(Warning: I give away some parts of the story in this review!)

I loved reading the original book, Inferno. In fact, I've probably read this book a dozen times since purchasing my original copy way back in the mid 70s. I'm a huge fan of Niven's works.

I'm also a huge fan of Carl Sagan's writings. Dr. Sagan had written on several occasions about how disappointing he found some science fiction, including Larry Niven's Neutron Star. I generally agreed with Dr. Sagan's criticisms of Neutron Star, but I've continued to enjoy returning to that story many times over the years, too.

So, it was with some dismay that while reading "Escape From Hell", I came to the conclusion that Niven (and Pournelle?) decided to use the book, in part, to get back at Dr. Sagan for his criticisms in the past of Niven's works. In the story, Sagan is only ever referred to as the "philosopher" (not astronomer... or scientist) Carl. (and they don't ever have him say he's Carl Sagan... which is another kind of cop out, too)
Actually, when I saw the characters listed in the beginning of the book with reference to Dr. Sagan, I was amused initially. It made sense, and knowing how Dr. Sagan wrote, I think he would agree that he would probably have ended up in Hell as he was an agnostic leaning towards atheism. Actually, I think Dr. Sagan would have loved Allen Carpenter's analytical mind. They would have been a logical team. I was actually excited about this possibility. I think Carl Sagan would have awakened in Hell with the same beliefs that Allen Carpentier had in Inferno.
Instead, they turned him into a kind of slow-witted philosopher whose crime in life was that he predicted an oncoming ice age and oversold the idea. In reality, Dr. Sagan talked about a deep freeze occuring after a nuclear war coining (or popularizing) the term, Nuclear Winter. Dr. Sagan would never be surprised by today's global warming... he was instrumental in identifying the Greenhouse Effect way back in the 60s-70s when the truth of Venus' environment came to the forefront. To add insult to injury, they had Dr. Sagan decide to join the enemy in Hell.

The other thing I didn't like about Escape From Hell was that it didn't really offer anything other then a retooled version of Inferno. The ending was rushed and abrupt with so many loose ends, that I put the book down thinking, "It took 30 years to write this?"
Escape From Hell has it's moments... but I expected so much more. I gave it three stars out of respect to the writers, but it's probably more accurately a 2.5 star.

The first Niven-Pournelle "Inferno" is one of my favorite reads, a tight narrative with drama that really moves along. The sequel has a markedly different tone, so one is cautioned to adjust expectations accordingly.

Other reviewers have already commented on the sense of peril suddenly absent from the sequel. In the book's defense this was already foreshadowed near the end of Inferno I, where Allen Carpenter contemplates climbing back up through Hell, this time with the certitude that his suffering would be finite and nothing in Hell could bind him forever. The other major change I see is a focused effort to incorporate a greater number of contemporary figures into the story. I assumed this was intended to make it more like Dante's original work which had much to say about the well-known persons of his era. At any rate I think it was a good move, an effective stylistic choice, and I admire the boldness of the authors for doing it.

The other thing I especially enjoyed was the evolution of Hell and the expression of sin in new historical circumstances which Carpenter didn't actually live through, but are related to him by characters who died decades later. Nearly 33 years have elapsed between the writing of the two novels, and for those of us old enough to remember 1976 it is sometimes surprising to be reminded of how different that world was.

I will probably read this book again in a few years when I have more time to reflect on some of the theological discussions that occur in it. It was clear to me on first reading that there were deeper points being made which I was not fully grasping. I look forward to revisiting those.

Niven and Pournelle have a mixed record with sequels. "The Gripping Hand" was a letdown, but given the greatness of "Mote" not surprisingly so. "Beowulf's Children" though is a fantastic book, head and shoulders above "Legacy." I have to say that "Escape From Hell" is a step down from "Inferno." But for me, reading a middling book by Larry & Jerry is almost always more enjoyable than reading the best works of other authors. I have recommended this book to others whom I know to be Niven fans, and I endorse it here with that caveat.

The good news is that this is not Inferno II. The protagonist is in a different emotional place so we have a different narrative framework from before. It also allows the authors to answer the reader's questions via a dialogue with Plath instead of dropping into exposition every so often, although they also sometimes slip into "last time I was here" occasionally. There could have been more risk in the retelling.

