Centuries ago, one small town in Germany disappeared and was never resettled. Tom, a historian, and his theoretical physicist girlfriend Sharon, become interested. By all logic, the town should have survived. What's so special about Eifelheim?
Father Dietrich is the village priest of Eifelheim, in the year 1348, when the Black Death is gathering strength. To his astonishment, Dietrich makes first contact between humanity and an alien race from a distant star, when their ship crashes in the nearby forest. Flynn gives us the full richness and strangeness of medieval life, as well as some terrific aliens.
Industry Reviews
A deeply researched and well-thought-out novel that moves us and makes us smarter just for having read it.--Orson Scott Card One of those very occasional novels that you know early on you will never forget. A powerhouse.--Jack McDevitt "Carl Sagan meets Umberto Eco. . . .Bursting with pungent historical detail and Big Theme musings, this dense, provocative novel offers big rewards to patient readers." --Entertainment Weekly
"Heartbreaking . . . .Flynn masterfully achieves an intricate panorama of medieval life, full of fascinatingly realized human and Krenken characters whose fates interconnect with poignant irony." --Publishers Weekly, starred review
"Meticulously researched, intense, mesmerizing novel . . . for readers seeking thoughtful science fiction of the highest order." --Kirkus, starred review
"Wonderful, mesmerizing. A finely-written and deeply considered SF novel that deserves to stand with the classics in the field." --Robert Charles Wilson, award-winning author of Spin
"Eifelheim may turn out to be the best science fiction novel this year." --Orson Scott Card, author of Empire
"Eifelheim is one of those very occasional novels that you know early on you will never forget. A powerhouse." --Jack McDevitt
"With a sure grasp of both speculative science and medieval history, Flynn compellingly weaves past and present together in a dialog of faith and science. With neat turns of plot and intriguing medieval and modern characters, this book, parts of which were previously published as a novella, belongs in even small libraries. Highly recommended." --Library Journal, starred review
"Michael Flynn's Eifelheim is a gripping multi-layered masterpiece, which pulls off the extraordinary feat of imagining a convincing first contact with aliens that might have taken place in 1348, and adds an equally convincing account of the manner in which the event might be rediscovered by a 21st-century historian. The intricate detective story is supplemented by a heartfelt moral commentary on the manner in which the contact was negotiated and the crucial significance it retains, in spite of having been forgotten for nearly 700 years." --Brian Stableford
"Eifelheim is a truly impressive and enjoyable novel." --Stanley Schmidt Carl Sagan meets Umberto Eco. . . .Bursting with pungent historical detail and Big Theme musings, this dense, provocative novel offers big rewards to patient readers. Entertainment Weekly
Heartbreaking . . . .Flynn masterfully achieves an intricate panorama of medieval life, full of fascinatingly realized human and Krenken characters whose fates interconnect with poignant irony. Publishers Weekly, starred review
Meticulously researched, intense, mesmerizing novel . . . for readers seeking thoughtful science fiction of the highest order. Kirkus, starred review
Wonderful, mesmerizing. A finely-written and deeply considered SF novel that deserves to stand with the classics in the field. Robert Charles Wilson, award-winning author of Spin
Eifelheim may turn out to be the best science fiction novel this year. Orson Scott Card, author of Empire
Eifelheim is one of those very occasional novels that you know early on you will never forget. A powerhouse. Jack McDevitt
With a sure grasp of both speculative science and medieval history, Flynn compellingly weaves past and present together in a dialog of faith and science. With neat turns of plot and intriguing medieval and modern characters, this book, parts of which were previously published as a novella, belongs in even small libraries. Highly recommended. Library Journal, starred review
Michael Flynn's Eifelheim is a gripping multi-layered masterpiece, which pulls off the extraordinary feat of imagining a convincing first contact with aliens that might have taken place in 1348, and adds an equally convincing account of the manner in which the event might be rediscovered by a 21st-century historian. The intricate detective story is supplemented by a heartfelt moral commentary on the manner in which the contact was negotiated and the crucial significance it retains, in spite of having been forgotten for nearly 700 years. Brian Stableford
Eifelheim is a truly impressive and enjoyable novel. Stanley Schmidt
" Bursting with pungent historical detail and Big Theme musings, this dense, provocative novel offers big rewards to patient readers. "Entertainment Weekly"
Marvelous. Wonderful. A tour de force. Choose your superlative. Flynn uses physics, theology, logic and extraterrestrials to explore the subtleties of the human heart and mind. "Starlog"
A deeply researched and well-thought-out novel that moves us and makes us smarter just for having read it. Orson Scott Card
One of those very occasional novels that you know early on you will never forget. A powerhouse. Jack McDevitt
Flynn's combination of science fiction, historical fact and logical deduction makes for a fascinating and addictive read. "Rocky Mountain News"
With a sure grasp of both speculative science and medieval history, Flynn ("The Wreck of the River of Stars") compellingly weaves past and present together in a dialog of faith and science. With neat turns of plot and intriguing medieval and modern characters. . . Highly recommended. "Library Journal, (starred review)"
Heartbreaking . . . .Flynn masterfully achieves an intricate panorama of medieval life, full of fascinatingly realized human and Krenken characters whose fates interconnect with poignant irony. "Publishers Weekly, starred review"
Meticulously researched, intense, mesmerizing novel (based in some part on a 1986 short story) for readers seeking thoughtful science fiction of the highest order. "Kirkus Reviews, (starred review)"
""
An arresting revision of many contemporary assumptions about human nature .As usual, Flynn's content and form render his work both engaging and engrossing. "SFRA Review"
In Flynn's masterful hand, even the most fateful conversations take delightful turns as human and alien discuss the heavens and how to return to them. Eifelheim is both speculative fiction and morality tale. "Sunday Free Press"
[Flynn] makes both worlds-the medieval German town and the modern couple trying to determine the likelihood of interstellar travel-real, physical, and emotional....A remarkably rich and dense work. "Bookgasm""
