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The Big Eye
"David, don't go!"
Fear darkened Carol's eyes. "David -- don't go. Don't leave me alone here!" The blood rushed hotly to David's face. He threw down his coat. In a moment she was in his arms, clinging to him as if she were drowning..."
The time was 1960 with Russia and America poised on the brink of atomic war. Then came the shattering news from Palomar Observatory that a new planet had been discovered -- a planet that was rushing toward a collision with the Earth on Christmas Day, 1962.
Suddenly there was no need for war. People went wild trying to cram a lifetime into two precious years. Carol and David, too, found themselves caught up in the frenzy to live and love while they still had the chance. A great novel of a world facing a cosmic cataclysm!
Fear darkened Carol's eyes. "David -- don't go. Don't leave me alone here!" The blood rushed hotly to David's face. He threw down his coat. In a moment she was in his arms, clinging to him as if she were drowning..."
The time was 1960 with Russia and America poised on the brink of atomic war. Then came the shattering news from Palomar Observatory that a new planet had been discovered -- a planet that was rushing toward a collision with the Earth on Christmas Day, 1962.
Suddenly there was no need for war. People went wild trying to cram a lifetime into two precious years. Carol and David, too, found themselves caught up in the frenzy to live and love while they still had the chance. A great novel of a world facing a cosmic cataclysm!
223 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1949
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116 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
July 17, 2021
This early cold war themed novel was published in 1949 by an author known mostly for writing radio plays (this assumed as fact based on quick research). This may account for it being stylistically fast moving, keeping the reader well engaged. All was perfectly fine until it became clear that this was set in an alternate universe where the whole of the world is either Christian, maybe Jewish, or a stubborn atheist. Unfortunately, this along with the 'Christmas day 1962' angle sort of derailed this for me, however, I kept on going with it, simply accepting it as such. I also thought the way people, the political, as well as the day to day business and economic world reacted to such a doomsday situation seemed unrealistic, however, this and the earlier criticism is simply observations of a minor sifi work written 70+ years past from a rather smug "more enlightened" 21 century perspective. Oh, and one more thing (and forgive me for pointing it out if this also annoys a future reader after my bring attention to it): A big faux pas for an author is the overuse of a specific or particular word. In this case it is the word "hysterical". I started counting once I noticed it and had to stop myself in order to keep reading. All this aside, I was presently surprised, and even delighted, by the book's interesting conclusion.
August 9, 2015
The Big Eye was published in 1949 and was set in the near-future world of 1960, which learns that the world is going to end on Christmas Day in 1962. The narrative gets a bit preachy at times that makes the plot lag a bit, but it's a good story and I especially liked the optimistic message that mankind might pull together in the face of catastrophe. Ehrlich, who wrote many of the best Sherlock Holmes radio scripts, succeeds in pulling off a surprise ending that would have been right at home in an early M. Night Shyamalan film.
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November 14, 2009i can't rate this book. i am far to emotionally attached to be objective. i know it is B grade, but it was the first sci-fi i ever read. for a farm kid growing up in the bush of Northern Ontario, with limited exposure to the bigger picture, discovering the sci-fi genre was revolutionary. reading this book literally changed my life.
December 27, 2013
We scientists have been responsible for many of the world's ills for a longtime. We've failed to understand that science moves fast, it is revolutionary, while the human mind is slow, evolutionary. As a result, we have a gap of thousands of years between scientific achievement and the human capacity to use it wisely. ~Dr. Dawson (p. 144)
The Big Eye was written by Max Ehrlich in 1949 about the future...the near-future of 1960. In Ehrlich's vision, mankind has learned very little from the two world wars of its recent past--even less than we who have survived the '60s (and '70s and '80s and...). The Cold War has resulted in everyone having a piece of the atomic action and Russia and the United States are playing a nervous game to see who will drop the bomb first. It isn't a matter of "if," but "when."
