<< 1 >>
Rating: 
Summary: A Tale of Two in One
Review: Enormously happy is how I felt after reading this. There is so little Christian SciFi in existence it is exciting to grab it when it appears. It took me awhile to see where Lawhead was going with the book, but the later chapters are very engrossing. Unlike his other SciFi work, Dream Thief, this has more of a fantasy element to it- something like Lewis' Space Trilogy. It is certainly more scientific than Lewis, but the science seems to exist more to put the characters in a new environment- whereas Dream Thief was the classic "What might life be like then?" This edition combines two previously separate books. I'd definitely recommend this edition- it's cheaper, and frankly the first book didn't really end- it felt like it was only Part 1 of a larger work. Now this is rectified. Empyrion is so rich with Truth. With Allegory, the highest form of Truth. It is Science Fiction as Devotional. It is a story of two cities. Fierra is a vision of Heaven- although the Fierri are quick to point out it is only a poor imitation of the real thing. Usually the description of a life of a truly good people is rather boring; but Lawhead pulls it off by juxtaposing their lives with the situation of the protagonist Orion in evil Dome. Lawhead uses the Fierri to describe- not teach in a preachy style, but show- what a life completely devoted to God can be like. It is a natural search for the Joy present in the Infinite. It is going to a concert and leaving without applauding, because the true joy for the artists was simply performing and expressing their gift in pure worship to the Father. It is searching one's soul to give control to the Creator to finally gain control. In contrast Dome is a place of rage, anger, and forced control. All that is evil has been pent up there for millennia, breeding upon itself, not allowing real air in. Indeed, when Dome-dwellers or Earthlings first breath real air they initially experience great pain, for the goodness of purity is painful for those who have known only death and decay. The pain is a death we must all go through. This was also a great read as a companion to Don Richardson's Eternity in Their Hearts. Richardson makes the argument that all people groups throughout time have been prepared for the Gospel by images of God within their own culture. Empyrion applies this type of idea to another culture in the future, or possible future. How would God, YHWH, reveal Himself to a people on another planet with no knowledge of Him? As he explores this idea he gives a gripping allegorical description of hell and paradise. And there seems to be an indication of the idea that the Trinity is a revelation of God that we see, but it may not be the entirety of Him- He may be more than simply Three. Certainly an intriguing idea. The main negatives: until Lawhead really explains the situation in Dome, one is very confused by all the names and references to different groupings- it would have been better to have detailed that earlier. I loved that the Fierri had a firm commitment to harm no living thing, but I found parts confusing when it appears that they do harm. I think Lawhead could have done more without resorting to killing to have the protagonists win battles. And Lawhead throughout alludes to a great evil force controlling the religious beliefs and atmosphere of Dome, yet never resolves the battle with this force. The scariest part: Dome reminded me a lot of Earth. The most wonderful part: Fierra looked very achievable, if one begins with oneself, one individual at a time. For the good of the many is the good of every individual.
Rating:
Summary: A Tale of Two in One
Review: Enormously happy is how I felt after reading this. There is so little Christian SciFi in existence it is exciting to grab it when it appears. It took me awhile to see where Lawhead was going with the book, but the later chapters are very engrossing. Unlike his other SciFi work, Dream Thief, this has more of a fantasy element to it- something like Lewis' Space Trilogy. It is certainly more scientific than Lewis, but the science seems to exist more to put the characters in a new environment- whereas Dream Thief was the classic "What might life be like then?" This edition combines two previously separate books. I'd definitely recommend this edition- it's cheaper, and frankly the first book didn't really end- it felt like it was only Part 1 of a larger work. Now this is rectified. Empyrion is so rich with Truth. With Allegory, the highest form of Truth. It is Science Fiction as Devotional. It is a story of two cities. Fierra is a vision of Heaven- although the Fierri are quick to point out it is only a poor imitation of the real thing. Usually the description of a life of a truly good people is rather boring; but Lawhead pulls it off by juxtaposing their lives with the situation of the protagonist Orion in evil Dome. Lawhead uses the Fierri to describe- not teach in a preachy style, but show- what a life completely devoted to God can be like. It is a natural search for the Joy present in the Infinite. It is going to a concert and leaving without applauding, because the true joy for the artists was simply performing and expressing their gift in pure worship to the Father. It is searching one's soul to give control to the Creator to finally gain control. In contrast Dome is a place of rage, anger, and forced control. All that is evil has been pent up there for millennia, breeding upon itself, not allowing real air in. Indeed, when Dome-dwellers or Earthlings first breath real air they initially experience great pain, for the goodness of purity is painful for those who have known only death and decay. The pain is a death we must all go through. This was also a great read as a companion to Don Richardson's Eternity in Their Hearts. Richardson makes the argument that all people groups throughout time have been prepared for the Gospel by images of God within their own culture. Empyrion applies this type of idea to another culture in the future, or possible future. How would God, YHWH, reveal Himself to a people on another planet with no knowledge of Him? As he explores this idea he gives a gripping allegorical description of hell and paradise. And there seems to be an indication of the idea that the Trinity is a revelation of God that we see, but it may not be the entirety of Him- He may be more than simply Three. Certainly an intriguing idea. The main negatives: until Lawhead really explains the situation in Dome, one is very confused by all the names and references to different groupings- it would have been better to have detailed that earlier. I loved that the Fierri had a firm commitment to harm no living thing, but I found parts confusing when it appears that they do harm. I think Lawhead could have done more without resorting to killing to have the protagonists win battles. And Lawhead throughout alludes to a great evil force controlling the religious beliefs and atmosphere of Dome, yet never resolves the battle with this force. The scariest part: Dome reminded me a lot of Earth. The most wonderful part: Fierra looked very achievable, if one begins with oneself, one individual at a time. For the good of the many is the good of every individual.
