The Gods Themselves: A Novel

Six years ago I was friends with a very smart girl at UCLA. Since she was so smart I thought I would ask her what she read. (This proves that I do read books that people recommend to me: I just might be a bit late in reading them). She recommended that I read the book, The Gods Themselves, written by sci-fiction author, Issac Asimov. There is no doubt that the author is incredibly intelligent and well-versed in the field of science. However, the man is not very good at character development. The story does delve into a lot of interesting scientific knowledge (a great deal of which goes over my head but was still intriguing). The problem I had with the book is the character formation. The characters seem wooden, stiff, and unlikable. I couldn't feel really connected to any of the characters. They just didn't have any intriguing personalities.

Great literature introduces the reader to incredible characters; Iago in Othello; Falstaff in Henry IV; Yossarian in Catch-22; Pick in Great Expectations; Dagny Taggart in Atlas Shrugged. That's absent in the book, which is perhaps its greatest limitation.

This 600+ page book of short stories is a pretty good collection of Asimov’s early 1950s work. Some of the stories are very, very good, such as “Nightfall,” which I was delighted to find had been turned into a full novel later, which I recently bought and intend to read. Others are not quite as good. One that irritated me was “I’m in Marsport Without Hilda,” where a man comes “home” to a space station after being out in space for a long time and as he’ll be heading for the planet and his wife in another day, he contacts a local woman for a one nighter — even though he’s married. Events occur that delay their tryst and she gets impatient with him and I guess the humor lies in his attempts to solve everything so they can get together and hit the sack. Finally, everything has been taken care of and he’s ready to go meet the whore, when he hears a woman call his name and turns around to find his wife unexpectedly greeting him — and he’s ticked. To me, this was a very offensive and sexist story. I didn’t think it merited inclusion in an anthology of collected works since it was in such poor taste. But then, as I’ve discovered, Asimov — if you go by his early work — was a bit of a sexist himself, as he rarely used female characters and with one exception I can think of, when he did, they were typically window dressing — poor, helpless, empty headed dullards completely dependent on men to save them from whatever was happening to them. Oh, and as we learn in one story here, woman like to talk. A lot. I guess that’s all they do. I try to give him the benefit of the doubt by saying maybe he was a product of his times. It was the 1950s after all and women’s lib hadn’t occurred and a woman’s place was in the home, so maybe…. And I haven’t read enough of his later work to know differently, although I just recently finished Foundation’s Edge and it had strong female characters, although one was evil. It was written in the 1980s. Maybe he adjusted with the times. It seems possible.

In any event, the stories in the book are largely pretty good, until you get to about the last 100 pages or so and then the quality of the work drops off immensely. I’m not sure why that is, but the last several stories are quite bad. There’s a marked difference between them and the earlier pieces. Again, I don’t know why the editors decided to do it that way, but that’s just the way it happened, so I guess you have to live with it. One thing that was interesting is Asimov’s obsession with computers, using one giant computer he calls “Multivac” repeatedly in his stories. Multivac is a computer that pretty much runs the world and everything in it. It is hundreds of miles big and spits out data punch cards, much like the giant 1950s-era computers did, requiring specially trained computer programmers and operators to interpret its results and instructions. He also worries about man versus machine and sides with man virtually every time, which is interesting as he is constantly writing about machines such as robots. I find Multivac interesting because it’s proof that Asimov had absolutely no sci fi foresight like other sci fi writers, such as Philip K. Dick, did. He never was really able to guess at desktops, laptops, smart phones, or anything like that. Meanwhile, so many other early sci fi writers were able to envision things such as these that I am continually amazed that Asimov maintains the massive sci fi reputation he enjoys. Personally, I think he was stuck in a 1950s nuclear-era technology rut with absolutely little ability to think ahead creatively like so many of his peers and while the stories in this book are generally pleasantly well written, except for much dialogue, which Asimov always seems to have problems writing, his writing skills don’t even begin to measure up to so many other sci fi writers, it’s not even funny. Personally, I think he had several decent ideas and could tell a decent story, but then so could hundreds of other writers, so in my opinion, he was just a hack. I can easily name numerous other sci fi writers who are infinitely better than he ever was.

Whatever the case, and no matter how poorly Asimov wrote most of his novels, most of these short stories are quite good and are pretty well written. I assume he must have had a good editor. This book is the highest rated book I have ever seen on Goodreads, with a 4.36 out of 5 score. I certainly don’t think it deserves a 5 at all and I’m not even sure it deserves a 4, but I’m going ahead and giving it one just because so much of it was entertaining and after all, isn’t that what you want out of a good short story? I’m curious, now, to see how his writing matured in the ’60s, so if I see Volume 2 of this series, I’ll probably get it. As for this book? Recommended.

Free and unlimited energy........due to a 'chance' nuclear exchange between dimensions of two parallel universes. What a great deal!! So, what’s the ‘catch’? That’s the basic premise of the book (at least the first 1/3 of it that I read).

Part 1 is politics in our scientific community. Most scientists accept the free energy with no reservations about possible side effects. A very few argue (with proof) that the ‘free’ energy program is destroying the sun.

Part 2 introduces aliens from the other dimension and their concerns. This section completely lost me. I could not envision these aliens and have no idea what they were about…..I mean in no way, shape or form. None of it made any sense to me and it just went on and on and on and on (completely over my head). I finally had enough of it and put the book down at 40%. Not an award winner in my estimation.

The book was in good condition as stipulated. However on the website and the packing slip, it said "good dust jacket" yet there was no dust jacket. I'm keeping the book but don't like that I can control what I'm getting. That's what the descriptions are supposed to provide to customers.

I have read other works from Isaac Asimov, and "The Gods Themselves" is another interesting read. I purchased the Kindle Edition and will be able to read and reread it at my convenience. It is well worth the price paid.

FORMAT: Hardcover • 614 pages
ISBN: 0-385-41606-7
RELEASED: 2014-10-07

TITLE: Isaac Asimov: The Complete Stories (Volume 1)

Though I bought — and, thoroughly enjoyed — this (and Volume Two) in hardcover many years ago, this is not really a review (it's Asimov, do you REALLY need one), so much as additional information. The following stories are included in this volume:

01 • The Dead Past
02 • The Foundation of SF Success
03 • Franchise
04 • Gimmicks Three
05 • Kid Stuff
06 • The Watery Place
07 • Living Space
08 • The Message
09 • Satisfaction Guaranteed
10 • Hell-Fire
11 • The Last Trump
12 • The Fun They Had
13 • Jokester
14 • The Immortal Bard
15 • Someday
16 • The Author's Ordeal
17 • Dreaming Is a Private Thing
18 • Profession
19 • The Feeling of Power
20 • The Dying Night
21 • I'm in Marsport Without Hilda
22 • The Gentle Vultures
23 • All the Troubles of the World
24 • Spell My Name with an S
25 • The Last Question
26 • The Ugly Little Boy
27 • Nightfall
28 • Green Patches
29 • Hostess
30 • Breeds There a Man…?
31 • C-Chute
32 • In a Good Cause—
33 • What If—
34 • Sally
35 • Flies
36 • Nobody Here But—
37 • It's Such a Beautiful Day
38 • Strikebreaker
39 • Insert Knob A in Hole B
40 • The Up-to-Date Sorcerer
41 • Unto the Fourth Generation
42 • What Is This Thing Called Love?
43 • The Machine That Won the War
44 • My Son, the Physicist
45 • Eyes Do More Than See
46 • Segregationist

Before you read this dissenting opinion, know that I am Asimov fan. I love the foundation novels; it had its low points, but it remains at the top of my science fiction list. Naturally I researched Asimov's bibliography and picked up a few "hot" titles. What's this? The Gods Themselves won a Hugo Award? It must be great, right? The concept is fascinating; we've been contacted by "para men" from a parallel universe. In short, our trash is their treasure and vice versa. Both parties are advantaged as they both receive energy.... Great plot.

Unfortunately, Asimov really pushes the use of conversation in this book. "Doesn't every book?" Well, yes. But here the reader is simply a fly on a wall, listening to characters talk. The story doesn't really happen, it's just talked about. You read a lot of accounts of actions. The characters were developed just enough so that you know who they are, but you don't really share their triumphs or tragedies. The second act goes into character development a little more, but doesn't cover the environment as much as the foundation novels did, it leaves a little to be desired. The third act (on the moon) takes its time, but the turning point is very anti-climactic. It just wasn't very engaging. We have a very slow build up and a very nonchalant ending. About 20 pages from the end of this 300 page novel, I'm thinking "they haven't resolved this yet, and I know it's not a trilogy."

Additionally, the dialogue is extremely antiquated. This book was written in 1972 but I feel like I'm reading a screenplay written for Buck Rodgers. It's just plain boring. Characters are "deducing" things mid paragraph and the story moves on but there isn't any tension really. When the turning point comes, you think "well ok then," and continue reading. It's anti-climactic and a little bland. Where is the great world that Asimov usually conjures?

Most of his books are page turners, and I just didn't find it here. It's not a horrible book, and it's certainly not great either. Just OK. As such, I can only recommend it to Asimov fans or those who have to read everything. Bottom line; this one is safe to skip. I don't mean any disrespect to this grand master of Sci-fi, or to my fellow readers, but I have to strongly disagree that this is Asimov's best.

This book has about three plots, tenuously connected, with some clever concepts of alien beings, with pseudosexual innuendoes, dragging-on ad nauseum in inadequately developing a few good guys, and an arch-bad guy, never coming to grips with a real story. Its abrupt end leaves several strings, and lots of subplots dangling and mystifyingly unclosed.
Proof that even a "Grand Master" of Science Fiction can, if he types long enough, write a dud.
Highly un-recommended. Pulp.

The end of the world's energy problems is at hand. The answer lies not in renewable energy but in a parallel universe. As the physicist to figure it out, Fredrick Hallam gain fame and fortune. This turns out to be a bad thing. Hallam isn't that smart and has a fragile ego. He abuses his new found power to ruin all scientists that disagree with him.

Fellow scientists Lamont and Denison have felt the full weight of Hallam's ire. They suspect that something is very wrong with the whole process. Why would the para-men give them the gift of limitless energy? But no one wants to ask the hard questions if it means giving up free limitless energy. It will be up to them to find out the alien's nefarious plans before all of humanity pays the price. Destruction of the earth itself.

Issac Azimov tells a tale of science and human frailty. His exploration of human the human condition, how we act and react is flawless. Each character has their own agenda and how they choose to reach their goals is the foundation of good fiction. A wonderful story, told artfully. Well worth reading.

As pivotal a figure as Isaac Asimov was to the development of modern science fiction, he was, in truth, never more than a middling writer. The plots of even his more famous works, such as "I, Robot" and the early "Foundation" stories, were actually fairly thin, and the characters were often thinner, and just as often little more than one-dimensional stereotypes (take Susan Calvin, the prototypical "cold" female scientist). The writing itself was typically mechanical, lacking in passion, description or vividity.

All that said, I'm still an Asimov fan. He put forth a lot of fascinating ideas, and set the template for robot fiction, future history and blending genres (the Bailey-Olivaw novels are clever and entertaining, their characters more fully developed than in some of the author's other work). And of course he penned some pretty amazing short fiction over his career, from "Nightfall" to "The Last Question" to "The Bicentennial Man" and "Robot Dreams."

