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James Blish
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Cities in Flight Kindle Edition

by James Blish (Author), Betty Ballantine (Introduction), Richard D. Mullen (Afterword) Format: Kindle Edition
4.3 out of 5 stars 527 ratings
From the Hugo Award–winning author, the classic millennia-spanning epic in one volume: “A wholly new concept of the far future.” —The New York Times
 
Originally published in four volumes, Cities in Flight brings together the famed “Okie novels” of science fiction master James Blish. Named after the migrant workers of America’s Dust Bowl, these novels convey Blish’s “history of the future,” a brilliant and bleak look at a world where cities roam the Galaxy looking for work and a sustainable way of life.
 
In the first novel, They Shall Have Stars, humankind has thoroughly explored the solar system, yet the dream of going even farther seems to have died in all but one man. His battle to realize his dream results in two momentous discoveries: anti-gravity and the secret of immortality. In A Life for the Stars, it is centuries later and antigravity generations have enabled whole cities to lift off the surface of the earth to become galactic wanderers. In Earthman, Come Home, the nomadic cities revert to barbarism and marauding rogue cities begin to pose a threat to all civilized worlds. In the final novel, The Triumph of Time, history repeats itself as the cities once again journey back into space, making a terrifying discovery which could destroy the entire universe. A serious and haunting vision of our world and its limits, Cities in Flight marks a milestone in science fiction.
 
“Compelling . . . If you haven’t read this yet, I envy you. Blish’s cities will fly through your dreams.” —Stephen Baxter
 
“In a century that brimmed with human short-sightedness, James Blish was one of the very first genuine visionaries of a new millennium.” —David Brin
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  1. Print length
    607 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    The Overlook Press
  4. Publication date
    January 4, 2005
  5. File size
    5.1 MB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Cities in Flight is an omnibus volume of four novels, originally published between 1955 and 1962, two of which are fix-ups of pieces that first appeared in various magazines in the early '50s. Despite having been conceived more than 50 years ago, and produced in episodic fashion, they stand head and shoulders above most SF available today.

In They Shall Have Stars, humankind's will to explore space is renewed with the advent of two discoveries: anti-gravity (the "spindizzy" machines) and the key to almost eternal life (anti-agathic drugs). By A Life for the Stars, centuries have passed and most of the major cities have built spindizzies into their bedrock and left earth, cruising the galaxy looking for work, much like the hobos of the Depression Era. Earthman, Come Home, told from the perspective of John Amalfi, the major of New York, was the first-written of the novels and--although not as tightly woven as the other segments--is still a masterly work. Blish gives the same weight and authority both to the sweeping cultural change wrought and suffered by the cities, and to the emotional growth of a man who is several hundred years old. We stay with Amalfi for the final episode, The Triumph of Time. New York is now planet-bound in the Greater Magellanic Cloud, but when Amalfi learns of the impending destruction of time itself, he is forced into space one more time, to take a last, desperate chance. The novel ends, literally, with a bang.

Despite the occasional, inevitable anachronism, such as vacuum tubes, Cities in Flight stands up remarkably well to modern reading. The novel's political and literary sophistication was unmatched in its time; there is very little to rival it even today. For most readers of a certain age, this was probably the first SF they encountered that was written from a mature standpoint and adult sensibility. The fact that Blish also manages to tell a fabulous, galaxy-spanning adventure tale makes this essential reading. --Luc Duplessis

From Library Journal

Blish's sf epic was originally published as four separate novels--They Shall Have Stars; A Life for the Stars; Earthman, Come Home; and The Triumph of Time--which became known over time collectively as the "Okie novels." The title of this edition is apt, as the thread of the story concerns entire cities that fly through space. All sf collections will want this.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B07MXFHMJ7
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ The Overlook Press; Reissue edition (January 4, 2005)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ January 4, 2005
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 5.1 MB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 607 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 out of 5 stars 527 ratings

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James Blish

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Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
527 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers consider this book a masterpiece and one of the best SF works of all time, praising its classic space age science fiction style and epic stories. They find it thought-provoking, with one review noting how it weaves real science into the narrative, and they appreciate the interesting characters and space exploration themes, with one mentioning the fantastic self-contained cities flying through space. While customers enjoy the book and find it fun to read, they note that the content feels somewhat dated.

