When Heaven Fell

by William Barton

Surviving the slaughter of the human race by the cybernetic Master Race, mercenary Athol Morrison and a group of desperate resistors return to an alien-occupied America in a daring attempt to overthrow the dark rulers of the universe. Original.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0446601667
• ISBN13: 9780446601665
• Release Date: March 1995
• Publisher: Aspect
• Length: 343 Pages
• Weight: 0.35 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 4.2" x 6.7"

Customer Reviews

Great!

This is one of the best books I have ever read. Im off to order everything else I can find from this author.

wow!

I have read six or seven of Barton's novels, and all are very good, this one is no exception. It is based in a world in which a Master Race has subdued Earth and also controls most of our galaxy. Mercenaries are hired by the Master Race, aliens and humans alike, Athol Morrison being one of them. The book centers around Athol and his adventures and personal life. I found this book simply fascinating, a rare page turner. William Barton writes with adult content and themes, so beware if you are easily offended, however, I find this writing style very refreshing and honest, in regards to true human nature and instincts that few if any other SF writers ever touch. I understand this novel is out of print, but it would be worth it to locate a used copy somewhere.

Bleak, depressing, and unforgettable

"Surviving the slaughter of the human race by the cybernetic Master Race, mercenary Athol Morrison and a group of desperate resistors return to an alien-occupied America in a daring attempt to overthrow the dark rulers of the universe."Yeah, right.Barton is one of the few (and perhaps the only) SF writer who has the nerve to write realistic and truly _adult_ SF. _When Heaven Fell_ is not happy wish-fulfillment stuff--it is a starkly realistic depiction of coping in a world without hope. You won't like this book the first time you read it. But I guarantee you will read it more than once.

Compelling Narrative Of The Enslavement Of Humanity

This was a fresh, yet harrowing first-person perspective of what life might be like if the plant Earth were to be conquered by an alien civilization. The fresh aspect of the story is that it is told 20 or so years after the battles are over. The conquest of Earth itself is described in passing terms only. The person doing the telling, Athol Morrison, is in the willing employ of the "Master Race" as a soldier, and is now involved in the conquest of other races at his master's bidding.The other fresh aspect of this story is that our protagonist himself is rather dislikable. The story is compelling however, in a way that is like looking at something that is horrible but that you can't tear your eyes from. Athol accepts the status quo (resistance is futile), and treats the humans trying to survive on his devastated planet with contempt. In a sense, the reader is presented with the question of survival vs. slavery. The Master Race is so far ahead of us in every technology that we have no chance of ever defeating them ourselves (in fact, because they consist of machines & software, with backups, it isn't even possible to really kill them). Is it not better then to do your best to survive, even if that means working diligently for the civilization that has enslaved your people?I had the sense that the story was set up in some way for a sequel, but it's been a few years and nothing yet. Be warned that this book is very dark in tone, with a fair amount of (degrading) sex and violence. Barton readers of course will be used to the degrading sex...

Putting the Philosophy back into Science Fiction

Barton takes a common theme, alien invasion, and reworks it with the grace of a master. Very much a book for the future of science fiction, the reader is left with the idea that what humanity suffers at the hands of alien invaders in some ways reminds them of their humanity. Top notch stuff.