During a recent long-distance hike, I decided to re-read "The Gods Themselves" after more than 40 years, and I was surprised and pleased to discover that it is a relatively mature work featuring well-described, fascinating scientific ideas and speculation, one of the best-developed alien species and societies in the history of the genre, and yes, even characters with a little more texture and emotion than typical of Asimov — right up to some fairly plausible flirtation and frank discussion of sex in the final section.

The three segments, thematically linked by the "electron/positron pump," explore, respectively: the real-world of scientific envy and pettiness; the remarkably imagined society of the para-beings (one wishes he hadn't used the clunky term "Paramen," but sometimes Asimov made such surprising near-misses, as when he coined the term "leathtic" for a plastic-leather material, instead of the obvious and far more mellifluous "pleather"!), including his deepest, most richly textured examination of "human" emotional relationships; and finally, cutting free of his long-held prudishness and aversion to strong female characters with a well-explained resolution to a scientific puzzle that also happens to offer a good deal of plausible speculation about life on the moon.

I've read where some SF fans deem "The Gods Themselves" one of those undeserving Hugo-Nebula winners. Robert Silverberg even groused about it in print, complaining that his "Dying Inside" didn't win the Nebula; in truth, that book, while extremely well written, has not held up all that well, mired as it is in its '70s milieu.

I couldn't disagree more, and indeed, I rank this as Asimov's most mature and fully-fleshed out novel.

A fascinating book, one I admit I rather liked more the first time around as a teen though.

I like the background Asimov has created here, a world in which scientists are able to obtain power by siphoning energy from a parallel universe. But as scientists dig deeper into the invention there are implications that it might be damaging the environment...that continued used of this process would in fact eventually cause the Sun to explode. But how to prove it, and what to DO about it?

Fascinating book...I recommend it.

The Gods Themselves (1972) is a mishmash of a novel cobbled together from a series of short stories Isaac Asimov published a bit earlier. It centers around a cooperative arrangement between Earth and a civilization in another universe that brings both sides unlimited and free energy but which may also end up blowing things up.

The first and third parts are set in our universe and the second among the alternate universe aliens. The problem is that the central plot thread, the prospect of catastrophe, often takes a back seat to subplots, especially in the second part dealing with the aliens, whose menage a trois approach to family life may be interesting but comes off like a script for a bad soap opera.

Asimov was never great at creating characters and none are particularly interesting here either. That wouldn’t be a problem if the focus was on plot and suspense but there’s too much extraneous chatter among not very interesting characters.

I realize this is one of the most celebrated science fiction books of all time, and I would agree with that as far as central premise and core storyline goes, but the execution leaves something to be desired.

Originally posted at Fantasy Literature.

“Against stupidity the gods themselves contend in vain.”

Isaac Asimov’s The Gods Themselves earned the Hugo Award for Best Science Fiction Novel, the Nebula Award for Best Science Fiction Novel, and the Locus Award for Best Science Fiction Novel. About 15 years ago it was put on the Locus list of All Time Best Science Fiction Novels.

If you’re anything like me, that’s enough to put The Gods Themselves on your To Be Read List and, indeed, it has been on mine for years because I aim to read all those award winners sometime before I die. What moved The Gods Themselves to the top of the list was that Random House Audio recently produced it in audio format and it’s read by one of my favorite classic SF readers, Scott Brick. (I love Scott Brick!)

The Gods Themselves has a strange structure. The story is told non-linearly but instead of using the traditional flashbacks, the book starts with Chapter 6. In an Author’s Note, Asimov assures us that this is not a mistake. From there it jumps around but always orients us with what the appropriate chapter number would have been had the tale been told in chronological order. This made me laugh. I can just imagine the dissonance Dr. Asimov would have experienced if he’d put his story in the wrong order without giving us some instructions!

The first part of the story is about Dr. Hallam, an opportunistic but no-too-brilliant radiochemist who is so driven by spite and stubborn competition with a colleague that he serendipitously discovers a free perpetual source of energy that humans very quickly become dependent on. By not giving credit where it’s due, Dr. Hallam wins the Novel prize and becomes famous and revered. The energy comes from aliens in a parallel universe where the laws of physics are different. The aliens have discovered a way to swap energy with our universe so that both universes win…. or do they?

While writing a story about the history of Halam’s discovery of what is now called the “Electron Pump,” a young physicist named Lamont, who grew up idealizing Hallam, discovers that the man is not as worthy as the public thinks. He comes in conflict with Hallam and suggests that the pump might be dangerous. Hallam, feeling threatened, sets out to ruin Lamont. Politicians get involved. At this point the book becomes a scientific and political thriller as we wonder whether the Pump is safe and scientists and politicians try to advance or protect themselves at other people’s expense. It will certainly remind readers of some of the political wrangling that occurs today as we search for clean cheap energy sources.

In the next section of The Gods Themselves, we see what’s happening in the parallel universe. This part slows down as Asimov spends a lot of time describing a strange alien society where three different sexes form a triad for breeding. He seems to be saying something about sex roles here, something that annoyed me at first because the logical “Rationals” are given masculine pronouns while the intuitive “Emotionals” are given feminine pronouns. (However, the motherly “Parentals” are given masculine pronouns, too). By the end, when I saw what all this had to do with the Electron Pump, I felt a little better about it. This section is an interruption to the exciting story of part one, but most readers will want to know what’s going on in the parallel universe and Asimov’s creative alien society is fascinating. (Oh, and for those of you who think Asimov never wrote about sex, read this part of The Gods Themselves.)

In the last section, we’re on the moon and back to the scientific thriller as Halam’s enemies try to discredit and shut down the Pump. Is the Pump really dangerous? If so, will they be able to stop it? Tune in to find out!

The Gods Themselves is science-y, but those who recall some of their high school chemistry and physics will be fine. And, actually, it’s okay if you don’t understand the science behind the energy source. The more important science-y part is more about the scientific method than about chemistry and physics. It highlights the importance of intuition and serendipity in scientific progress, but warns against false assumptions, bias and personal agendas.

Back in 1972 Asimov’s story was serialized in three parts in Galaxy Magazine and Worlds of If before being published as The Gods Themselves. In Yours, Isaac Asimov: A Life in Letters, a biography of the author written by his younger brother, Asimov identifies The Gods Themselves as his favorite of his science fiction novels. That’s another reason to read it.

As I mentioned, I listened to Scott Brick narrate the recent audio version produced by Random House Audio. It’s 11.5 hours long and I recommend it. I’m so thankful that audio publishers are not neglecting the classics!

I bought a copy at my local Barnes & Noble, due to my immediate need. I'm a slow reader and I have chosen to report on Asimov for my English class.

I have read three of the shorter stories, already. I cannot put the book down, once open. Asimov has a way of writing that keeps you intrigued in the science, but doesn't throw you too far into the wind. At least, in my experience so far, you don't need to be a super scientist to enjoy his work. This is a definite must have for any sci-fi fan. Even for any fan of literature - buy this book. There's a cool about his writing, a comfort, that lets you feel familiar to his work, even if it's your first time.

The Gods Themselves by Isaac Asimov (1972)
Well, you can’t get much better than the master for some old-school, classic science fiction. When The Gods started out, it was a pretty mundane concept of an element spontaneously turning into another element and supplying the Earth with unlimited, clean energy. Wrapped around this simple nugget of an idea is the egomaniac scientist who tested the substance and is given credit for creating Earth’s wonderful power source.
When a young professor named Lawton comes to interview the famous man for a biography, he realizes the Father of the Electron Pump is a complete sham. The savvy senior scientist does everything he can to destroy the biographer, making an enemy for life and launching his adversary on a quest to expose and destroy him.
Okay, that’s an effective way to make a scientific concept more interesting – make it personal and dramatic. When the younger man theorizes that another dimension – one with a universe that’s dying – actually started the pumping process and is causing our sun to destabilize, Lawton’s standing in the scientific community takes a nosedive and no one will listen to him.
So far the story is very readable, but when Master Asimov takes us to the other universe a third of the way in, he really shines. The “people” there are in various stages of flux. Some are wispy with tentacles (Emotionals), some are ovoid (Rationals), and some are downright blocky (Parentals). They require all three together to reproduce. A reluctant Emotional known as Dua doesn’t want to be part of a triad, forced to have three offspring with her mates and then die. She wants to be a Rational, one who seeks knowledge.
Yet a fourth type of being resides in this other universe, the seemingly immortal Hard Ones who live underground and who treat the triads as if they are children. They introduce Dua to her two partners, and she agrees to “melt” with them in a triad, exchanging molecules for pleasure and offspring.
She’s still not happy. She discovers the Hard Ones, godlike beings to her people, are planning to blow up Earth’s sun to get enough energy for everyone in their system to feed on for millions of years. Before she can do more than send the young Earth professor a “Stop the Pump” message, she discovers the real truth about why she and her mates have to “pass on” after they have three offspring.
Back on our side of the dimensional wall (as difficult as it was to leave that strange and amazing place), we’re introduced to yet another victim of the egomaniac’s climb to glory. The biochemist who helped him initially is also blackballed and has fled to the Moon to practice science. With the help of a beautiful tour guide (who just happens to be an Intuitionist and employee of the Moon Liberation Society), the biochemist guesses that if there is another universe stealing their energy, there must be other, uninhabited universes with power to spare. The way to take the egomaniac down a peg is to introduce something better than the Electron Pump. Which they do with the help of the underground.
This book is really three separate stories, and I wonder if it was originally written that way. Although told from the viewpoint of the discovery of “free” energy, it’s really about three people and their part in the Electron Pump story from creation to obsolescence.
I was a little concerned when the Moon story seemed to branch off on politics and science of its own (the pretty Intuitionist is a genetically enhanced being). The biochemist decides to remain on the Moon as an “Immie” (immigrant) partially because of the young woman, and there’s a lot of description about his adjusting to life in lower gravity.
I worried all the way through how these three characters were possibly going to succeed against overwhelming odds. Was I disappointed?
Not in the slightest.

Isaac Asimov was a prolific sci-fi writing genius. I can't comprehend writing the number of books that he wrote, and The Gods Themselves is, by far, my favorite. I reread it every few years and fall in love with it all over.

The interesting thing about this book is that of its three parts, I'm not that keen on the first and the last. The middle part is where the books shines, yet I read it fully every time, finding new insights I didn't see before.

The book begins on earth, where an incompetent fool accidentally discovers a new source of energy--one that seems limitless and free. I love this setup because *dons cynicism hat* that's how things happen in the real world *removes cynicism hat*.

The second part of the book--the part that makes it shine--takes us to the parallel universe that feeds Earth the free energy. The thrust of the overarching story is why TANSTAAFL, but the brilliance of the story comes from the interplay of a family of aliens who discover the implications of their species' interaction with the humans.

The family group consists of three different genders of this race, each of whom plays an important role in supporting the family and birthing the next generation. Mr. Asimov's character development and exploration of this little family's heart-wrenching journey is brilliant. It brings tears to my eyes. It makes me want to throw the book across the room because we get so few pages of Dua, Odeen, and Tritt.

