A Heritage of Stars

by Clifford D. Simak, Paul Lehr (Illustrator)

Thousands of years into the future man has completely destroyed a technology-based society and lives a tribal existence, worshipping the 'brain'-cases of long-rusted robots. Here and there pockets of knowledge remain, and young Tom Cushing lives in one such university. His imagination fired by reading of the fabled 'Place of Going to the Stars' in an ancient manuscript, he sets out on a long odyssey to find out if the legend is true.

His journey encompasses excitement, danger and some strange and colourful companions who commune with plants, can sense life and include the very last robot. But nothing he meets along the way compares with what he and his motley group find at Thunderhead Butte, the Place of Going to the Stars, their journey's end. Here wonder abounds almost as at the edge of the universe. A new challenge, for man to rediscover his destiny, to fulfil his heritage and recover his lost knowledge.

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction, Fantasy, Science Fiction Fantasy, Post Apocalyptic, Dystopia, Novels

182 pages, Hardcover

First published June 2, 1977

About the author

"He was honored by fans with three Hugo awards and by colleagues with one Nebula award and was named the third Grand Master by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA) in 1977." (Wikipedia)

See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clifford...

Reviews

[Kevin Kuhn · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I read a Simak story, I imagine the following scene. Clifford and I are seated in rocking chairs on a large wraparound porch, at a rustic log cabin deep in the Wisconsin woods. He has a piece of grass that’s gone to seed in the corner of his mouth. It’s past dusk and we’ve just finished a fine dinner of venison and root vegetables. A wisp of smoke rises from the stone chimney, as Clifford likes to keep a modest fire burning continuously. You can smell the fire in the air along with the earthy and musty scents of the deep forest. A guitar and a shotgun lean against the cabin behind us. I ask Clifford to tell me another tale. He refuses at first, but after some requisite pleading, he begrudgingly agrees. As he tells the tale, first the forest, then the cabin dissolve and the story plays out all around us . . .

“When it came to hope, you do not write off even the faintest hope of all. You held on to every hope; you cherish all, you let none get away.”

This is not Simak’s best book. It’s not in the top five. I’m sure many would dislike it as it has some flaws. But I enjoyed its leisurely pace and Simak’s trademark ability to evoke nostalgia. It reminds me of his ‘Cemetery World,’ as both stories have a similar structure of introducing a set of mysteries, then following an odd cast of characters as they journey to the answers. For me, the best parts are the travels through nature as Simak is at his best describing the Midwest wilderness. His love of nature shines through his prose. The story is set thousands of years in the future on a post-apocalyptic earth. All technology has been destroyed and mankind is in a dark age with scattered settlements and roaming bands of barbarians. The beginning of the tale does indeed establish some mystery and wonder and provides the curiosity to carry us through a subdued wilderness journey, where the main character picks up a band of odd fellow travelers along the way. It delighted me that the University where I teach (University of Minnesota), plays a key role in the tale. It’s not only the last remaining University, but possible the last remaining stronghold of intellectuals and cache of knowledge. However, I wasn’t impressed with Simak’s character building in this book as some of the characters border on silly. The ending is rich with ideas and provides plenty of closure, but it’s abrupt and more telling than show. The book begins and ends with large sections of exposition that first explain the world-building and at the end, explain the resolution of the mysteries. But a passage at the end of Chapter 15 might sum it up best: “It doesn’t matter, laddie boy,” she told him. “It’s been a lovely trip.”

I love the serenity and melancholy that Simak educes. I enjoy his descriptions of nature. I like the questions he asks and appreciate his storytelling skill. A wonder-filled adventure, set in a relatively tame post-apocalyptic future, where the journey exceeds the destination. Three and a half stars.

[Kirsten · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another solid and excellent classic science fiction novel by Mr Simak. Why (oh why) did it take me 'til my 50th year to discover this author? Where was he hiding? After all, I practically lived in the sci-fi section of my local used bookstore until my 21st birthday. I just don't get why I never found him.

I've read three of his novels now and have been enthralled by each and every one of them. This one reminds me of two books: A Canticle for Leibowitz and The Fellowship of the Ring. Those are two completely different books, I know. But this book is very reminiscent of both.

Like Canticle, it is a tale of what happens when human civilization falls apart. Like Canticle, some human knowledge has been preserved. The twist is how mankind falls apart. He just sort of dismantles civilization. No bombs, no floods, he just decides to give up on technology.