Dr. David Hughes is a young astronomer sent by his boss Dr. Dawson to meet with the top US officials in an effort to determine if it is in the nation's best interest to be the first to launch the attack. At the last minute, Hughes is called to return to the Palomar Observatory where Dawson has made a discovery that will change everything. The days of the Earth are numbered. A rogue planet, "Planet Y" is speeding through the galaxy on a collision course with Earth. A collision that will take place in exactly two years on Christmas day 1963. Dawson has gathered the world's astronomer's to verify his calculations and they make the terrifying announcement to the people of Earth.
In the wake of the horrible news, David finds some happiness with the woman he loves; and, ironically, the world is able to settle its differences creating a world at peace with the problems of war, hunger, and even cancer solved in the shadow of doomsday. When Christmas 1963 comes, David and Carol go out into the open (along with most of the citizens of Earth) to face The Big Eye (as Planet Y has been named) and meet their doom. What happens next is not a miracle, but a very believable twist that brings the story to a very satisfying conclusion.
This was a decent look at what a writer who has just been through World War II saw as the near-future of the 1960s. The basic story line was interesting and believable--although the viewpoint is old-fashioned and somewhat preachy (particularly as viewed from the 21st Century). I like the idea that mankind when faced with a common threat might actually pull itself together and look beyond our petty fears and disagreements--it would be nice if we could that act together without a catastrophic event looming over us..... Three and a half stars.
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting. Thanks.
The Big Eye was written by Max Ehrlich in 1949 about the future...the near-future of 1960. In Ehrlich's vision, mankind has learned very little from the two world wars of its recent past--even less than we who have survived the '60s (and '70s and '80s and...). The Cold War has resulted in everyone having a piece of the atomic action and Russia and the United States are playing a nervous game to see who will drop the bomb first. It isn't a matter of "if," but "when."
Dr. David Hughes is a young astronomer sent by his boss Dr. Dawson to meet with the top US officials in an effort to determine if it is in the nation's best interest to be the first to launch the attack. At the last minute, Hughes is called to return to the Palomar Observatory where Dawson has made a discovery that will change everything. The days of the Earth are numbered. A rogue planet, "Planet Y" is speeding through the galaxy on a collision course with Earth. A collision that will take place in exactly two years on Christmas day 1963. Dawson has gathered the world's astronomer's to verify his calculations and they make the terrifying announcement to the people of Earth.
In the wake of the horrible news, David finds some happiness with the woman he loves; and, ironically, the world is able to settle its differences creating a world at peace with the problems of war, hunger, and even cancer solved in the shadow of doomsday. When Christmas 1963 comes, David and Carol go out into the open (along with most of the citizens of Earth) to face The Big Eye (as Planet Y has been named) and meet their doom. What happens next is not a miracle, but a very believable twist that brings the story to a very satisfying conclusion.
This was a decent look at what a writer who has just been through World War II saw as the near-future of the 1960s. The basic story line was interesting and believable--although the viewpoint is old-fashioned and somewhat preachy (particularly as viewed from the 21st Century). I like the idea that mankind when faced with a common threat might actually pull itself together and look beyond our petty fears and disagreements--it would be nice if we could that act together without a catastrophic event looming over us..... Three and a half stars.
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting. Thanks.
March 18, 2024
Despite looking like a throwaway sci-fi pulp novel, it's actually a thoughtful, emotional disaster tale, set in the far-flung future of 1960 (written in 1949), when the UN has completely collapsed and the Cold War is about to become nuke-hot... until astronomers discover a rogue planetoid on collision-course with Earth in two years. How does humanity react to a timeline of inescapable doom? More specifically, how does protagonist David Hughes react, a junior astronomer about to be married? (Interesting to read in counterpoint with Robert Kroese's Mammon series.)
April 3, 2024
Imagine Astronomy and Philosophy had a baby, and that baby grew up and had a baby with Societal Morality, throw in atomic warfare and you've got quite the story!
