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Pillar to the Sky
Pillar to the Sky is a NASA-inspired work of fiction from William R. Forstchen, author of the New York Times bestseller, One Second After
Skyrocketing oil prices, dwindling energy supplies, and a devastating drought which has led to wars over water threaten the planet. Four people strive to prevent global chaos:
Gary Morgan, a renegade scientist ridiculed for his belief in a space elevator, or pillar to the sky;
Eva Morgan, long obsessed with building a tower to supply cheap, limitless energy derived from the power of the sun;
Erich Rothenberg, who labored to create the first rockets; and
Franklin Smith, an eccentric Silicon Valley billionaire who champions their cause, wages war with Congress and government bureaucracy on their behalf, and, most important, finances their herculean undertaking.
This journey to the stars will not be easy—a tumultuous struggle filled with violence and heroism, love and death, spellbinding beauty and heartbreaking betrayal. The stakes could not be higher. Humanity’s salvation hangs in the balance.
Skyrocketing oil prices, dwindling energy supplies, and a devastating drought which has led to wars over water threaten the planet. Four people strive to prevent global chaos:
Gary Morgan, a renegade scientist ridiculed for his belief in a space elevator, or pillar to the sky;
Eva Morgan, long obsessed with building a tower to supply cheap, limitless energy derived from the power of the sun;
Erich Rothenberg, who labored to create the first rockets; and
Franklin Smith, an eccentric Silicon Valley billionaire who champions their cause, wages war with Congress and government bureaucracy on their behalf, and, most important, finances their herculean undertaking.
This journey to the stars will not be easy—a tumultuous struggle filled with violence and heroism, love and death, spellbinding beauty and heartbreaking betrayal. The stakes could not be higher. Humanity’s salvation hangs in the balance.
576 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published February 11, 2014
216 people are currently reading
1476 people want to read
About the author
William R. Forstchen
116 books1,745 followersWilliam R. Forstchen (born 1950) is an American author who began publishing in 1983 with the novel Ice Prophet. He is a Professor of History and Faculty Fellow at Montreat College, in Montreat, North Carolina. He received his doctorate from Purdue University with specializations in Military History, the American Civil War and the History of Technology.
Forstchen is the author of more than forty books, including the award winning We Look Like Men of War, a young adult novel about an African-American regiment that fought at the Battle of the Crater, which is based upon his doctoral dissertation, The 28th USCTs: Indiana’s African-Americans go to War, 1863-1865 and the "Lost Regiment" series which has been optioned by both Tom Cruise and M. Night Shyamalan.
Forstchen’s writing efforts have, in recent years, shifted towards historical fiction and non fiction. In 2002 he started the “Gettysburg” trilogy with Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich; the trilogy consists of Gettysburg: A Novel of the Civil War, Grant Comes East, and Never Call Retreat: Lee and Grant - The Final Victory. More recently, they have have published two works on the events leading up to Pearl Harbor and immediately after that attack Pearl Harbor, and Days of Infamy.
In March 2009, Forstchen’s latest work, One Second After, (Forge/St. Martin’s books) was released. Based upon several years of intensive research and interviews, it examines what might happen in a “typical” American town in the wake of an attack on the United States with “electro-magnetic pulse” (EMP) weapons. Similar in plotting to books such as On the Beach and Alas Babylon, One Second After, is set in a small college town in western North Carolina and is a cautionary tale of the collapse of social order in the wake of an EMP strike. The book has been optioned by Warner Bros. and currently is in development as a feature film. The book was cited on the floor of Congress and before the House Armed Services Committee by Congressman Roscoe Bartlett (R.-MD), chair of the House Committee tasked to evaluate EMP weapons, as a realistical portrayal of the potential damage rendered by an EMP attack on the continental United States.
Forstchen resides near Asheville, North Carolina with his daughter Meghan. His other interests include archaeology, and he has participated in several expeditions to Mongolia and Russia. He is a pilot and co owns an original 1943 Aeronca L-3B recon plane used in World War II.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/willia...
Forstchen is the author of more than forty books, including the award winning We Look Like Men of War, a young adult novel about an African-American regiment that fought at the Battle of the Crater, which is based upon his doctoral dissertation, The 28th USCTs: Indiana’s African-Americans go to War, 1863-1865 and the "Lost Regiment" series which has been optioned by both Tom Cruise and M. Night Shyamalan.
Forstchen’s writing efforts have, in recent years, shifted towards historical fiction and non fiction. In 2002 he started the “Gettysburg” trilogy with Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich; the trilogy consists of Gettysburg: A Novel of the Civil War, Grant Comes East, and Never Call Retreat: Lee and Grant - The Final Victory. More recently, they have have published two works on the events leading up to Pearl Harbor and immediately after that attack Pearl Harbor, and Days of Infamy.
In March 2009, Forstchen’s latest work, One Second After, (Forge/St. Martin’s books) was released. Based upon several years of intensive research and interviews, it examines what might happen in a “typical” American town in the wake of an attack on the United States with “electro-magnetic pulse” (EMP) weapons. Similar in plotting to books such as On the Beach and Alas Babylon, One Second After, is set in a small college town in western North Carolina and is a cautionary tale of the collapse of social order in the wake of an EMP strike. The book has been optioned by Warner Bros. and currently is in development as a feature film. The book was cited on the floor of Congress and before the House Armed Services Committee by Congressman Roscoe Bartlett (R.-MD), chair of the House Committee tasked to evaluate EMP weapons, as a realistical portrayal of the potential damage rendered by an EMP attack on the continental United States.
Forstchen resides near Asheville, North Carolina with his daughter Meghan. His other interests include archaeology, and he has participated in several expeditions to Mongolia and Russia. He is a pilot and co owns an original 1943 Aeronca L-3B recon plane used in World War II.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/willia...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 178 reviews
February 24, 2014
I debated hard about whether to give Pillar to the Sky 2 or 3 stars. The only reason why it gets 3 stars is because it was a clean read without much language, sex, or gore. The story line is a bit dry and choppy for me. There are sections that could have been great story line, but were just kind of glossed over. This book is not nearly as good as One Second After, although that one does have more language and gore.
I really did not buy into this story. I don't like some of the author's assumptions and conclusions. I don't believe the earth is over populated and over polluted everywhere. I don't believe that only NASA is the way to "save our planet". I don't believe that going into space has real value for our world at this time.