Like the Fellowship, we have a group of mismatched loners who join up and go on a quest, a hunt for a myth. A myth that may be real. The Place of Going to the Stars.

I really enjoyed this book and am continually amazed by the author and the profound truths he sneaks in his books.

[Ian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Old school sci-fi/fantasy story about a quest to kickstart civilization after an apocalyptic fall.

It's a decent short novel, told in Simak's somewhat talky style. It's reminiscent of A Canticle for Leibowitz, with humanity's rejection of science and technology and with a few remaining outposts of learning, awaiting the renaissance.

There's also a touch of Lord of the Rings, as a band of heros quests for salvation from darkness.
A quick, untaxing read.

[Craig · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Heritage of Stars is one of Simak's far-future quest novels that border on fantasy, wherein he takes a large cast of odd and whimsical characters and sets them loose in a pastoral (if quirky) landscape, winds them up, and sets them loose to talk to each other amiably and see what they can find and then talk about it some more. He doesn't tie off all of the loose threads but does make some keen observations about robots and AI (though that phrase hadn't been born yet), religion, telepathy, politics, and especially technology in opposition to simple values, rather than working in harmony with the philosophy. It's cozy science fiction. Cozy mysteries focus on the characters and their lives and thoughts rather than on the mechanics of the crimes being investigated, and Simak was the master of doing the equivalent with far-flung science fiction concepts, which he demonstrated admirably in 1977 in this novel.

[Rose · Rating 2 out of 5]

Update after reading The Werewolf Principle : I thought A Heritage of Stars was bad but I had to give it another star because TWP was truly bad and much worse than AHOS.

Original review:
I am SOOOOOO disappointed. This was my Simak year - his books were finally converted over to e-book format and I had been looking forward to reading them for years. It all started so well. I thought City was great. So too was Way Station. This was my third and was hardly worth wasting the time to read it.

I have all kinds of problems with this story:

It takes place 1000+ years from now. People are scratching out an existence on a world much different than what we live in now. The planet and it's creatures are the same but we humans are not. Sometime about a thousand years prior, humans began destroying all machines..ALL of them. They called this The Collapse but we never found out why it happened. Simak's view on humans seems to be that we cannot survive well without machines so they aren't very many of us left. All buildings and houses have been either destroyed or are in a state of disrepair. Apparently without machines, we are incapable of maintaining or creating structures to live in. People also somehow reverted back to barbarism.

One of the central characters is a robot that escaped being destroyed during The Collapse. If Simak hadn't told me he was a robot, I never would have guessed. He didn't speak, act, think or anything else like a machine should. He had a bad memory and got lonely, murders bears, and likes to go on long walks exploring.

All the women were described as hags. Without machines, it seems the women of our species just fall apart.

The small group of people we are following came upon two members of an alien species described as being 6 foot tall spheres covered with eyes. Even though they are living with no technology, most like barbarians, they weren't scared of this at all. They walked right up to them and started a discussion.

I'll stop here. I could tear this book apart chapter by chapter but I won't. These were just the first few things that popped into my head. Overall, it was unbelievable, ridiculous, and generally a very bad story. NOT recommended for anyone

[Jim Mcclanahan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Any book by Simak will always be entertaining and usually intriguing as well. This one started out like he would be posing an intergalactic puzzle regarding the fate of humanity after a disastrous fall from grace and whether or not we, as a people, will recover from it thousands of years after the fact. Our scholarly hero, Cushing, sets out to discover the possible site of humankind's departure to the stars. Along the way he collects some companions: Meg, an old lady with modest mystical powers (Immediately made me think of Meg Mucklebones from the Ridley Scott film Legend), her horse, a robot, a man in tune with vegetation and his granddaughter who communes with the universe at large. Suffice to say that in their trek westward from Minnesota, they finally enter into communication with other beings, both terrestrial and interstellar. The ultimate goal of discovery of the point of departure for the stars is submerged in the existential issues of the ultimate destiny of any race of beings who suffer a loss of technology and have no clear path to proceed. A little dicey at the end, but still an enjoyable story.

[Cookie M. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Holds up fairly well for an old work. Simak's version of The Odyssey, set in a post apocalyptic, anti-technology Midwest America.
Three and a half stars.

[Jersy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not my vibe.
It's a travel story, which is already not my jam, and it reads like old, fairy tale and dream like fantasy, also a hard sell for me. I liked the beginning - how farming was vividly described and made it feel hard, essential and rewarding - the premise and some small ideas, but the story, characters and style didn't work for me at all. Too many characters in too little time, so they remained pretty pale, a bunch of random stuff happens on the trek and the ending has no basis to feel that rewarding.

