A Novel of the Transformation of Humanity - The Light of Other Days

I have been a fan of Clarke for over 35 years, and he has yet to flesh out a character. The "Concept" is the focal point. The language and sexuality was disappointing, but maybe that was Baxter who added it. Or Clarke is simply flowing with the culture. The attacks on historical figures was predictable, especially Jesus. But as the Afterword explains, sources for an alternative life of Jesus are common, i.e., the Jesus Seminar. In an uncharacteristic manner, the Epilogue destroyed the book. If the book at finished with the last chapter, it would have been appropriate, hinting at a sequal. However the theme of the Epilogue doesn't relate to the rest of the book. Since I can't reveal the ending, I will say that I had expected the Joined to become of the Matrix of Childhood's End. But the Epilogue fails because...never mind, can't do that without spoiling the disappointing ending. Up to the Epilogue, it was a very good book.

It seems like a novel-length update of Asimov's nearly half-century old story "The Dead Past" (published in 1956!). That story relied on neutrinos (not wormholes) to view the very near present (although the device described there could NOT be used to view the truly long-dead, ancient past). The story had the same implications for privacy, warfare, etc. What bothers me is that the acknowledgements in the back of this book do NOT acknowledge Asimov's story. THAT STINKS!

I have enjoyed Clarke at times. 'City and the Stars,' or Rendezvous with Rama.' This idea here is a great one, looking back in time with the use of a worm hole. I also like his further exploration of ideas explored in 'Childhoods End.' What you have here is one of the two most important aspects of Science Fiction portrayed in all of its magnificence. A good idea to wrap the story around. But the characters or the means these two authors use to get the idea across feels academic. Because of the stiffness and secondary nature of the story, it is almost unreadable.

If you want a good story, skip this book. If you are looking for a great science fiction idea, this is a five star read.

Simply put, this book was a struggle to read. Only curiosity kept me going. The basic idea was interesting, but I couldn't help feel there was a political slant to the book. It is no suprise (or unique) that a science fiction novel grounded in modern science would take a dim view of religion. But when one character refers to it as a "God virus", that is a little too much. But things don't stop there. We have a Muslim POW camp where American soldiers torture prisoners, wrongly accused victims of the death penalty, and Crusading Christians eating the flesh off the bones of the fallen. Even this I could live with (because it is after all fiction), but there is no balance. I, for one, hate politics because it's ONLY intent is to be divisive. And I can't enjoy any book that leans so far to either side of the spectrum. If the book focused more on character & story development and less on flashbacks of "truth" (used either as preaching or padding (don't know which)), I would give it a higher rating. There is a good story scattered inside the book. It just takes off on too many tangents that could have easily been left out. Maybe they got paid by the page like Dickens.

"The Light of Other Days" is a masterpiece. It begins with a startling idea, covers a lot of ground, and finishes with an outstanding ending. Despite the fact that it contains a lot of scientific background, it remains easily readable. I give this novel five stars despite its unnecessary soap opera subplot.
The story centers around the invention of the "wormcam", a device that allows the user to see and hear what is taking place at any location in the world. Although a domineering industrialist attempts to keep this invention to himself, it first shows up in the hands of the government and is then leaked to the general public. Since anybody can now spy on anyone else's activities, this leads to the total elimination of human privacy. Clarke and Baxter show us how this advance totally revolutionizes society. So much of our current culture is built on lies; politicians lie to the people, businesses lie to their own customers, and we lie to our own friends and families. If everyone was able to learn, and thus forced to confront, the truth, our lives would be changed completely.
More developments occurs when a new wormcam is invented that allows people to see into the past. I won't give away what happens next, but I can assure you that this portion of the novel is one of the most fascinating passages that I've ever read. As several of the reviews below can attest, the authors aren't afraid to stake out unpopular positions on controversial topics, or to challenge some of today's most widely held conceptions (and misconceptions). I heartily recommend this work, even to people who haven't read much science fiction.