The last third of the book wraps up the overarching storyline but always leaves me a tad cold. I miss my little triad, and want to to put them all in my pocket and let them live there forever.

If you'd like to see how an amazing science fiction novel is written, I recommend this book. I give it six stars for how amazing it is but have to subtract one for the ending. The middle story is the epitome of a five star read.

As always, Asimov's writing is smooth, especially his heavy dialogue. This isn't really a "novel" so much as it's three very different stories that all connect (a little loosely in my opinion) to each other. I still don't consider myself a fan of "hard" sci-fi. Once in a while, I really get in the mood for something completely out of this world (pardon the pun), but certainly couldn't read sci-fi constantly.

The first section was my least favorite. As I said above, too much hard sci-fi isn not something I really look for. This section contained the most science out of the three in my opinion, and though it wasn't my favorite section, real sci-fi buffs will probably love it. My grade is 3/5

The second section is by far the most imagintive. It takes place on a completely imaginary planet, with all types of un-Asimov-like things happening, such as "melting" and so on. A good section of the book, though I felt it didn't need to be as long as it was. 3.5/5

The last section was my favorite, simply because it was the most enjoyable part to read. It takes place on the moon, contains many unique ideas, and in my opinion has the best main characters of the book. There's also romance mixed in with the science fiction, and Asimov's excellent dialogue is on display most here. A lot of fun was this section, the only thing that kept it from being truly great was the hasty climax. 4.5/5

Overall, the book wasn't quite up to my expectations, but is easily a worthy read for sci-fi and Asimov fans. Again, it's more three stories, each very different from the other two, that connects on a central issue. This is the first book aside from the Foundation Series that I've read from Asimov, though the structure of this book is similar to his classic trilogy. Overall, a mostly fun read with some good ideas, not to mention the romance/love aspect that I've not found in Asimov before. Good book.

Isaac Asimov is one of my favorite writers. I have enjoyed many of his books and many of his short stories. Foundation is my favorite book. On Spring break, while I was in Mexico, I decided to reread my favorite short stories of the book Isaac Asimov: The Complete Stories Vol. 1. Here are my reviews:

Ugly Little Boy. In this story, a company called Stasis Inc. creates a way to bring things from the past into the future, albeit in a small "bubble". The first experiment brings a neanderthal boy and the story follows the relationship between the little boy and his babysitter.
The story is very good, using a cool idea to tell a heartfelt story.

The Dead Past. The book starts with this short story and what a way to start. This is my favorite Asimov short story. In the story, scientists have developed a device that can view the past. The government controls all research, hence one needs to get permission from the government to use the device. A historian gets frustrated from not getting the grant and thinks there is a conspiracy from the government to prevent researchers from using this device. It is clear there is a conspiracy, but the ending is very surprising and the explanation is very interesting. This is one of the stories that has had me thinking the most since reading it. I love it.

Breeds There a Man...?. This story is about a paranoid scientist who believes that we are all an experiment of higher beings and that this is the reason that human history goes through cycles of amazing intellectual growth followed by terrible calamities (From the Greeks to the Middle Ages, the Black Plague right after the Renaissance). The story itself, is very good, with interesting conversations between the important paranoid scientist and his psychologist. A memorable story.

The Last Question. This is Asimov's favorite short story. I didn't love it the first time I read it, but this time I liked it more. I can see why Asimov would consider it his favorite, as it does explore the interesting question of whether the universe is immortal, but I like other stories more.

Jokester. The ending in this story is quite shocking and in fact, I only reread the ending this part. The story is a nice joke about jokes.

Hostess. Asimov rarely writes stories involving aliens and this is one of them. I remember enjoying it very much when I first read it, and I enjoyed it very much again. Asimov does a very good job of mixing a mystery with science fiction.

Nightfall. The most famous of his short stories, considered to be the best science fiction short story of all time (although this was awarded in the 60s). The story is very good and I loved it the first time I read it. However, it wasn't as good upon rereading it. While I originally thought the story had interesting views of religion and science, this time when I read it, it seemed much more about science than religion. The science in it is really cool, considering how difficult it would be to discover the cosmos if one wouldn't have nights. How terrifying night would be, if you had seven suns that would keep the planet alight all year long. This is a great story, but not my favorite.

What I really love about Asimov is how his stories always make me think about some interesting concept. I love that his stories are logical and I like that his writing is straightforward and easy to understand.

"The easiest way to solve a problem is to deny it exists." This quote from one of the main characters essentially sums up what this book is all about. Humanity potentially faces a deadly crisis yet people deny it because it would be inconvenient to change - does that sound familiar? It's amazing how science fiction can be way ahead of its time by envisioning future societal problems and this book is a very good example of that.

A major reason why I give this book only 3 stars though is because it can be a little dry at times, especially the first third. The novel is broken up into 3 parts - the first part involves scientists working in a laboratory, the second part involves aliens in a parallel universe, and the third part involves people on the moon. The third section is by far the most interesting but it can be challenging to make it there. Overall though this is an important work of science fiction because of the subject matter.

Premise: The Electron Pump is the most revolutionary invention in history, creating free energy through a complicated exchange system with another universe. Only young physicist Lamont begins to believe that the downsides to the Pump might soon outweigh the benefits...

This was a great read. It's divided into three sections, which were originally published as (and still work as) separate but interlinked stories. The first part works the best on its own, and I was actually a little disappointed that the story continued; it has such a great, pointed ending.

The second section takes place in the parallel universe, focused on an utterly alien, three-gendered race. This was equally fascinating for completely different reasons. The social structure and norms of the aliens are not completely divorced from human culture, but there are tons of intriguing wrinkles. If you're not paying attention, you might miss the allusion to masturbation in the description of one character's experiences growing up, it's subtle. The ways that these characters interact, socially and physically, are really interesting. Dua, the "Emotional" in the trio the story follows, is the most compelling and sympathetic character, for all that she's single-minded and sometimes shallow.

The third section is back in Earth's universe, although it takes place with a new group of characters on the Moon. It's well written, interesting, and enjoyable to read, however it didn't have the same impact as the first two sections. Now, bear in mind, `not having quite the same impact' still places it pretty high up on a list of great works of science fiction. Overall, I found this to be an extremely satisfying book, both to read and to think about later.

Asimov explores many fascinating ideas in The Gods Themselves like infinite energy from the multiverse, and conditions in a lunar colony. The stupidity referred to in the title is interesting, but the egotism and competition among scientists seemed to be accurate reports from an insider. There is even a rather charmingly clunky romance. Well and clearly written with a lot of scientific explanations and some creative flights of fancy. The brings in the alien universe were really fun.

Frederick Hallam, a radiochemist of average intellect and fresh out of university, suddenly finds himself in communication with beings from a parallel Universe who had contacted him by locating a nearly forgotten bottle of Tungsten metal on Hallam's desk. Through his communication with these "para-Men", Hallam learns how to build an Electron Pump that allows energy to be transferred between the two universes cleanly and with no pollution.

Hallam is hailed a hero and named Father of the Electron Pump, but his partner, Ben Denison knows otherwise. Denison is well aware that the design of the pump originated from the beings in the parallel Universe. However, when Denison tries to speak out, he is silenced and blackballed by the scientific community.

Years later, a physicist named Frank Lamont uncovers dangerous information about the Pump, that it's very existence could destroy our galaxy, and interviews Hallam about it. Hallam is naturally outraged and moves against Lamont, pulling strings that nearly crush Lamont's career. As a last resort, Lamont approaches Senator Burt, head of the Committee on Technology and Environment, to discuss his evidence. Burt explains that if Lamont can prove his theories with unimpeachable math, the senator will do his best to take Hallam down. Returning to his laboratory, Lamont finds another message from the para-Universe: PUMP BAD PUMP BAD STOP STOP STOP PUMP!!!!

Meanwhile, on a planet in the parallel universe, beings known as Soft Ones, mutable sentient creatures capable of shape shifting, work together with Hard Ones, solid bi-pedal beings that cannot touch the Soft Ones without enduring pain. Within the culture of the Soft Ones, there are three types, Emotional, Parental, and Rational. Together, they make a triad, what we might consider a family. Only the Rationals ever speak to the Hard Ones, as the Hard Ones are the most intelligent of all beings and only the Rationals can understand them.

In one unusual triad, Odeen the Rational works closely with the Hard Ones on the Electron Pump while explaining his work to Dua, his Emotional mate. Breaking tradition and stereotype, Dua takes a deep interest in science. Meanwhile, their Parental mate, Tritt, is only concerned with taking care of the triad's children and becomes jealous of Odeen's attention to Dua.

However, Dua defies all and makes her way into the caverns where the Pump is being constructed. Armed with scientific knowledge beyond that of any Emotional, she learns of the dangers of the Pump and sends a message of warning to our universe...

Back in our universe, Denison arrives on the Moon (now populated for generations) in an attempt to rehabilitate his scientific career. He works with a device called the Pionizer, partly designed by Lunar scientists, that he hopes will compensate for the dangerous levels of energy being pulled into our Universe by the Electron Pump. In doing so, he encounters friction from the existing lead physicist, Barron Neville who sends his girlfriend, Selene, to spy on Denison.

Can Denison finally disprove Hallam? What is Neville's true agenda on the Moon? With whom does Selene's loyalty actually lie?

Asimov breaks the story into three parts, each containing several chapters.

Part One: "against stupidity..."
Part Two: "...the gods themselves..."
Part Three: "...contend in vain?"

("Against stupidity the gods themselves contend in vain.")

While the entire book is a fine example of hard SF, it is truly the final section that is most laden with scientific discourse between the characters of Denison and Selene and finally, Lunar administrator Gottstein, Denison, and Neville. In that way, the story turns dry at times, but it was actually a pleasure to read an "old school hard SF novel" by one of the masters. The Gods Themselves is a well paced, intelligent story with imaginative development of the aliens in the para-Universe. It's no surprise that it took the Nebula Award for Best Novel in 1972 and the Hugo Award the following year.

Somente alguns conhecem toda a verdade - um cientista da Terra, um alienígena rebelde habitante de um planeta à beira da morte, um humano intuitivo morador da Lua e que pressente a eminente aniquilação do Sol.
Eles sabem a terrível verdade - mas quem os ouvirá?
Esses poucos seres, humanos e alienígenas, são os guardiões das chaves da sobrevivência da Terra.
Uma surpreendente descrição de uma sociedade alienígena, Despertar dos Deuses é dividido em 3 partes, cada uma delas, uma estória em separado, sobre o mesmo tema.
A primeira parte conta a estória do Dr. Peter Lamont, um físico que estuda transferência energética entre universos com diferentes leis da natureza. Lamont acha que a "Electric Pump" pode destruir nosso sistema solar e ele tenta interromper o processo.
A segunda parte conta a estória de Odeen, Dua e Tritt (um trio alienígena parte da mesma família), que vivem em outro universo, onde a "Electric Pump" atua, como resultado dos eventos da primeira parte. Asimov cria uma raça alienígena cheia de credibilidade, apresentando 3 sexos e habilmente lidando com os rituais de acasalamento, de forma bastante sensível.
A terceira e última parte, soluciona as duas primeiras e conta a estória de Denison, um cientista que também aparece na primeira parte, e que, como resultado dos eventos acontecidos naquele momento, muda-se para a Lua. Nesta parte, Asimov nos apresenta a Selene - uma forte e feminina protagonista.
Fiquei um tanto decepcionada, pois a primeira e segunda partes não se resolvem sozinhas - somente ao final da terceira. Não ficamos sabendo como os protagonistas reagem aos acontecimentos.
Asimov usa uma citação de Friedrich von Schiller, "Against stupidity, the Gods themselves contend in vain" (Contra a estupidez, os próprios Deuses lutam em vão), como títulos dessas 3 partes - adequadamente a cada uma delas.
Este livro ganhou os prêmios Hugo e Nebula.

