Lucifer's Hammer

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Lucifer's Hammer is a post-apocalyptic science fiction novel by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle, first published in 1977. There was also a 1993 comic book adaptation by Innovation Comics.

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

The story details a cometary impact on Earth, the end of civilization, and the battle for the future. It encompasses the discovery of the comet, the LA social scene, and a cast of diverse characters whom fate seems to smile upon and allow to survive the massive cataclysm and the resulting tsunamis, plagues, famines and battles amongst scavengers and cannibals.

When the wealthy amateur astronomer Tim Hamner discovers a new comet, dubbed Hamner-Brown, it comes to the attention of documentary producer Harvey Randall, who does a television series on the subject. Political lobbying by California Senator Arthur Jellison eventually gets a joint Apollo-Soyuz mission into space to study the comet, dubbed "The Hammer" by popular media, which is expected to pass close to the earth. Despite assurances by the scientific community that a collision with earth is extremely unlikely, the public, fueled by religious fervor by the evangelist Henry Armitage, begins to hoard food and supplies in anticipation.

Eventually, to the shock of scientists at JPL in Pasadena who couldn't track the trajectory accurately enough due to the comet's constant outgassing, the Hammer does fall, breaking up into several smaller comets that strike around the world with devastating results, including parts of Europe, Africa, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Pacific. The strikes cause volcanos and earthquakes along all major fault-lines in California, including the San Andreas fault, heavily damaging the region. Adding insult to injury are the comets' resulting tsunamis, which predictably destroy major coastal cities around the world, including Los Angeles. As the survivors contend with weeks of non-stop rain, flooding destroys practically every dam and levee, leaving a search for food a top survival priority. Civilization crumbles as people use the few remaining weapons to protect themselves from each other.

After "Hammerfall," Hamner goes from being a meek, affluent astronomer to a determined survivor with his new wife Eileen. Randall shows true leadership abilities under fire, and Jellison becomes a type of lord in his ranch stronghold, presiding over a small population of survivors who wish to retain civilization. Against them are the cannibalistic zealots lead by Reverend Armitage and an army of heavily armed soldiers, who fight for dominance in a new world.