2012: The War for Souls

by Whitley Strieber

Book Overview

December 21, 2012, may be one of the most watched dates in history. Every 26,000 years, Earth lines up with the exact center of our galaxy. At 11:11 on December 21, 2012, this event happens again, and... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0765358670
• Release Date: July 2008
• Publisher: Tor Books
• Length: 320 Pages
• Weight: 0.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 6.8" x 0.9" x 4.2"

Customer Reviews

An intense book, pulled off successfully with tremendous flair

The ancient Maya, in their primitive yet deceptively remarkable way, have calculated December 21, 2012 to be the day on which our Earth aligns exactly with the center of the galaxy as it does only once every 26,000 years. On this day, the world will come to an end. In 2012: The War for Souls, author Whitley Strieber shows his vision for the horrors predicted to come. Archaeologist Martin Winters is in the Pyramid of Khufu before the day breaks, seeking answers to a question that could support a theory he holds dear. As he works, the pyramid begins to collapse; when he scrambles his way to safety, all that remains is a sleek, black lens staring up into space. Eventually, 14 lenses will appear on destroyed ancient sites worldwide. The real problem comes when night falls and invasion begins. Alien forces come from within the discs and begin systematically targeting humans, using an attack that removes the soul but keeps the shell alive for purposes of slavery. Martin loses his family in one such attack, and while military strategists do their best to turn the tide, the effort is futile. Worse yet, an agent of the invading force has already infiltrated the US government, infecting it from within. Strieber does a phenomenal job in presenting this invasion and ensuing chaos. The story rockets forward, dragging you deeper with page-turning ferocity. As exhilarating and nerve-wracking as it is, you are sent for a complete spin when you meet husband, father and author Wiley Dale. Wiley awakens from a trance while sitting at his computer and finds on his system the horrifying story of an archaeologist named Martin Winters and his struggle against an alien invasion force. Something is so strikingly real about the story, which makes Wiley afraid. Of course, his wife believes he's nuts, and he begins to drift back into a paranoia about the time when he claims to have been abducted. Someone is trying to tell him something. As more of the story begins to unfold and he becomes more embroiled on a personal level, Wiley comes to understand that there are multiple Earths existing at the same time. He becomes convinced that Martin is in the next ripple over and that a loss in their world will have drastic consequences for his own. And then he discovers the portal. Strieber has crafted an intense book, one that flies by with startling and vivid imagery. What could have been a standard alien invasion story is kicked to a higher level with the implementation of the multiple-Earth theory. Conversely, what could have collapsed under the weight of its effort is pulled off successfully with tremendous flair. --- Reviewed by Stephen Hubbard

Whitley doesn't disappoint!

2012 is riveting. Such a coincidence the release of the book coincided with a mathematician saying parallel universes really do exist! Another hit, Whitley!

A chilling ride into human potential

Picking up this book for a forthcoming vacation, I was expecting a fun, light read. What I received inside the covers was insightful glimpse into the potential that everyone holds within. I typically take weeks to finish a book. With 2012 I literally could not put this down and completed it in two and half days. The manner in which Mr. Strieber weaves the entangled characters with their increasing realization of each person's importance, takes hold and does not let go. I read late into the night as sleep could not compete with my desire to learn more about the characters. Above all the book was a thought provoking rush of a experience. Highly recommended.

A new classic in Strieber Fiction

Anyone trying to find an agenda in this book will fail. It's simply fiction with hints of "what if?" ideas to get the reader more enthralled. I enjoyed this book more than Strieber's previous book, The Grays, since it has 3 story lines set up to converge in the end. 2012: TWFS is a must read for fans of science fiction and Strieber's previous works (WAR DAY, Nature's End).

Thrill-ride through the valley of death

Whitley's worldview is pragmatic and urbane - one never feels as though one is following a naive Pied Piper from the sticks. I've read some of his other books and he knows how to tell a good story. He's a philosopher: at the end I always feel as though I've learned something of value. This book is a wild ride, a suspense which taps into themes of recent urban myths (or ancient ones?) and/or the paranormal. I thought I'd read it calmly, at a leisurely pace during the week, but I couldn't put it down, gripping white-knuckled and bug-eyed through the night. It's layered in three separate-yet-simultaneous time zones - or rather dimensions - something new to me. It addresses common issues of love, loyalty, and faith in a whole new way - if you can stand the gruesome horror within which it's framed.