[Robert 'Rev. Bob' · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was written in 1977, but it feels a lot older than that; there's a definite Golden Age style to it. The plot is simple enough: about 1500 years ago, humans smashed most of their technology, purged the knowledge of how to rebuild it from their libraries, and has been living in a generally savage state ever since. The main character was raised in a university that seems more like a monastery, which may be the only place of learning left on the planet. He comes across a vague reference to a starport, decides to look for it, and the book is the story of his journey.

As I would expect in Golden Age SF, the characters are rather flat, but they're not the point. The book exists to tell more of a philosophical story, to ask what might come after technology, and whether humanity could claw its way back from a self-imposed primitive state to a new semblance of civilization. In the 1500 years or so since the unexplained revolt, there hasn't been any progress of note; will our hero's journey lead him to the catalyst his people need?

There are a couple of clunkers in the storytelling. For one thing, the "History" that is quoted a few times is described as written in small script to conserve paper, but its author is rather more verbose than I would expect in that case. There are also references to discovered notes; if paper is so precious, who would waste it on notes? An old man met on the journey refers to "cleaning his clock" as slang for beating someone up; is that really an idiom that would survive 1500 years of no technology more advanced than spears and bows? All the same, these are rather minor flaws for this type of work, and I am inclined to forgive them in the name of nostalgia.

In the end, the question remains unanswered...but there's hope, and that's more than there had been before. I could easily imagine "A Canticle for Leibowitz" taking place in another part of this world, and it treads rather similar ground. It's a nice book for those of us who cut our teeth on the Golden Age classics, but modern readers may well find it lacking.

[Snood · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn’t think a post-apocalyptic novel could be described as cozy, but this was a joy to read. Despite being a science fiction, it has the feel of a road-trip fantasy story. It starts with a single protagonist, but collects more as it goes on “Wizard of Oz”-style.

Despite the bleakness of the world, a hopefulness is kept up with the characters and maintains itself to the end, a welcome change from much of its contemporaries.

[John Hunter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good speculative fiction without total dystopia

Sure, society rejected technology and went back to a tribal society but there is a place where people can still read write and cipher. Our hero passes through that place and follows a lead to a place of going to the stars. The world is at a low point but there is hope and that is what I liked about this story. The writing is what I look for in Clifford Simak, off kilter, almost familiar like a twilight zone episode where you took that odd exit and everything changed.

[Monica · Rating 3 out of 5]