Would it in the future? Maybe.
I do believe that many innovations and inventions have been made to our society because of NASA. I fully give it the acknowledgement that it deserves in the technology that has come forth from it's illustrious group of eggheads. We can attribute micro-computers, cell phones, and tablet technology to many of the innovations made by NASA.
The question is...would those technologies have come forth in another way? I think so.
The liberal slant of this book is one that I didn't appreciate. Basically anyone who opposes space exploration is an idiot or archaic dinosaur. It offends those who, like myself, believe that we can achieve similar results using different avenues. There are MANY organizations out there doing research on alternative fuels and power collection that don't require billions and billions spent in rockets to launch into space. My daughter's boyfriend works for just such a company that grows algae and makes it into fuel and other products. It doesn't cost 100's of billions of dollars like this proposed space elevator.
I do, however, believe that our current situation is not ideal and that alternative fuels and energy are necessary in the long run if we want to uphold our current and projected lifestyles. I give credit to the author for at least addressing something in this arena. The question is...how and what?
This story is just one avenue, but I didn't find it that thrilling of a read and the choices of Victoria in the end are just odd and heartbreaking. The loss of so many lives just for the possibility of being successful seems like an awfully high risk.
I really did not buy into this story. I don't like some of the author's assumptions and conclusions. I don't believe the earth is over populated and over polluted everywhere. I don't believe that only NASA is the way to "save our planet". I don't believe that going into space has real value for our world at this time.
Would it in the future? Maybe.
I do believe that many innovations and inventions have been made to our society because of NASA. I fully give it the acknowledgement that it deserves in the technology that has come forth from it's illustrious group of eggheads. We can attribute micro-computers, cell phones, and tablet technology to many of the innovations made by NASA.
The question is...would those technologies have come forth in another way? I think so.
The liberal slant of this book is one that I didn't appreciate. Basically anyone who opposes space exploration is an idiot or archaic dinosaur. It offends those who, like myself, believe that we can achieve similar results using different avenues. There are MANY organizations out there doing research on alternative fuels and power collection that don't require billions and billions spent in rockets to launch into space. My daughter's boyfriend works for just such a company that grows algae and makes it into fuel and other products. It doesn't cost 100's of billions of dollars like this proposed space elevator.
I do, however, believe that our current situation is not ideal and that alternative fuels and energy are necessary in the long run if we want to uphold our current and projected lifestyles. I give credit to the author for at least addressing something in this arena. The question is...how and what?
This story is just one avenue, but I didn't find it that thrilling of a read and the choices of Victoria in the end are just odd and heartbreaking. The loss of so many lives just for the possibility of being successful seems like an awfully high risk.
March 24, 2014
Interesting idea poorly executed. Could have used more thorough editing.
September 21, 2014
This book is what The Fountains of Paradise would have been if Clarke had gotten his degree in economics instead of math and physics. And had never written a book before. Several themes are strong in the book, such as conspiracy theories by oil companies, global warming denial, the cold war, which is somehow still relevant in the 21st century, stereotyped female characters that cry all the time, and, most important (to the author, it seems) "disruptive technology".
The major premise of the book is that space-based solar power could be shipped down to Earth, magically solving all energy woes. The author doesn't seem to understand much about science. This idea is completely unrealistic. Getting that power to users across the globe would not be practical. Not to mention, the cost of building and maintaining space-based solar panels would be far more expensive than just solving the problem of what to do when the sun isn't shining (i.e. batteries, thermal solar, etc.). At one point, there's talk of room temperature superconducting cables to transport the power down to Earth. At that point, why not just skit the tower, and use all those cables to solve the at-night power problem by shipping power from one side of the globe to the other? This story is half-baked at best, from a technology perspective.
The second half of the book shifts perspective and tone rather dramatically, greatly overusing exposition, as though left unfinished. Might have been better off unprinted, too.
The major premise of the book is that space-based solar power could be shipped down to Earth, magically solving all energy woes. The author doesn't seem to understand much about science. This idea is completely unrealistic. Getting that power to users across the globe would not be practical. Not to mention, the cost of building and maintaining space-based solar panels would be far more expensive than just solving the problem of what to do when the sun isn't shining (i.e. batteries, thermal solar, etc.). At one point, there's talk of room temperature superconducting cables to transport the power down to Earth. At that point, why not just skit the tower, and use all those cables to solve the at-night power problem by shipping power from one side of the globe to the other? This story is half-baked at best, from a technology perspective.
The second half of the book shifts perspective and tone rather dramatically, greatly overusing exposition, as though left unfinished. Might have been better off unprinted, too.
November 21, 2015
This book was such a puzzle. Fascinating concept, building a sky elevator. But told in the most passive, dull, dry, summary style you can imagine. I stuck it out because I was interested in the concept of space elevators, plus I really really really adore the vocal narrator (Grover Gardener, who does all of Lois McMaster Bujold's Vorkosigan series, which you should totally listen to, totally.) I did at times find myself laughing at how obviously bad it was, though, and the poor editing. There were times when the author would say one thing, and then in the next sentence say the exact same thing but in slightly different words. It's as if he hadn't gone back through to remove the redundancies that were maybe entered as he tinkered with wording in an editing pass. Hello? Don't publishers employ editors anymore? (Even indie publishers usually have an editor of some sort. We all benefit from a second pair of eyes.)
At any rate, I can't exactly recommend this because it's a bit dull and slow, however the science seemed sound, and there were many interesting bits that were explored as the author took us on the journey from concept (and political opposition to NASA) through to eventual (long long long long time later. The book takes a long time to get to the point) completion of the dreamed project. Characters were relatable even if told at arm's length, though the author spent more time on the two main characters rather than their daughter, who eventually becomes much more dominant in the narrative. Odd choice, that. The whole thing was a puzzle, one of many reasons I stuck it out. I gave only 2 stars because OMG DULL but really it's a 2.5 or more stars for concept and content, but like a minus one for the actual words and pacing used to deliver both.
nothing objectionable content-wise but some slightly alarming space accidents. Okay for most advanced readers if they can tough out the narrative style.