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent read, but NOT christian!
Review: Lawhead did an excellent job with this story, as both "The Search for Fierra" and "The Siege of Dome" are worth reading without relying upon the other. If you want to examine the book with the intention of getting lessons from it, then it has great lessons on deception and abuse of power, as well on the proper use of one's abilities. However, it is NOT religious in nature, especially christian. If you know much on the history of christianity and the religions spun from its doctrine then you could see in this book a good example of what a religion driven state can lead to, as it has before in our history. Definately worth reading if you like sci-fi, but NOT if you are looking for religious material.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent read, but NOT christian!
Review: Lawhead did an excellent job with this story, as both "The Search for Fierra" and "The Siege of Dome" are worth reading without relying upon the other. If you want to examine the book with the intention of getting lessons from it, then it has great lessons on deception and abuse of power, as well on the proper use of one's abilities. However, it is NOT religious in nature, especially christian. If you know much on the history of christianity and the religions spun from its doctrine then you could see in this book a good example of what a religion driven state can lead to, as it has before in our history. Definately worth reading if you like sci-fi, but NOT if you are looking for religious material.
Rating:
Summary: A sweeping masterpiece in my opinion
Review: Not only of good Space Opera, but of Sci-Fi/High Tech, clearly worth joining the ranks of "Foundation", "Childhood's End", "Virtual Light", "Neuromancer", "Snow Crash", and "Darkeye: Cyber Hunter". All deal with what would appear to be very real worlds of our future and, therefore, should be part of every true collector's library.
Rating:
Summary: Dystopia and Utopia fantastic
Review: Take a colony on an alien planet, throw in a plague and a civil war, and cut off all contact from its parent organization for about three thousand years. Don't forget, they still have their atomic weapons. Result: Empyrion, split into Fierra and Dome, with a wasteland in between.
In Part One: After landing on Empyrion, the four companions Treet, Yarden, Pizzle and pilot Crocker are literally stunned. Apparently, the colony established four years ago (by Earth's reckoning) has somehow gone terribly wrong; a backward, almost Orwellian government has taken over and the society and technology have degenerated. Without the clear guidance of their earthly parent corporation (Cynetics), the humans reverted to a rigid caste system to keep order. Erecting their own form of religion came next - essentially a kind of demon worship. Paranoia ruled their leaders' decisions, and individual human welfare was not a consideration against the status quo. A true dystopia, the fruit of fragile human understanding untempered by love. Orion Treet is our main interface to Empyrion. A historian and a writer, he is able to maintain some emotional distance from what is happening around him; his friends are not so fortunate. Yarden, a sympath, is traumatized by her stay in Dome . She is able to sense a malevolent presence that the others cannot. Pizzle, a genius, had a backbreaking, filthy job in the lowest caste and couldn't wait to leave. Crocker was severely injured at first contact, comatose for most of his stay, but even still there is a hole in his memory during which something sinister happened...
Part Two: the companions have somehow made it across the wasteland to the smaller human settlement. This is Fierra, a true utopia and a foretaste of Heaven in this life. Fierrans have relied on the Infinite (God) for guidance and wisdom for over a millennium, ever since the atomic Holocaust. The results were not only a beautiful city in harmony with nature but a beautiful people in harmony with each other. Their vow of non-aggression may now backfire on them as Dome turns a paranoid eye toward Fierra once again... Empyrion was not perfectly plotted and written. The first half drags in areas, has a generally unsatisfying feel to it which I believe is because author Stephen Lawhead offers a hasty sketch of the main characters and then neglects them to explore the wonders of the alien world; their inner lives are largely unexplored until the second half. A pet peeve of mine surfaces in the form of a romantic subplot between Treet and not one but three knockout females, but don't get excited - I don't think I'm spoiling much by revealing that they come to nothing and serve no real purpose in the plot. Worse, the reader is left wondering what they saw in him to begin with; Treet seems to have the EQ of a jackrabbit. Finally, Lawhead resorts to some generic descriptions of what is by all accounts supposed to be an exotic and interesting world. He could have spent a few more imaginative words revealing the physical Empyrion to us. All these flaws drop away from memory when the magic of this alien place becomes apparent in random moments of storytelling brilliance. I recall vividly the sensory weirdness Lawhead evoked with a narrative about a nameless disease that cocooned its victims in shells of their own flesh. The haunting loneliness of the desert wastelands and the quiet green crunch of the forests crept into my soul as I read. Lawhead chronicles the spiritual journeys of the travellers through sensitive inner dialogs. And finally, nobody does war strategy and battle sequences like this author. For such gratifying passages I am willing to forgive much. So perhaps Empyrion was not a complete five stars in every respect. Since the whole added up to more than the sum of its parts, however, it may be read by sci fi fans without reservation.