I have read most of Isaac Asimov's novels and the Foundation series is one of the best ever and I thought that he was genius in tying the Robot novels and the Foundation series together at the end. But this book was hard to read and the three different parts did not go together well at all. The middle third was the easiest part to read and the end of that section had a good reveal. But this whole book is uncharacteristic of him and I really find it hard to recommend to read by itself. It is one to read if you are wanting to read all of Asimov's works but that would be about the only reason to any more. The problem and the stories are just not that interesting today.

Issac Asimov stands with Heinlein at the top of the all time list of great sci-fi writers. Their styles were vastly different. Heinlein was more a teller of tales involving personalities. Asimov relied more on concept and crisp plots. His characters are seldom as emotional or engaging as Heinlein's, but his ideas are always invigorating. The analytical mind responsible for so many pure science non-fiction worked wonderfully to come up with carefully crafted, believable science fiction.

In "The Gods Themselves" Asimov makes a shift well to the side of what most writers ever attempt. He makes a very good attempt to describe an alien society that is SO unlike our own as to truly be alien. Most alien societies attempted by fantasy or sci-fi writers make steps towards strangeness, but in the end have many similarities to our own because they are, in the end, written by one of our own. Asimov made a laudable attempt to step out of the mold and give us something truly alien, and he succeeded VERY well. This is a bit of a surprise, because unlike most sci-fi writers, Asimov's other novels are decidedly void of aliens.

Here scientists on Earth discover a way to get "free energy" from a connection to another dimension. What they don't realize is that they are destroying that dimension, along with its inhabitants! When one of those inhabitants stumbles across what is happening, "he" meets disbelief and contention in his society, as do the scientists here when they learn the truth. However, the plot is secondary ... just a framework upon which to hang Asimov's true achievement in this book, the amazingly different aliens.

As are many of Asimov's works, this is a thinking man's novel. There are a few one star reviews of this book. I hate to think what sort of defective intellect it takes to read "The Gods Themselves" and be bored. LOL This book is a marvelous springboard to thinking beyond the normal boundaries.

It is a must read for all true science fiction fans.

I'm ashamed to say that this is the first Asimov I've ever read. Somehow I slipped through life without it until now, but I'm glad I discovered him.

Although I didn't like most of the poetry and fantasy, his science fiction is very powerful. Most of the pieces are rather slow, but engrossing. All very conceptual. Not very action-oriented. The whole of some stories involves men sitting around and talking. I can't help thinking that my critique group would trash it for that, but I quite enjoyed it. I would have enjoyed it more if he had cut out some of the mundane physical descriptions of characters.

What an imagination! His tricky issues and fascinating possibilities gave me lots to think about. Not a book I'll forget it three months, that's for sure. It's amazing how so many of his predictions for the future were so dead right, yet he imagined computers getting bigger and bigger, until Multivac (the most powerful computer) is a mile long and three stories tall.

The book is also a product of the times. Most stories were written in the fifties, and a LOT of them directly or indirectly address issues of WWII, nuclear weapons, nuclear wars, etc. A great gender inequality also shows itself. Almost all the main characters are male. Most of the female characters are silly, doting, 50s housewife typecasts. Only about three of them have real minds. Though I found this rather offensive, I also found it an interesting peek into the mindset of the 50s--or at least Asimov's 50s.

Some of my favorite stories in the collection, in case you don't have time to read the whole thick volume: "The Feeling of Power," "The Dead Past," "Living Space," "Profession," "The Gentle Vultures," "All the Troubles in the World," "The Ugly Little Boy," "Nightfall," and "Hostess."

Science- fiction stories in general and Asimov's as example are not, as I understand it, the greatest kind of Literature. They are too thin in their depiction of character and human feeling. What they are in essence is 'stories of ideas' and their great value is in the way they help us learn and think.
Asimov is considered one of the most original and greatest of writers in science- fiction.
I just read what is his favorite of all stories, and perhaps the most famous science- fiction story of them all, "The Last Question", In it the ultimate question the question of what will become of us all, what will happen to our universe is asked. There is no one set of characters, but rather successive skimpy characters placed in different locales and times. What begins on earth continues from locations on distant galaxies. The real question the last question is whether the universe will simply die, will follow the second - law- of themodynamics and disintegrate completely. After the time of our sun and the galaxies and after even the trillions of years in which there are no galaxies but only various forms of matter disintegrating the question is asked of the Artificial Intelligence which has been able to keep human existence going. The answer is a wonderful surprise. The story itself is an adventure in creating curiosity or perhaps better of building upon our own natural curiosity to provide an imagined answer.
Again as stories in comparison to more character rich and more feeling- rich stories these are not the greatest. But in exploring scientific questions in whetting our curiosity in leading us to 'think' in scientific terms these stories are in the first- rank.

Against stupidity the Gods themselves contend in vain.

This quote beats at the heart of this very creative story. While Asimov can conceive different universes with different fundamental physical laws, he writes about the interesting possibility that maybe stupidity itself is a univerisal phenomenon.

In our universe that stupidity focuses on the so called discoverer of the electron pump, Frederick Hallam. As described by Asimov, Hallam just happened to be around when a sample of tungsten began to degrade in his office creating free electrons and with it a source of unlimited free power.

Afraid the others will learn of his intellectual inadequacies, Hallam spent the rest of his life following his "discovery" snuffing out the careers of anyone who would question his prowess or who would fight the existence of the pump.

As in reality, the science fiction rule seems to be that there is no free lunch. In the case of the electron pump what that means is that if it was run long enough the pump would actually upset local physical space causing our sun and maybe even whole galactic arm to explode.

Here Asimov cuts to the alternate universe where triads of three creatures live in company with hard ones or unified creatures. Their Hallam seems to be a hard one named Estwald who's stupidity seems to be as much a part of the problem as Hallam's.

How all this stupidity gets resolved is rightly the genius of this story which I force readers to learn for themselves.

Just know this...it's worth the read.

The good doctor, over his lifetime, wrote more books than many people read in their lifetimes. Many were excellent explanations of various aspects of science written in language that a layman could understand. Some were good analyses of literature, such as Shakespeare and the Bible. But it is his science fiction works, from his vision of a Foundation to Robots imbued with Three Laws, that guarantee him a place in the hearts of fans of the genre, and a fame that spreads well beyond its boundaries.

This book was something of a departure for him, not being related to any of his other SF works, but still shows his sure hand at plotting and his deft melding of real science with a literally out-of-this-world idea. The story is told in three completely different segments, related only by the commonality of the scientific idea that drives this book, the Electron Pump, a device that can, apparently, deliver infinite free energy by trading material with a universe that operates on slightly different physical laws than our own.

The first segment is a beautiful glimpse into the sometimes not-so-nice world of the academic researcher, into who gets credit (not necessarily the deserving one) for an idea, how animosities begin and are nurtured, about the crassness of public policy being determined by those who do not and cannot understand the basics of the science that delivers the technological goodies.

The second segment is the part that makes this book deserving of its Hugo Award. Shifting from our universe to the para-universe that initiated the transfer that began the Electron Pump, Asimov invents a truly alien race that is at once believable and violently different from our own. Here we meet Odeen, Tritt, and Dua, who each form one part of tri-sexed whole. Each of these beings becomes a real person, from Tritt, the stolid, stubborn parent, Odeen as the absent minded thinker, and most especially Dua as the feeling, capricious, different one. Part of what makes this section so seductive is that Asimov has not just stated that this was tri-sexed species, but shows just how such an arrangement could work, and then throws in something I don't think I saw elsewhere till some of Ursala K. LeGuin's stories - just what constitutes the no-no's, the 'dirty' aspects of their sex lives. And these aspects, when viewed in terms of the whole life cycle of this species, make sense! A truly remarkable achievement, and I wish he had written more about this remarkable universe and its inhabitants.

The third section returns to our universe, and deals with how free investigation into reality guided by leaps of intuition can overcome even two separate hide-bound organizations, and naturally leads to the resolution of the problems introduced in the earlier sections. This section is not quite as strong as the other two, but does definitely develop one of Asimov's points: the characteristics of the universe we live in are determined by several seemingly random constants, from the strength of quark-quark interactions to the speed of light, and changing any of them would result in very radically different universes.

A strong novel, with some excellent characterization within each section, and based on a solid bedrock of real science. This is possibly the best stand-alone fiction work that he wrote, and should be placed on your shelves right next the Foundation and Robot series.

--- Reviewed by Patrick Shepherd (hyperpat)

Clearly one of the true masters of science fiction, nobody ever blended the science and the fiction as well and as harmoniously as Isaac Asimov did. Asimov's speculations, though wild and far-fetched, always had their roots firmly in proven science, and thus his work is speculative fiction at its best; at the same time, the drama and characters are as solid as the basic theories, and the two elements melt together perfectly to create truly great science fiction. 'The Gods Themselves', one of the best of Asimov's works that stand on their own and not as part of a series, is a fantastic example of this talent. The novel makes a wild hypothesis that entices fascinating moral and philosophical dilemmas, and tries to work these out, never for a minute ceasing to be an enticing and engaging work of fiction.

'The Gods Themselves' addresses the dilemma from three different angles through the telling of three entirely separate stories, taking place in very different locations - one on earth, one in a parallel universe, and one in a human colony on the moon. While the tales are separate, they intertwine in a fascinating fashion. The novel's biggest flaw is probably the fact that the last part is doubtlessly the weakest. Though it does an excellent and masterful job of describing a human society adapted to life on a different world, it often loses its dramatic focus in favor of those descriptions and in descriptions of sex and nudity that are sometimes necessary and sometimes superfluous.

Be that as it may - the second part, taking place in the so-called Para-Universe, a universe parallel to our own and inhibited by an entirely different species than ours - is so good that in itself it makes the novel one of Asimov's greatest masterpieces. Asimov manages to create an entirely convincing alien race - a three-sexed alien race, complete with mating and reproduction proceedings - with minimum visual description of the universe or its inhabitants. Asimov manages the impossible here - the entire chapter is told from the aliens' point of view, and therefore the rituals and lifestyles that aren't in any way similar to anything we know is given minimal description, the entirely alien ideas being considered obvious and clear; and yet the master manages to give us a perfect idea of the way these creatures behave and act, making the reader believe in them as true characters with feelings and motives, even sympathize with them. This is such a huge achievement that in itself it makes 'The God Themselves' one of the true great masterpieces of science fiction. For any fan of the genre, not to mention any fan of Asimov's, this is a unique and essential masterpiece.

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.