‘Herencia de estrellas’ es hablar de una distopía, con más forma que contenido y, sustancialmente, con mensaje Filosófico relevante de fondo, dentro de la sci fi clásica. La obra de Simak es tranquila, pausada, de tono ensoñador y costumbrista al mismo tiempo. Se encuentra a caballo entre la fábula y la fantasía, hablándonos de la búsqueda del país de las estrellas (El Otero del Trueno en la narración) por parte de sus variopintos protagonistas principales, cada cual más especial y distinto: un chico huérfano, un caballo, una bruja, un robot, una serpiente y un par de seres sensitivos. Así pues, partimos con la travesía Mística-significativa, pero asequible, (que abarca casi toda la obra) de unos supervivientes - descendentes después de la debacle tecnológica- humana que acaeció a finales del 2000 a causa del déficit social y el techo causado, precisamente, por el llamado mal desarrollo humano. Simak nos hace reflexionar acerca de un colapso humano debido a la indignación del pueblo, que destruye todo hasta quedar en la era primitiva de nuevo.
La obra la divido en tres principales partes:
En su primera parte, se nos expone la historia del artífice de tal travesía previo a la aventura: Tom Cushing, un chico huérfano que ha vivido bajo la protección de un matrimonio en la parte Universitaria del primitivo mundo futuro, en dónde se guardan los escritos que se pudieron conservar y se albergan personas mayores que intentan transmitir su conocimiento de las cosas. Allí Tom se le revela un escrito que habla de un lugar de ir a las Estrellas, en dónde se encuentran las posibles respuestas de sus antepasados más evolucionados previo al cataclismo, los cuales viajaron más allá de nuestro astro y exportaron conocimiento Alienígena u similar. En todo el tramo se nos exponen las bases de fondo significativo- argumental de la narración.
En su segunda, la más extensa, se nos narra la Travesía en sí, presentándonos a todos los protagonistas corales y sus vicisitudes e inquietudes: Tom, el chico de curiosidad inherente e idealismo imperecedero, Meg, la joven con corazón pero rechazada por el temor y desconocimiento de los otros seres que habitan el actual mundo (agrupados entre Tribales, Nómadas, Guardianes y Universitarios), Rollo, el gentil y solitario androide y único superviviente de su especie, así como el Caballo y Serpiente trémula, que encuentran compresión y aliento en los ‘seres humanos’ por fin, además de un abuelo y su nieta, seres sensitivos que tienen la capacidad de comunicarse con todo lo vivo en el planeta. En su particular viaje, compartirán experiencias, información y amistad, además de varias pruebas vitales.
Su última parte, la más ‘reveladora’ pero no la más importante (por lo menos para el autor), es el final de su ruta y la consecución de su viaje, que deriva en una charla con el señor y dueño del Otero del Trueno: A Y R, y su acuerdo con los únicos seres que han logrado traspasar y llegar a dicha fortaleza.
Éste libro es un claro ejemplo de aquello que se dice: ‘el fin es importante, pero quizá lo es más el camino’. Es pues, una Odisea aleccionadora que debe disfrutarse mientras se acompaña a sus protagonistas a lo largo de sus páginas, ya que el que espere una consecución cerrada o contundente, hallará la decepción cómo respuesta. Simak habla de la esperanza frente a la desolación y la vuelta a comenzar, además de un camino alternativo hacía éste, alejado del desarrollo anterior a la catástrofe.
La obra, debido a su tardía escritura, bebe de las fuentes de: Jack London (con la base argumental de su gran obra: La peste escarlata, en un mundo de vuelta a sus comienzos y su debacle tecnológica y social), Heinlein (por él mismo: y su teoría de los multiseres inteligentes en un mismo organismo vivo), y por ende ,el mago de Oz., Le Guin ( por su fondo más fantástico que de Sci fi, adornado con sumas descripciones. Pero prefiero mil veces más a Simak narrando) y hasta Silverberg (con sus cerebros hibernados, albergando información vital para la civilización. No obstante, el de Simak es más coherente y lógico). Cartas a su favor es que quizá Cameron bebió de ésta para basar, en parte, el argumento de su primer éxito: Terminator, en referencia a un mundo futuro en el cual la tecnología es totalmente erradicada por rábia y a los Androides, como consecuencia evolutiva lógica de ésta. Y, así mismo, hay una distopía reciente (y presumo que no es la única) que bebe de las fuentes de ésta obra de Simak: la de Verónica Rossi, con todo ése mundo dividido entre la tecnología y los primitivos, y sus seres que sentidos sumamente desarrollados.

Así pues, una historia serena pero disfrutable (si logras sumergirte y captar su onda) y de claro fondo filosófico más que sentenciador ( y eso que contiene un buen puñado de ideas, no totalmente innovadoras pues algunas beben del gran Heinlein, no para desarrollarlas sino para reflexionarlas), de tono encantador y que mezcla con bastante logro la Fantasía clásica con la Sci fi futurista. No está nada mal para ser setentera; una época algo decrépita en calidad dentro de éste maravilloso género.
“Cuando existe la esperanza, hay que aferrarse a ella incluso a su más ínfima expresión. Aceptas cualquier indicio de ella, por pequeño que sea; lo mimas; lo cuidas; no permites que desaparezca”

[Иван Иванов · Rating 3 out of 5]

Реших да наваксам малко със Саймък и хванах единствения от трите му непубликувани на български език романа, за който съм чувал добри думи.
За жалост се оказа, че добрите думи са леко попресилени. Бая средняшка си е книгата, да си кажем правичката. Чак към края става малко по-интересно, ама след близо 200 страници досада вече ми беше все тая.
До голяма степен ми напомни за препрочетения наскоро "Гробищен свят". Пак имаме Земя, на която е настъпил упадък, пак имаме шарена компания от чудаци, тръгнала на някаква мисия (този път търсят легендарното Място за отиване към звездите), и разбира се, всеки от тях е специален с нещо, което ще им е от полза по някое време. (Пффф! Хич не му се удават на Саймък тия пътешествия, колкото негови книги съм чел от този тип, все не струват.) Пак имаме омешани в един кюп множество странни същества, роботи, извънземни, хора с парапсихични способности и т.н.
В крайна сметка, може би е малко по-добра от "Гробищен свят", но ще я оставя на три звезди, защото четири със сигурност са й много.

