Way OT: "Hiero's Journey"

[Canoerebel]

Gents (and Ladies!),

Heiro's Journey by Sterling Lanier is the best work of fiction that I've ever read that nobody has ever heard of. Outside of me and my family, I've never met a person whose read the book or even heard of it. I wondered if by chance there might be a small subset of the forum who has?

I found the book in the gift shop at Alta Ski facility in Utah in June 1976. Since then, I've read it perhaps a dozen times, including reading it aloud to my children seven or eight years ago.

It's a post-apocalyptic book set in North America (Canada mainly) something like a thousand years in the future. Radiation has created all kinds of mutations and new forms of life. It is a dangerous world, and the protagonist is charged with making a journey across the continent in search of ancient information needed to wage battle against the forces of evil that have arisen from the ashes of nuclear conflict.

I've often wondered why Hiero's Journey didn't become a movie - I think it's arguably on a par with The Lord of the Rings, the Narnia books, and the Harry Potter series. But my judgment may be clouded by the fact that I was in the mood for just that kind of book when I happened to find it that day in 1976.

Is there anyone else out there who's read it? Anybody at all?

Thanks,

Dan

[Oberst_Klink]

General Rodes... (the Avatar is too small to recognize... but I take it it is him)

Sounds like the book is similar to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Canticle_for_Leibowitz

I shall give it a thought to follow thee suggestion

Klink, Oberst

[Canoerebel]

Hello, Herr Kommandant!

My avatar is Col. Emory F. Best, 23rd Georgia Infantry Regiment. In 1986, I moved to Floyd Springs, Georgia, as a young man practicing law in nearby Rome. One hundred and twenty five years earlier, Emory Best was a young lawyer from Rome who enlisted in the Floyd Springs Guards, Company C, 23rd Georgia. I've written several magazine stories about him and have spoken about him to historic groups many times through the years (his military career ended dishonorably under interesting circumstances).

[Oberst_Klink]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

Hello, Herr Kommandant!

My avatar is Col. Emory F. Best, 23rd Georgia Infantry Regiment. In 1986, I moved to Floyd Springs, Georgia, as a young man practicing law in nearby Rome. One hundred and twenty five years earlier, Emory Best was a young lawyer from Rome who enlisted in the Floyd Springs Guards, Company C, 23rd Georgia. I've written several magazine stories about him and have spoken about him to historic groups many times through the years (his military career ended dishonorably under interesting circumstances).

Well.. tried my best, matey! Alas, they all look kinda similar with their moustaches and beards

Was he killed in a duel by a jealous husband like Earl van Dorn (CSA) or did he kill somebody in a duel like Jefferson C. Davis (USA) did?

Klink, Oberst (pic of me in 98, Co. K, 45h PVI)

[geofflambert]

The last time I read fiction I was a teenager. Well, there's a couple of exceptions. I reread The Hobbit trying to figure out how they were going to make three movies out of it. I was still scratching my head. Perhaps they could make a 9 part series out of a Dick and Jane and Spot book. Then there's this "historical" book about Fletcher Christian that was interesting but full of supposition. Oh, and some people say the New York Times is fiction. It has been on occasion fictional, especially when the article was authored by Judith Miller. I totally bought everything she wrote about Iraq. Still scratching my head on that since virtually none of it was true. One article talked about an airliner that was in the desert and used for training to do terrorist highjackings. Turned out that was a complete fabrication. Another was about these mobile kitchens, you know those little trucks that serve hot food, were actually mobile chemical weapons labs. It goes on and on. She also wrote an article saying Santa Claus was real. No, I just made that up.

[Macclan5]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

Gents (and Ladies!),

Heiro's Journey by Sterling Lanier is the best work of fiction that I've ever read that nobody has ever heard of. Outside of me and my family, I've never met a person whose read the book or even heard of it. I wondered if by chance there might be a small subset of the forum who has?

I found the book in the gift shop at Alta Ski facility in Utah in June 1976. Since then, I've read it perhaps a dozen times, including reading it aloud to my children seven or eight years ago.

It's a post-apocalyptic book set in North America (Canada mainly) something like a thousand years in the future. Radiation has created all kinds of mutations and new forms of life. It is a dangerous world, and the protagonist is charged with making a journey across the continent in search of ancient information needed to wage battle against the forces of evil that have arisen from the ashes of nuclear conflict.

I've often wondered why Hiero's Journey didn't become a movie - I think it's arguably on a par with The Lord of the Rings, the Narnia books, and the Harry Potter series. But my judgment may be clouded by the fact that I was in the mood for just that kind of book when I happened to find it that day in 1976.

Is there anyone else out there who's read it? Anybody at all?

Thanks,

Dan

Thanks for the tip - no I had not heard of it other than a reference by Gygax on the D & D manuals.

About that age (perhaps close to your own) I was fascinated by post apocalypse books ~ essentially teen lit in its day.

John Christopher (aka Sam Yaul - spelling?) wrote the "Tripod Trilogy" (White Mountains, City of Gold and Lead, and another) and then "Sword of the Spirits trilogy shortly after.

I remain chagrined that no large blockbuster movie has ever been done on these series of books.

