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Final Impact
Life As the World Knows It
New York, Early October...
[fade to Marti Nunciata]
From the middle segment of the seven o'clock Cable News Network
"Excitement continues to build as astronomers around the world prepare to record the impact of the rogue planet Millennium on the far side of Jupiter in late November. The rogue planet was dubbed Millennium because when discovered by the Kin Peak National Observatory in Arizona, it was originally estimated to strike Jupiter early in the year 2000. Now, however, astronomers estimate the impact will occur on November twenty-sixth, the Friday after Thanksgiving. This is what Professor Frank Gelasias had to say when asked about the more than one month discrepancy between the originally projected date of impact and when scientists now believe the rogue planet will actually strike the gas giant."
[cut to window and expand to fill, Professor Frank Gelasias]
"There are many factors which can affect the date we calculate that a body in space will strike another one, or pass close by, so much changing information on an object of this size and speed, that exact projections early on are chancy at best. But we're fairly certain that this one will strike the day after Thanksgiving, and when it does, the impact on Jupiter will dwarf what Shoemaker-Levy did to the planet in 1994. Millennium is huge by comparison, and the resulting damage to Jupiter's atmosphere could change the way we see the planet--its gas atmosphere--for decades."
New York, Early October...
[fade to Marti Nunciata]
From the middle segment of the seven o'clock Cable News Network
"Excitement continues to build as astronomers around the world prepare to record the impact of the rogue planet Millennium on the far side of Jupiter in late November. The rogue planet was dubbed Millennium because when discovered by the Kin Peak National Observatory in Arizona, it was originally estimated to strike Jupiter early in the year 2000. Now, however, astronomers estimate the impact will occur on November twenty-sixth, the Friday after Thanksgiving. This is what Professor Frank Gelasias had to say when asked about the more than one month discrepancy between the originally projected date of impact and when scientists now believe the rogue planet will actually strike the gas giant."
[cut to window and expand to fill, Professor Frank Gelasias]
"There are many factors which can affect the date we calculate that a body in space will strike another one, or pass close by, so much changing information on an object of this size and speed, that exact projections early on are chancy at best. But we're fairly certain that this one will strike the day after Thanksgiving, and when it does, the impact on Jupiter will dwarf what Shoemaker-Levy did to the planet in 1994. Millennium is huge by comparison, and the resulting damage to Jupiter's atmosphere could change the way we see the planet--its gas atmosphere--for decades."
- GenresFantasyScience Fiction
480 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1997
7 people are currently reading
33 people want to read
About the author
Yvonne Navarro
127 books173 followersYvonne Navarro is the author of Concrete Savior, Highborn, AfterAge, deadrush, Final Impact, Mirror Me and a bunch of other books, plus Buffy the Vampire Slayer novels and tie-in novels for Hellboy, Elektra, and others."
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
November 25, 2021
After reading a few of Navarro's early horror novels and really liking them, Final Impact was a bit of a let down. That is not to say it is a bad book or a hate read, but for me it felt a bit to contrived and lacked that something that really makes a book jell.
Mostly set in Chicago, Navarro builds a wide cast here, and develops them in some detail for the first 300 pages before the asteroids strike. The entire concept and set up reminded me in no small way of Lucifer's Hammer-- big ass asteroid hits the Earth and things go crazy as civilization ends. Yet, while Niven's book was populated largely by scientific types and situated around the JPL in California, Navarro characters are all largely 'freaks', or individuals with special talents like healing, 'far-sight', telekinesis, etc.
Some mild spoilers-- the science in the book seems a little off, and not just because it was written a few decades ago. What strikes the earth is not one asteroid, but numerous chunks of a 'rogue planet' that got torn apart in Jupiter's gravity well. When they starting hitting the Earth, they somehow managed to stop the Earth's rotation. Well, I am just not sure that could happen, but so it goes. What is even more of a stretch is how everything (animals, humans, etc.), starts evolving in lightening fast fashion. Even before the 'end', women are becoming fertile and getting pregnant all over; this is even happening with cats and dogs. Further, the babies are heavily mutated as well... I will stop here on that.
