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Asimov's best book
“What I love about Asimov, is that you don't have to be a science fiction fan, or a Star Trek geek to enjoy his books, and this concept shows in The Gods Themselves. I don't like giving plot "spoilers" so just a basic summary, the book is about an electron pump which allows communication between 2 universes. In the parellel universe the main character has a combination of unique powers that nobody else has, which immediately intrigues the reader. This book is perfect for anyone of any age, it's got great character development, it's mysterious, and it's not overly scientific or technical, it's just great storytelling. Let me just say that Asimov is not only a great writer in his genre, he's one of the best authors ever, in any category. This book won't dissapoint.”
An amazon user wrote this on 2009-04-27. -
1 of 3 members found this review helpful.
Excesive irrelevant and cheesy elements
“The book is not bad, it is exactly what is expected of Asimov. It has a great general plot - it is creative and catches the reader in the first few pages. As any of Asimov's stories, it has a lot of science involved, he gives an interesting explanation on many of the concepts he uses, that can be fairly understood by anyone, it's obvious he knew what he was doing. The Universe that he describes in the middle is also creative, and enjoyable enough. All this is what can be found in any book by Asimov.
An amazon user wrote this on 2009-02-27.
Besides that, Asimov doesn't offer anything. The story is divided in three parts, which simply don't match. The middle, as enjoyable and praised as it is, just doesn't fit in the novel, what happens there and is not explained in one of the other parts is just irrelevant. I read it, and at the end expected that the story would somehow intermingle with the humans to get an ending for both of them, however, the story is just abandoned altogether. According to me, the middle was just a ~50 pages long pretty description, and not part of the book.
The first part is good science fiction, with decent character development and a very good plot. But then, the third part is again really bad. The best word to describe it is cheesy. (** SPOILERS AHEAD **) The fact that Asimov includes the cliche story of the guy and the girl who start off as friends with a common goal, pledging they are not interested in each other, knowing it's impossible to be intimate, and ending up loving each other and doing the impossible is just disappointing. It just not his style, and therefore feels completely forced in the story. (** END OF SPOILERS **).
Not a bad book, but I expected a lot more from Asimov.” -
Flawless
“It is one of the best Asimov's, I can say comparable to his first 3 Foundation works. Smooth and delightful to read as usual with surprisingly hard science mix. Delightful and flawless.”
An amazon user wrote this on 2009-02-23. -
Brilliant Construction of an Alien Culture
“Having read a lot of science fiction over the years, and being a big fan of Isaac Asimov, I can't for the life of me imagine how I neglected to read this masterpiece. Winner of both the Hugo and Nebula Awards, in my opinion, this is Asimov's best work and one of the finest science fiction works I've encountered.
An amazon user wrote this on 2009-01-19.
The book is written in three distinct parts, seperated by location, though the time frame is more or less contemporaneous (circa 2070). The first section of the novel sets the stage and takes place on Earth. Through contact with a parallel universe, with radically different physical laws, a source of free and plentiful energy is discovered, a revolutionary development for human society. However, there is no such thing as a free lunch, and the remainder of the novel deals with complications arising from the ensuing Electron Pump.
The second part of the novel is simply mind blowing. In it, Asimov has created an alien culture (beings occupying the aforementioined parallel universe) that is so fascinating and complex as to be well deserving of the awards which this novel has garnered. Were this 50-75 page chapter released as a short story, it would be deserving of the title, "Best Science Fiction Short Story Ever Written". The last two pages of the chapter contain two different, shocking plot twists that will literally cause goose bumps.
Finally, the third chapter of the story results in an elegant resolution of the crisis presented in the first two. Set on the Moon, Asimov creates a lunar colony, that while not entirely original, has aspects I've not seen before. The creativity, while not up to the standards of the second chapter (how could it be) is nevertheless top rate.
The story involves complex physics, which Asimov explains well and simply enough to be understood by the average non-scientific layman. This science fiction work is among the best novels I've ever encountered in any genre. I've read that Asimov considered it his best work, and I agree completely. If you're not a science fiction fan, take two hours and read the second chapter alone, as a short story. It will be well worth your time.” -
Contend in Vain Against Stupidity
“Since he was a polymath who could never stop writing in massive quantities, Asimov was surely entitled to some clunkers now and then. This book surely isn't one of his worst, but it's not one of his best either. First of all, it's not a novel and should never have been presented that way, by either Asimov or the publisher. It's actually three interconnected novellas with common motifs and subplots, so anyone who approaches the book as a novel, especially if they've been mislead into doing so, is likely to find faults with the reading experience (see several of the negative reviews here for proof). Also, especially in the second and third novellas, Asimov attempted character-driven and dialogue-intensive drama at a level that was usually beyond his reach. A related problem is that the three novellas are based on fairly strong ideas that could have each been expanded into novel-length form, but in short form here they appear incomplete and undeveloped.
An amazon user wrote this on 2008-12-27.
But despite these structural weaknesses, what we have here is still classic Asimov, with curveball placement of subplots and fanciful yet believable science. The recurring motif of the three stories, in which an easy energy source mollifies politicians and consumers who then ignore the very real warnings from Cassandra figures, also illustrates Asimov's always uncanny ability to look into the near future. His scientific thought experiments herein are also fascinating and quite thought-provoking in a cosmological sort of way. So this book is a bit below Asimov's average and may not be for everyone, but his fans will still appreciate it. [~doomsdayer520~]”