If the book had continued what was great Science Fiction in the first 17 of 27 chapters, it would have gotten all 5 stars. However, for whatever reason, Clarke/Baxter got sidetracked into speculating about "debunking" the myths of the past. Since the "worm cam" allowed seeing into the past, it was used to really findout what happened in history. Unfortunately, the history according to Clarke and Baxter is another attempt to push a bizarre social agenda -- including, but not limited to, the Christian religion. I really didn't want to read their version of what Jesus was really like since other writers like Matthew, Mark, Luke and John have a more direct account than these authors. Of course, at the end of the book, a reference is made to another contemporary author that can be "blamed" for this unfortunate sidetrack that detracts from the sci-fi.
Also, the story line takes us into the far past showing the de-evolution of man back to scaley, crawing reptiles and single-cell DNA, which makes the reader laugh at how two sci-fi writers managed to re-write the theory of evolution in one quick, meaningless chapter.
But, at the end, all is well. Again, man has solved the mystery of the afterlife and decides unselfishly to resurrect everyone who has ever lived!
If only the book had stayed with science fiction based upon good science, I would have enjoyed the last 10 chapters as much as the first 17.

I have always liked Clarke. But this one is a major disappointment. This book is long on concepts, but there isn't much story, and the characters never really come to life. The easiest indicator of this is that, in the last 10% or so of the book, not one of the characters does anything more than watch time scroll backwards millions of years. And then the book ends. Seriously.

Most stories have some type of problem that gets resolved, and the characters get caught up in the problem and its resolution. Not this book, really.

So, if you like concept and description, and can enjoy it despite relatively tedious action by not-too-interesting characters, then read this book. Otherwise, I suggest finding another book.

This book really made me look at my everyday perceptions of life. It made me examine the concept of privacy & how that privacy cocoons my thoughts & actions. I found this book a bit of a slog as most all of Arthur C. Clarke's books have been but the concepts were absolutely riveting. Would I read this book again? Yes! Do check out my full review at [my website].

when i started this book i really thought it would finish itself up better than this. i haven't read much of clarke's work but from what i have read i expected better. the thought of viewing the past, while not original to this story, did spark my intrest. especially the ideas about the evolution of present day lfe on earth brought up in the end of the book. but other than that i found the majoriy of the book to really be a letdown.

The premise behind this story was intriguing, and the first half of the book was pretty engaging, but then it devolved into a series of glimpses into our past, and uninteresting situations with random characters.

Could have been amazing, but wasn't.

Once I started reading this book, it was intriguing. Until I reached the part about WormCam, an instrument which enabled people to see other people, in other places, which made the world, not only borderless, but also privacy-less, this book was getting frightening. And ... when I entered the part related with Bible issue, this books was getting "confusing". Finally, once I finished the entire book, I could only say, "This is a GREAT book. It is DIFFERENT". Clarke made this book not just mere as a sci-fi book with mere fantasy. He also touched the issue of humanity and interpersonal relationship with present reality. As if, this book was an analogy, and Clarke let the readers guess, this analogy referred to which part of life aspects.
For sure I will read this book again someday. Simply because my mind is still "itchy" and there is "unsettling" feeling. Truly a highly recommended book.

I found this book to be neither good science nor good fiction. A few science facts, wild eyed speculation, and tired plot elements were mixed in a sort of random mash of loosely connected threads. The only surprise is that no one had to fight any aliens or robots... that was about the only thing that they left out. The authors spent an inordinate amount of time dabbling in history, instead of working up a decent plot arc. Whatever basis of science that they used, it was pretty much thrown out later in favor of anything goes speculation. Toward the end, I was just skimming through to see how they would deal with "WORMWOOD" the bad ass comet that was supposed to snuff earth in a few centuries. Well the authors didn't deal with it...

when it was mentioned again, at then of the book, Its fate got a one line solution... "We pushed that away long ago".

I felt I should have done the same with this novel.