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40 customers mention "Readability"36 positive4 negative

Customers find the book highly readable, describing it as a masterpiece and one of their favorite books from childhood, with several mentioning they enjoy being able to read it again.

"...This book was recommended to me by a friend as a good sci-fi classic to read and he was right...." Read more

"...It's a bit dated in places but is still a good read and a wonderful example of the genre from the 1950s to early 1960s. _..." Read more

"...Overall, it's an acceptable read, but not overwhelming." Read more

"...Still, I enjoyed the read, if there were a couple of sections where it felt like reading was "dutiful" rather than fun...." Read more

38 customers mention "Story quality"31 positive7 negative

Customers praise the quality of the stories in the book, describing them as a great set of epic tales and a classic example of early space age science fiction.

"...Blish writes an engaging story about nomadic Earth cities leaving the planet in search of interstellar trade and wealth." Read more

"...of real scientists were used to describe it, making the story less bound in fantasy and more in true science...." Read more

"...The second is a good coming of age story about a boy cast into the wider universe..." Read more

"My all time favorite sci-fi novel. I've probably read it 20 maybe 30 times. It never gets old...." Read more

23 customers mention "Thought provoking"23 positive0 negative

Customers find the book thought-provoking and interesting as a concept, appreciating how it weaves real science into its narrative.

"Full of thought provoking ideas (and confusing typos). Very much a piece of its time in the treatment of women...." Read more

"...used to describe it, making the story less bound in fantasy and more in true science...." Read more

"James Blish was almost pedantic in his love of science; the development of interstellar flight via 'spindizzies', the anti-aging drugs or 'anti-..." Read more

"...is an enjoyable collection with interesting characters and cultural environments...." Read more

6 customers mention "Enjoyment"6 positive0 negative

Customers find the book great fun to read.

"...having been written in another age, which dates it, this is an enjoyable collection with interesting characters and cultural environments...." Read more

"Somewhat dated storyline but fun to re-read after a 45 year break😎..." Read more

"...these books years ago and enjoyed them a lot then, and enjoyed just as much this time." Read more

"Just plain fun. I was sorry when the last page meant the adventure was over." Read more

5 customers mention "Space exploration"5 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the space exploration elements in the book, with one review highlighting the fantastic self-contained cities flying through space, while others mention the adventures of Earth cities, galactic travel, and the concept of plucking entire cities.

"...I can't put it down once I get into it. It takes me to a new world that I would like to live in." Read more

"...The stories hold up amazingly well. Moreover, the concept of plucking entire cities (especially NY) off the earth with antigravity and flying..." Read more

"...of sci-fi and political science is great stuff, as it tracks the adventures of Earth cities that have been launched into space...." Read more

"...I really enjoyed the idea of a city leaving the earth and roaming the stars. Each city had a specialty of trade...." Read more

4 customers mention "Character development"4 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the character development in the book.

"...of writing is excellent: dialogue flows well and character development is excellent overall, at times spanning very long lives...." Read more

"...age, which dates it, this is an enjoyable collection with interesting characters and cultural environments...." Read more

"...The depth of the characters is also there. Get it, read it!!" Read more

"One of the best Golden Age space operas, idea-laden, with memorable characters like Mayor John Amalfi and IMT." Read more

4 customers mention "Sf works"4 positive0 negative

Customers praise the science fiction elements of the book, with one customer noting it as one of the best SF works of all time, and another highlighting its innovative FTL (faster-than-light) device concept.

"I'd rate this tetralogy as one of the best SF works of all time...." Read more

"Set of 4 novels written over a number of years. 2 of them are superb the other 2 less so but still very enjoyable read. Recommended." Read more

"...But also what is still the best FTL device ever. And an ending that definitely precludes a sequel." Read more

"The science is dated but is still a good read. The first 3 of the 4 are better. Good value." Read more

14 customers mention "Dated content"4 positive10 negative

Customers find the book somewhat dated.