At any rate, I can't exactly recommend this because it's a bit dull and slow, however the science seemed sound, and there were many interesting bits that were explored as the author took us on the journey from concept (and political opposition to NASA) through to eventual (long long long long time later. The book takes a long time to get to the point) completion of the dreamed project. Characters were relatable even if told at arm's length, though the author spent more time on the two main characters rather than their daughter, who eventually becomes much more dominant in the narrative. Odd choice, that. The whole thing was a puzzle, one of many reasons I stuck it out. I gave only 2 stars because OMG DULL but really it's a 2.5 or more stars for concept and content, but like a minus one for the actual words and pacing used to deliver both.
nothing objectionable content-wise but some slightly alarming space accidents. Okay for most advanced readers if they can tough out the narrative style.
June 18, 2014
Great subject, but very weak delivery.
Strategically the connections between the setting, plot, and character arcs are strained. The character arcs follow the relationship between two main characters with a mentor figure supervising their work. A lot of the action happens as reflections or indirectly. For example, there is a build up of the relationship between the two main characters until page 94. They kiss for the first time on page 95, live together, get married and have a child by the end of page 96. It feels as if the author has a hard time feeling through and showing the "interesting" scenes that are unfortunately key twists and turns of the story.
Where the author does delve deep and show the plot in real time is hit and miss. There was a good scene when the sky ladder has an issue though it tended to focus too much on the injuries and the "perfect" reactions of the main characters. That said, this scene did follow the accident closely which is related to the overall setting and plot. But then also there is a 27 page scene of the main characters on a plane experiencing weightlessness. This does little for either plot or character development. That one scene is about 9% of the book. The "glue" to the rest of the story again comes in a single page where in passing the mentor character mentions they got the funding for the space elevator. Even how the story started is a tad contrived. Two people got food poisoning and couldn't go so the main characters went instead.
Tactically the book is written ok. There is a LOT of verbiage telling the reader what the characters are thinking, feeling, and sensing rather than showing through actions or dialog. This mostly seems to come from author angst and distrust of the reader. For example, one passage reads - "He paused for a moment as if overcome by emotions, which Gary knew was genuine." Here "as if" and ",which Gary knew was genuine." are both author angst likely because what remains should be shown rather than told to the reader - hence the source of the angst. More self doubt is shown is odd and jarring praise for the characters by others in the story such as the Navy wanting to hire one of the characters for such good work, which didn't seem to relate to anything (and most definitely never happens in the real world.) Again and again the author over plays people randomly praising and wanting to be like the main characters. As a reader I was often unimpressed with the character's actions which made these odd asides very jarring.
There were many good ideas and some scenes which showed what a sky ladder would look like and be like. However, these where individual scenes and aspects and often had issues in how they connected to the rest of the story.
Strategically the connections between the setting, plot, and character arcs are strained. The character arcs follow the relationship between two main characters with a mentor figure supervising their work. A lot of the action happens as reflections or indirectly. For example, there is a build up of the relationship between the two main characters until page 94. They kiss for the first time on page 95, live together, get married and have a child by the end of page 96. It feels as if the author has a hard time feeling through and showing the "interesting" scenes that are unfortunately key twists and turns of the story.
Where the author does delve deep and show the plot in real time is hit and miss. There was a good scene when the sky ladder has an issue though it tended to focus too much on the injuries and the "perfect" reactions of the main characters. That said, this scene did follow the accident closely which is related to the overall setting and plot. But then also there is a 27 page scene of the main characters on a plane experiencing weightlessness. This does little for either plot or character development. That one scene is about 9% of the book. The "glue" to the rest of the story again comes in a single page where in passing the mentor character mentions they got the funding for the space elevator. Even how the story started is a tad contrived. Two people got food poisoning and couldn't go so the main characters went instead.
Tactically the book is written ok. There is a LOT of verbiage telling the reader what the characters are thinking, feeling, and sensing rather than showing through actions or dialog. This mostly seems to come from author angst and distrust of the reader. For example, one passage reads - "He paused for a moment as if overcome by emotions, which Gary knew was genuine." Here "as if" and ",which Gary knew was genuine." are both author angst likely because what remains should be shown rather than told to the reader - hence the source of the angst. More self doubt is shown is odd and jarring praise for the characters by others in the story such as the Navy wanting to hire one of the characters for such good work, which didn't seem to relate to anything (and most definitely never happens in the real world.) Again and again the author over plays people randomly praising and wanting to be like the main characters. As a reader I was often unimpressed with the character's actions which made these odd asides very jarring.
There were many good ideas and some scenes which showed what a sky ladder would look like and be like. However, these where individual scenes and aspects and often had issues in how they connected to the rest of the story.
February 22, 2017
This was definitely not my usual kind of book. I have no interest in scientific subjects and don't usually read science fiction. However, the plot sounded interesting, so I gave it a try. I kept thinking I wasn't sure I would finish it until I realized I was 200 pages into it! It's a good story, a bit more science/technical stuff than I care for, but when it started getting to be too much, he would switch to a more personal side of the story, so it kept my interest. He is really in favor of space exploration, which is fine, and he also pushes quite hard for people learning to spend long periods of time in space. When I mentioned this to my science-savvy husband, he told me the problem with people spending extended time in space is the loss of bone density for which we have yet to find a solution. Interestingly, this issue is never mentioned in the book. But then, it's a novel and a pretty good story.
June 23, 2017
Take an imaginative sci-fi concept with the possibility to transform the world we live in, bog it down with tedious political hearings, shark-tank-like sales pitches, trite dialogue, implementation obstacles (ala The Martian), and Presto! - Pillar to the Sky!
June 6, 2018
Some of it was hard to understand, because it is really geeky. The story was, however, really good. There was so much drama in this book. It's sooo hard to actually achieve your life goals, but the main characters did it. I thought that made this book pretty good.
June 9, 2014
Originally posted at Fantasy Literature.
http://www.fantasyliterature.com/revi...
While reading William R. Forstchen’s Pillar to the Sky, I kept thinking this is what would have happened if, back in the 1960’s, NASA had commissioned Arthur C. Clarke and Robert A. Heinlein to co-write a story that would get Americans excited about space exploration… and then forgot to send it to an editor. Pillar to the Sky has an exciting premise and an appealing nostalgic feel, but it’s marred by some annoying editorial issues.
