Night of Power

by Spider Robinson

Book Overview

The place: a future New York City torn by racial tension and ripe for rebellion. The revolutionaries have high technology and careful planning on their side, their soldiers are well trained and sworn to secrecy, and their plans are unsuspected . . . until the Night of Power. Caught in the middle of the insurrection are Russell and Dena Grant and their daughter Jennifer, a 13-year-old whose genius-level intelligence saves her lifer more than once after...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0671559443
• ISBN13: 9780671559441
• Release Date: May 1985
• Publisher: Baen Books
• Length: 287 Pages
• Weight: 1.10 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Creative

This book left me with really strong feelings. Intellectually, I understand this as an indicator of a good read, but it was really unsettling. While I agree wholeheartedly with Michael's message, I would never, under any circumstances, support his methods, or conclude that it would get the results he sought. It was disturbing that seemingly intelligent people that I'd grown to like a lot, would let themselves get so caught up in the decisions that were forced upon them. Actually, Russell didn't until his choices were totally eliminated. Mr. Robinson is an excellent creator of the written word, so it deserves 4 stars for that reason alone, but the end eclipsed the entire book - the ultimate commitment made by the 14 year old, Jennifer, and its acceptance, was creepy and ruined an otherwise wonderful, apocalyptic adventure.

Grim but spideresque outlook on the future of race relations

Robinson had written this in the mid-eighties, when Reagan's policies seemed to indicate a less "melting-pot" but rather WASP-oriented domestic policy. When this book went out of print, it also seemed that the idea had gone out of fashion, and it read more like a fantasy instead. It appears this book has gone to "in print" status in a very timely manner - the criticism on the treatment of the people who were affected the most by the Katrina desaster seems to echo in the story of those who would not believe peaceful co-existence between the races was possible without segragation in the territorial sense. The thrilling story of a man who would come to New York City because his black wife, a dancer, would be able to dance once more in public before age would make her retire, is made all the more poignant because recent advances in technology would make success of a revolution much more likely. So go totally unprepared, read this story with as little information as possible, and you will enjoy it the most. Spider Robinson was in a peak of his creativity (in the 80s eclipsed only by "Mindkiller") when he wrote this one.

Insightful and thought provoking.

I recently re-read "Night of Power" - a few weeks after the tragedy of Sept. 11 in NYC. I'd always felt the events in Spider's book to be insightful, but somehow... in the light of real life events, it was almost too painful to read. But still, as with most of Spider's works, it ends with hope. After it's all over, there's hope. We need to keep working toward that end.

Night of Power too close to the truth.

This is one of Hugo and Nebula award winning author, Spider Robinson's earliest books. The American-born author, now living in Canada paints a grim but possibly accurate picture of the possible future between white and African Americans. As with all of Robinson's books, the characterisation is excellent and the plot well developed. An excellent story that holds you until the last page.

Wild journey into the night of black Manhattan...

"Night Of Power" is based in Manhattan, in a nebulous future where smog is serious enough to cause people to live in domes and racial violence has increased beyond anyone's worst nightmares. What would you do if confronted with a racewar? More than that, what would you do if stuck on Manhattan Island while it is being taken over? This is a twisted tale into the minds of a caucasian family as they struggle their way through the Manhattan suburbs, on this Night of Power. Well worth the read!