I purchased this book mainly because it has Arthur C. Clarke's name on it. I have read many of his books, but I had to stop reading this book before I was 1/2 way thru. There is entirely to much explicit description of seedy trashy sex in this "sci fi" novel. I am very disappointed in Mr. Clarke. I would hope these sex parts were not his doing. He has succumbed to the general decay and slide of novels to be masked sex fiction. I could get better FREE seedy sex stories off the internet. You can discuss immorality and sexual perversion voyeurism that would happen with out the explicitness and vulgarity. Any reference to Jesus Christ must have been very little and near the end of the novel. This "science fiction" novel is definitely not worth buying as is. Of course there is some good "hard science" concepts, but they were not developed enough. This was another example of an author resting on his luarals and taking advantage of his name for financial gain which is sad.

I was 12 years old the day I found a copy of Against the Fall of Night in my attic. It was a tattered copy that mom mother had saved. It opened a whole new world of reading to me. This lastest book reminded me of those early Clarke books and the wonder and mystery that he handles so well. Read this book and then please go read all the others.

Anyone thats read any of Stephen Baxters other stuff (specifically Time Ships) will find that he is sometimes very captivating, and sometimes not.... Well this is one of those times where the book is top notch. I really enjoyed Time Ships, and without giving away any of the story, liked this read as much as books like Contact by Carl Sagan and PastWatch by Orson Scott Card. If you liked either of those books, then I think you'll enjoy this one too....

I had higher expectations when I saw this was a collaboration by two great authors. The plot was sound. They did a good job of examining the implications of total and immediate disclosure of all events. The characterization was poor, however, and I felt the overall outlook on humanity was negative. I would hate to live in such a world of disillusionment.

This is one of the best books ever written and THE best science fiction book I have ever read. Not a day goes by when I wish we could make what Clarke surmised reality. I don't know if five stars does this wonderful book justice.

The Light of Other Days, ostensibly co-authored by Arthur C. Clarke, is marketed as a philosophically intriguing tale of the transformation of Earth society in the not-so-distant-future, upon the advent of a remote viewing technology that removes all pretense of privacy from people's lives, and even allows observing events in the past. This is an enticing premise, but it's all downhill from page 1. In fact, the premise is all that's left after you discard the juvenile writing style, the paper-thin plot, the one-dimensional characters, and the Discover magazine-grade science.

I actually gave up on it halfway through, after enduring chapter after chapter of egregious exposition. Relentless, finger-wagging infodumps in dialogue and newscasts read like the following (paraphrased, but not the least bit exaggerated): "'As you know, David, the warning signs of global warming went unheeded way back in the early 2000s, and now there's a permanent El Niño.' 'Why yes, Kate, not only is England, which had to become the 52nd U.S. state after international trade collapsed, locked in ice, but more than 60% of the earth's land is no longer farmable.'" The most blatant morality plays in Star Trek aren't even this bad. These passages are also buffered by a superfluous sex scene that tries to appeal to women, but was clearly written by a man.

And then there's this gem of dialogue, at which point the book cannot be taken any less seriously: "It's like what happened to the copyright laws with the advent of the Internet. You remember that? ... No, you're too young. The Global Information Infrastructure--the thing that was supposed to replace the Berne copyright convention--collapsed back in the nought-noughts. Suddenly the Internet was awash with unedited garbage. Every damn publishing house was forced out of business, and all the authors went back to being computer programmers, all because suddenly somebody was giving away for free the stuff they used to sell to earn a crust."

Yeah, 2001 or Rendezvous With Rama this is not; it's nowhere near the quality of Clarke's own masterworks, or any others in the genre, for that matter. That said, though, had this been marketed as a teen/preteen volume, I think it would be tolerable. However, I expected far more sophistication from an adult work, especially one with Clarke's name on it. Save your cash and wait for the TV movie.

While not a bad read, I think the book tried to cover way too much ground in 300 pages. The treatment of issues was superficial and the authors seemed to be trying to cram as many interesting topics as possible into one book. As a result the characters were underdeveloped and their relationships were not well defined.

A bit shady on the physics. For example, if energy (in the form of light) can only travel in one direction, from the past to the present, as this book asserts, then what happens to that energy and what replaces it in the past and how does this effect the universal equilibrium equation that states that energy and matter cannot be created or destroyed. I would have liked to have seen questions like this answered in this book or at least addressed. Other than that, a good read.