And that's the biggest problem I have with the basic narration. The first book felt like there was real peril. Maybe Carpenter or Benito would be stranded in a lower level of hell. Maybe it would be their revised judgement, maybe they would simply be trapped there by demons. In any case we never forget that it was smelly, ugly, painful, etc. This book felt like a travelogue, or maybe a video game played on your sofa. Not only no peril, but this time the protagonist found friendly denizens and convenient shortcuts. Just ask for a ride across a river or down a cliff, no need to build up a sweat. Just take a silver bridge across a dangerous chasm instead of actually risking painful injury. Even an ice cream shack in the middle of a burning desert. I'm not a fan of pain for its own sake, but this left me wondering why I should care why anyone didn't just decide to head downwards on their own.

The deeper questions are more interesting, but barely touched upon. What does it mean for there to be an unending universal truth, but us to be aware that we're only aware of part of it and more may be revealed later? We saw that in the new rules in Hell, and we even saw that in the temperance in details of how people ended up among the sodomites and elsewhere. (As I recall the original book had a "good" gay neighbor in this ring, but in this book it's only "bad" gays who force themselves sexually on others.) What does it mean to serve God in Hell? What does it mean if you enjoy it? Those corrupt prosecutors might be doing what they're doing because it's better than the alternatives and they enjoy prosecuting people, but if they don't serve their role then God's larger plan (to give everyone a second chance) can't come to fruition. But will they be able to walk out of Hell freely later? We can see one of the prosecutors realizing that her new job isn't going to be as easy as she thought, but nothing beyond that.

Escape From Hell (2009) is the sequel to Inferno. Both these works are based on Inferno from the Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri.

In this novel, Benito Mussolini was Il Duce during the Second World War, but had been slain by partisans prior to the end of the war. He was Allen's savior in the first novel and is often mentioned in this work.

Allen Carpenter is the central character. Once known as Allen Carpentier -- a science fiction writer -- he has returned to Hell after seeing Benito escape. He feels an obligation to help others escape.

Sylvia Plath was a poet and novelist before she committed suicide. She is now a tree in the Wood of Suicides, incapable of talking without bleeding. Allen had fallen at her roots and has listlessly stayed there for some time.

Rosemary Bennett was an assistant deputy prosecutor in New Orleans before she died. Now she is running after a banner in the Vestibule of Hell.

In this story, Allen is overrun by a group of people and dogs chasing Ted Hughes, Sylvia's husband. The crowd causes damage to the trees and a dog bites Allen in the face. Because of the damage to her tree, Sylvia can talk and strikes up a conversation with Allen. Of course, his replies are rather distorted until his mouth heals.

Allen relates his travels from the ghetto below the bottom of Hell to the Wood of Suicides. After watching Benito climb out, he retraced his route to the ice of the lowest circle. There he met a man who grabbed him and exploded. Reconverging into his own body, Allen found himself back in the Vestibule of Hell next to the bronze bottle from which he had originally been released by Benito.

Allen convinced several Ditherers in the Vestibule to follow him out of Hell. After chasing banners while he thought over his options, Allen finally headed toward Charon's ferry. Only Rosemary followed him to the other side.

They traveled together through the levels until reaching the city of Dis. There Rosemary was offered a very tempting offer and left him. Then Allen wandered into the Woods and fell beneath Sylvia's tree.

While conversing, Sylvia decides that she would like to journey out of Hell with Allen. But how can he carry off a full-grown -- but rather sylphish -- tree? They find a way and venture downward through the levels.

This tale follows the first novel very closely in the characters, situations, and route. Yet new characters and situations are added to the mix. Even some sins from the original are reinterpreted as modern errors within this work.

Unfortunately, this novel is more of a character study than an action tale. Dreadful things happen to the characters, but they always heal. After all, Allen was vaporized at the beginning, but returned to his own body.

Many theological points are pondered during the quest, but Allen is a confirmed rationalist and disbelieves most of the fine points. In the previous novel, he was finally convinced that the place was really Hell as described in Dante's opus. Now he is more concerned about the reasons that a benevolent God would create such a place.

Don't look to this novel for answers, but Allen does finally realize that Hell probably has a divine purpose. Besides, the sins of many recently deceased persons are described in a rather humorous light. Read and enjoy!

Recommended for Niven & Pournelle fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of divine justice, human foibles, and fallible authors.

-Arthur W. Jordin