Downward to the Earth bookcover

Downward to the Earth

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Description

A lone man must make a journey across a once-colonized alien planet abandoned by mankind when it was discovered that the species there were actually sentient.

Gundersen returns to Holman's World seeking atonement for his harsh years as colonial governor. But now this lush, exotic planet of mystery is called by its ancient name of Belzagor, and it belongs once again to its native alien races, the nildoror and the sulidoror. Drawn by its spell, Gundersen begins a harrowing pilgrimage to its mist-shrouded north to witness a strange ritual rebirth that will alter him forever.

This is one of Silverberg's most intense novels and draws heavily on Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness. It puts listeners at the heart of the experience and forces them to ask what they would do in the same circumstances.

Product Details

PublisherBlackstone Audiobooks
Publish DateSeptember 01, 2011
LanguageEnglish
TypeBook iconCD-Audio
EAN/UPC9781455109586
Dimensions6.8 X 5.3 X 0.6 inches | 0.2 pounds

About the Author

Robert Silverberg's first published story appeared in 1954 when he was a sophomore at Columbia University. Since then, he has won the prestigious Nebula Award five times and the Hugo Award five times. He has been nominated for both awards more times than any other writer. In 1999 he was inducted into the Science Fiction Hall of Fame, and in 2004 the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America gave him their Grand Master Award for career achievement. He remains one of the most imaginative and versatile writers in science fiction.

Bronson Pinchot, an Audie Award-winning narrator and Audible's Narrator of the Year for 2010, received his education at Yale University. He restores Greek Revival buildings and appears in television, film, and on stage whenever the pilasters and entablatures overwhelm him.

Reviews

"A lush and mystical rite-of-passage story which infuses SF with the exotic flavors of Joseph Conrad."

-- "David Langford, The Complete Critical Assembly"

"A tour de force."

-- "Brian M. Stableford, Outside the Human Aquarium: Masters of Science Fiction"

"Blends mysticism, world-building, and literary references in an inventive mix...This is perhaps SF's finest tribute to Joseph Conrad, both in its keen moral sense and its portrayal of a vividly realized alien forest."

-- "Time Out"

"Unusual even among Silverberg's works...in its density of physical detail...A fine novel."

-- "Edgar L. Chapman, professor, Bradley University, and author of The Road to Castle Mount: The Science Fiction of Robert Silverberg"

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