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~]

'The Gods Themselves' can most accurately be described as three distinct novellas that are linked by a ingenious premise (the transfer of matter and energy between parallel universes) and several events. Taking place on different worlds, each section of the book features unique characters, divergent tones, and different themes; the structure of the book reflects the tenuous connections and detached existences of the parallel universes themselves. This trifocal approach almost necessarily results in loose ends, but the result is surprisingly effective.
The first section is nearly unadulterated satire. A persistent but not very intelligent scientist, Hallam, accidentally discovers an impossible isotope (plutonium-186), which appears on our planet when aliens in another universe place it here, and its instability proves to be a 'free' source of energy. When another physicist, Lamont, discovers a potential flaw that might endanger our universe, his actions are motivated as much as by revenge against Hallam (and by the desire to be proven right) as by any thought of saving humankind from destruction. Although the explanation of the relate scientific concepts is both witty and brilliant, their basis in reality is absolutely ludicrous--but Asimov knows it. Instead, he uses this premise to skewer the foibles and egoism of scientists he spent most of his life observing.
The second story enters the other universe and presents the bildungsroman of Dua, who is so different from her counterparts that she is an alien in her own world. While the first segment's spotlights scientists and science, the second section focuses on an exotic culture and society, and along the way Asimov comments on racism, conformism, and sexuality. Dua then accidentally discovers the link to our universe--but to say anything more would be to say too much.
The concluding section is a more conventional science fiction tale, involving an older (male) traveler from Earth who moves to a lunar colony and falls in love with one of the younger (female) natives. Again, Asimov creates two very appealing characters, who become involved in the multiversal intrigues and who, in this episode, carry them to a crescendo. Yet the ending seems a bit contrived, and this third storyline doesn't have the impact or the cleverness of the first two parts. But 'The Gods Themselves' isn't really written for its plot(s) or its ending(s). Instead, the book's strengths are the inventiveness of its structure, the relevance of its themes, and the charm of its characters--and by those standards it's an otherworldly success.

To any reader of science fiction, Isaac Asimov is an old familiar. Not only did he create the three laws of robotics and 'Foundation', his name also presides over countless anthologies, awards, and one long running magazine. Unlike many of his contemporaries, people continue to read Asimov. The ideas are still engaging, the characters still 'typed-up' well enough to resemble people we might know - or be interested in knowing, and the writing still crisp and relatively free of all the dating that's so heavily sprinkled in other works from the sixties and seventies. In 'The Gods Themselves', Asimov deals not only with a people more like us, but a people much closer to us in time. This novel does not take place in a galaxy far far away (at least two thirds of it don't), but in one very close to now. Secondly, Asimov deals with chemistry (sprinkled heavily with some quantum mechanics), which was the field he pursued as a scientist - despite being one of the fathers of robotics.
The story plays out in three almost completely distinct parts. A common practice with Asimov. Many of his novels, including the first two 'Foundation' books actually consisted of several novellas stringed together. These parts consist of characters - talking heads really - struggling for or against the new technology Asimov has created to serve as the plot device: the electron pump. However negative such a simple description may sound, the application of it to paper is beautiful. The electron pump itself is such an engaging scientific concept, it draws the characters toward inexorable toward it. Much of the talking-head criticism stems from the necessity for the characters, in dialogue, to explain certain scientific principles in order to elucidate for the reader just what the heck they're talking about. Part Two (and the titular part): "...The Gods Themselves..." might perhaps be the most brilliant alien creating I've ever read. The aliens not only have more character and personality than most of Asimov's human creations (maybe Asimov was alien?), but they somehow come across as completely alien and completely recognizable. It's a remarkable feat, and is almost disappointing that it doesn't end the book. Alas, part three is a necessity.
Anyone who loves Asimov and likes real 'science' fiction - not space opera or fantasy - could do a lot worse than this one. In fact, they'd be hard pressed to do better.

There is a lot to be said in favor of this book. It has suspense, a good pace, new ideas in abundance, the opportunity for recognition, interesting new societies to explore, better rounded characters then Asmiov's usuals. It reads swiftly and entertains. For those of you who like puzzles: do try to figure out what Asimov was thinking when he numbered the chapters.But best of all: at last here is a novel dealing with the use and un-use of the brain.
"Against stupidity the Gods themselves contend in vain." Asimov has devided the book in three parts
The first part of the book (titled: Against Stupidity) has chosen everyday stupidity as central theme. How people (human and otherwise) are interested more in immediate personal comfort then in learning the thruth. How people seem to avoid to think, if thinking might lead to discovering something unpleasant. And how this opens the possibilities for mismanagement, for praise (and careers) for the wrong people, and (hey, this is SF) for the destruction of our universe. This part can give a the feeling of deja vu and recognition to those working in hierarchical environnements, with it's usual not to bright, trouble avoiding, management.
The second part (titled: The Gods Themselves) deals with the bond between intelligence, childlike emotions, and parental instructions, that are also present in every human (see Freud (Es, Ego, Superego) or Harris (I'm OK, you're OK)). Asimov paints an interesting and novel alien universe in which these three parts of us are seperate types of characters, that marry in Triads, and how the unity between the 3 transcents them into something very different from the parts.
In the last part (Contend In Vain) the concept of advanced Intuition is explored as a means of knowing things, grasping solutions, without actually having a lot of knowledge on the subject. The setting for this is the utopic society living in colony on the moon. Some genetical enginering is implied, but not proven.
A book worth your time and money (which ever comes first)!

The most confused mess of nonsense I have ever read. Long, dream out and tedious. The story is boring, contrived, and goes nowhere. If this really won a Hugo award, I will never look to that again in evaluating another book. Truly terrible both in concept and execution. I had to stop at page 80.

It's been a while since I read any of Asimov's books - the Foundation series has always been one of my favorite science fiction series. Therefore, I decided to read another classic of Asimov (or at least, so I've been told). "The Gods Themselves" didn't surprise me, yet I was also surprised. Why? Well, the book was terrific, definitely one of Isaac Asimov's greatest novels. But also, I was surprised to see such an amazing description of a fascinating alien society - Asimov usually does not like to write about aliens (at least, that's the impression I've gotten from reading his books), but the "alien part" of the book was SO good, and so well conceived and written, it made me wish Asimov would've written more books in this style.

What is the book about? The book contains 3 parts, each is actually a separate story which revolve around the same theme.
The first part tells the story of Dr. Peter Lamont, a physicist, which recalls how the "Electric Pump", a device which enables receiving a near-infinite amount of energy as a result of matter transferral between our universe, and another universe which has different laws of nature. Lamont finds that this device might destroy our solar system, and this story depicts his attempt to stop the pump. I really liked this story. It's written in typical Asimov style: witty, humorous and totally brilliant.

The second part tells the story of Odeen, Dua and Tritt - an alien "Triplet" (3 beings which are a family). These aliens live in the other universe and the story describes what happens on this side of the pump (as a result of the events from part one). As I mentioned before, this part was truly amazing. I wish Asimov had written more books about this world, as he created such a fascinating universe. You have to read it to see what I mean.

The third and final part, tells the story of Denison, a scientist which also appeared in the first part, and as a result of events which occured there, moved to the moon. I found this part a bit boring. This part resolves the story lines from parts one and two.

I wholeheartly recommend this book, if only for the second part. Asimov being a professor, this book is filled with real science in a way which integrates with the plot and supports it (contrary to "technobabble" use of science) - this is one of the reasons the book is so good. The only thing which bothered me a bit, is that the first and second parts aren't really resolved on their own, meaning, the story ends only after the third part is over. This disappointed me, because these really were the best parts of the book and I felt somewhat cheated that I could not see how the protagonists reacted to what happened in the end. Nevertheless, this only detracts a little from the book which is still a masterpiece.

There are many topics present in THE GODS THEMSELVES that will be familiar to anyone who has read a good number of the late, great Isaac Asimov's work. Back-stabbing in the academic world, scientific progress, human folly, fear of outsiders and other themes can be found, not only here, but in countless other short stories and novels written by the good doctor. Using his accustomed pieces as a springboard, Asimov created in this book an almost epic tale of human hubris as it tries to take advantage of a science that it doesn't even understand. Despite having a few minor misgivings with the conclusion, I felt that this ranked right up there with the best of his stories.
The book is divided into three sections, each telling part of the tale, and each featuring its own cast of characters. Asimov was clever enough to weave the story carefully so that we get the various portions from three different points of view (this is even cleverer in the middle section but you'll have to read it to find out how). The themes and tones established at the beginning manage to thread their way through effortlessly, which is quite an achievement given how wildly different the three sections are in terms of setting, characters, and motivations.
The middle section of the three could almost be left on the cutting room floor as far as the rest of the plot is concerned. There is virtually nothing here that isn't revealed or repeated in the other two sections. But it is this alien-centric passage that makes this book the classic that it is today. Aliens in science-fiction stories can generally fall into two main categories. In the first, there are the aliens who look, act and sound exactly like human beings, with the only real difference being that they have pieces of plastic on their foreheads, or can see in the dark, or something else trivial like that. They don't really have dissimilar minds to humans; they don't think differently. The second group is the race of creatures of which every individual member is just like every other (watch any episode of Star Trek to see the war-like aliens, or the peace-loving aliens, or the scientific aliens, etc.). Yet, Asimov managed to do something really special here. He created a race of beings that are certainly much different from what we would describe as human, but he also made them into interesting individuals. A triple-gendered species is a difficult concept to develop (especially in novel form), but Asimov did a terrific job here at describing the genders in terms of general archetypes, and then making the individuals interesting in their own right, regardless of their alienness.
One of the only things that I didn't think lived up to the quality of the rest was the ease of the resolution. It's a bit too simple and slightly too neat. The conclusion makes logical and scientific sense, but one doesn't get the impression of any real emotion. It's as if the main characters can really be bothered to get excited over the impending destruction of the solar system. There's also a subplot that only really gets going very near to the end causing it to appear to have come out of nowhere. These aren't really major flaws, but they do cause a little but of a comedown after the wonder on display in the first two sections. It felt a bit as though Asimov had really let himself go wild in the beginning and middle parts, and then forced himself to reign in his story by the end. A little disappointing, but this is still quite a captivating ride.
Like many of Asimov's novels, this is a great book for fans of science fiction or for newcomers to the genre. There's a little bit of High School physics on display, but don't let that intimidate you, as Asimov's deceptively simple writing style is what made him such a great teacher of all things scientific. If you've never had the pleasure of reading any of this author's work before, then THE GODS THEMSELVES would be a great place to start. Several of Asimov's favorite subjects are offered here, and this will give you a great overview of his style of storytelling.