Perhaps it is the overall concept that left me a little flat. On the one hand, this is a post-apocalyptic novel sure; you know that from the blurb and the city burning on the front cover. On the other hand, however, it really is something of an urban fantasy novel as well. Even before the 'end', people are mutating left and right, becoming things like vampires, werewolves, chameleons, etc., along with all the strange ESP talents of many of our main characters. It is kinda a cool idea, but it felt like either side was not really developed enough to do it justice. Maybe it is just me, but I felt she tried to do too much here; YMMV. Good characters over all, and for such a large cast, it was pretty easy to keep track of everyone. 3 end of the world stars!
Mostly set in Chicago, Navarro builds a wide cast here, and develops them in some detail for the first 300 pages before the asteroids strike. The entire concept and set up reminded me in no small way of Lucifer's Hammer-- big ass asteroid hits the Earth and things go crazy as civilization ends. Yet, while Niven's book was populated largely by scientific types and situated around the JPL in California, Navarro characters are all largely 'freaks', or individuals with special talents like healing, 'far-sight', telekinesis, etc.
Some mild spoilers-- the science in the book seems a little off, and not just because it was written a few decades ago. What strikes the earth is not one asteroid, but numerous chunks of a 'rogue planet' that got torn apart in Jupiter's gravity well. When they starting hitting the Earth, they somehow managed to stop the Earth's rotation. Well, I am just not sure that could happen, but so it goes. What is even more of a stretch is how everything (animals, humans, etc.), starts evolving in lightening fast fashion. Even before the 'end', women are becoming fertile and getting pregnant all over; this is even happening with cats and dogs. Further, the babies are heavily mutated as well... I will stop here on that.
Perhaps it is the overall concept that left me a little flat. On the one hand, this is a post-apocalyptic novel sure; you know that from the blurb and the city burning on the front cover. On the other hand, however, it really is something of an urban fantasy novel as well. Even before the 'end', people are mutating left and right, becoming things like vampires, werewolves, chameleons, etc., along with all the strange ESP talents of many of our main characters. It is kinda a cool idea, but it felt like either side was not really developed enough to do it justice. Maybe it is just me, but I felt she tried to do too much here; YMMV. Good characters over all, and for such a large cast, it was pretty easy to keep track of everyone. 3 end of the world stars!
June 5, 2020
This is a surprisingly good apocalyotic novel, filled with well-realized characters. The science seems a bit far-fetched in retrospect, but that's not a distraction because the fast-paced plot doesn't allow time for too much introspection. It's comparable to Niven & Pournelle's LUCIFER'S HAMMER in a way, but Navarro is much more interested in the character development and interaction than the doomsday consequences.
June 27, 2021
Not bad but it does go on way too long. Less would have been more.
May 31, 2020
This was a very interesting read for me. Navarro is an author I have been long overdue to read and this is a long time coming. I had the sequel to this novel Red Shadows on my shelf for years and had been searching for the first book forever. It was last year that I decided enough was enough and I ordered a beat up copy of the mass market paperback. I assume this was a first edition.
Interesting that Goodreads had no image of the cover on my book. Oh well.
I want to say something off the bat because I don't want to be misunderstood. Navarro is a hell of a writer and any problems book had were mostly on me. I have to admit this book was not exactly the book I was hoping for. Weird end of the world novels are my absolute favorites. I first discovered the book through finding the sequel at Powell's about a decade ago. A novel set in the aftermath of a rogue planet breaking apart and running into Earth in orbit is my jam.
The problem for me is Final Impact doesn't become that book until 300 pages in. When we get there it was fantastic and everything I wanted. That is not to say the first 300 pages were not good, Navarro is gifted writer who did an excellent job weaving characters together. Even though it wasn't the story I wanted I was never bored.
