The Forge of God was published by Tor Books in 1987, and it is one of the most devastating novels in science fiction — a meticulously realistic depiction of the end of the world.
The novel opens with two discoveries: a dying alien is found in Death Valley, California, and a strange geological formation appears in Australia. The alien delivers a warning: self-replicating machines are already inside the Earth, converting its core into energy and raw material. The Earth will be destroyed in months. The geological formation is one of the machines — a “planet-eater” of the type that has been destroying worlds throughout the galaxy for millions of years.
Bear’s treatment of the apocalypse is remarkable for its refusal of heroism. There is no secret weapon, no daring plan, no last-minute salvation. The human characters — scientists, politicians, ordinary people — try to understand what is happening, try to find a way to stop it, and fail. The Earth is destroyed: the oceans boil, the continents crack, and the planet is reduced to a ring of debris. The novel’s power lies in the accumulation of specific, realistic detail — Bear describes the end of the world as it would actually appear to people experiencing it, from the initial geological disturbances to the final cataclysm.
The novel’s single note of hope is provided by a second group of aliens — benevolent machines that arrive to rescue what they can. They collect samples of Earth’s biosphere and a small number of humans, preserving the genetic and cultural legacy of the planet. The sequel, Anvil of Stars, follows the survivors as they hunt for the civilization that sent the planet-eaters.
Collecting The Forge of God
First edition (Tor Books, New York, 1987): Cloth binding, dust jacket.
Market values:
- First edition in dust jacket: $20–$60
- Without jacket: $8–$15
- Paperback editions: $5–$10