The story is about a couple of innovative scientists — Ukranian Eva Morgan and her husband Gary Morgan — who want to build an equatorial space elevator à la Arthur C. Clarke’s in The Fountains of Paradise. The proposed “pillar” would make it easier and cheaper to get people into space and they’d be able to launch exploratory space missions without the need for so much expensive rocket fuel since the pillar, using the Earth’s angular momentum, would act as a sort of catapult. Also, the Morgans plan to attach solar panels to the pillar so that they can harness the sun’s energy to not only power the elevator, but also Earth’s cities.
Politicians in Washington D.C. think the Morgans are crazy, but the couple finds a financial backer in Franklin Smith, a California billionaire. Together, with the help of an international team of scientists, they set out to bring their bizarre idea to fruition. Along the way there will be triumphs and failures, both for the Morgans and for the world. Like so many other grand schemes in history, such a victory for mankind will require plenty of blood, sweat, and tears.
I’ve always loved the notion of a space elevator since I read Clarke’s book years ago so, though I recognized Forstchen’s idea as an old one, I nonetheless enjoyed revisiting the idea. I was particularly interested in the structural engineering aspect of the story since my son wrote a high-school thesis about graphene a couple of years ago and we talked about how that substance might work for Clarke’s elevator. Also exciting is the idea of powering the Earth by putting solar panels in space — it just seems like such an obvious answer to our energy problems. If these sorts of topics aren’t of interest to you, you’ll probably be bored with Pillar to the Sky.
The story has such a wholesome optimistic feel — much like a Heinlein Juvenile. Readers who find those types of stories pleasantly nostalgic are likely to appreciate this. Others may be annoyed that almost all of the characters (excepting some of the politicians) are intelligent, educated, hard-working, patriotic middle-class Americans. (Even the people from different countries seem like intelligent, educated, hard-working, patriotic middle-class Americans.) There are a couple of references to “air-headed bimbos in Hollywood” and “egotistical Grammy winners” which gives the story a slightly unpleasant elitist tone.
Pillar to the Sky sometimes feels like a fundraiser for NASA. There are speeches to congress and regular reminders of how NASA has benefitted us and how we should expect occasional setbacks and even deaths because previous major human accomplishments, such as the transcontinental railroad, had setbacks and failures, too. Later in the story, when the pillar needs to be defended from terrorists, we see why world governments, rather than private citizens, need to be in charge of such huge international projects. I’m all for funding NASA, but when I’m reading a book I don’t want to feel like I’m being lobbied. (As I understand it, NASA was involved in the book’s publication.)
I’m not sure what happened with the editing, but it’s atrocious in places. Some of the ideas, lectures, and images become repetitive. The world “literally” is used incorrectly. Chapter 18, the climax of the story, is a mess with repetitive phrases and jumbled up action sequences. Related to this is a writing style that doesn’t live up to the majesty and wonder that Forstchen tries to portray. He seems aware of this deficit because in more than one scene Gary Morgan laments that he doesn’t have the right words to describe what he’s experiencing in space. That’s a little disappointing.
Still, despite my complaints, I enjoyed Pillar to the Sky for its optimism and can-do attitude. I listened to the audiobook which was produced by Blackstone Audio. It’s 15.5 hours long. Grover Gardner narrates and he’s always terrific.
http://www.fantasyliterature.com/revi...
While reading William R. Forstchen’s Pillar to the Sky, I kept thinking this is what would have happened if, back in the 1960’s, NASA had commissioned Arthur C. Clarke and Robert A. Heinlein to co-write a story that would get Americans excited about space exploration… and then forgot to send it to an editor. Pillar to the Sky has an exciting premise and an appealing nostalgic feel, but it’s marred by some annoying editorial issues.
The story is about a couple of innovative scientists — Ukranian Eva Morgan and her husband Gary Morgan — who want to build an equatorial space elevator à la Arthur C. Clarke’s in The Fountains of Paradise. The proposed “pillar” would make it easier and cheaper to get people into space and they’d be able to launch exploratory space missions without the need for so much expensive rocket fuel since the pillar, using the Earth’s angular momentum, would act as a sort of catapult. Also, the Morgans plan to attach solar panels to the pillar so that they can harness the sun’s energy to not only power the elevator, but also Earth’s cities.
Politicians in Washington D.C. think the Morgans are crazy, but the couple finds a financial backer in Franklin Smith, a California billionaire. Together, with the help of an international team of scientists, they set out to bring their bizarre idea to fruition. Along the way there will be triumphs and failures, both for the Morgans and for the world. Like so many other grand schemes in history, such a victory for mankind will require plenty of blood, sweat, and tears.
I’ve always loved the notion of a space elevator since I read Clarke’s book years ago so, though I recognized Forstchen’s idea as an old one, I nonetheless enjoyed revisiting the idea. I was particularly interested in the structural engineering aspect of the story since my son wrote a high-school thesis about graphene a couple of years ago and we talked about how that substance might work for Clarke’s elevator. Also exciting is the idea of powering the Earth by putting solar panels in space — it just seems like such an obvious answer to our energy problems. If these sorts of topics aren’t of interest to you, you’ll probably be bored with Pillar to the Sky.
The story has such a wholesome optimistic feel — much like a Heinlein Juvenile. Readers who find those types of stories pleasantly nostalgic are likely to appreciate this. Others may be annoyed that almost all of the characters (excepting some of the politicians) are intelligent, educated, hard-working, patriotic middle-class Americans. (Even the people from different countries seem like intelligent, educated, hard-working, patriotic middle-class Americans.) There are a couple of references to “air-headed bimbos in Hollywood” and “egotistical Grammy winners” which gives the story a slightly unpleasant elitist tone.
Pillar to the Sky sometimes feels like a fundraiser for NASA. There are speeches to congress and regular reminders of how NASA has benefitted us and how we should expect occasional setbacks and even deaths because previous major human accomplishments, such as the transcontinental railroad, had setbacks and failures, too. Later in the story, when the pillar needs to be defended from terrorists, we see why world governments, rather than private citizens, need to be in charge of such huge international projects. I’m all for funding NASA, but when I’m reading a book I don’t want to feel like I’m being lobbied. (As I understand it, NASA was involved in the book’s publication.)
