▁End ▁of ▁Time ▁is ▁root ed ▁in ▁hard ▁science ▁fiction , ▁but ▁includes ▁several ▁other ▁gen res . ▁S FF ▁World ▁said ▁the ▁novel ▁is ▁similar ▁to ▁Stephen ▁King ' s ▁Dark ▁Tower , ▁where ▁" an ▁ult imate ▁destination ▁that ▁def ies ▁both ▁space ▁and ▁time ▁are ▁at ▁the ▁heart " ▁of ▁both ▁stories . ▁But ▁whereas ▁King ▁focus es ▁on ▁" f ant ast ical ▁elements ", ▁Bear ▁adopt s ▁a ▁" s cient ific ▁approach ". ▁S FF ▁World ▁described ▁City ▁at ▁the ▁End ▁of ▁Time ▁as ▁" an ▁Ep ic ▁Science ▁F iction ▁novel ▁[ with ] ▁elements ▁of ▁thr iller ▁and ▁horror ▁with ▁some ▁down right ▁cre ep y ▁characters ." ▁Kirk us ▁Re views ▁called ▁the ▁book ▁an ▁" esch at ological ▁fant asy ", ▁and ▁science ▁fiction ▁critic ▁Paul ▁Kin ca id ▁says ▁the ▁novel ▁has ▁" plot ting ▁and ▁language ▁[ that ] ▁seem ▁to ▁have ▁been ▁borrow ed ▁wh oles ale ▁from ▁fant asy ". ▁Bear ▁himself ▁said ▁the ▁novel ▁could ▁be ▁fant asy ▁or ▁horror , ▁but ▁called ▁it ▁science ▁fiction ▁" st retch ed ▁to ▁the ▁n th ▁degree ". ▁City ▁at ▁the ▁End ▁of ▁Time ▁is ▁generally ▁referred ▁to ▁as ▁a ▁" D ying ▁Earth " ▁story , ▁and ▁is ▁categor ized ▁under ▁the ▁D ying ▁Earth ▁sub gen re . ▁ ▁Re ception ▁A ▁review ▁in ▁Publish ers ▁Week ly ▁described ▁City ▁at ▁the ▁End ▁of ▁Time ▁as ▁a ▁" complex , ▁difficult ▁and ▁beautiful ly ▁written ▁tale ▁[ that