"...It's a bit dated in places but is still a good read and a wonderful example of the genre from the 1950s to early 1960s. _..." Read more

"...Forget the afterword it only spoils the excitement. The book is a bit dated in many ways now but the concept, plots and dialogue still deserve a..." Read more

"...it seemed powerful but dated; having just read it again, it feels dated but powerful...." Read more

"...My memory proved true. The story was a little dated but none the less I would recommend it to everyone." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • L. VanAllman
    5.0 out of 5 stars Good vintage sci-fi series!
    Reviewed in the United States on January 27, 2025
    Verified Purchase
    I read Cities in Flight when I was a teenager, it was great to revisit it in my retirement. Blish writes an engaging story about nomadic Earth cities leaving the planet in search of interstellar trade and wealth.
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  • Dr. Wrecker
    4.0 out of 5 stars A Classic
    Reviewed in the United States on November 23, 2023
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    Full of thought provoking ideas (and confusing typos). Very much a piece of its time in the treatment of women. Plenty of plot holes but I did not mind
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  • Kenneth A. Scharf
    5.0 out of 5 stars Classic SciFi, great ReRead after all these years!
    Reviewed in the United States on December 20, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    I actually read this book many years ago. It is a classic example of early space age science fiction. Buried somewhere in my bookcase was a well worn paperback copy, which I attempted to read. Alas, my close in vision now requires somewhat larger type, so I was very much pleased to find this book in hardcover at a good price.

    Being an ex New York City resident I love how he describes the city in terms of the 20th century in a far future setting. I can almost picture a spindizzy in an old 23rd street subway station. While the physics he uses to concoct faster than light travel via anti gravity are now known to be untrue, the works of real scientists were used to describe it, making the story less bound in fantasy and more in true science. Few SciFi authors have had that knack (Asmoiv and Clark come to mind).
    6 people found this helpful
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  • Nillspace
    5.0 out of 5 stars One of my first favorites.
    Reviewed in the United States on December 3, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    So This is some of the first cosmology I tried full brain Adsorption. It was so late 60's early 70's with everything ending with Love ad all we need. To create new space time. WOW!
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  • lane bowles
    3.0 out of 5 stars Uniquely Entertaining
    Reviewed in the United States on November 3, 2024
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    A series founded in the old golden Era of 50s sci-fi but with some nuance of the new wave sci-fi of the 60s. The first book is a good prequel for world building. The second is a good coming of age story about a boy cast into the wider universe (unfortunately we don't see him again and he is only given passing mention in the later 2 books, don't quite like how his story ends in those mentions but perhaps that is made to show the audience the perilousness of the universe in which the series occurs). The third book is a wide ride of loosely mad adventures that run through decades in mere chapters and is a little confusing. The final book is an odd ending that certainly caught me by surprise with its direction, and I am on the fence about it.
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  • Frank R. Claudy
    5.0 out of 5 stars a terrific work of sci-fi
    Reviewed in the United States on January 8, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    James Blish was almost pedantic in his love of science; the development of interstellar flight via 'spindizzies', the anti-aging drugs or 'anti-agathics' and other innovations are explained from their experimental beginnings with such clarity that readers are nearly ready to join the novel's characters in pitying 20th Century thought, hampered as it was by Einstein's faulty theories of Special and General Relativity. And the end......there was never a better ending for a novel spanning so many galaxies.
    Blish was a man of his time, so in the midst of all this innovation, our heroes are barking out commands into microphones connected by cables to tube amplifiers (though there is some reference to transistor technology.) No matter; the quality of writing is excellent: dialogue flows well and character development is excellent overall, at times spanning very long lives. This is a collection of several novels in one, and I was disappointed not to have more back-reference to early characters in subsequent volumes. One of my favorite characters, the first city-manager of New York in one volume was summarily killed off by the time the next began, but these are minor quibbles. If for no other reason, read it to think forever differently about the phrase,"Mow your lawn, ma'am?"
    11 people found this helpful
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  • Richard A. Enz
    4.0 out of 5 stars Dated but an enjoyable read
    Reviewed in the United States on August 20, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    In the context of having been written in another age, which dates it, this is an enjoyable collection with interesting characters and cultural environments. A more modern writer would not, for example, suggest that cities capable of faster-than-light travel would be using vacuum tubes. However, since most good fiction requires a "suspension of disbelief" I did not find it hard to overlook these types of references. This book was recommended to me by a friend as a good sci-fi classic to read and he was right. There is enough here to stretch the imagination and to engage the emotions.
    One person found this helpful
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  • MarvinMartian
    5.0 out of 5 stars James Blish, a science fiction writer's, science fiction writer!
    Reviewed in the United States on August 7, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    My all time favorite sci-fi novel. I've probably read it 20 maybe 30 times. It never gets old. I have at least 3 paperbacks here and there, one hardback and my current Kindle copy. It stands up really well considering it was started in the late 1950's.