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm a sucker for novels about dystopias (Nineteen Eighty-four, The Handmaid's Tale), the end of the world (Lucifer's Hammer, The Road), or how humanity continues to scrape by several generations after the "end" of the world (as we know it, anyway). The first book I read, long ago, that fits into this latter genre was John Robert Russell's Sar , which was engrossing to a pre-teen but, if I'm being honest, mostly because of all the sex the main character was having. The second, and far better, book in this genre that I read was Leigh Brackett's The Long Tomorrow . The ultimate example, of course, is H. G. Wells's The Time Machine . Most recently, I read Jack McDevitt's interesting but ultimately unsatisfying Eternity Road.

I learned of Simak's A Heritage of Stars through yet another book, Albert Goldbarth's The Kitchen Sink: New and Selected Poems, 1972-2007 (Goldbarth uses a phrase with a typo in it from the first printing of A Heritage of Stars as part of his book's epigraph), which I'm still poring through as I write this.

So where does A Heritage of Stars rate in the "long after the end of the world" pantheon of books? Far better than Sar, somewhat better than Eternity Road and Andre Norton's Daybreak 2250 A.D. , but probably not quite as good as The Long Tomorrow or Walter M. Miller's A Canticle for Leibowitz (though on par with other, less easily categorizable books such as Larry Niven's A World Out of Time ).

Like many of these types of a books, A Heritage of Stars is about the protagonist's quest to find some remnant of the long-dead technological age. In this case, Tom Cushing is seeking the Place of Going to the Stars, a possibly mythological city perched on top of a butte in the American West. Along the way Cushing is joined by an old witch, the last surviving robot, a man who communes with plants and trees, and his daughter, who seems to be immersed in a perpetual trance. This set-up may sound a bit corny in 2012, but Simak tells a good story and rounds out his characters in a way that elevates them above their cartoony labels.

What I was happiest about was the payoff. The Place of Going to the Stars is, of course, not exactly what Cushing was expecting, but what it turns out to be is even more interesting than a defunct interstellar launching pad (or at least it was to this reader). For a pulpy novel written in the late '70s, I enjoyed this one quite a bit.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about a man living in a post/apoplectic Earth. I don't usually like post/apoplectic stories but I ran across a used copy of this book and being a big fan of Clifford D. Simak and never having read this book I decided to buy it and read it. I enjoyed it very much. It was quite different from other post/apoplectic books I had read before. The cause of the collapse of mankind is very different than is usually the case in these type stories. There is also an assortment of interesting characters, too many to describe here. If you are a fan of Clifford D. Simak or of post/apoplectic stories you should read this book.

This is a quote from the book that I like very much.
"Of all combinations, stupidity and arrogance is the worst that can be found."
Clifford D. Simak
A Heritage Of Stars

[Joel B · Rating 5 out of 5]

My rating system isn't the most consistent. I always intend to give three stars to books I consider to be average, but often I'll give four stars to average books just because I enjoyed them. Five stars are usually reserved for excellent books and are mostly given to non-fiction books that I find to be very interesting or somehow particularly relevant to me. Five stars in fiction usually go to any book that I enjoy enough to hopefully read again someday, but in this case, these five stars are for the book being full of neat and original ideas that I found to be pretty damn cool. It may not be excellent, but I loved it.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

It strikes me as a bit pedantic.

But that is an inevitable result of the scope of the thematic idea Simak explores. How can you talk about the nature of man without just a bit of what? Verbosity, perhaps, because man is a creature of words. Ideology, perhaps, because man is a creature of ideas.
Simak basically asks the question, "Does society actually reflect man's nature, or did we take a wrong turn somewhen?"
You may not agree with his answer, but you must admit it is an intriguing question.

[Jamie · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars. Rounding down, because I expect more from Simak. The concept is interesting, man struggling out of the dark ages following a post apocalyptic backlash against technologically driven society, however it feels like he just tried to bang this one out too quickly.

[Don · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is my third time with a Simak science fiction novel. As an overall story it's not too bad. The Earth has gone through a self-imposed tech apocalypse (a thousand years before) by destroying all modern technology and learning due to its impact - leaving humans as a mix of dystopian nomadic groups and small pockets of towns. Our main character, Tom Cushing, lives near the remnants of a University that still has some organized semblance of a center of learning. It is there where he learns of the Place of Going to the Stars in a manuscript - a Place that existed somewhere out west (the University is in Minnesota - so, west of there).

Tom sets out on a journey to find the Place while bumping into additional characters who decide to travel with him (including one of the last robots left in the world).