Frankly you can see the very obvious influence (for example) in the Hunger Games - which my Teenage daughters swear is the best most original work of fiction "eva"

[8|]

[Canoerebel]

In honor of Geoff's disdain for fiction (I think that's what's implied in his rambling post [:)]), here's the opening paragraph for a story I've written for the next issue of Georgia Backroads magazine:

"Reading fiction is dangerous. So dangerous that I’ve known level-headed people who refused to do it. One of my professors at the University of Georgia was like that. He considered fiction frivolous – an extravagant and wasteful pursuit akin to reality television or video games."

[wumaj]

I read it when it was published and read it again recently. It is as you suggest, a superb book. I wasn't that keen on the sequel that Lanier published 10 years later.

Regards

Mark

[Canoerebel]

wumaj is the first person I've ever encountered outside my family who read the book. And he's been a Forumite since 2008, but this is his first post!

I agree 100% with his comment. I thought the sequel (The Unforsaken Hiero) was not even mediocre.

I just checked out Hiero's Journey on Amazon. It gets high reviews. But the sequel also gets high reviews. Don't be misled, Forumite friends, it is as wumaj says.

[PaxMondo]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

Gents (and Ladies!),

Heiro's Journey by Sterling Lanier is the best work of fiction that I've ever read that nobody has ever heard of. Outside of me and my family, I've never met a person whose read the book or even heard of it. I wondered if by chance there might be a small subset of the forum who has?

I found the book in the gift shop at Alta Ski facility in Utah in June 1976. Since then, I've read it perhaps a dozen times, including reading it aloud to my children seven or eight years ago.

It's a post-apocalyptic book set in North America (Canada mainly) something like a thousand years in the future. Radiation has created all kinds of mutations and new forms of life. It is a dangerous world, and the protagonist is charged with making a journey across the continent in search of ancient information needed to wage battle against the forces of evil that have arisen from the ashes of nuclear conflict.

I've often wondered why Hiero's Journey didn't become a movie - I think it's arguably on a par with The Lord of the Rings, the Narnia books, and the Harry Potter series. But my judgment may be clouded by the fact that I was in the mood for just that kind of book when I happened to find it that day in 1976.

Is there anyone else out there who's read it? Anybody at all?

Thanks,

Dan

I have an almost wore out paperback copy. He also wrote a 2nd book, not quite as good, but still ....

[JeffroK]

A good post Apocalypse read. But only a few years into the future, not 5000.

Warday by Whitley Strieber and James Kunetka.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warday

[obvert]

Fiction is dangerous. It can absolutely change who you are and who you become. Poetry is even more dangerous! Beware!. [;)]

I am a reader. Been reading since I got hooked on Napoleonic War sailing ship novels by Alexander Kent on my city bus rides to grade school. Of course Tolkien, CS Lewis and other fantasy and Sci-Fi followed.

Just reading 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami currently. A very good serious Sci-Fi mystery novel. (All of my Japanese AAR titles are taken from his book titles).

Hiero sounds right up my alley. I'll find it and have a read. Thanks.

[Encircled]

With a Kindle and a host of books available on it that are either free or 99p, my reading level is back to where it was when I was a teenager and first read stuff like LOTR

[obvert]

ORIGINAL: Encircled

With a Kindle and a host of books available on it that are either free or 99p, my reading level is back to where it was when I was a teenager and first read stuff like LOTR

I like actual books for novels and other fiction.

For non-fiction I often use the kindle app on my phone to read while in transit in the morning/afternoon, or while waiting anywhere unexpectedly.

[Encircled]

Weird, I'm the other way

Kindle for fiction, actual books for non-fiction

[guytipton41]

Sterling Lanier

Hi Folks,

I have the book and it's sequel and one other book by Mr. Lanier (that I had to steal from a public library). Heiro's Journey is definitely a memorable read but didn't make my top 20 list. So who has read Godstalk by P.C. Hodgell? That's one that makes my top 5 that many folks have never heard of.

Cheers,
Guy

[PaxMondo]

Zelazny: Lord of Light.

[Lowpe]

Is it a Southern thing?

I searched on Audible and this is what came up in the number one search spot.

My Southern Journey: True Stories from the Heart of the South by Bragg.

[Canoerebel]

Rick Bragg won the Pulitzer Prize for journalism in 1996 while writing for the New York Times. He grew up in a poor family in Alabama. I just read one of his books and, two weeks ago, my wife and I went to hear him speak at our local college. He's as southern and country sounding as you can find. But my goodness the man can write. But his books are all non-fiction. "All Over But the Shoutin'" and "Ava's Man" are two of his best known books.

[wdolson]

ORIGINAL: Encircled

Weird, I'm the other way

Kindle for fiction, actual books for non-fiction

I'm the opposite too. I have a Kindle Fire I sometimes use for reading books with illustrations, but for anything without illustrations (mostly fiction) I use the monochrome Kindle. The battery life on the Kindle Fire is terrible, so I leave it completely shut off when I'm not using it. The Kindle mono is both easier on the eyes and a battery charge will last a few weeks with moderate use.

Bill