This is a quick read, but is thought provoking and will stay with you. The apocalyptic nature of the story is reminiscent of 2020, proving there's nothing new under the sun. People are people, no matter the decade.
This is a quick read, but is thought provoking and will stay with you. The apocalyptic nature of the story is reminiscent of 2020, proving there's nothing new under the sun. People are people, no matter the decade.
October 3, 2023
The second of five 40’s-50’s science fiction novels I recently picked up. Written in 1949, in The Big Eye, The United States and the USSR are in an even more elevated version of the Cold War. The USSR dominated much of Europe in the 1950’s in the story and humanity is left in a bleak position. There is a gripping and constant fear of nuclear war and the total annihilation of mankind.
We follow an astronomer, David Hughes, working in the most advanced observatory in the United States under supervision by a genius. A discovery of “Planet Y” on crash course for Earth in two years time changes everything. Humanity becomes concerned about their expected and calculated death due Christmas of 1962.
Society goes through the expected pains and struggles. Our main character gets married to the love of his life and has a child, and the existential dread continued to grow. Humanity also finds out that Planet Y is shaped like a giant human eye.
Without giving away the twists, the world turns it around and begins to care for one another for the most part.
Max Elhrich was clearly worried about Nuclear War. The writing is solid, the story is decent but I’m not sure I agree with his conclusions here. A fun science fiction read, with a philosophical edge that unfortunately isn’t all that deep..
5.5/10
We follow an astronomer, David Hughes, working in the most advanced observatory in the United States under supervision by a genius. A discovery of “Planet Y” on crash course for Earth in two years time changes everything. Humanity becomes concerned about their expected and calculated death due Christmas of 1962.
Society goes through the expected pains and struggles. Our main character gets married to the love of his life and has a child, and the existential dread continued to grow. Humanity also finds out that Planet Y is shaped like a giant human eye.
Without giving away the twists, the world turns it around and begins to care for one another for the most part.
Max Elhrich was clearly worried about Nuclear War. The writing is solid, the story is decent but I’m not sure I agree with his conclusions here. A fun science fiction read, with a philosophical edge that unfortunately isn’t all that deep..
5.5/10
August 10, 2012
One of the first science fiction novels I ever read, as a kid in grade school. I particularly like the claustrophobic atmosphere evoked in the early part of the book, as the US and USSR stand poised on the verge of nuclear war. The ending of the book is kind of preachy, but I have always enjoyed it nonetheless.
May 22, 2021
Some very interesting, thought-provoking concepts strung together in this novel. How would people react to "the end of the world?" That's by far the most interesting thing addressed by the book, and the author does paint a good picture of the predicted world of 1960 from a 1948 perspective.
The writing itself can best be described as poor, with lackluster, cardboard characters. The second reference of the book's title bothered me as horribly contrived, and there's a lot of repeated triteness. ("... and then she was in his arms.) The inadequacy of the writing degraded the surprise ending in particular, which is also an otherwise good idea.
Worth the rather short time it takes to read, but don't expect anything great.
The writing itself can best be described as poor, with lackluster, cardboard characters. The second reference of the book's title bothered me as horribly contrived, and there's a lot of repeated triteness. ("... and then she was in his arms.) The inadequacy of the writing degraded the surprise ending in particular, which is also an otherwise good idea.
Worth the rather short time it takes to read, but don't expect anything great.
May 8, 2020
This was hilariously bad. Carol, you could do better. ((At least 3 times I read "David! And suddenly she was in his arms")). I'll be honest I ended up skim reading through several portions because the plot was molasses slow. The ending well.. interesting but for me the ratio of build up to reveal was way off. I think that reversing the book to have that final plot reveal as the opening sequence and then unraveling the war politics, conspiracies ect would have been more interesting. Then end with the discussion of a what the new normal was and how everyone adapted to the big eye. Read if you'd enjoy a read in one sitting, cringey, cold war, sci fi story.