An intriguing start to the story - but it gets a bit confusing and convoluted in the last half as they discover more on what the Place is. But, that didn't dampen the fairly enjoyable story. Simak always seems to finish his stories a bit too soon (at least in 3 novels so far) that could have been carried much farther and better. 3.5 stars

[Ron · Rating 3 out of 5]

“The best legends may be the best guarded. So sacred, perhaps that no one ever spoke aloud of them.”

Simak is a great story teller, but a mediocre science fiction author. Why? Because he gets so many details wrong. Yes, he wrote (and won awards) in the 60 and 70s, and his stories therefore didn’t anticipate the subsequent computation and communications revolutions. What he didn’t forecast isn’t the problem: it’s what he did--wrongly. (See Quibbles)

“Intellectual curiosity would be, almost by definition, a characteristic of any civilization.”

This tale is set fifteen hundred years after the Collapse of human technology, when humans have reverted to a near-Stone Age culture. Partly offsetting that loss is the blossoming of latent extrasensory talents. Most of the conditions he posits makes more sense three to five hundred years after the Collapse. Few remnants, certainly not maps and paper, would survive 1500 years.

“The arrogance of one way of thought served to strangle all other ways of thought.”

Quibbles: Loose pages in a library table drawer for a thousand years? Myths “must” have “some foundation in actual happenings”? “Now little enough to pillage” fifteen hundred years after the Collapse? Anything to pillage? Trading food for “trinkets”? Tools, maybe, but not beads. “Still standing steel fence”? Neither rusted away nor stolen for its precious metal?

“Who in this environment needs physics and chemistry?”

Fun read, but only as popcorn for the brain.

“Space is an illusion, and time as well.”

[Steve Rainwater · Rating 4 out of 5]

A post-apocalyptic quest with the usual assortment of Simakian characters.

This a post-apocalyptic story but set in a different sort of apocalyptic world than most. The story takes place 1000 years after the human race chose to turn its back on technology and go back to being a primarily agrarian culture with a few hunter-gatherer tribes. The University of Minnesota survives as a monastery-like bastion of thinkers; albeit thinkers who think about history, philosophy and other non-technological topics (when they're not busy growing potatoes).

Tom Cushing sets out from the University on a quest for a mythical place known as the "Place of Going to the Stars" that he believes is where the last technological humans left the Earth 1000 years ago. Along the way he picks up several companions including the last existing robot, a witch, and a man who talks to plants. Together they face barbarian hordes, several species of alien life forms, and eventually must decide the fate of the human race.

It's not Simak's best book by any means but it's classic Simak, returning to some of Simak's favorite themes. It's very readable, and I recommend it to any Simak fan.

[Jim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thomas Cushing is an expert at hoeing potatoes--an important job as the time is thousands of years after the Collapse of technological civilization. Thomas lives on the University of Minnesota campus, a walled-in and protected pocket of knowledge. The outside world is a violent and barbaric place (the barbarians call the residents of the university "eggheads"). But Thomas has the possibly insane idea to go out into the dangerous outside world in search of a legendary "Place of Going to the Stars." He thinks there must be a way to jump-start civilization!
When I first read this story, I thought it was implausible--that we would ever lose our science and technology. But now I am not so sure, not so sure at all. Too many people deny the facts--the reality- of science and prefer to cling to their religions and superstitions. Too many people prefer to be ignorant and believe in charlatans. Can we go back to the Dark Ages? I think we are well on our way now....

[Tim · Rating 3 out of 5]

nice and short without much room for a sophisticated plot or description or character development. It features travels over some of the geographic features of a Minnesota of the distant future. The tone reminded me of the CS Lewis Space trilogy. It touches on interesting themes like alien intelligence and even a sort of historical dialectic. For example, it posits that our technological society is missing something and that its eventual destruction and combination with new factors might allow the human race to rise again and reach new heights.

[Alexander Theofanidis · Rating 3 out of 5]

(κριτική στα ελληνικά πιο κάτω)

A Heritage of Stars is a contemplative and lyrical work of science fiction that deviates markedly from the genre's conventional structures in order to explore themes of human nature, memory, and the pursuit of knowledge. First published in 1977, it appears to be among the novels Simak penned in his retirement—though "retirement" for a writer of his calibre seems a mere technicality.

