Lucifer's Hammer (The Hammer of Lucifer) is a post-apocalyptic science fiction novel from 1977 by writers Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle. The book describes the impact of fractures of a comet, and its consequences for humanity. The story Reading Warning: The following text contains details about the content and / or the end of the story.
The amateur astronomer Tim Hamner discovers a comet, whose co-name is wearing: the comet Hamner-Brown. The comet is very interesting, because he will pass the Earth very close. An Apollo-Soyuz mission is being prepared by Russian and American scientists to jointly investigate and observe the comet from Skylab.
The scientists convince the public that the probability that the comet touches the Earth is small, but many people begin to hamster. The famed preacher Henry Armitage furthermore misuses the fear of recruiting followers, and swings the mood further. In addition, an interviewer in a television interview makes an unfortunate talk when he calls Hammer-Brown's comet instead of Hamner-Brown. The media call the comet from that moment De Hamer.
However, the scientists had settled by not taking into account the emissions of volatile gases. Ultimately, one realizes that the comet is about to hit Earth. Although the comet is divided into several pieces, these are still large enough to cause a disaster.
The fragments hit the Earth and cause heavy earthquakes, mega tsunamis and volcanic eruptions on all fracture lines. Furthermore, the bays in the sea make large amounts of sea water evaporate, so that the Earth is shrouded in clouds and rains one after another for weeks. Meanwhile, the Chinese are launching a preventive nuclear attack on the Soviet Union, fearing that the comet initiative creates a little ice age that makes Russia unleashable and tempts the Russians to conquer 'Lebensraum' in China. This leads to a massive Russian counter attack. Meanwhile, large parts of Europe and India are washed away by tsunamis. The civilization collapses and it is now everyone for themselves.
Tim Hamner is developing in California as a leader for survivors, assisted by his new wife Eileen. Meanwhile, there are several groups of survivors who are now starting to organize. One of these groups is the New Brotherhood, a fanatical cannibal sect, led by Dominique Armitage. A sociologist predicts that it has germination, comparable to Islam in its early days. Indeed, the sect confronts at a fearsome pace of Central California, and takes up large numbers of new followers. Newcomers should eat human meat as part of their initiation, which is psychologically a point of no return for them. This binds them exclusively to the New Brotherhood and partly explains their fanaticism.
Hamner finally knows to unite the communities and make a fist against the New Brotherhood. In the decisive battle, the use of self-made mustard gas is the breakthrough, and the New Brotherhood is decisively defeated. The survivors try to rebuild civilization step by step.
One day, a jetfighter flies over, indicating that civilization is back.
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