Isaac Asimov was one of the most prolific writers not just in science fiction, but in all of literature. Having written upwards of 500 books (distributed throughout every category of the Dewey Decimal System), compliling the definitive Asimov omnibus, clearly, is a monumental task. This, the first in a three volume series (I have never come across the two subsequent volumes), collects a good portion of Asimov's short fiction (though, indeed, not as many as the title implies) - including some of his earliest work, and some of his best. This collection includes about 50 stories, comprising the previous short story collections Earth Is Room Enough, Nine Tomorrows, and Nightfall and Other Stories in their entirety. Included in it are some of the classic science fiction short stories of all-time: Nightfall, The Last Question (one of my absolute personal favorites, as well as Asimov's own favorite of his writings), and The Dying Night; as well as personal and sentimental favorites such as The Ugly Little Boy, Jokester, Dreaming Is A Private Thing, Profession, and Breeds There A Man...? It also includes such widely anthologized pieces as It's Such A Beautiful Day, The Fun They Had, and The Machine That Won The War. The collection also picks up several lighter pieces - such as examples of Asimov's poetry, which show that, despite his often leaning toward the cerebral in his stories, the good Doctor was also one big goof. Though by no means a complete overview of Asimov's short fiction, this is a very good place to start if you are new to the author - or if you want to get a good portion of his works in one convenient place. One need not go into the individual merits of these stories: Asimov's reputation precedes itself. This is some of the greatest science fiction ever written, essential to any fan of the genre, or of imaginative writing in general. Very highly recommended.

This book, like Asimov's Foundation series itself, took form in the author's mind from the germ of a very small and seemingly insignificant seed (see "An Introduction At Some Length" for details), but he managed to turn it into a (nearly) full-fledged masterpiece. The book starts out somewhat slow (for those who don't like a lot of technical details), as it has Asimov attempting to make the existence of something (Uranium-186) that isn't possible, seem possible. The average lay reader will certainly concede that he has accomplished the task, and may find the initial part a bit slow; the more scientifically-minded reader will admit that he did as good a job as could probably be done. If you find this part trying, trust me - stay with it. It's well worth your time and effort. The book, which deals with parallel universes, is written, appropriately enough, in a parallel structure: three separate, seemingly unconnected sections, which all stand on their own fairly well, come together in the end to form quite a conclusion. The book's sturcutre is quite similar to 2001: A Space Odyssey, in that it features individual sections that seem not to be related to one another, and then beging to cling together towards the end. The way that Asimov weaves the separate plot threads together to create a coherent whole is masterful, and I won't spoil it for you by describing it here. This is one of the book that you will just have to keep reading - and that will surprise you in the end. The good Doctor acccomplishes some clever things in this book (with chapter numberings, of all things), but something that is particularly of note (as has been well-pointed out by other reviewers) is the absolutely incredible second section. This section starts out strangely and is somewhat hard to follow at first (having seemingly nothing to do with the first part of the book), but weaves itself into such a shocking and masterful conclusion that it will absolutely leave you reeling. This section reads very well on its own, and would've made an excellent short story all by itself. Its impressiveness is heightened, however, by the fact that Asimov fits it into the general scheme of the book. Unfortunately, the more pedestrian middle section of the book is a bit of a letdown after the incredible middle section. It shares some similarities with the first section, and I can't help but finding the resolution to be a bit of a duex ex machina. Sure, it works, but - it just isn't entirely satisfying, for some reason. One wonders if Asimov had written himself into a corner, as it certainly seems that he perhaps took the easy way out - but then again, it may have just been that I was looking for a shocking conclusion (say, the destruction of the universe), as the book jacket seems to promise. In any case, I'm no one to argue with the Master. A truly captivating and original work that is a notch below perfection for the reasons just mentioned - hence the not-quite-5-stars rating. Essential Asimov, essential science fiction - the two seem to go hand-in-hand.

One thing I always have to remind myself when it comes to reading Asimov is that even though I've seen some of his ideas and concepts before in other author's works, that Asimov was in many ways a pioneer in the field at the time he wrote. The Gods Themselves is no exception to that rule. Yes, there are elements in this novel that others have done but none of them really as well as Asimov. There are others here who have explained the premise of this novel far better than I could and without giving away little nuggets of information that could, quite possibly ruin the narrative. Needless to say, Asimov does well with the science and consequences of the situation. What is lacking in the novel are characters of much depth and interest. Many of the players are one-dimensional and rarely break out of that mold. Asimov has shown he can write memorable and entertaining characters who have some depth (Bailey and R. Daneel Olivaw are two that spring to mind). However, here Asimov seems to fall too much in love with the science of what he is trying to explain rather than having interesting characters in the mix. Which takes away from an otherwise flawless novel.
Certainly this book is recommended. It's just not my favorite Asimov.

In The Gods Themselves humanity discovers the secret of unlimited energy,
tapping another dimension without knowing that an alien culture is doing
the same thing to us. Asimov doesn't do many aliens in his work, but he
does them well here, as the aliens are as completely non-human as can be
imagined. And there is a twist to the story in that the aliens are hoping
we will keep using our unlimited power source, until our universe collapses
and they gain energy for the rest of time from that collapse. That part
sort of sounds like corporate America, let's get what we can out of it no
matter the harm to others. But some of the aliens have a conscience, and
the story revolves around them. Great fiction, written by a master and
well worth the read.

With one exception, everyone who has reviewed The Gods Themselves has raved about the middle section, and rightly so. In part two of The Gods Themselves, Asimov reaches a level of prosaic abilities he never achieved in any of his other works. Asimov creates a strong emotional attachment between the reader and Odeen, Dua, and Tritt. The effect he accomplishes has less to do with a well-designed alien culture than with a knack for showing the deepest feelings of these beings, feelings that are based on another culture but which we find ourselves relating to.
That we end up caring so much about Odeen, Dua, and Tritt, only makes the other two parts of the book that much more uninspiring. The human characters, while not entirely cardboard, lack the depth of the aliens. Mostly it's because of a stylistic change. We see Odeen, Dua, and Tritt primarily through their own self-introspection. The humans are developed entirely through dialogue; we are never given a peek into their heads and so, frankly, don't really care about them.
Parts one and three aren't terrible, but standing by themselves they are unmemorable. Part two, however, deserves to be read by every fan of the creative imagination. Without intending to take anything away from the first three Robot novels (in my opinion, Asimov's overall best fiction works), I submit that part two of The Gods Themselves deserves all of the accolades that have been heaped upon it.

Anything by Asimov is worth reading. The man was one of the great geniuses of our time. If only his writing style was a bit more sophisticated, his works might have a wider audience outside of the sci-fi arena.

This book, "The Gods Themselves," is one of his most original and interesting. Like almost anything the man has done, it's been influential to a degree that reading it now one can't help but recall a plethora of sci-fi books that have recycled some of these ideas. What's fascinating beyond that are the ideas that haven't been pilfered before. The book is divided into three sections, each trisecting the line "Against ignorance, the gods themselves contend in vain" from Schiller. The first section is a telling portrait of how scientific progress is often motivated by irrational male posturing. The last third posits hope for the future. However, it is the middle section - Asimov's rare depiction of a truly alien species - that is the best.

If you like more ideas than verbal mastery or just following the Master on one of his flights of fancy, you'll enjoy "The Gods Themselves." This is one of his best.

This was quite a unique novel, offering a look into a parallel universe structured upon laws of physics completely different from our own. The books is divided into three stories, one of which takes place in the aforementioned universe, and I have to say Asimov's attempt to describe life through the other universe is applaudable. Despite the completely alien forms, culture, and environment, he successfully achieves reader sympathy with characters who have nothing physically relatable to us, outside of intellect.

At first I became concerned with where the story was going when it was clearly identified that the plot revolved around a device called the Particle Pump. The branding felt childish and unrealistic, and I felt I would lose interest as the novel progressed. Fortunately, this was not the case. The story blossomed in a way that made the device's drab title insignificant; it was the ideas surrounding the device that was unique.

After completing the book I did some research about it and was pleasantly amused how the concept originated. Apparently, during a conversation Asimov had with fellow author Robert Silverberg, the subject lead to some random atom isotope being called out, Plutonium-186, to which Asimov replied that such an atom could not exist because it defied the laws of physics. This book was Asimov's personal explanation, offering a possibility on how such a particle could exist.

Overall I would have to say I enjoyed the book and felt it had intriguing concepts. For those who enjoy the idea of parallel universes, and like to see diversity of setting, a trademark of Asimov's Foundation series, this fits the bill. But, I would disagree with Asimov (who favored this over all of his sci-fi works), and say that it wasn't his best in the genre. Because of this, I would really only recommend this to those already fans of Asimov.

Asimov was the all time master of the American sf of his era. Like all good teenage boys I really enjoyed the puzzling Foundation books. But the poor guy's world came to a shuddering halt with the arrival of the new wave in this continent and new worlds in the UK. Young sf writers were cross-pollinating with the high literature of the time, avant garde art and political vangardism. To them Asimov's sf simply wasn't up to the tasks they set themselves.
This book is Asimov's answer to the sf revolutionaries. For the tasks he set himself, his stories were simply the best. And the really nice thing is his answer is set in a fairly accurate picture of the world of academic science, with tightly drawn and believable characters. (I wish people in science studies would read this book because it's written by a scientist who says everything they do but doesn't throw the baby out with the bath water.) When you put these together with his aliens in the parallel universe, you get one of the most ambitious and imaginative books he ever wrote. I'm still not sure about the science (why exactly do the aliens take the chemicals laid out in labs and not distributed throughout the universe). But it's a cut above Heinlein's in Stranger in a Strange Land.
It's thirty years later and this book still breathes. Enjoy.

I originally picked up this book because I was working my way through a list of double winners, books that had won the Hugo and Nebula awards in a single year. The list is exclusive, and Azimov is one of only a handful of people to accomplish this (Orson Scott Card - twice, Ursula LeGuin - twice, Arthur C. Clarke - twice, David Brin, Joe Haldeman and William Gibson are the others that I know of).
Having read Clarke's "Randezvous With Rama" and Card's "Ender's Game" and "Speaker fo the Dead", I thought that "The Gods Themselves" was going to be a great book. It was good, but my expectations were too high.
I like Azimov's writing style, he isn't a literary giant, but he knows this and is intelligent enough not to try. He places an excellent mix of pace, simplicity and plot to carry the book along nicely. I found that the book depends a little too heavily on one plot trick that I guessed early on. This marred the overall impact of the book, but didn't destroy it.
The book fully deserves the 3 stars I gave it and maybe more depending on how you like Azimov. If you loved the book and want something similar, you can't go wrong with most of Arthur C. Clarke's material, especially "Randezvous with Rama" which I mentioned earlier. Also, Azimov's "Foundation" books are written in a similar style and carry about the same weight.

Mankind discovers a method of energy transfer with the aliens of another universe that promises unlimited energy. Unfortunately, it also promises ultimate destruction. Only a few scientists are capable of seeing beyond their own self-interest and hubris to recognize this fact, but can they make others believe? Asimov has constructed an admirable allegory for the environment quandry that we face here on earth, although he fails to show how limitless power would transform our lives.
The novel is constructed in three parts. The first and third sections involve human beings and rely too much on telling and not enough on showing--lots of long, didactic conversations and far too little incident. The third section is particularly weak; it is dull and bloodless with a take on human sexuality which is supposed to be advanced but, from today's standpoint, seems firmly mired in a seventies mentality.
The triumph of this novel is the masterful middle section. Asimov depicts an alien society that is truly unlike mankind, yet he manages to depict distinct individuals. This is quite surprising coming from a writer who is known neither for characterization or alien-building. It's just a shame that the rest of the novel could not maintain this quality and had to end on such a tragically dull note.