Of course, when one places "science fiction" and "Simak" in the same sentence, it would be a mistake to expect cutting-edge science, labyrinthine algorithms, or speculative technologies projected four million years into the future. Nor should one anticipate neutron stars or faster-than-light escapades. Simak, the third Grand Master of Science Fiction, frequently crafted extraordinary narratives in which the most advanced device in play might well be a typewriter, a coffee percolator, or a pair of spectacles.

This particular novel is set in a distant, post-apocalyptic future where technology has all but vanished. Picture, if you will, something akin to pre-Columbian America—minus the human sacrifice, naturally, for this is Simak we're speaking of. Humanity has regressed to a more rudimentary state of existence, and at the heart of the story is one Tom Cushing: a man who forsakes the safety of his adoptive family and close-knit community to embark on a quest—part odyssey, part rite of passage. His destination is the elusive "Dreaming Place", a near-mythical locus tied to the lost sciences and forgotten knowledge of an earlier age.

As one might expect, action is in short supply—so much so that one is tempted to suggest it could be tallied on the fingers of a rather clumsy carpenter. Yet this is quite beside the point. Simak’s characteristically tranquil prose and his deep-seated tenderness toward both humanity and the natural world are on full display. The plot unfurls at a deliberate, almost meditative pace, prioritising ideas and introspection over incident. Along the way, Cushing encounters robots, telepathic humans, and mystic figures—all of whom function more as emblems of humankind’s past and future potential than as conventional characters.

And, because it is Simak (pronounced “Sih-mack”, incidentally), the novel engages with perennial questions: What does it mean to be human? What is lost when we sever ourselves from knowledge? And how, if at all, might hope emerge from the ruins of loss? These queries are not answered outright but are rather implied through Cushing’s journey and quiet transformation.

In conclusion, A Heritage of Stars is not your typical science fiction novel. It is a gentle ode to curiosity, to memory, and to the irrepressible human urge to gaze upward at the stars—even when we’ve long forgotten why. It may not appeal to those seeking spectacle or narrative velocity, but for readers who treasure literature with emotional depth and philosophical resonance, it offers something quietly profound. Had the ending not left me somewhat nonplussed—I had anticipated a rather different denouement—it would have earned a comfortable four stars.


Το “A Heritage of Stars” είναι ένα στοχαστικό και ποιητικό έργο “επιστημονικής φαντασίας” που ξεφεύγει από τις κλασικές φόρμες του είδους για να εξερευνήσει την ανθρώπινη φύση, τη μνήμη και την αναζήτηση της γνώσης. Με πρώτη έκδοση το 1977, εικάζω ότι πρόκειται για ένα από τα έργα που έγραψε ο Simak ως συνταξιούχος.

Βέβαια, όταν λέμε επιστημονική φαντασία και Simak στην ίδια παράγραφο, μην περιμένετε σούπερ ντούπερ επιστήμες, αλγόριθμους και τεχνολογίες από το 4 εκατομμύρια μετά Χριστόνε, ούτε αστέρες νετρονίων ή FTL ταχύτητες. Αν μη τι άλλο, ο τρίτος κατά σειρά SF Grand Master έχει γράψει εκπληκτικά έργα Ε.Φ., στα οποία το πιο προηγμένο τεχνολογικά αντικείμενο ήταν μια γραφομηχανή, μια καφετιέρα ή τα γυαλιά μυωπίας.

Το παρόν και υπό κρίση έργο, τοποθετείται σε ένα μελλοντικό, μετα-αποκαλυπτικό κόσμο όπου η τεχνολογία έχει σχεδόν εξαφανιστεί (σκεφτείτε σε όρους προκολομβιανής Αμερικής, χωρίς τους αποκεφαλισμούς -επειδή Σίμακ, προφανώς!), και η ανθρωπότητα έχει επιστρέψει σε μια πιο πρωτόγονη μορφή ζωής. Στον πυρήνα της ιστορίας βρίσκεται ο Tom Cushing, ένας άνδρας που αφήνει πίσω την παρηγοριά της κοινότητάς του και της οικογένειας που τον υιοθέτησε για να ξεκινήσει ένα ταξίδι αναζήτησης (και φυσικά ενηλικίωσης): αναζητά το χαμένο "Dreaming Place", έναν μυθικό χώρο που σχετίζεται με την ξεχασμένη γνώση και την παλιά επιστήμη.

