The Gods Themselves
1972 • 252 pages
Ratings40
Average rating3.8
15
Ratings40
Average rating3.8
The year is 2100 A.D.…
And Man no longer stands alone in the universe.
Now there are other worlds, other living beings. Alien beings who mate in threes and live on pure energy. New breeds of humans who have created their own environment and freed themselves from every social and sexual taboo.
Yes, it is the future of new worlds, ever-changing worlds. And yet among them there is still Earth.
Earth, where Man still strives to be the best. To advance himself beyond all other beings and their worlds. And this final, glorious step in mankind’s technical progress has been achieved: the discovery of an unlimited, non-polluting energy source.
But what seems to be progress may, in reality, end in complete tragedy.
Earth’s unlimited energy source is about to trigger unlimited destruction—and the end of a universe.
Reviews with the most likes.
There’s something in this for you whether you’re a die hard sci-if fan or not. It’s a masterfully written journey into a parallel world that feels close and far at the same time. Asimov’s ability to spin worlds filled with lively characters and compelling narrative is fascinating, similar to his other works most notably the Foundation series (I hope you read the books as the Apple series is a total misrepresentation of how fantastic the books are).
The Gods Themselves is a meltingly fantastic sci-fi novel and one of Asimov's favorites. I think it's a kind of story that works well as a book but would probably be challenging to bring to the big screens or as a TV series. Nonetheless, expect to find alien sex, nude people on the Moon, parallel universes and electron pumps here!
The main highlight of the book is the exploration of a parallel universe where the laws of physics are slightly different and what it means for the aliens living in the such universe. I expected to find humanoid aliens in this parallel universe, but Isaac Asimov was much more creative than that. Don't get surprised if you get aroused by gaseous lifeforms rubbing into rocks!
I think the story could be more engaging if it was not divided into three parts. Each part progresses the overall story but only loosely connects the characters. I could easily imagine the book fleshed out into three separate books.
Overall, The Goods Themselves is definitely a recommended read for sci-fi fans.
This book reflects some Asimov's concerns throughout his life, such as the disdain that people shows towards science, his role as a public face for science, and the petty disputes in academia. It is very dry, there is no empathy for the characters and nothing worth reading except for the most die hard sci-fi fans.
It shares the same problems I see in The Foundation. There is this sentiment of turning the soft sciences into mathematical facts, though the use of some flimsy rationalization (like psychohistory)
The story revolves around the discover of a infinity source of power, and its consequences to the world.
Read 47/11:26 7%