Tonight the moon was the brightest it will be all year and as I looked up in the sky I couldn't help feeling cheated that I would never have a chance to try gliding across the surface of the moon. More than watching moon walks in the 70's or space shuttle launches in the 80's and beyond, it was this book that made me long to set foot on the moon.
Like most Asimov books, the "science" is just the setting for the fiction, not the other way around. This story of drive, ambition, love, greed, revenge and heroics could just as easily be set in the present day or in ancient Greece. Asimov is the master of telling a story so good that you almost forget the "impossibility" of the setting.
"The Gods Themselves" is really three books, each with its own tale. It is only in the end that Asimov takes these three stories and winds them together like a rope. To say more would ruin the pleasure. This is a book I have read and reread in part and in whole for 15 years. Strongly recommended!!

I knew Asimov's work mostly through his Robot stories and the Foundation series, so I thought it was about time to read one of his independent standing novels. What better way than to start with his Hugo and Nebula awards winning novel from the early 70ies?

`The Gods Themselves' is about abundance of free energy and the dangers caused by it. Although on the surface it looks like a hard science novel, the science is only used to describe a too frequent human behavior: in face of free energy, would humanity become careless and threaten the existence of the very planet they live on?

Asimov described this in three parts; all parts could even stand as (nearly) independent from each other, although they share the same history, but (mostly) different characters.

The first part is about the invention of the Electron Pump which sucks energy from a parallel Universe, and about how an outlaw scientist discovers the dangers related to the Pump and therefore will be discredited by the scientific community. The third part is about how the problem will be solved on the moon by another discredited scientist and a lunar intuitionist.

The best part, according to most critics (including me), is the middle part, where the very strange inhabitants of the parallel Universe are described. Which starts as a very hard read (not only are the aliens so different, even the physical properties of their Universe are different), develops into one of the most accomplished created alien races of all times and shows that Asimov was a true visionary.

Now, nearly 30 years after the birth of this novel, some of the (human) characters seem a bit dated, but apart from that, Asimov makes us think a lot and proves beyond doubt that he was - together with Arthur C. Clarke - the undisputed king of science fiction.

One of my favorite Asimov stories, up there with the foundation trilogy, I've read it multiple times. What would happen if a dimensional rift resulted in first contact scenario, and the beings on the other side of the rift thought we were the Godlike alien intelligence? At the same time, humanity creates a limitless power source (the electron pump) and create the rift. Superstition and politics lead into a bad place, and the very chapter titles make it into a masterpiece: "Against stupidity, the Gods themselves contend in vain?"

The alien race is one of the best is early SF, and the meta-theme of heroism in the face of cultural stupidity sets up an enduring message. The book is really broken into three short sections, but unlike many other authors, Asimov made these stories into more than the sum of their parts.

I've been a reader of science fiction and a fan of Asimov for about 45 years. Pebble In The Sky was the first SF book that I remember. I re-read a bunch of his books recently, including the entire Foundation series, and was surprised that they didn't hold up to my memories of them, though they were still enjoyable reads.

The Gods Themselves is different. I think it is one of the greatest SF books of all time. His development and portrayal of the alien species is simply unforgettable. His humans have always seemed to me like the humans in the Toy Story movies, not quite relaxed, not as real as the animated toy characters. But he sure gets inside the head of an alien in a perceptive and natural way.

Asimov presents very convincing character development, pulling the reader in and presenting many interesting twists. Sometimes the physics was a big overwhelming, and I had to reread certain passages a number of times, and remember back to Atomic Mass theory. I was particularly intrigued with the emerging environmental consciousness presented: ideas of future renewable, free energy sources, in a metaphor for our current unquestionable unquenchable pursuit of nonrenewable resources, within the ever-present myth of a free lunch.
Asimov explores many possibilities in the human and alien psyche, considering how our negative impulses can push us on to greatness- great glory, or great tragedy. He investigates how the perceptions of who we are will change with time- the perceptions of others, and our self-perception. I was engrossed- I wanted to know what was going to happen next to these characters that I cared about. And what happened next, especially at the end of the units, was usually not what I expected. It is a well written novel. And therein lies the flaw.
Perhaps if the characters weren't so well portrayed, it wouldn't matter that we never get to find out what happens to them. This is written more as three separate stories, around a common theme, rather than a novel. And the three stories themselves are more slice-of-life than the traditional Western novella genre. So we begin to care a great deal about character, only to see him disappear at the end of the first unit, and only be tangentially mentioned in the third unit. Then we get a very interesting display of a completely foreign and alien psychology and anthropology, with 3 mates in one, and a complicated lifecycle- only to have a surprise at the end of the second unit, never fully explained, and the aliens never really again mentioned. And in the third unit, with a long rendition of what life is like on the moon, we focus on a character tangentially mentioned in the first unit- and in this story, there is at least some completion, albeit with unfortunate gratuitous dwelling on nudity. Each would be quite good alone, with extra material added. But I'm left feeling that this is an unfinished novel- worse, 3 unfinished novels. I'd rather have the author finish his own work, and not be made to complete the novel for him.

I really enjoyed this book as I've enjoyed all the Asimov books that I've read, but I have to admit that I was slightly disappointed by a couple of aspects. The book is divided into three parts. The first part takes place on earth and the third part takes place on the moon. The second part takes place in the para-universe on the planet of the para-men. The para-men are actually not men at all. They are an alien life form radically different from human beings. At first I got bogged down in this middle chapter but I quickly got into it and enjoyed the story taking place on the alien world very much.
The Gods Themselves is typical Asimov in that there is a lot of intellectual talking and discussion that develop into plot twists between bits of action. However, the major twist that is illuminated at the end of the book let me down (WARNING! spoilers ahead). The idea that it was the grand plan of the lunarites to use the "electron pump" to thrust the moon out of earth's orbit and essentially turn it into a starship struck me as being a little silly. Obviously the electron pump would be much better utilized as the engine to propell actual spaceships away from the earth and into other solar systems, for those earth-hating-lunarites who wanted to go. The villian's motivation for wanting to move the moon was his fear of coming out of the lunar caves (his agoraphobia would presumable prevent him from traveling in spaceships). C'mon, give me a break.
Secondly, I was disappointed that the aliens weren't more involved in the outcome of the novel. After a very exciting second chapter (an entire third of the book) where we learn about the social structure of this alien society, we never hear from them again. The way the chapter ended, it seemed that the third and final chapter would involve them in overcoming the crises that threatened the universe. But there involvement was very slight.
Aside from these two points, I loved the characters (especially Selena) and I loved the lunar and alien cultures. The sexual and domestic mores that developed and evolved on both the moon and the para-planet are fascinating and very different from earth's. I felt the book was essentially flawed but still enjoyable and a must read for all Asimov fans.

Hugo and Nebula Award winner. The book is divided into 3 sections, each taking its title from a portion of a quote from a play by the German playright Schiller: "Against Stupidity, the Gods Themselves Contend in Vain". The book is dedicated "To Mankind, and the hope that the war against folly may someday be won, after all".
In the first section, Dr. Peter Lamont is recalling the story of the discovery of the "electron pump" process. Dr. Frederick Hallam had stumbled onto a discovery that a jar formerly
containing Tungsten-186 now contained Plutonium-186 (20 neutrons turned into 20 protons, with a net release of energy). He was assisted by Benjamin Allan Denison, a radiochemist. It turns out that Hallam is neither especially bright nor very well liked by his colleagues, but he ends up becoming a hero to the public at large for his fortuitous discovery.
In the course of his research, Dr. Lamont interviews Hallam and suggests that Hallam and other humans had had little to do with the development of the electron pump, since the instructions had been sent from an unknown source (the same as the source of the
chemical change). For this impertinence, Hallam ruins Lamont's career. This causes Lamont to dig deeper into the process and develop a theory that the process will be dangerous to Earth in the near future.
The danger lay in the fact that, by pumping electons into the parauniverse, its physical laws were slowly seeping into our universe (and vice versa). This meant that the strong nuclear force was gradually becoming weaker in our universe (stronger in the parauniverse). Since the sun works on nuclear fusion, its rate of fusion would increase until it eventually became unstable and the sun exploded. The other physicists knew of this danger but assumed an even distribution in our universe of the effect of the pumping, which meant that there would no danger for eons. Dr. Lamont, on the other hand, understood that the changes would be localized to the areas near the pumping stations and the dangerous effects much more concentrated.
In the course of Dr. Lamont's research, he even has several cryptic communications with the "para-universe", the presumed source of the conversion process, which his friend and
colleague Dr. Myron Bronowski helps to translate. These messages seem to indicate that someone on the "other side" is also aware of danger. Unfortunately, as the Schiller quote implies, stupidity wins and Lamont's theory is scoffed at due primarilly to his bad standing with the revered Hallam.
In the second section, we meet a few of the inhabitants of the para-universe and learn about their society. The common folks are divided into 3 types, rationals, emotionals and parentals. In addition to these are the "Hard Ones", who seem to be the ones really running things. Events involve one particular triad, whose emotional (Dua) secretly longs to be a rational. She ends up learning about the process and manages to send warning messages to the other side.
In the last section, we find ourselves on Luna, with Dr. Denison arriving there as a permanent immigrant ("immi") from Earth. He has become disillusioned with Earth, since Hallam has managed to stunt his career as he had done to Lamont earlier. With the help
of a new friend, Selene (rhymes with 'sell any'), a tour-guide and friend of a local physicist, Denison manages to actually measure the dangerous effect that Lamont had predicted and
prove his theory to be true. He also proposes a solution; finding another para-universe to pass the extra protons to, making Earth merely a transit station and causing no permanent
change to its natural laws.
All ends well, with Hallam getting his comeuppance on Earth and Lamont and Denison being honored as heros. Denison chooses to stay on Luna with his new girlfriend, Selene.
This is a great science fiction story, highlighted by interesting characters, realistic scientific explanations, plausible basic proposition and an especially imaginative description of the alien world, its inhabitants and their culture.
Asimov observes the foibles of mankind but, being an atheist, is unable to rely upon God to guide world events and eventually make things right (we sense his eco-panic, common among atheists and a familiar theme in current events). In place of God, he therefore proposes human intelligence (i.e. learning, science) as the solution to man�s problems, ignoring the fact that this tool can be (and has been) used for both good and evil. Man needs more than knowledge, learning, intelligence or science, as important as these are. He needs forgiveness, moral insight and guidance, and courage to do the right thing. Against God, the demigods themselves contend in vain.

As you can read from the jacket of The Gods Themselves, something bad is going to happen to Earth and only three "people" know about it--an Earth scientist, an alien, and someone from the Moon. What is really unique about this book is that it is basically three different stories that are tied together with only the common thread that the main character of each story knows of this imminent disaster that will befall Earth.
For the most part, I don't like to read short story sci-fi. I just don't like the idea that the story can't get very developed and you can't REALLY get to know the characters. So, when I first started to realize how Gods is organized, I didn't think that it would end up being that great. However, I am glad to say that I was pleasantly surprised; all three stories are really quite good. Also, they all have many similar ideas (other than the disaster thing) that almost make them seem like one story told from three different perspectives (in a sort of socio-political way).
The first story has great characters and is sort of a setup for the rest of the book. The second story has some really interesting aliens--not just your run-of-the-mill, humanoid, Star Trek-type aliens. Actually, I would say that the aliens in this book are in the top three as far as uniqueness. The final story wraps everything up. It also has a few more good characters and some interesting ideas about life on the moon.
I gave The Gods Themselves four stars because the book is good, but not really anything to write home about. If you're in the mood for a short book, that's easy to read, and has some interesting ideas, or if you just want to read about cool aliens, then I would recommend it.