I’m not sure what happened with the editing, but it’s atrocious in places. Some of the ideas, lectures, and images become repetitive. The world “literally” is used incorrectly. Chapter 18, the climax of the story, is a mess with repetitive phrases and jumbled up action sequences. Related to this is a writing style that doesn’t live up to the majesty and wonder that Forstchen tries to portray. He seems aware of this deficit because in more than one scene Gary Morgan laments that he doesn’t have the right words to describe what he’s experiencing in space. That’s a little disappointing.
Still, despite my complaints, I enjoyed Pillar to the Sky for its optimism and can-do attitude. I listened to the audiobook which was produced by Blackstone Audio. It’s 15.5 hours long. Grover Gardner narrates and he’s always terrific.
May 24, 2017
This is a five star premise packed into a narrative that just squeaks two. And I may go back and downgrade. We'll see. Pillar to the Sky is the story of two engineers, Dr. Gary Morgan and Dr. Eva Petrenko-Morgan, who want to build a space tower. Their friend, one of the richest men on Earth, Franklin Smith, raises $100 billion to get them started. Super Japanese scientist invents carbon nano-tubes that can be sewn into laminated ribbons and suddenly a 23,000 kilometer tower with a platform in geosynchronous orbit seems doable. And you know because Forstchen spends a solid 90% of the book telling, telling, telling, and then telling some more about how all the science works. Every once in a while there's some dialogue. Mission commander Serena Singh gets four of her toes cut off by a rogue strand of nanotubing. That was pretty much the highlight. Blah.
Also, Go Boilermakers!
Also, Go Boilermakers!
June 3, 2014
I had to start skimming this one to finish it; not much to the plot or much in the way of interesting characters to keep interest up. The premise had been handled before as other reviewers have noted and it needs serious editing. I don't know why it was published now that I think about it. Was going to add to my "dnf" list, but gave it a second shot for a poolside read and it never caught on.
March 23, 2020
Od autora som citala inu dystopiu a ta bola super. Toto ma celkom zaujalo, len som necakala, ze to bude tak detailne technicky popisane, a preto ma to velmi nebavilo. KNihu som mala rozcitanu mesiac, uz som myslela, ze ju ani nedocitam, ale ked uz je ta karantena, tak som sa premohla.
POslednych 100 stran uz bolo super, boli napinave, drzala som astronautom palce, ale vadili mi technicke pasaze /kniha by bola asi vhodnejsia pre panov/, ze to bola saga, a cele cast boli potom akoby biografia. Vystudovala...stretla sa s....vypracovala...riesila...nie pribeh, ale vymenovane jej aktivity a ja teda prave preto biografie necitam.
viem si to predstavit ako dobre spracovany film, tie zabery na vesmir a zem by mohli byt uchvatne.
POslednych 100 stran uz bolo super, boli napinave, drzala som astronautom palce, ale vadili mi technicke pasaze /kniha by bola asi vhodnejsia pre panov/, ze to bola saga, a cele cast boli potom akoby biografia. Vystudovala...stretla sa s....vypracovala...riesila...nie pribeh, ale vymenovane jej aktivity a ja teda prave preto biografie necitam.
viem si to predstavit ako dobre spracovany film, tie zabery na vesmir a zem by mohli byt uchvatne.
April 27, 2024
Read this during my time in a hong kong hotel. Some interesting ideas but not executed favorably
December 10, 2017
This was so good, how did I not know of this book before?!
September 12, 2024
This book makes the concept of building a space elevator exciting. Even a reader not into the science behind it would enjoy this book and probably learn a ton of things. The characters are great, and All of the potential threats to it are addressed. Honestly it almost felt like the whole time I was reading it I was thinking, why aren't we looking into stuff like this now?
June 12, 2018
Krásně napsaná knížka o možné blízké budoucnosti :-)
February 14, 2021
Want to know how the space elevator might be constructed? Read this entertaining saga of how scientists and entrepreneurs realized the world changing dream. Lots of drama and detail here!
In all punniness, it’s an uplifting tale.
In all punniness, it’s an uplifting tale.
December 25, 2014
"Pillar to the Sky" by William Forstchen is about building a space elevator. I started off thinking it would not be good but he surprised me. It turned out great.
The story: Two interns are working on a project together and they fall in love. The project is a space elevator and their dream captures the imagination of their professor and a financier. This thing gets built.
Any problems with this story? Well... it is straight forward. You know where this book is headed more or less and I thought that might spoil the journey but the author does a good job of the science, the problems involved and creating drama along the way. I'm not totally convinced of the science yet, but this is a novel so there are certain problems that must be solved and in the science fiction way of doing things, the problems get solved somehow.
Some of the minor characters are a little cartoonish at times. For example, one of the senators opposing the funding is a little too foolish for words and if, in fact, he really was so foolish (which I'm willing to believe) then he wouldn't have been caught short politically as he was in the novel. I found his character amusing.
It gets a little too sweet at times but I give the author a pass.
Is it OK for kids? No. It's not a subject for kids. Teens should be OK.
Overall it's a good read.... better than I expected given the subject. I'd probably not read it again, unless a sequel came out. Then I'd definitely read it again.
The story: Two interns are working on a project together and they fall in love. The project is a space elevator and their dream captures the imagination of their professor and a financier. This thing gets built.
Any problems with this story? Well... it is straight forward. You know where this book is headed more or less and I thought that might spoil the journey but the author does a good job of the science, the problems involved and creating drama along the way. I'm not totally convinced of the science yet, but this is a novel so there are certain problems that must be solved and in the science fiction way of doing things, the problems get solved somehow.
Some of the minor characters are a little cartoonish at times. For example, one of the senators opposing the funding is a little too foolish for words and if, in fact, he really was so foolish (which I'm willing to believe) then he wouldn't have been caught short politically as he was in the novel. I found his character amusing.
It gets a little too sweet at times but I give the author a pass.
Is it OK for kids? No. It's not a subject for kids. Teens should be OK.
Overall it's a good read.... better than I expected given the subject. I'd probably not read it again, unless a sequel came out. Then I'd definitely read it again.
August 13, 2016
“Pillar to the Sky” is a 180 degree departure from “One Second After”. One Second After was a gripping, plausible scenario following a very real threat to our civilization. Pillar to the Sky is an attempt to combine a basic formula written thriller with science fiction. It is not successful.
This formula written thriller has all the required parts: incredibly wealthy man, brilliant and courageous women, one brilliant man, villains posing threats, and stream of situations threatening imminent disaster but being miraculously resolve just in time. And a happy ending as well, as required.
