The Inverted World in The Evolution of Science Fiction

From the Bookshelf of The Evolution of Science Fiction…

The Inverted World

Christopher Priest

Start date: September 1, 2014

Finish date: September 30, 2014

Discussion: Group Reads 2019

Why we're reading this: This was chosen by the group to read in September
[close] This was chosen by the group to read in September

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Group Reads 2019

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What Members Thought

Aug 08, 2022 Oleksandr Zholud rated it liked it · review of another edition

This is a classic SF novel that was nominated for major awards and translated into many languages. I read it as a part of monthly reading for August 2022 at Hugo & Nebula Awards: Best Novels group. The novel was first published in 1974 and was nominated for Hugo and Locus in 1975, lost to The Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le Guin.

The story starts with a prologue we meet characters absent from a major part of the following story and then shift to the life story of Helward Mann. He has just left the C This is a classic SF novel that was nominated for major awards and translated into many languages. I read it as a part of monthly reading for August 2022 at Hugo & Nebula Awards: Best Novels group. The novel was first published in 1974 and was nominated for Hugo and Locus in 1975, lost to The Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le Guin.

The story starts with a prologue we meet characters absent from a major part of the following story and then shift to the life story of Helward Mann. He has just left the Creche and is about the work for the city as did his father before him. Mann is to become a member of one of the guilds which ruled the city. Moreover, for the first time in his life, he鈥檚 to venture outside for his work is related to moving to the city. For the city is constantly moving to some, not initially clearly defined optimum and has to move to avoid destruction.

Upon his first appearance beyond the walls of the city, he sees the Sun. and it is strange: 鈥淣ow the bulk of its body had appeared above the horizon, and it hung in sight, a long, saucer-shape of light, spiked above and below with two perpendicular spires of incandescence.鈥� What follows is the life of Mann (a pun to 鈥榤an鈥� I guess is evident) as he tries to understand the environment around him, which is quite different from what he has read about the world in Earth鈥檚 books.

This is an interesting story with a twist, which was spoiled for me by the fact that SF Masterworks edition has a preface by Adam Roberts, who spills out the idea behind the story (and which therefore had to be put at the end, not at the start!). Even despite this drawback, the story is interesting and fully in line with 鈥榮cience鈥� part of SF, even if what is proposed is physically impossible.

A special note is the end of the story, which turns it upside down once again and leaves readers wandering. It is definitely a worthy SF read, but be prepared that its pace is rather slow, and experiences, as with many late 60s and early 70s SFF are sometimes verging on psychedelic.
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Sep 08, 2017 Peter Tillman rated it it was ok

Shelves: fantasy, science-fiction

Maybe 2.5 stars? I remember the plot, and that I liked it, but not that much. No notes on the machine ;-[
*Possibly* in my old paper notebooks? Which I used to say I would type up someday. I don't say that anymore.... 馃 ...more

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Jul 15, 2015 Tomislav rated it it was amazing

Shelves: science-fiction, 5-stars

It seems like I've read about cities that move across worlds on railroad tracks quite a bit lately - Alastair Reynolds' Absolution Gap (2003), China Mieville's Iron Council (2004), and Kim Stanley Robinson's 2312 (2012) for example, perhaps also Richard Grant's Through The Heart (1991). Chrisopher Priest's Inverted World (1974) predates all of those, and extensively develops the concept, but I'm not sure if he originated it.

In this case, it is on a world of strange topology, which is slowly rev ...more

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May 01, 2014 Barondestructo rated it really liked it

A city moves along a railroad track in constant, laborious progress, attempting to keep up with something called 鈥渢he optimum鈥� 鈥� or risk losing pace and falling victim to a gravitational field that has warped space and time. This is a truly bizarre work of science fiction that jumps between multiple narrative styles in telling a story that is both grounded in its characters yet intellectually and creatively provocative in its conceit. At times, I felt like I was reading Leigh Brackett鈥檚 The Long ...more

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Aug 16, 2022 Joe Santoro rated it liked it

Shelves: hard_sf

This definitely makes it on the list of 'good sci fi makes you think'... it's a REALLY weird world... the inhabitants of 'the City' have to constantly move to keep close to 'the optimum' to stay alive.. all while battling hostile natives. Natives from where, you say? And why are they human? and Why is the sun that shape?

The answers are... disappointing, but in hindsight, make alot more sense than any of the things I was guessing. There is definitely some interesting commentaries on the human con ...more

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Sep 16, 2012 Pickle rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: sci-fi, library-books

i didnt really enjoy this, i think mainly due to me expecting a sci-fi novel but instead it read as a YA/Steampunk book. I didnt feel drawn to any of the characters but the first third of the book was enjoyable.

The ending reminded me of Under the Dome except less believable.

sadly this is one i wont be revisiting.

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