...of the future! As stated in the Afterword, technology described in this novel is becoming further away from sci-fi and more towards reality every day. If you are a reader that enjoys futurist ideas grounded in facts, you will love this novel. If you are a reader that enjoys great suspense in strange environments with colorful characters, you will love this novel. If you like Arthur C. Clark... 'nuf said!

This book was excellent. I am a long time fan of Arthur C. Clarke and a fan of Stephen Baxter. I was surprised that some reviewers thought it was such a grim perspective on the future of Humanity. I thought it was very positive and thought provoking

Context and purpose matter in effectively reading a book. You don't read Jane Austin for social and political details of the Napoleonic Wars; you read her for fine-grained and highly ironic character development. By the same token, you don't read Arthur Clarke for character or plot development; you read him for prophetic insights and ideas that solidly extrapolate frontier scientific thinking. Thus, to criticize him for flawed characters and plots is to miss the point and lose the opportunity to extend your point of view about the world and the implications of current technological trends.

If you read most other reviews for this book, you know by now what it is about: new technology that essentially abolishes privacy (current and past).
The story moves by leaps and bounds. However, the characters remain flat. And the technology, while evolving through the story, does not add to the story.
This book could have been a great book if the first 100 pages potential was exploited. Instead, each time the technology improved, the story lost its relevancy.

Another excellent sci-fi plot and premise. A total "what-if" scenario that opens your eyes and expands your mind. As a writer in this genre, I strive like Sir Arthur C. Clarke and Stephen Baxter, to reach readers on a personal level. Certainly, uncovering the truth throughout history would be a humbling experience, as the WormCam does in the book. I wanted the ending to continue longer, and feel this was the core theme they discovered too late, and is the reason I only give 4 stars. Otherwise hats off to these two legendary writers and this great book!

I am a big fan of Clarke's work but if seems the novels that are co-written are his worst. These all lack the straight forward no nonsence approach Clarke uses in his novels. Too much rambling and useless character subplots. Stick to his solo work.

Anyone who read Micheal Crichton's Timeline & thought it was passable should read this to take a look at how a true SF master treats a similar subject. Based on the same principle of quantum foam and wormholes Clarke comes up with an engrossing story of what it would mean for society if everyone could see through space & time.

I thought the book to be way to confusing. I could not understand all of the different "worm holes" "worm cams" and stuff. I was really disapointed. I am also not a very big fan of sci-fiction which may of also contributed to my thoughts about the book. Not a imagination catcher.

I've read Clarke for decades. His older novels were fascinating as were his short stories. Light of Other Days is tiresome as are his other newer novels. He seems to have "used up" his new ideas. If you truly wish to enjoy Clarke, start with any of his short story collections and then Childhood's End. This book isn't worth the time at any price.

I bought this book with little expectations and found it to be a really fun read but not real in-depth. Kind of like a summer blockbuster movie - enteraining but you won't be thinking about it days later.

If you enjoy environmentalist claptrap, bashing evangelists and Jesus, and a plot that takes a great premise and turns it into mud then by all means please read this book from cover to cover.
I was very disappointed, to say the least. The intelligent and fascinating plot device is insufficient to save this poorly constructed story or hide the glaring SERMON of humanism. Rent 2001 instead and remember the light of Clarke's other days.

It's 2:30 in the morning, and I just finished it. I read the final thirty pages in the past two hours; they grabbed my attention and wouldn't let go! (I recommend not reading the epilogue, though. I think it's better without it.) Nicely done development of "hard" scifi with the WormCams throughout the book, and their sometimes surprising effects on society. Wonderful final chapter had me gasping for breath.

Someone said in the previous review "I can't help but feel the real reason the authors wrote this story was to indulge in their hope that someday, all world religions would come to an end."

This is a very typical, predictable and sad mode of operation for Mr. Clarke. One just has to remember it is SF, meaning, that lack of God is just as a flight fancy to most as there being a God is to Mr. Clarke. When he passes he will learn, one way or the other.

As for the book, yes, old idea told yet again. Writing is ok but the premise is tired.