Reading became tedious early on because of the nearly continuous technobabble. I have a graduate technical degree, but was so tired of the monotonous technobabble I had to force myself to read past the middle, all the way to the end. As science fiction writer has license to make many assumptions, but good science fiction doesn’t ask you to accept obviously absurd premises. This invokes several glaringly ridiculous premises, including replacing ALL energy with electricity, oil prices rising to $225/bbl in the 2020s because the world is rapidly running out of producible oil, and rising sea levels because of man’s CO2 emissions. A little research prior to writing this book would have eliminated these embarrassing elements.
This formula written thriller has all the required parts: incredibly wealthy man, brilliant and courageous women, one brilliant man, villains posing threats, and stream of situations threatening imminent disaster but being miraculously resolve just in time. And a happy ending as well, as required.
Reading became tedious early on because of the nearly continuous technobabble. I have a graduate technical degree, but was so tired of the monotonous technobabble I had to force myself to read past the middle, all the way to the end. As science fiction writer has license to make many assumptions, but good science fiction doesn’t ask you to accept obviously absurd premises. This invokes several glaringly ridiculous premises, including replacing ALL energy with electricity, oil prices rising to $225/bbl in the 2020s because the world is rapidly running out of producible oil, and rising sea levels because of man’s CO2 emissions. A little research prior to writing this book would have eliminated these embarrassing elements.
January 16, 2018
I had read William Forstchen's three books in the "One Second After" speculative fiction surrounding an EMP attack on the U.S. The first book was great, the second terrible and the third back to good to great.
Decided to give him another shot with "Pillar to the Sky" (also speculative fiction), with the story line centered around the design and construction of a space elevator, and its impact on society both good and bad.
Like other books by the author, there is a lot of "dead space." That is, there is a lot of narrative that is almost fillers. Like the others, a lot of repetition and (lamentably) no really good "bad guys" that we love to hate.
I would say the book was more enjoyable from the standpoint of what beneficial inventions COULD happen in the future and help our race. Keep our fingers crossed there.
Decided to give him another shot with "Pillar to the Sky" (also speculative fiction), with the story line centered around the design and construction of a space elevator, and its impact on society both good and bad.
Like other books by the author, there is a lot of "dead space." That is, there is a lot of narrative that is almost fillers. Like the others, a lot of repetition and (lamentably) no really good "bad guys" that we love to hate.
I would say the book was more enjoyable from the standpoint of what beneficial inventions COULD happen in the future and help our race. Keep our fingers crossed there.
June 14, 2014
Good storyline, but drawn out
I loved the idea of a tower to space. I personally enjoy space travel and topics related to it, so this book was one I thought I would enjoy. However, many scenes, especially the speeches and arguments were drawn out too long. The content too was also repeated several times over in these scenes, making reading tedious and boring.
Besides that, I think this book deserves 3/5 stars because it's closer to being really good than really bad. Most of the content in the book was obviously researched, too, instead of the author just plopping down what he thinks he knows about the topic.
Great book! Hoping for a sequel!
I loved the idea of a tower to space. I personally enjoy space travel and topics related to it, so this book was one I thought I would enjoy. However, many scenes, especially the speeches and arguments were drawn out too long. The content too was also repeated several times over in these scenes, making reading tedious and boring.
Besides that, I think this book deserves 3/5 stars because it's closer to being really good than really bad. Most of the content in the book was obviously researched, too, instead of the author just plopping down what he thinks he knows about the topic.
Great book! Hoping for a sequel!
October 24, 2016
Listened to on CD.
Really enjoyed this novel about the building of a space elevator to Earth orbit. I hard about this idea when I read the Red Mars-Blue Mars-Green Mars books back in the '90's. Incidentally I did NOT read Green Mars. I didn't like the first two books all that much. Anyway, the story and characters are great and Forstchen does his usually spectacular job of mixing in history with his story.
Highly recommended.
Really enjoyed this novel about the building of a space elevator to Earth orbit. I hard about this idea when I read the Red Mars-Blue Mars-Green Mars books back in the '90's. Incidentally I did NOT read Green Mars. I didn't like the first two books all that much. Anyway, the story and characters are great and Forstchen does his usually spectacular job of mixing in history with his story.
Highly recommended.
February 21, 2014
I'm disappointed in this book. At times the plot was choppy and too simplistic. I di like the main character but she was not as well fleshed out as she could have been. I'm hoping that Mr. Forstchen's sequel to "One Second After" will be as good as the original. Although there could be a sequel to this book I doubt that I would be inrerested in reading it.
August 9, 2016
If you are really into thinking about the human struggle to get into space; you will most likely enjoy. Pretty good over all but for those who aren't highly interested in the subject it might feel slow and dry.
January 28, 2017
“Earth is the cradle, but we cannot remain in the cradle forever. It is time now to reach for the stars.”
This is a novel for dreamers that harkens back to a day of national pride in the exploration of the world beyond our world. It strikes at a nerve for those who believe our belief in the spirit of humankind has been displaced of late, especially with regard toward the unknown universe. It made me jealous of those alive in the 1960's to see the birth of the space program, and to see humanity literally reach for the stars. I think Forstchen in a way was metaphorically reaching for something higher with this story, and although it had its moments, it ultimately fell a bit flat.
This is now the fourth book by William Forstchen that I've read, and certain trends and stylistic choices become apparent to a reader at this stage. You know his book is going to be well researched (and it was), although science fiction in nature, it is garnished with seeds of truth. It's possible that we could one day see an actual pillar to the heavens being constructed. The science there, and nano-tubing is really being talked about. The characters themselves are well shaded and diverse. Unlike in books past, this has a rotating narration and perspective, from the Morgan's, Gray and Eva, the initial architects of this endeavor, their daughter Victoria, who takes the mantel her parents stared, to their original mentor, Erich Rothenberg, and their financier, Franklin Smith, all getting a chance to drive the story. However, in spite of all the good, the story itself dragged a bit, and at times was choppy. Implementing time jumps to move the story along was probably a smart decision, in theory, but with the time jump, we spent a lot of time being bogged down by what felt like unnecessary exposition. The details and scientific jargon was aplenty, and in short burst would have been welcome, but for long swaths of time we spent heading about the intricacies of the spinning of nanotubes and the like. At a point it became overwhelming at the best, and repetitive at the worst.