January 18, 2024
The prose and story building in the first half of this book were solid, but the second half devolved into poorly written religious fiction, ruining the interesting Cold War era character/plot development that was initially established. If the use of religion as a plot device was fleshed out at all this would have been an interesting read about scientific advancements, government systems, and post war hysteria, - but as it stands, I struggled to get through it.
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March 2, 2023Back in grade school, in "library period" - I asked the teacher if they had any science fiction in the library. They had only one - and I first got to read The Big Eye.. I have reread this several times. Brings back memories of grade school and one of my first SF reads.
The movie "Don't Look Up"reminded of this 'imminent destruction of Earth' novel.
Fun re-read.
The movie "Don't Look Up"reminded of this 'imminent destruction of Earth' novel.
Fun re-read.
July 9, 2021
I really liked this book. It felt real. The concept that you know the day when the world will end and how that changed society was so well done. And the ending was great.
June 1, 2022
Lol, I can’t believe I finished it. This was horrible!
Maybe it was a hit back in 1950?
That’s what I get when I pick coverless books from hole-in-the-wall bookstores in Atlanta.
Maybe it was a hit back in 1950?
That’s what I get when I pick coverless books from hole-in-the-wall bookstores in Atlanta.
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May 28, 2025Grandma’s book club science fiction, end of the world
January 16, 2026
Sort of ok as an example of SF in the past. Nice little twist at the ebd but the main story is pretty slow.
There is about 1 woman in teh book who mostly says " Oh, David" a lot
There is about 1 woman in teh book who mostly says " Oh, David" a lot
October 5, 2010
This is a book with a message, and because Ehrlich is pounding so hard on that message, it doesn't leave any space for a decent or exciting story. A famous astronomer discovers that a new star in the sky is actually a meteor that will get closer and closer and utterly destroy all life on Earth in a fatal collision. As a result of this unavoidable fact, the nuclear war that was about to break out is called off and world peace is declared. All armies are decommissioned and everybody is very nice to each other. There is still a nice twist at the end, but you have to plough through massive pages of preaching by Ehrlich, who gets especially boring each time he drags God in. The Big Eye is oldfashioned and way too preachy to be enjoyable.
July 7, 2025
This gets a little too bogged down in descriptions at times. The religious influence is also a bit hokey. But this built up a terrific atmosphere, and the premise was fascinating. There were all kinds of interesting little world-building tidbits in this that really drew me in. I'm not sure I buy the utopian world aspect - I'm more inclined towards the pessimists for sure - but it's still interesting to think about. And the last minute twist ending was great, and really worked. Looking back over the novel, you can see the foreshadowing there! Overall a much better read than expected.
February 22, 2011
This one is pretty bad. Much of my science fiction reading has been of pretty bad books because of my selection criteria. Although knowledge of the author or of content counts if available, price trumps all. I found this thing while prowling used bookstores for stuff to read during a break from school. Written in 1949, it is set in the near future, 1960. The entertainment value will probably increase as this future recedes into the past.
December 28, 2014
Maybe the first real science fiction I ever read, which I actually read immediately after the end of the Cold War. I knew it was pulpy and cheesy, but I enjoyed pulpy and cheesy even then.
The message was stark and very real for its time, and there was no veiling of it. Not a whole lot of layers here. Just a sledgehammer drilling its agenda across.
The message was stark and very real for its time, and there was no veiling of it. Not a whole lot of layers here. Just a sledgehammer drilling its agenda across.
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February 6, 2012I stopped at about page 110 (It's only about 170 pages) and ended up not being able to pick it up again for a week. I tried to go back to it and just didn't care anymore.
March 24, 2016
A small but slow read -- an interesting idea, some fine musings on nuclear war and a better way of life.
May 14, 2016
Fun with a good message even though predictable from beginning to end.
January 23, 2014
Such a great old sci-fi yarn. It gets better when you read the publication date.
May 24, 2016
Interesting premise, but predictable plot twist.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews