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The Long Twilight of Man
I've always been drawn to post-apocalypse stories, and this is one of the best. It takes place more than a thousand years after technological civilization has collapsed, not from global war, but from it's own internal contradictions and injustices. In several of Simak's novels he mentions this theme of mankind having taken the "wrong turn" long ago in it's development, and thereby containing the unrecognised seeds of its own destruction. Here, the mass of the people themselves apparently tore down their own civilization because it's "over-civilised", "over-organsed", and "over-technological" nature had become a hell to them. The creation of pyramids of robot brain cases (like the pyramids of skulls left by the Mongols as they sacked more ancient civilizations) was a nice touch.

This story takes place long after this collapse. The tiny remnant of mankind that survives has settled in to a more traditional tribal pattern. The hero of the tale lives in a monastic-like walled university, where the last books, and readers, preserve the tales of mankind's lost heritage. While browsing the in the ancient university library a young scholar finds a lost manuscript that tells of a "Place of Going to the Stars" far to the West. He then takes up his bow and his pack and leaves the safety of the universitiy walls to confirm the truth of the old myths and legends for himself. His travels are through a forgotten, wild, and savage America and read more like a tale of the frontier than of the far future.

This is classic Simak and contains many of the classic elements and settings found in his other works, such as _A Choice of Gods_ and _Enchanted Pilgrimage_. A very enjoyable read.

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A look into the future!
This was an amazing read. this book told a tale in a time far far into the future. Where most of technologie has been completely wiped out by the poeple who have created it. It starts with the main character, a man named Cushing. He was a normal man who lived in a walled in university. he leaves the university only to find a world totaly differnet than when he once roamed them many years ago. Cushing finds some very interesting people. first a witch; who is very friendly and helpful. also with the witch is a horse, a horse as kind as its witch owner. Later he finds a robot named rollo. these three people and a horse go on a journey to find a place,...a place of going to the stars. Many things happen and the road even they knew was long and arduous.
The author of this book, Clifford D. Stimak, was a very interesting and distinguished wrighter. Mostly Science fiction short storys and novels, he won many awards. Some of these awards include International Fantasy Award for best science fiction novel, 1953, for City; Hugo Award for best science fiction novelette, 1958, for "The Big Front Yard," for best science fiction novel, 1963, for Way Station. He had many years of wrighting back ground since he worked with many newspapers. some of these papers include Worked with various newspapers in Midwest during the 1930's; Minneapolis Star and Tribune, Minneapolis, MN, 1939-76, news editor of the Minneapolis Star, beginning 1949, coordinator of Minneapolis Tribune's Science Reading Series, beginning 1961.He was born August 4 1904, and sadly died on April 25 1988. He will be missed.
After reading such a book it left me with many thoughts. Thoughs about society, the future, and friends. An adventure such as this one has such magnitude that it leaves something inside of you for a very long time. the way the author describes how our society had reacted to some events, are so plausable that it's scary. Hopefully our future is a brighter better future. I will continue reading Clifford D. Stimak, and more then liekly ill read heritage to the stars many more times just for the shrill thrill it gave me the first time i read the book. At the end i recomend this title to anyone who is interested in life, reading, science, society, and of course adventure. You wont regret it.

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Another philosophical adventure from Clifford Simak
I am a huge fan of Clifford Simak and this book contains all the old familiar elements-- wandering robots, witches, strange tag-a-long creatures, and legends about distant places. Like most of his books, it moves you through an apocolyptic scenario where humans are forced to confront their past before being able to move forward into the future. If this particular book has a flaw, it's only that perhaps it contains a few too many of the familiar Simak elements. I didn't find myself experiencing the sort of surprise and delight that some of his other books have brought me when a new element is thrown into the loop. It's a stretch to call his books formulaic, but this one comes dangerously close. Despite that, very satisfying.