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The Gods Themselves Isaac Asimov 9781857989342 Books

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The Gods Themselves Isaac Asimov 9781857989342 Books

Isaac Asimov was certainly among the greatest of twentieth-century science-fiction authors, and "The Gods Themselves" is arguably his masterpiece, of hundreds to chose from. Science-fiction aficionado or not, if you've never read it you are in for a treat. Not at all complex, it may be the most imaginative story, from the most imaginative writer bibliophiles have ever read.

Asimov was a polymath, of the widest ranging fields of study. His library of original writings, much more than science-fiction, remains astounding. I recommend the reader dip into his work, and to start with "The Gods Themselves." Avoid reading it too rapidly.


Tags : The Gods Themselves [Isaac Asimov] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. In the year 2100, mankind on Earth, settlers in a lunar colony and aliens from the para-universe, a strange universe parallel in time to our own,Isaac Asimov,The Gods Themselves,Orion Pub Co,1857989341,Science fiction

The Gods Themselves Isaac Asimov 9781857989342 Books Reviews

"The Gods Themselves" by Isaac Asimov is one of the standards of science fiction. My impression of Asimov is that he was a man of intriguing ideas, and a man with a powerful intellect. This book certainly bears that out. Parallel universes, sharing materials, energy, and laws of physics across universal boundaries; alien sex, lunar colonies, and so on.
For the most part, I enjoyed the book. Asimov's ideas rate 5 stars. But the book is a little shop-worn with age (published in 1972). It seemed to bog down in lengthy verbal exchanges between characters. The middle third of the book involved the alien society, and that portion particularly dragged. But if you have read and enjoyed Asimov before, you'll certainly want to read this one.
edition is horrible. I'm on the second page of the first story and I'm afraid it's unreadable. An error per line, mostly missing spaces and unnecessary hyphens, with bolded page numbers from the original text thrown in intermittently. Also copyright information and bits of other stories (?) thrown into the middle of paragraphs and even sentences. It's like whoever converted the format made extra effort to make it terrible.
*Edit* I should say that this review is for The Complete Stories. Like many pages lately, many of the reviews here seem to be for a different product. I returned this book because of the poor quality.
It took me a while to get into the style, but it was worth the effort. I haven't read any Asimov for well over a decade and anyway this was written almost 50 years ago, and styles change, as have my reading tastes.

Please read this entirely subjective review accordingly.

So what is "The Gods Themselves"? A story based on the idea of exchanging energy between universes where the strong nuclear force is slightly different, written in three parts. Parts one and three are in our universe, and part two in the "para universe". The strong nuclear force is explained enough for the story to engage the reader who has no background in physics. In short, it is the force that governs how nuclear fusion works. A difference in values means there is a chance for energy exchange in *both* directions. At least that is the conceit, and as far as it goes it is backed by scientific fact (at least in models of the two universes involved).

The idea is explained well enough for non nuclear physicists to grasp, but this isn't Star Wars SF no blasters, spacecraft or heated battles. Just a terrible existential threat to our solar system, and the inertia of a population wanting something for nothing and led by short-sighted and/or self-aggrandizing fame-hounds who have everything to lose either way, but don't care.

I rode along, gradually immersing more in the story, and being overcome with a sense of helpless fury at the inevitability of it all. The alien section started in what seemed to be a frivolous way that I feared would be a waste of reading time, but became perhaps the most emotionally engaging and angering part of the story.

I can't five star this, but I can't say why. It won both a Hugo and a Nebula when it was first published, about the best any SF novel can do, but it doesn't push my five-star button somehow. Without that oh-so cleverly done part two this would be a three star story for me despite the really clever idea at it's heart. Maybe it's because I'm too old and academic and political inertia are old tropes I've read about too many times. That might very well be it, in which case this book could well be a five star experience for you. I hope so.

I hope too that there is still an audience for this sort of Science Fiction, that not everyone sees SF as bound by the barely literate stuff coming out of the mill these days.
I found myself startled when I found I'd come to the end of the book, not just the chapter (reading on ). I was a little disappointed to not revisit the para-universe. Still, and obviously, a good, engrossing read.
Isaac Asimov's The Gods Themselves is a significant addition to the science fiction genre. In the midst of an energy crisis, the tale outlines a future where energy has become essentially free, not simply in an economic sense, but also in an apparent violation of thermodynamics and physics. Asimov suggests the existence of parallel universes where fundamental physical properties differ such that with the exchange of specific elements, each universe can power its own brand of free energy. Needless to add, there are long term consequences for each; however, human greed and the cinematic thirst for power along with academic backstabbing serve to create a stalemate.

Furthermore, Asimov crafts a truly alien universe where there are three sexes, the Rational, the Parental, and the Emotional and portrays a unique social configuration which results in a similar to dilemma as Earth. Finally, Asimov adds a third component which is lunar colonization, along with another distinct social configuration with a desire for separation from their Earthen brethren. The solution to this impending train wreck in both universes lies in the identification of a third universe, where conditions make life impossible, for material transfer and so the exchange can favor the living universes from an energy standpoint.

As is typical for Asimov, his character development is weak, but conceptually, the idea of parallel universes where fundamental laws of physics have different constants, as well as truly alien intelligent lifeforms carries the tale.
Isaac Asimov was certainly among the greatest of twentieth-century science-fiction authors, and "The Gods Themselves" is arguably his masterpiece, of hundreds to chose from. Science-fiction aficionado or not, if you've never read it you are in for a treat. Not at all complex, it may be the most imaginative story, from the most imaginative writer bibliophiles have ever read.

Asimov was a polymath, of the widest ranging fields of study. His library of original writings, much more than science-fiction, remains astounding. I recommend the reader dip into his work, and to start with "The Gods Themselves." Avoid reading it too rapidly.