Eifelheim

What if, in the mid-fourteenth century, extraterrestrials resembling medieval monsters -- "buffered" in an intense electrical shock wave -- unceremoniously landed within walking distance of a humble town in the German Rhineland? What if history had buried such a momentous materialization under the Black Death "shock wave" that struck about the same time, leaving uncovered only a few tantalizing clues such as the abandoned location where the town once thrived being labeled as a demon place in obscure, handed-down references? What if in the here and now an enterprising cliologist (someone who studies history mathematically) and his physicist girlfriend began unraveling threads that could lead to broad exposure of this secret? And what if while they were busy unraveling, the reader could transport back in time and look over the shoulders of the villagers of then-named Oberhochwald and of their otherworldly neighbors? If so, then presto, Michael Flynn's astounding new book, EIFELHEIM. Flynn's attention to detail and his creation of believable human and alien characters commands reader attention as the author inexorably counts down to Oberhochwald's sad extinction. Dietrich, the village priest, possessing a violent past and a natural philosopher's intellectual inclinations, struggles, along with the Herr/Lord and the other humans in the community, to understand the foreign interlopers who resemble giant, scary grasshoppers. Despite head gear that permits a level of language translation, the conversations between the man of the cloth and his scientifically light-years advanced friends hover on different planes, seldom truly connecting. Yet, the "Krenken" and the humans manage to hone a wary comradeship -- at least for a while. The losses both sides sustain in the end binds them and sympathetically immerses the reader in their parallel, hopeless survival situations. No pagan magic, Christian miracle or Krenkish technology can save them, and the tragedy bitingly inflicts itself on the sensitive reader. Meanwhile, twenty-first century Tom (who regularly vociferates in untranslated German and other tongues) researches all data and documents he can find about Oberhochwald-later-Eifelheim, while somewhat short-tempered Sharon step by step invents a convincing new cosmology that could eventually reveal how extraterrestrials might have shot to earth in the Middle Ages...and how we might make a reciprocating house call to them! EIFELHEIM is superb science fiction, the type that draws one in so convincingly that one almost thinks perhaps the tale isn't fiction. The aliens are fascinating. And readers become immersed in the daily life of pre-plague Germany and the horrors of the plague-infested land, Krenken notwithstanding. The book bursts with profound deliberations about the nature of belief, faith, truth, social convention and organization, genetic constraints, friendship, communion, love, honor, altruism, medical boundaries and ethics, organize

This is a fabulous book. It's part scifi, part historical fiction. Set in a small town in Germany in 1348, there's a bit of plague, a bit of aliens, and a whole lot of interesting history. I really recommend this book, even if you're not a fan of aliens (which I am not.) I got the book because I love historical/plague fiction. But it really all comes together in a very rational way. This book really captured me and took me vividly into small town Germany in the middle ages. The aliens are brought into the story in a very natural way. And they end up...well...I don't want to spoil it. Some turn out to be very sympathetic, some not. The author really lets each alien being become their own "person", and that's a huge part of the charm of the book. It's not your usual "alien" story. Again, I am NOT a fan of alien stories, but these folk are made very "human", most of all through the wonderful narration of the local priest, Dietrich. He's the heart of the story, and combining a holy man with aliens from a distant world seems odd, but by this author's hand, it is made marvelous and believable. If you enjoy historical fiction, and you enjoy stories about alien visitors, with a difference, I highly recommend it! It's extremely well written. I kept a German dictionary with me while I read, however I think a medieval German dictionary would be more to the point. Definitely an unputdownable read, for me.

EIFELHEIM starts out as a puzzle; why did residents in Germany abandon their village after the 14th century and why hasn't the area ever been resettled? Cliologist (a math historian)Tom Schwoerin tries to crack the mystery at the heart of this hard SF novel by Heinlein Award winner Michael Flynn. A parallel story set in the 14th century details the events that led to Eifelheim being abandoned. We meet Pastor Dietrich an enlightened priest of the village, Brother Joachim a Franciscan friar who has issues with the wealthy and the various villagers of the city of Oberhochwald (as Eifelheim used to be called). We discover that somehow the town's disappearence may somehow be attributable to the Black Death that was roaming the countryside of Europe or something...far different. Somehow it may be tied into the accidently first contact between humans and aliens from another world. Well written with the rich tapestry of the 14th century as its background (as well as the present day), EIFELHEIM may at first put you off because the hard science aspect of the novel really begins on the very first page. If you give it a chance, however, you'll discover a thoughtful, compassionate story with a rich mystery at its core. Some readers may find the style to be a bit stiff and formal. I wouldn't say that Flynn has a breezy style as a writer but what he lacks in that area he more than makes up for in creating a detailed world for his characters to inhabit. I hadn't read much by Flynn before this novel but immediately dived into one of his earlier novels that I had purchased but didn't quite get around to reading.

This was a wonderful, wonderful story. Actually, two stories in one. In my opinion the 14th century portions could have stood on their own, they were so rich, compelling and beautifully crafted, but the modern-day inserts were amusing and added the "hard" science some people read sf for. I'm ashamed to say I hadn't read Michael Flynn before, but as soon as I click out of this review I plan to order his River of Stars book. This is a writer who appeals to me on every level: brain, heart and funnybone.

Like in his much-acclaimed "Wreck of the River of Stars", Flynn again displays his literary talent to blend plausible "hard" sf with humane themes, all with sophisticated, well-crafted prose. This time Flynn turns his considerable skills to historical fiction meshed with satisfying, complex speculative science. I was truly impressed how Flynn handled the sometimes incomprehensible world of the medieval with the deftness of Umberto Eco, and thoroughly managed to preserve the authenticity of historic characters faced with extra-terrestrial events. One of the best, most believable and unconventional treatment of a first-contact situation I've read. Flynn obviously did considerable and respectable research for this work, and the result is thought-provoking and intellectually satisfying. If you like shoot-em-ups, look elsewhere. Flynn writes for a different SF audience, and I'm glad he does.