All that said, I had a hard time choosing between 3 or 4 stars, ultimately deciding on 3, because I felt that his John Matherson series was better, and my ranking should reflect that.
and although discovery, and in particular discovery of the universe is
This is a novel for dreamers that harkens back to a day of national pride in the exploration of the world beyond our world. It strikes at a nerve for those who believe our belief in the spirit of humankind has been displaced of late, especially with regard toward the unknown universe. It made me jealous of those alive in the 1960's to see the birth of the space program, and to see humanity literally reach for the stars. I think Forstchen in a way was metaphorically reaching for something higher with this story, and although it had its moments, it ultimately fell a bit flat.
This is now the fourth book by William Forstchen that I've read, and certain trends and stylistic choices become apparent to a reader at this stage. You know his book is going to be well researched (and it was), although science fiction in nature, it is garnished with seeds of truth. It's possible that we could one day see an actual pillar to the heavens being constructed. The science there, and nano-tubing is really being talked about. The characters themselves are well shaded and diverse. Unlike in books past, this has a rotating narration and perspective, from the Morgan's, Gray and Eva, the initial architects of this endeavor, their daughter Victoria, who takes the mantel her parents stared, to their original mentor, Erich Rothenberg, and their financier, Franklin Smith, all getting a chance to drive the story. However, in spite of all the good, the story itself dragged a bit, and at times was choppy. Implementing time jumps to move the story along was probably a smart decision, in theory, but with the time jump, we spent a lot of time being bogged down by what felt like unnecessary exposition. The details and scientific jargon was aplenty, and in short burst would have been welcome, but for long swaths of time we spent heading about the intricacies of the spinning of nanotubes and the like. At a point it became overwhelming at the best, and repetitive at the worst.
All that said, I had a hard time choosing between 3 or 4 stars, ultimately deciding on 3, because I felt that his John Matherson series was better, and my ranking should reflect that.
and although discovery, and in particular discovery of the universe is
December 14, 2024
Preachy. A whole lot of tedious information dumps. But very much in the tradition of “hard sf” beloved by me in my teens. All the characters mere excuses to explore a big technology idea. I liked it, but at 1.75 speed in audio: the equivalent of speed-reading to make the info-dumps and the clumsy characterization dialog tolerable. Oh yes, the text does reference The Fountains of Paradise which is great, and obvious, because this whole thing reads very much like an updated version of that beloved classic.
One of the early info-dumps consisted of a conversation between Eva, a beautiful and brilliant undergrad Ukrainian exchange student, Gary, a hard-headed keener for all things space-related, and some old guy who goes all the way back to the V2 rocket program. Did I mention Eva was beautiful? We are not allowed to forget this. Anyway, the point of the conversation is that the professor had given Gary the assignment of reading Eva’s “research paper” and now they are debating feasibility of her ideas. I don’t know what could possibly have been in that paper, because she seems not to have addressed in one little degree the issue of materials, or construction methods, or really anything practical at all. She seems crestfallen when such blatantly obvious matters are raised. What, then, was in that “research paper”? Was it like a circle, “Earth”, and a straight line, “space elevator”, and “woo hoo smiley-face” captioned underneath? Because that is what it sounded like. The result is some of the sloppiest, most hackneyed and sexist characterization imaginable: man, hard-headed and pragmatic; woman, visionary (and beautiful, remember) but impractical.
Having just finished, I have a science issue. A character dies at the geosynchronous station while on EVA. After some intervening stuff, the others organize a burial-at-sea ceremony with an Earthside pastor and give the guy’s remains a gentle push to send him sailing into the void. Emotional moment. “Now he’ll go to the stars forever” blubbers someone. WRONG. He’s still in Earth orbit, dummies. More like “now he’ll go round and round the Earth forever and be tracked forever on NASA’s space junk database.”
One of the early info-dumps consisted of a conversation between Eva, a beautiful and brilliant undergrad Ukrainian exchange student, Gary, a hard-headed keener for all things space-related, and some old guy who goes all the way back to the V2 rocket program. Did I mention Eva was beautiful? We are not allowed to forget this. Anyway, the point of the conversation is that the professor had given Gary the assignment of reading Eva’s “research paper” and now they are debating feasibility of her ideas. I don’t know what could possibly have been in that paper, because she seems not to have addressed in one little degree the issue of materials, or construction methods, or really anything practical at all. She seems crestfallen when such blatantly obvious matters are raised. What, then, was in that “research paper”? Was it like a circle, “Earth”, and a straight line, “space elevator”, and “woo hoo smiley-face” captioned underneath? Because that is what it sounded like. The result is some of the sloppiest, most hackneyed and sexist characterization imaginable: man, hard-headed and pragmatic; woman, visionary (and beautiful, remember) but impractical.
Having just finished, I have a science issue. A character dies at the geosynchronous station while on EVA. After some intervening stuff, the others organize a burial-at-sea ceremony with an Earthside pastor and give the guy’s remains a gentle push to send him sailing into the void. Emotional moment. “Now he’ll go to the stars forever” blubbers someone. WRONG. He’s still in Earth orbit, dummies. More like “now he’ll go round and round the Earth forever and be tracked forever on NASA’s space junk database.”
The resupply ship that has just docked has, compliments of NASA, a dozen pizzas from Luigi’s of little Italy, and something called “cannolis”, compliments of their chef…
August 26, 2018
I've enjoyed William Forstchen's work since I first discovered his Lost Regiment mega series quite a few years ago. I've preferred his alternative histories to Harry Turtledove's. He stays with the action while Turtledove lets his fascination with the minutia of his characters and their connections slow everything way down.
Forstchen's characters and their relationships were engaging and I found myself caring about their success. The science was believable and the overall impact of the story was inspirational. It was definitely written as a challenge to the current slow incremental pace of space exploration as well as to entrenched powers that want to continue exploiting current energy resources. Change is hard and humans resist it as long as they can. It takes someone or some movement willing to risk it all outside the box to introduce a whole new playing field.