Προφανώς και η δράση είναι μετρημένη στα δάχτυλα ξυλουργού απρόσεκτου χειριστή πριονοκορδέλας. Ο Simak, με τη χαρακτηριστική του γαλήνια πρόζα και την έμφυτη τρυφερότητα προς τον άνθρωπο και τη φύση, στήνει ένα φιλοσοφικό ταξίδι με την πλοκή ξετυλίγεται αργά, σχεδόν με στοχαστική υπομονή, με το βάρος να πέφτει στις ιδέες και τα concept, όχι στα γεγονότα. Τα ρομπότ, οι άνθρωποι με τις «ψυχικές» ικανότητες και οι μυστικιστικές φιγούρες που συναντά ο Cushing συμβολίζουν το παρελθόν της ανθρωπότητας και τις δυνατότητες του μέλλοντος.

Φυσικά, επειδή Σίμακ (ναι, έτσι προφέρεται), το βιβλίο εξετάζει ερωτήματα όπως: Τι σημαίνει να είσαι άνθρωπος; Τι χάνουμε όταν αποκόβουμε τον εαυτό μας από τη γνώση; Πώς μπορεί η ελπίδα να γεννηθεί μέσα από την απώλεια; Οι απαντήσεις δεν δίνονται ευθέως, αλλά προτείνονται μέσα από την πορεία και την εσωτερική αλλαγή του ήρωα.

Συμπερασματικά, το A Heritage of Stars δεν είναι ένα συνηθισμένο μυθιστόρημα επιστημονικής φαντασίας. Είναι μια ήσυχη ωδή στην περιέργεια, στη μνήμη και στην ανάγκη του ανθρώπου να κοιτάζει τα αστέρια ακόμα κι όταν τα έχει ξεχάσει. Δεν θα συγκινήσει όσους αναζητούν ένταση ή φαντασμαγορία, αλλά θα μιλήσει βαθιά σε όσους αγαπούν τη λογοτεχνία που σκάβει στην ψυχή. Αν δεν με ξένιζε λίγο το φινάλε (περίμενα κάτι διαφορετικό) τα 4 αστεράκια τα είχε στο τσεπάκι.

[Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have only read three or four Simak books over the years but found this on a list and decided to read it. The most recent before this was Way Station which I enjoyed greatly. This one had some similarities including Simak's home style writing using items from his upbringing and locality to some extent. The story was different than I expected and a post apocalyptic tale which surprised me. There were some fantastical elements which got explained and had me wondering for a bit. In the end it was interesting although a little weird and unexpected. I would really rate it about 3.5 but maybe a little closer to a 4 than a 3. I think my next read will be another Simak as I like the old grandmasters books for a change of reading.

[Susan Rainwater · Rating 2 out of 5]

On the whole, Simak’s “quest” books don’t do a lot for me. The Fellowship of the Talisman, Enchanted Pilgrimage, and Destiny Doll all fall into the “quest” category, as does this book, A Heritage of the Stars.

A ragtag group of thrown-together individuals – in this case, a scholar, a witch, a robot, two sensitives, and a psychic horse, travel to the Place of Going to the Stars to see what it’s all about. And, frankly, it’s not about much.

I love Simak in top form, I just don’t think this was in the same class with his best work.

[Xabi1990 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Leído antes de 1992 y que anda por una estantería en la edición de Martínez Roca SF, es todo lo que puedo decir y que su nota fue 6/10.

Si tenemos en cuenta que por aquellos años en total leí 7 libros de este autor y que todos y cada uno se llevaron ese raquítico 6/10 eso debe significar que no me enamoré del autor, no.

Voy a cargarles pero solo la nota, hale.

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75

[Daniel Milford · Rating 2 out of 5]

Skuffende greier. Utgitt på syttitallet, skrevet som en roman fra femtitallet. Interessante ideer, til dels, sløvt porsjonert utover en dryg handling. Jeg likte roboten Rollo, og kommer nok til å stjele noe av ham til oppfølgeren til boken jeg skriver på nå.

[Lysergius · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thousands of years into the future man has completely destroyed a technology-based society and lives a tribal existence, worshipping the 'brain'-cases of long-rusted robots. Here and there pockets of knowledge remain, and young Tom Cushing lives in one such university. His imagination fired by reading of the fabled 'Place of Going to the Stars' in an ancient manuscript, Tom sets out on a long odyssey to find out if the legend is true. His journey encompasses excitement, danger and some strange and colourful companions who commune with plants, can sense life and include the very last robot. But nothing he meets along the way compares with what he and his motley group find at Thunderhead Butte, the Place of Going to the Stars, their journey's end. Here wonder abounds almost as at the edge of the universe. A new challenge, for man to rediscover his destiny, to fulfil his heritage and recover his lost knowledge.