The pitch for was probably something to the effect of Deep Impact meets the Stand. The first 2/3 of the book is focused on a set of characters who seem to be developing magical powers as the world enters the last phase before this disaster. This was the majority of the novel, it was all well done and interesting for the most part - it just wasn't what I was looking for in this book.
It is a tricky thing narrative wise, in supernatural or science fiction it is generally hard to have more than one fantastical element in a story. Having both a rogue planet breaking part and coming destroy civilization is one fantastical element, and since It had been more than a year since I read the back cover and put this book in the TBR I was confused and surprised when characters were getting magical powers.
The Stand is a rare case that has the pandemic and the spiritual quest, but I think that works because it is subtle and not introduced until the novel devastates us for hundreds of pages. The powers of these characters are the story for the majority of the first 300 pages.
In that sense Final Impact feels like two novels, both are well written and engaging just two different stories. Look I understand how and why the first part sets up the second part but it just didn't work for me. The last act however was very powerful and the best thing I can say about the book is that I am excited to read the sequel at some point later in the year.
Interesting that Goodreads had no image of the cover on my book. Oh well.
I want to say something off the bat because I don't want to be misunderstood. Navarro is a hell of a writer and any problems book had were mostly on me. I have to admit this book was not exactly the book I was hoping for. Weird end of the world novels are my absolute favorites. I first discovered the book through finding the sequel at Powell's about a decade ago. A novel set in the aftermath of a rogue planet breaking apart and running into Earth in orbit is my jam.
The problem for me is Final Impact doesn't become that book until 300 pages in. When we get there it was fantastic and everything I wanted. That is not to say the first 300 pages were not good, Navarro is gifted writer who did an excellent job weaving characters together. Even though it wasn't the story I wanted I was never bored.
The pitch for was probably something to the effect of Deep Impact meets the Stand. The first 2/3 of the book is focused on a set of characters who seem to be developing magical powers as the world enters the last phase before this disaster. This was the majority of the novel, it was all well done and interesting for the most part - it just wasn't what I was looking for in this book.
It is a tricky thing narrative wise, in supernatural or science fiction it is generally hard to have more than one fantastical element in a story. Having both a rogue planet breaking part and coming destroy civilization is one fantastical element, and since It had been more than a year since I read the back cover and put this book in the TBR I was confused and surprised when characters were getting magical powers.
The Stand is a rare case that has the pandemic and the spiritual quest, but I think that works because it is subtle and not introduced until the novel devastates us for hundreds of pages. The powers of these characters are the story for the majority of the first 300 pages.
In that sense Final Impact feels like two novels, both are well written and engaging just two different stories. Look I understand how and why the first part sets up the second part but it just didn't work for me. The last act however was very powerful and the best thing I can say about the book is that I am excited to read the sequel at some point later in the year.
May 15, 2012
Meh on this novel of a swarm of asteroids hitting the Earth. The science doesn't convince. Species don't mutate in response to external events; they randomly mutate. A body the mass of the moon hitting Earth, even in pieces, doesn't allow for human survival; the crust would probably liquify (the way it did last time this happened). Otherwise, this reminded me of the Stand, wherein we follow a bunch of characters who have mystical powers and will live through the bad thing. Goody good guys and inexplicably bad guys.
August 22, 2016
The elevator description of this novel would be "Deep Impact" meets "The Stand" and they have a baby. This baby, like all babies, is smaller than its parents: just a few individuals in scattered lives, that draw together in the usual human ways. Though we soon see that these are not usual humans. While the message of the book could be "species which do not adapt do not survive," the book doesn't dwell on its Darwinian roots, but celebrates the human capacity to create connections, families, communities in spite of it all.
March 25, 2008
Only read this because she authored some Buffy Books.
I like here Buffy books better than her own stuff.
I like here Buffy books better than her own stuff.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews