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City
Publisher's Summary
Here is a masterful tale of an Earth overrun by ants, a series of parallel worlds ruled by dogs, and a Jupiter where the human race finds its Gold Age - if "human" it could still be called.
BONUS AUDIO: City includes an exclusive introduction by Hugo and Nebula Award-winning author Mike Resnick.
Critic Reviews
- All-Time Best Science Fiction Novels (Locus Magazine)
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What members say
Average Customer Ratings
Overall
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4 out of 5 stars
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5 Stars2
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4 Stars1
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3 Stars2
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2 Stars0
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1 Stars0
Performance
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4.5 out of 5 stars
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5 Stars4
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4 Stars0
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3 Stars1
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2 Stars0
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1 Stars0
Story
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4 out of 5 stars
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5 Stars2
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 03-09-2018
City
Does not live up to the written description. Very disappointed. More about the Webster family that dogs.
6 of 7 people found this review helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
- Holly Helscher
- 14-06-2010
Disturbing
This was a book I couldn't stop reading and it was also a book I couldn't stop thinking about once it ended. It's message was thought provoking. A story of a family, the Websters, the plot evolves into the ultimate destruction of humanity. And yet we see that other alien races in the novel tend to make similar errors as they, too evolve. Life's questions, such as "to kill or not to kill" and "what does it mean to be human" and even the more abstract scifi rule to not interfere with another race are prevalent throughout the novel. If you are looking for a light reading experience, this is not the novel to read. But if you are looking for a book that will evoke discussion and comment on the human condition, this is a gold mine. Do not let the age of the book fool you into thinking it is no longer pertinent. The story is more pertinent today than it could have been when it was first written. The author's own comment prior to the Epilogue was intriguing. The narrators were very good and overall, this was an excellent read. I am delighted I bought it.
21 of 27 people found this review helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Andrew
- 27-08-2008
A very special kind of story.
A little Rickety around the edges as any novel from the 1940s imagining the far future would be, it is the only criticism of an otherwise remarkable narrative. A leading writer in the field of speculative fiction, Simak created his own sub-genre that explored the nature of humanity and the universe with optimism, compassion and gentleness. His words hold a special kind of magic, based on a undefined spirituality that sets him apart from the humanistic philosophies of so many of his contemporaries. Listening to his words, one cannot but help feel that Simak was one special kind of man. Probably not for everyone, this is not space opera, this is sci-fi as philosophy and literature.
24 of 32 people found this review helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
- Kindle Customer
- 31-01-2010
interesting
This is a very interesting and thought provoking story. I liked Way Station better, perhaps because it was one continuous story. The City stories are linked as well by the robit character of Jenkins who ends up being very close to human, sort of super human. It's just a little harder to care about him. Harder to care about the Websters after they give up. Overall, I enjoyed the book very much and would recommend it to any SciFi lover.
7 of 14 people found this review helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Niels J. Rasmussen
- 07-12-2015
*Beautiful Example of Classic Sci-Fi*
Although it took two chapters before this novel really got its legs, I can't say enough great things about it.
I have read a lot of Simak's other works, and City is, BY FAR, his best.
It's really a shame that science fiction of this high caliber no longer exists as plentifully as it did during the 1950's & 60's.
Pick this one up if you are a fan of Robert Sheckley, Philip K. Dick, Isaac Asimov, or Ray Bradbury.
Really, really excellent listen.
9.37 / 10.00
7 of 15 people found this review helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Matt Lamb
- 28-07-2016
Interesting but not profound
Between chapters they warn you might not understand or you might be upset. It's an interesting story but not as profound as it professes to be.
1 of 3 people found this review helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- H. Oberlander
- 14-02-2017
Reader is odd
The sound production isn't great. He reader has a nice voice but such a boring cadence. I only got through the first chapter.
2 of 6 people found this review helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Michael Connor
- 18-01-2019
a unique view of the future
A well structured unique perspective of the future. Simak, anckors the story around a single family and their contribution to the future of mankind. But their contributions take unexpected paths.
0 of 1 people found this review helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Luiz Rocha
- 26-04-2016
Change is, after all, inevitable
A series of 8 short stories recounting the last decades of the human race and the ascendence of Dogs as the dominant species-- and how different their mindset is regarding the world and minor lifeforms.
Every story deals with a form of change in the society and how Humans, Dogs and Robots deal with it. All of them written and published between 1944 and 1951. Simak is a gifted author, City still a very enjoyable read and the audio performance is very nice. Worth your time.
2 of 8 people found this review helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
- Jennifer
- 13-05-2009
a book from my past
I enjoyed it but of course is kind of out dated and not as good as I remembered it, But it is a classic...
1 of 5 people found this review helpful