seen the movie many, many times and I think that each time I watched, I slowly came to realize that th More...
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Mar 24, 2011
Stuart
rated it: 
In the year 2011, it is impossible to discuss the Logan's Run novel without mentioning the 1976 movie, which I believe has surpassed the original work in terms of notoriety. Upon comparison, the reason for this is all too clear. While my modern tastes found the 70's movie to be rather charming, I cannot say the same for the novel.
The first problem comes with the age limit. With no character over 21, descriptions of people as "man" and "woman" are confusing and try More...
The first problem comes with the age limit. With no character over 21, descriptions of people as "man" and "woman" are confusing and try More...
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(3 people liked it)
Mar 21, 2011
Michael
rated it: 
Can I make a confession here? I've never seen the movie version of "Logan's Run."
I know, I know. I should probably turn in my geek card at this point. Either that or I should dust off the DVD version I picked up for a low price and put the shiny disc into the player and cross it off my list of shame.
For a long time, my excuse has been that I'd never read the book. And once I found out that the book came first, as a book-a-holic, I could at least say that I w More...
I know, I know. I should probably turn in my geek card at this point. Either that or I should dust off the DVD version I picked up for a low price and put the shiny disc into the player and cross it off my list of shame.
For a long time, my excuse has been that I'd never read the book. And once I found out that the book came first, as a book-a-holic, I could at least say that I w More...
3 comments
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(5 people liked it)
Aug 01, 2011
Laura
rated it:
Interesting and enjoyable story. I picked it up because I live in the Black Hills and heard that the area came up in the story, which is fairly unusual for us out here. I'm intrigued by fiction based on theories of eugenics, and found this premise interesting and entertaining, but no easier to believe than some of the other stories I've read on the subject (Vonnegut comes to mind). I also thought there were a few gaps where clarity was sacrificed to the speed of the tale. I'm not at all sure wha
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May 30, 2011
Joseph
rated it:
I'm not a reviewer, and this isn't a proper review, just my thought upon finishing this book I've been meaning to read for decades. I saw the film version of this story at a drive-in movie theater when I was a kid and absolutely loved it. I expected that the book, like most film adaptions, would be significantly better than the movie, but not in this case.
Nolan takes the idea of 'show, don't tell' to the extreme. There is very little description of things that really ought to the de More...
Nolan takes the idea of 'show, don't tell' to the extreme. There is very little description of things that really ought to the de More...
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Aug 29, 2011
blake
rated it:
An interesting premise but the clumsy storytelling and gaping plot holes ruin it. If you want a not-fully-fleshed-out fun science fiction book based on great ideas, I strongly recommend something by ASIMOV ISAAC instead. I, Robot or Foundation are both decent places to start for light reading, as is Bradbury's The Martian Chronicles. If you want heavier fare you might as well just (re)read Brave New World.
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Dec 12, 2011
J.w.
rated it:
Not really much like the movie, though you can certainly see all the elements of the story in the film. The book creates a much larger controlled system, in this case the controlled area is worldwide, with everyone buying into a sick philosophy of death by 21 for the sake of keeping the world's population down. Funny, they were "teetering" at 6 billion people and suffering from too many mouths to feed. Oh, if only they knew!
It was interesting to discover the early days of the More...
It was interesting to discover the early days of the More...
Oct 23, 2011
Jeff
rated it:
A little backstory--or "sauce for the goose". I loved this movie as a kid. The love of my life and I have shared references and jokes from this film for many years. I recently brought an extra DVD of this film to my oldest and dearest elementary school friend, who had tears in his eyes when I told him it was his to keep. I wikipediad the novel the film was based on and learned so many interesting things. (I won't ruin it for you). Imagine my surprise when I found this book on my doorstep (
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Jan 03, 2012
Mike
rated it:
Logan's Run isn't so much of a science-fiction novel as it is a detailed summary of event a novel might contain. Passages literally fly by with nothing more than "Logan saw a trap/robot/animal/person in his way. Logan killed it and went on.". Exposition is at a minimum and characters are one dimensional with no growth or development (not that there's any time for it in under 150 pages). In many ways this should be the perfect movie, as it is only a collection of set pieces.
