Lucifer's Hammer
A comet strike devastates Earth; survivors struggle to rebuild.
Lucifer's Hammer is a science fiction novel about survival after a global catastrophe, written by American authors Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle. It came out in 1977 and was up for the Hugo Award for Best Novel the following year.
The story begins with the formation of the Solar System, where a planet as big as Saturn, located beyond Neptune and called only "the black giant," gets thrown out of the inner system and settles in the Oort cloud. Its gravity there sends a comet heading toward the inner Solar System. A wealthy amateur astronomer, Tim Hamner, helps discover the comet, which gets named Hamner-Brown after him and the other finder. Documentary producer Harvey Randall talks Hamner into having his soap company sponsor a TV series about the comet. Thanks to lobbying by California Senator Arthur Jellison, a joint Apollo-Soyuz mission (docking with Skylab B) gets approved to study the comet, which the media dubs "The Hammer." Scientists tell the public a collision is very unlikely, but the comet's nucleus breaks apart, and pieces hit Europe, Africa, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. This triggers volcanoes, earthquakes, and tsunamis that wipe out major coastal cities worldwide, kill billions, and start a new ice age as water and debris fill the atmosphere.
Right after the strike, China, thinking the Soviet Union will get too cold and invade, launches a preemptive nuclear attack on its neighbor. The Soviets fire back with their own missiles, telling the US they are not the target. Jellison had quietly moved his people and supplies to his ranch. He takes charge and organizes the easily defended valley in the Sierra foothills, calling it the "Stronghold." Randall and Hamner each make it to the valley and are let in, unlike nearly all other refugees. Jet Propulsion Laboratory scientist Dan Forrester, a genius, gets a warm welcome when he reveals he hid a stash of essential "how-to" books.
Other groups also form. A broken U.S. Army unit under Sergeant Hooker turns to cannibalism to survive. They team up with a criminal gang led by Alim Nassor. Together they search for a place that is not too well defended but can support them all.
- Title
- Lucifer's Hammer
- Authors
- Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle
- Published
- 1977
- Genre
- Science fiction post-apocalypse-survival novel
- Nationality
- American
- Award nomination
- Hugo Award for Best Novel (1978)
Lore & Background
Jellison, having taken precautions, organizes a defended valley in the Sierra foothills called the 'Stronghold.' Randall and Hamner reach it, as does scientist Dan Forrester, who brings hidden 'how-to' books. A cannibalistic army unit led by Sergeant Hooker, joined by a criminal gang under Alim Nassor and the mad Reverend Henry Armitage, forms the 'New Brotherhood Army' and attacks the Stronghold. Jellison's forces defeat them with mustard gas and other weapons. Later, the Stronghold helps defend a nearby nuclear power plant from the New Brotherhood, and after Jellison's death, they succeed, beginning to restore civilization.
Reader's Guide
Lucifer's Hammer is a landmark post-apocalyptic novel that combines hard science fiction with survivalist themes. Its detailed depiction of a comet impact and its aftermath—including tsunamis, volcanic winter, and societal collapse—influenced later works in the disaster genre. The novel's pro-technology stance, noted in contemporary reviews, sparked discussion about the role of technology in rebuilding civilization. The book's legacy includes a planned comic adaptation (two of six issues published in 1993) and a sequel short story, 'Story Night at the Stronghold,' published in 2016. The original story idea, an alien invasion plot, was later realized as the novel Footfall. The novel remains a touchstone for discussions of impact events in fiction and post-apocalyptic survival.
Did You Know?
- The novel was originally pitched as an alien invasion story; publisher Jim Baen advised the authors to write only the comet story.
- A reference to 'Crazy Eddie's Insurance' in the text links to the authors' earlier novel The Mote in God's Eye.
- Two issues of a planned six-part comic book adaptation were published by Innovation Comics in 1993.
- A sequel short story, 'Story Night at the Stronghold,' was published in the July/August 2016 issue of Analog Science Fiction and Fact.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Lucifer's Hammer?
It is a 1977 science fiction novel by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle that follows humanity's desperate attempt to survive and rebuild after a massive comet strikes Earth. The narrative spans from the comet's discovery through the long, difficult aftermath.
Who wrote Lucifer's Hammer and when did it come out?
American authors Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle co-authored the book, which was published in 1977. It received a Hugo Award nomination for Best Novel the following year.
What causes the catastrophe in the story?
A Saturn-sized planet, called the black giant, is flung out of the inner Solar System and settles in the Oort cloud, where its gravity nudges a comet on a collision course with Earth. The impact and its cascading effects devastate the planet's surface and infrastructure.
How does the story in Lucifer's Hammer end?
The novel tracks several small survivor groups over the years as they piece together what remains of civilization. The closing chapters show a fragile but genuine recovery, with communities reorganizing and rebuilding despite the enormous scale of the loss.
Why is Lucifer's Hammer considered a landmark in the genre?
It is one of the first novels to treat a realistic comet impact as the central disaster, laying groundwork for the post-impact survival subgenre. Its influence can be seen in later asteroid-collision stories and films that came decades after its 1977 release.
More in Novels about impact events 1-24
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