James Blish - Cities in Flight

[AE35Unit]

I'm interested in reading his Cities in Flight series and I found a reference to it on Amazon via book mooch, but I'm a little confused. Its an omnibus of 4 books yea? So theres a volume II to look out for too?

Cities in Flight, Vol. I

 

[Ian Whates]

Hi, AE,

Cities In Flight has been published in four separate volumes, but as far as I know, the four component books are generally collected in one volume these days, published as Cities in Flight, and have been for some while.

The four are: They Shall Have Stars (1957), A Life for the Stars (1962), Earthman Come Home (1955) and The Triumph of Time (aka A Clash of Cymbals (1958).

I suppose it's possible the book has been produced as two volumes, but I'm not aware of that, and can't imagine why anyone would do so.

Hope that helps.

 

[AE35Unit]

Thanks Ian, heres a listing on bookmooch:

688 pages
paperback

sounds like an omnibus to me, not just one book so I'd go for that!

One of the grandest, and certainly one of the best written, of wide-screen space operas, Blish's Cities in Flight takes us from the collapse of American civilisation at the moment of its greatest scientific success to its final transfiguration at a moment of cosmic disaster. New York, enclosed in a vast dome, and powered by anti-gravity and hyper- drive, wanders among the stars, a labourer for hire, and yet also the seed of humanity's brief ascendancy in a hostile galaxy. This is the story of people as well as vast historical moments-- of Wagoner, the Senator who gives his life and good name for humanity's future; Chris, the naive youngster to whom New York gives everything, and from whom it will take everything away; and above all John Amalfi, who starts as Mayor of New York and ends up as a sort of god. And along the way, we meet some of the strangest of the shapes human society takes among the stars. Crackling with ideas about the progress of history, and passionate in its evocation of the deep reaches of time and space, Blish's sequence is intelligent and visionary, a true classic of the genre. --Roz Kaveney

 

[GOLLUM]

I think I might have that one, need to get to it soon.

 

[BAYLOR]

All Ive seen is a one volume edition of Cities . Ive never read it though . Might have a copy of it books somnewhere . The one thing ive read by him are his novel Spock Must Die which I found to be quite good.

 

[Rodders]

I think I have Cities In Flight at home, but I haven’t read it.

Like you, I have only read his Star Trek books.

 

[hitmouse]

The first novel is the best. Very good indeed. I have the compendium volume.

 

[Fried Egg]

The first novel is the best.

Really? The first part seemed like a mere prologue to me. I think the second book was my favourite.

 

[Bick]

I think I have Cities In Flight at home, but I haven’t read it.

Ditto (as Taggart said to Hedley Lamarr). Perhaps we should give it a go simultaneously at some point.

 

[JimC]

Earthman, Come Home was the first one I read (in 1955, I think). It was great.

 

[Ogma]

I've read them a while ago. As hitmouse said, the first book is the best. I have fond memories of it. I disliked the last book. The ending made no sense to me.