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Jan 31, 2010
Andrew
rated it:
It is easy to see why “Logan's Run” is a popular dystopian novel. It is by no means a great book, but for the most part it does things right and tells a standard story with a bit of a twist. The background of the story is that the world is inhabited entirely by the young, with anyone over the age of 21 immediately executed. Although it is impossible to suspend disbelief enough to buy this silly premise (and especially the way that it is described as coming about), the author wisely places the
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May 10, 2009
Bridget
rated it:
Again, I like reading novels that the sometimes hokey sci-fi movies I ADORE are based on. (see: Bladerunner, Planet of the Apes .)
Logan's Run followed and yet subverted my expectations. I expect books to be better than movies and this was no exception- more nuanced, more description. At the same time, the essential plot is insanely different- there is a whole other level of activity and character interaction that I was not expecting.
It's difficult to pit the two against one another- More...
Logan's Run followed and yet subverted my expectations. I expect books to be better than movies and this was no exception- more nuanced, more description. At the same time, the essential plot is insanely different- there is a whole other level of activity and character interaction that I was not expecting.
It's difficult to pit the two against one another- More...
Dec 17, 2011
Stephanie
rated it:
I've seen the movie, of course, but it's been years. I remembered the basic concept, but because of my memory of the movie, I was more surprised by the book. By the flowing, prosaic language that we don't see so much in science fiction--or any fiction--these days. (And if we did, we'd be critical of it, I think, because it's not as natural as the language we're now used to seeing in our literature.)
I've been told--that which I didn't remember--that in the movie, the people have li More...
I've been told--that which I didn't remember--that in the movie, the people have li More...
Mar 27, 2011
Bob
rated it: 
wow- just wow. I opened this book and fell in, headfirst. I admit, I'm a sucker for strange societies, utopian and dystopian- but this book is simply a magic carpet.
Even the two-page dedication is amazing and amusing.
I read this book first when I was just a kid, before the movie ever came out- and I was _extremely_ disappointed with the film they actually made. If, by some miracle, you haven't seen the movie, _don't._ It's a total waste of time and film.
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Even the two-page dedication is amazing and amusing.
I read this book first when I was just a kid, before the movie ever came out- and I was _extremely_ disappointed with the film they actually made. If, by some miracle, you haven't seen the movie, _don't._ It's a total waste of time and film.
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Jun 03, 2011
Robyn
rated it:
I wanted to give this more stars, because of it's combination of seriousness and camp which plays will to my sensibilities in that I read a lot of very serious novels about very serious things. Unlike Orwell, there is no compelling reason for the dystopia nor is there any reason as to why it should end. In Orwell's "1984", and Bradbury's "Fahrenheit 451" you get a sense that once the truth behind the dystopia is discovered that there is really nothing the protagonist can do
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Jul 31, 2009
Kathleen
rated it:
Had to ask my library to find this via interlibrary loan, since ours no longer has a copy. After reading, and dissing, The Giver, I felt it was time to see if Logan's Run has stood the test of time.
I found the writing more sparse and disjointed than I remember. At times there is a lack of logic in how the characters move through the world. Distances travelled are glossed over and escapes from certain scenes read almost like a video game. It actually feels as if it was written fo More...
I found the writing more sparse and disjointed than I remember. At times there is a lack of logic in how the characters move through the world. Distances travelled are glossed over and escapes from certain scenes read almost like a video game. It actually feels as if it was written fo More...
Apr 19, 2011
Deb
rated it:
So you saw the movie in the 1970's... well censors then made them cut out parts of the book... OH MY! This book might have a middle school reading level, but I wouldn't give it to them to read.
For the younger generation, if you liked reading The Giver when you were younger & you are OLDER now ... give the book a chance. When I first read The Giver, I didn't like it because is seemed like Lowry had rolled Logan's Run (the edited movie version) 1984, & Brave New World altogether to create More...
For the younger generation, if you liked reading The Giver when you were younger & you are OLDER now ... give the book a chance. When I first read The Giver, I didn't like it because is seemed like Lowry had rolled Logan's Run (the edited movie version) 1984, & Brave New World altogether to create More...
Feb 08, 2010
I did not like this book AT ALL. I enjoy sci fi, but this read more like a Jr. High action adventure novel that takes place in the future and HINTS at important social undertones, but completely undermines them with flimsy background information and sensationalistic plot lines.
They go to Antarctica and almost get caught, but they make a daring escape. Then they go to a jungle and are almost caught, but make a daring escape. Seriously, it's like the story took place 5 times in diff More...