-Andrea, aka Merribelle
Rating:
Summary: Dystopia and Utopia fantastic
Review: Take a colony on an alien planet, throw in a plague and a civil war, and cut off all contact from its parent organization for about three thousand years. Don't forget, they still have their atomic weapons. Result: Empyrion, split into Fierra and Dome, with a wasteland in between.
In Part One: After landing on Empyrion, the four companions Treet, Yarden, Pizzle and pilot Crocker are literally stunned. Apparently, the colony established four years ago (by Earth's reckoning) has somehow gone terribly wrong; a backward, almost Orwellian government has taken over and the society and technology have degenerated. Without the clear guidance of their earthly parent corporation (Cynetics), the humans reverted to a rigid caste system to keep order. Erecting their own form of religion came next - essentially a kind of demon worship. Paranoia ruled their leaders' decisions, and individual human welfare was not a consideration against the status quo. A true dystopia, the fruit of fragile human understanding untempered by love. Orion Treet is our main interface to Empyrion. A historian and a writer, he is able to maintain some emotional distance from what is happening around him; his friends are not so fortunate. Yarden, a sympath, is traumatized by her stay in Dome . She is able to sense a malevolent presence that the others cannot. Pizzle, a genius, had a backbreaking, filthy job in the lowest caste and couldn't wait to leave. Crocker was severely injured at first contact, comatose for most of his stay, but even still there is a hole in his memory during which something sinister happened...
Part Two: the companions have somehow made it across the wasteland to the smaller human settlement. This is Fierra, a true utopia and a foretaste of Heaven in this life. Fierrans have relied on the Infinite (God) for guidance and wisdom for over a millennium, ever since the atomic Holocaust. The results were not only a beautiful city in harmony with nature but a beautiful people in harmony with each other. Their vow of non-aggression may now backfire on them as Dome turns a paranoid eye toward Fierra once again... Empyrion was not perfectly plotted and written. The first half drags in areas, has a generally unsatisfying feel to it which I believe is because author Stephen Lawhead offers a hasty sketch of the main characters and then neglects them to explore the wonders of the alien world; their inner lives are largely unexplored until the second half. A pet peeve of mine surfaces in the form of a romantic subplot between Treet and not one but three knockout females, but don't get excited - I don't think I'm spoiling much by revealing that they come to nothing and serve no real purpose in the plot. Worse, the reader is left wondering what they saw in him to begin with; Treet seems to have the EQ of a jackrabbit. Finally, Lawhead resorts to some generic descriptions of what is by all accounts supposed to be an exotic and interesting world. He could have spent a few more imaginative words revealing the physical Empyrion to us. All these flaws drop away from memory when the magic of this alien place becomes apparent in random moments of storytelling brilliance. I recall vividly the sensory weirdness Lawhead evoked with a narrative about a nameless disease that cocooned its victims in shells of their own flesh. The haunting loneliness of the desert wastelands and the quiet green crunch of the forests crept into my soul as I read. Lawhead chronicles the spiritual journeys of the travellers through sensitive inner dialogs. And finally, nobody does war strategy and battle sequences like this author. For such gratifying passages I am willing to forgive much. So perhaps Empyrion was not a complete five stars in every respect. Since the whole added up to more than the sum of its parts, however, it may be read by sci fi fans without reservation.
-Andrea, aka Merribelle
Rating:
Summary: Wow!
Review: This book is another excellent example of Mr. Lawhead's high-quality work. Another review said that this book shows the evils of a religious state. That's not actually true. In the book, there are two religious states, one is perfect in every imaginable way, while the other is evil and completely corrupt. This book seeks to show that its not necessarily the existance of religion that caused it to become good or evil, but the nature of that religion. Even if you're not interested in these aspects of the story, you can still thoroughly enjoy the book as a science fiction work. This omnibus edition is very nice, because the first book *cannot* stand on its own. It has a cliffhanger ending. When I read it, I read it in separate volumes originally, and I had to get on Amazon and order the second book immediately because it was such a cliffhanger!
<< 1 >>
| 