    This novel is a tetrology, four books combined. Each one builds off the previous. The principle character really doesn't even show up until the second book.

    Again all four are combined here, They Shall Have Stars, A Life For the Stars, Earthman, Come Home and The Triumph Of Time. As a collection known as, Cities In Flight.

    The book covers about 2000 years in time just to give you an idea. As I write this I am 2/3rds of the way through The Triumph Of Time as I once again am reading the entire novel. I've always been amazed with Blish's knowledge of societies and social structures, politics, the science required for the effort, not just space science but in this case microbiology. The depth of the characters is also there.

    Get it, read it!!
    5 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • robin street
    5.0 out of 5 stars ... a 5 rating because the space opera is very good, though the science in some cases is very ...
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 10, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    I have given this book a 5 rating because the space opera is very good, though the science in some cases is very suspect and boring and was not needed for the main story. It is also a book of its time, a number of writers were hinting about the west becoming more like Russia as it coped with the cold war etc. Meaning that both sides would outwardly look the same and the military and government paramilitary organisations would regulate all.
    The book appeared in the shops to the best of my knowledge in the sixties, it is over 40 years since I first read it, and was one of the first space opera books that got under my skin. Migrant for hire workers travelling the galaxy to find work, this along with all the prejudices and exploitation and misunderstandings that our earth bound migrant workers suffer from provides plenty of food for thought in the 21st century. I think this book has a place in science fiction history and should be read bearing that in mind.
    Regards
    Robin
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  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars A classic
    Reviewed in Australia on April 5, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    Read this book many, many years ago. Brought back good memories
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  • Bookmobile
    5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome book!
    Reviewed in Canada on September 13, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    I normally don't review books, but Cities in Flight is one of those awesome classics that deserves to be reviewed and noted. It's one of my favorites, ever since I read one of the stories in a collection decades and decades ago. Got the book in paperback a while ago, but now that I'm doing most of my reading via Kindle on an iPad, and this book was on sale, I grabbed it.

    And the stories still grab me. One of the rare books you can read and reread frequently.
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  • TreborJW
    5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
    Reviewed in Australia on February 6, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    Definitely a masterwork.
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  • I. Alexakis
    4.0 out of 5 stars Höchst empfehlenswert
    Reviewed in Germany on August 18, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    Ein herausragendes Buch aus einer Zeit die viele SF Klassiker hervorgebracht hat. Keine laserstrahlen-pew-pew Geschichte, sondern eine Extrapolation vom Ende des Kalten Krieges, dem Ende der westlichen Zivilisation, der Eroberung der Galaxien und dem Ende aller Dinge. Der Einfall der fliegenden Städte als Gesellschaften in der Petrischale ist genial. Ein Stern Abzug fürs letzte Buch, das viel zu dick aufträgt und das hohe Niveau der Vorgänger nicht ganz mithalten kann.
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