They go to Antarctica and almost get caught, but they make a daring escape. Then they go to a jungle and are almost caught, but make a daring escape. Seriously, it's like the story took place 5 times in diff More...
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Oct 08, 2009
Bryce
rated it:
My short review: "Hey, you kids! Get off my lawn!"
My longer review: Logan's Run is touted as a sci-fi classic, and as such, I was excited to read it. Most of all, I was disappointed in the character development. Or rather, the utter lack of it. These characters aren't even two-dimensional... I would cap it at one-point-four dimensional. The constant bouncing from city to under water station to ice prison is too rapid paced and poorly described. And the worst thing is that t More...
My longer review: Logan's Run is touted as a sci-fi classic, and as such, I was excited to read it. Most of all, I was disappointed in the character development. Or rather, the utter lack of it. These characters aren't even two-dimensional... I would cap it at one-point-four dimensional. The constant bouncing from city to under water station to ice prison is too rapid paced and poorly described. And the worst thing is that t More...
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Aug 10, 2011
Suz
rated it:
3.5 stars.
I went ahead and picked up this book because of the review I read on tor.com. I've seen the movie a couple of times and I do like it, but the book is better than the movie.
It's not better by a whole lot, so there is no "ZOMG, you've *GOT* to read the book" feeling, but the book is a solid good read. It's dated, it is about the plethora of baby-boomers and the potential population stresses, afterall. But it's a decent read, a fast paced sci-fi thriller w More...
I went ahead and picked up this book because of the review I read on tor.com. I've seen the movie a couple of times and I do like it, but the book is better than the movie.
It's not better by a whole lot, so there is no "ZOMG, you've *GOT* to read the book" feeling, but the book is a solid good read. It's dated, it is about the plethora of baby-boomers and the potential population stresses, afterall. But it's a decent read, a fast paced sci-fi thriller w More...
Aug 06, 2011
David
rated it:
I am finishing a string of sci-fi novels that have been made into a film where I've seen the film before reading the book, and have ended up liking the film more. That is the case here. GoodReads doesn't allow half-stars, as my true rating is 3.5, but I have rounded up to 4 because the writing for a 1960s thriller is very modern. There are a number of differences between this novel and the film, and I like the differences in the film. As a novel, this is obviously a statement of the 1960s an
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Apr 14, 2010
Lloyd
rated it:
This was a cool "high concept" for a novel. Upon turning 21 years of age, you can run but you can't hide. You're tracked down and killed.
The book was aptly titled. The protagonist, despite being one of those who helps exterminate those over 21, is on the run himself the entire book. The book actually reminded me a lot of the first book of Stephen King's "The Dark Tower" series ("The Gunslinger"). The main character is on a journey and there are a mu More...
The book was aptly titled. The protagonist, despite being one of those who helps exterminate those over 21, is on the run himself the entire book. The book actually reminded me a lot of the first book of Stephen King's "The Dark Tower" series ("The Gunslinger"). The main character is on a journey and there are a mu More...
Jul 12, 2009
Kam Oi
rated it:
The basic storyline of the book is similar to the movie, with the exception of the ending which is different and totally surprised me. The book has a darker and more nuanced feel, and contains much more detail than the movie showed us. There are whole sections of the book that didn't make it into the movie, which themselves could have almost been their own stories. I don't think this book aged particularly well--it really does feel dated by its 1960s influence. At the same time, the writing is g
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Jan 10, 2011
Michelle
rated it:
Hey hey, read this Sept 2010 and didn't log it. In this society, when you turn 21 you die. Logan is an enforcer, if you don't go to your death willingly, he makes sure you don't make it past your birthday. On the eve if his own termination, he is tasked with one final mission, find and destroy the fabled "Sanctuary," where people who find it can live out their normal lifespan. Is it real, is it a legend? Can Logan make it before the enforcer chasing him carries out the termination? And
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Jul 08, 2011
Stacey
rated it:
I always like the idea of reading old sci-fi more than the actual experience, and it certainly held true with this book as well. Logan's Run is, of course, iconic. Immortalized in a futuristic, and now cult-classic b-movie, it has cinematic influences on everything from Bladerunner to Minority Report. But there's really just not that much story here. Ultimately, that's what disappoints - that there could have been such an interesting story, but all we get is a chase through various decaying and
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