I was surprised at the lack of an identified antagonist as in the typical thriller novel. It showed up as the tendency of human beings -- some with considerable power -- to resist this forward movement. This "evil empire" raises its head potentially when humans fear change, especially when it will cost them dearly. The novel managed to stay bright and hopeful through the real romance and accomplishment Forstchen portrayed well in his struggling protagonists who managed to overcome evil with good
A sense of awe was pervasive. As a believer in a transcendent reality/truth I enjoyed how his characters expressed an almost worshipful gratitude over the creation and its probable Creator. I don't know Forstchen's personal faith but I suspect it could be the source of this. It felt genuine and was not over done.
In a book heavy with scientific theory and speculative technology it has to be hard to not spend a few extra pages describing ("telling"). I felt that it didn't slow things down, but not every reader will welcome such details like I do.
Keep writing William! Take us where we haven't gone before. We are better for it.
Forstchen's characters and their relationships were engaging and I found myself caring about their success. The science was believable and the overall impact of the story was inspirational. It was definitely written as a challenge to the current slow incremental pace of space exploration as well as to entrenched powers that want to continue exploiting current energy resources. Change is hard and humans resist it as long as they can. It takes someone or some movement willing to risk it all outside the box to introduce a whole new playing field.
I was surprised at the lack of an identified antagonist as in the typical thriller novel. It showed up as the tendency of human beings -- some with considerable power -- to resist this forward movement. This "evil empire" raises its head potentially when humans fear change, especially when it will cost them dearly. The novel managed to stay bright and hopeful through the real romance and accomplishment Forstchen portrayed well in his struggling protagonists who managed to overcome evil with good
A sense of awe was pervasive. As a believer in a transcendent reality/truth I enjoyed how his characters expressed an almost worshipful gratitude over the creation and its probable Creator. I don't know Forstchen's personal faith but I suspect it could be the source of this. It felt genuine and was not over done.
In a book heavy with scientific theory and speculative technology it has to be hard to not spend a few extra pages describing ("telling"). I felt that it didn't slow things down, but not every reader will welcome such details like I do.
Keep writing William! Take us where we haven't gone before. We are better for it.
January 28, 2018
It snowed a few days ago here in southern central Virginia. For two days, I was home bound with nine inches of snow outside. I vowed that I would finish Pillar To The Sky no matter how much suffering was involved. I tried as hard as humanly possible but still did not finish until a few minutes ago. The snow, the cabin fever and this horribly over written novel inspired me to describe what reading this book felt like. Imagine that this book is a snow covered hill. It is a 396 page hill, so it will be steep and high. I am no strangler to climbing hills; even steep, dangerous snow covered hills. I have enjoyed climbing many hills and even small mountains much higher than this one. The view from the top and the sense of accomplishment always rewards my efforts. I began my journey in good spirits, but almost from the beginning my pace is slowed to a crawl. Seems like the terrain is much more treacherous than I anticipated, and the weather continued to worsen. Perhaps a wiser person would abandon this quest, but I struggled onward and upward chanting how my efforts will be rewarded. When I finally reach that mountain top with bloody hands and frostbitten feet, what do I see? A sea of white that reaches to the horizon. In other words, nothing. When each of us start a book. we expect to be entertained and perhaps even learn something. There is pain when that doesn't happen.
I would love to see Reader's Digest condense Pillar To The Sky. If they trim it back to 78 pages or so, it might become a three star novel. It can never do better than that because the characters are underdeveloped and the story is weak. What this book had was an overabundance of small useless details. I realize that science fiction has to "sell" it's premise to be almost believable to reader, but writing a 200 page backstory for the premise is ridiculous. If this work had to be 396 pages (and my opinion is 200 pages would of been much better), those pages could of been better spent creating more human characters. The female characters are often crying and males exhibit no human frailties.
I believe the only reason I finally finished this boring book is because I read 3 other good novels while I was reading this. Now I want those three months back that I spent wrestling with it.
I would love to see Reader's Digest condense Pillar To The Sky. If they trim it back to 78 pages or so, it might become a three star novel. It can never do better than that because the characters are underdeveloped and the story is weak. What this book had was an overabundance of small useless details. I realize that science fiction has to "sell" it's premise to be almost believable to reader, but writing a 200 page backstory for the premise is ridiculous. If this work had to be 396 pages (and my opinion is 200 pages would of been much better), those pages could of been better spent creating more human characters. The female characters are often crying and males exhibit no human frailties.
I believe the only reason I finally finished this boring book is because I read 3 other good novels while I was reading this. Now I want those three months back that I spent wrestling with it.
August 14, 2017
I found this book in the clearance section of Barnes and Noble and was excited to get it for a great price! The cover and description on the back cover immediately grabbed my attention prompting me to pick it up. I was a little wary of reading it after I read some of the previous reviews posted on Amazon however, I decided to give it a chance and I’m glad I did. I’m proud to give this book 4 stars as it was a gripping story wrapped around a fantastic concept.
Pillar to the Sky centers around a not-so-distant future when the world can no longer rely on fossil fuels for power. It’s inevitable that man must look to the stars soon in order to expand our world and our capabilities as a race. Those who don’t realize that should really pick up this book. Although it’s pure fiction, it makes valid arguments and counterpoints that apply to today’s politics. I’m not someone who regularly enjoys politics and at some points throughout this book, I did become a little tired of the banter, however, it was necessary to the story. Mr. Forstchen puts in just enough to keep the reader well informed and knowledgeable on the subject at the hand.
If you’re looking for a great science fiction novel that is heavily centered around a futuristic idea, and a plan to take man back into space, then you should get this book. It’s not heavy on action and at times can be a little dry, however, it makes up for it with its emotion, intensity, and message that we need to find a new source of clean energy….and FAST!
Pillar to the Sky centers around a not-so-distant future when the world can no longer rely on fossil fuels for power. It’s inevitable that man must look to the stars soon in order to expand our world and our capabilities as a race. Those who don’t realize that should really pick up this book. Although it’s pure fiction, it makes valid arguments and counterpoints that apply to today’s politics. I’m not someone who regularly enjoys politics and at some points throughout this book, I did become a little tired of the banter, however, it was necessary to the story. Mr. Forstchen puts in just enough to keep the reader well informed and knowledgeable on the subject at the hand.
If you’re looking for a great science fiction novel that is heavily centered around a futuristic idea, and a plan to take man back into space, then you should get this book. It’s not heavy on action and at times can be a little dry, however, it makes up for it with its emotion, intensity, and message that we need to find a new source of clean energy….and FAST!
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