It's been several years since I last read this book though I will likely read it again now that it's available for the Kindle. Isaac Asimov wrote The Gods Themselves during the period in time when he had stopped writing science fiction stories and before he adding to the foundation series and other earlier series like the robot stories. It seems that he took pride in the fact that he didn't write aliens into his books and he claimed that one of the reasons was that in most science fiction the aliens were little more than humans in different forms and that it would be very hard to imagine a truly alien culture but that it could be done. One or more of his friends (possibly his publisher) challenged him to write a story that included a truly alien culture. Because he felt trapped, he wrote The Gods Themselves.

I don't know if it was his best book but I do know, in my life I've read most of his science fiction books more that once and at this time of my life it's likely the only one that I would read again.

In yet another compelling novel by one of Science Fiction's
greats, Hugo and Nebula Award winner Issac Asimov evelates
himself to the level of Jules Verne, H.G. Wells, and Aldus
Huxley in his prophetic view of the future. While what shall
pass may be indistinct, Asimov demonstrates that the scope of
Humankind's role is not: Presented with a boundless source
of energy, human culture develops at an astounding pace.
Scientists, blinded by the infinite rewards of their newfound
power refuse to consider that what they do -- the soul of their
work -- is endangering the sun, our Earth, and the entire Human
race. The fate of billions of humans is within their own hands
as they have become The Gods Themselves.

This book includes the best alien mentality I've read anywhere: most decidedly non-human, yet credibly rooted in their conditions and circumstances, and sympathetic without being "cute and fuzzy."
Science fiction works often require permission for one improbable (even inconceivable) event, situation, or technology, as the set-up for the story line's exploration of some "real reality." The one chosen here is (as is explained in the forward) a rather abstruse nuclear-physics fantasy, rather than the conventional FTL drives or telepathic powers, and some of the explorations wander further into these technical details - it might be too technical for some readers. But Asimov's full persona is here: the gently ironic humor, the technical wonder, and the deeply loving humanity.

This book really captured my imagination, and served as a jump-off point for my own book, Sanctuary. [...]
The contrast between two worlds caught in a dance of destruction made for a great read. The alien life forms in particular are very worthy of notice and unique to any science fiction universe out there. Would recommend to anyone.

I'm serious when I say, the man is either in league with the devil or with god, because too many of his books are so good they seem like they were written by the hand of god. The Gods Themselves is YET ANOTHER piece of absolute divinity that Asimov has churned out with ease. The novel is divided into three stories, "Against Stupidity," "The Gods Themselves," and, "Contend In Vain?" Against Stupidity starts off on Earth with an Earth scientist struggling against complacent and pompous professors to prove his Earth shaking discovery. Very interesting throughout, and so depressingly true. The Gods Themselves takes place in a conjuctive universe to ours with these WEIRD aliens and describes their society, their entire universe, and IT IS ABSOLUTELY HOLY in its power. Contend In Vain? finds the same person, (as far as I can remember, I read the book a year ago), battling the same stubborn fools yet again when he discovers that his previous discovery, which the combative professors who disbelieved him eventually took credit for, is endagering the entire Solar sytem and eventually the universe. Until you have read this, do not even bother trying to call yourself a serious Science Fiction reader.

Originally published in the early 70's, it is almost more relevant today than it was when I first read it more than 20 years ago. It is as much a commentary on the influence of politics on pure science (read: culture/society), as on the humanity of believing what is most comfortable for us to believe.
As for the other-universe culture, Asimov creates a world so alien as to be based on a triad-sexed species, yet so believable that we can actually identify with each of the three members of the triad.
As a fan of Asimov's work, I admit I enjoy all of his works. This work, I believe, truly stands out as one of his best works, if not his best. (Quite a statement for a work of the author of the Foundation series, the Robot stories, his non-fiction work, etc...)

It is yet another homage to the versatility and ability of the author that he can write so well on a wide variety of topics. Whereas the Foundation series deals mainly with the workings of history and the nature of humanity, The Gods Themselves is a study in physical sciences and alien culture. Asimov excells in both areas; particularly notable is the creativity of his alien species, which if not technically flawless, is at least reflective of a very effective foray into biology. The character of Dua is very strong and shows a depth of emotion and feeling in her fear of losing her individuality. In addition, the physics presented in the novel is fascinating, especially the prospect of alternate universes that contain starkly different natural laws.

I read this book more than 25 years ago, and it still resonates with me as one of the best books by Asimov. "The Gods Themselves" is part of a quote by Schiller, that roughly goes,

"Folly, thou conquerest, and I must yield!
Against stupidity the very gods
Themselves contend in vain. Exalted reason,
Resplendent daughter of the head divine,
Wise foundress of the system of the world,
Guide of the stars, who are thou then, if thou,
Bound to the tail of folly's uncurb'd steed,
Must, vainly shrieking, with the drunken crowd,
Eyes open, plunge down headlong in the abyss."

It is from the Maid of Orleans. If you read the book, you will see why Asimov chose the quote by Schiller for his title.

Read the other reviews. There is near unanimity of opinion about this book. Five stars all the way.

Fascinating thought experiment in 3 separate but inter-related parts. Characterization does not appear to be Asimov's strong suit and chunks of dialogue in the various parts source d like naked plot exposition and scientific treatise explanation. Dryest writing about sex you're going to find, as well.

This is a nice collection of some stories by Asimov. I enjoyed the book, as it reminded me some stories which I have read and showed me some new stories, which I haven't read.
Asimov's science fiction is very convincing, it makes you feel as if we already live in the future and have unbelievable advanced technologies.
In particular, I like the stories:
"Satisfaction guaranteed" - a love story between a male robot (android) and a human female.
Asimov strongly implies that in the future we will have robotic spouses.
"The fun they had" - a story about students who find a real book (as opposed to a book in an electronic format).
Asimov strongly implies that in the future paper books will be obsolete, and will be replaced by e-books that can be read on a computer.

Once an imaginative genius like Isaac Asimov concocts a world where it takes three entities to make a baby, it then seems obvious to us mere mortals that the idea could be developed into an interesting science fiction book. However, there still are details to work out, such as making the three characters interesting and developing a plot that keeps a reader on edge. Professor Asimov manages to do just that in this book, which was his return to science fiction novels after quite a long hiatus where he concentrated on non-fiction. It is a delightful and entertaining book, one of the professor's very best.

Very interesting novel. The science was a bit over my head and apparently fairly accurate (in the sense of theories and accuracy). This book- written over thirty years ago- still has some resonance in our times. The theories are just as fair as any we have for our existence. I enjoyed the "para" world and its inhabitants- in fact this was my favorite part of the book.

The book is not without its flaws, but for a fan of science fiction it was pretty good. As this is my first Asimov novel I can't compare it- but it does make me want to read more of his stuff.

This is perhaps the most brilliant book by one of the gods of Sci-Fi. The story behind the book is almost as interesting, with a "washed-up" Asimov, compelled by the mistaken reference to a non-existent isotope (Plutonium 186) by another author, to come out of retirement to pen an award-winning tour de force. The merging of science and imagination in this book, both at the grand scale and in myriad little details, is humbling. If you ever feel like you could write a good science fiction novel, don't read this. The bar is set way too high!

The good doctor was not the best of writers when it came to character development. Many of his books have excellent plots, but weak, cartoonish characters that could be found in any pulp novel. But "The Gods Themselves" really breaks out of Asimov's usual mold. It's bold; alien characters with three sexes (and a description of how they do it) and an exciting parallel story that merges in surprising ways. While not my favorite of Asimov's books, I respect this novel for its creative delights. A good tale, interesting concepts, some of the best sci-fi Asimov wrote.

I have always been a fan of Asimov. Foundation, Robots, Black Widowers. All of it. The Gods Themselves is different. And is one of his best.

The astounding imagination is exhibited in his description of another universe, with physical laws being different than ours. His creation of the beings and their lives, including sex life, is astouding. Asimov at his best.

What is truly remarkable is the brutal message that energy is not free and that by not using it properly, sustainability is a risk. This message for conservation is presented in a very dramatic manner and is so subtle that it is difficult to relate it to our current challenges. And that is what makes it so beautiful.

This is a novel composed of three separate stories, each having some thing in common with one another. This is a great example of Isaac's writing style and I say it is my favorite novel, er series...by him. Let me warn the reader that this book begins at chapter 6 and slowly makes sense of everything from there. It is a strange classic, but a classic none the less. If you have not read this book, you owe it to yourself to read it. It's one of those rare gems, that make me wish that there was more!

"The Gods" begins with a scientist suddenly noticing a change in a dusty and derelict testtube and trying to prove, somewhat pridefully, that he is neither crazy nor just an idiot. It then jumps into the politics of science, something which is seldom discussed and something with which Asimov was personally familiar. It also contains a clever idea about the possible cataclysmic effects of the leaking linkage of two disparate-physics universes. For all these things, I will tip my hat: they are all really great ideas. But, overall, this book is a failure.

To begin with, it is too long by half: 200 pages would have been better than 300. Most of these pages do not advance the plot or build character. Why, Asimov's vision of the moon and its people is downright boring. And this is especially unforgivable because his speculations came after the Apollo program left its inspiring legacy. Generally speaking, Asimov was never very good at writing dialogue, and we have heaps and heaps of it here. Most of it sounds like two, bored, wooden puppets doing improv. Also, many of the things Asimov attempts here, other sci-fi authors have done much better.

Whereas Asimov introduced us to the para-men and left them out of his climax, Vinge incorporated his spider-men into the climax of the excellent "A Deepness in the Sky." Vinge must have learned his lesson reading this bilge. What is the point of traveling across universes unless there is some sort of meeting of worlds?

Asimov's intuitive character wasn't as engaging as the lucky character in Niven's "Ringworld." We all have intuition, after all.

Frankly, I was also bored by these three-sexed and rather flawed para-men, when I had already encountered an excellent short story "Venus and the Seven Sexes" (1949) by William Tenn, where all the aliens are hardpressed and sympathetic but unfortunately befriend the lone human visitor who happens to be a Hollywood producer.

Asimov was a famously prolithic author, and, ultimately, I felt as if, he simply did not choose to spend the time necessary to thresh this book out. Despite not liking this one, I would still recommend his Foundation trilogy (the original one) and his "Caves of Steel", both deservedly famous books.

I actually returned the audiobook after a bit over an hour of listening. It was dry and boring, basically about the politics and egos of research and academia. I presume it turns into sci fi at some point -- given the author and the strong reviews -- maybe I'll need to try reading it instead of listening.

the beginning of the book was intriguing, the middle was the part that made me really want to finish the book. however, the end was a real disappointment. it was rather confusing, probably because i skimmed through most of the last section. i found it so boring and tedious that by the end of the book, i could pretty much figure out what happened even though i had not read it. if someone would be so kind as to explain the end to me and what became of everyone else in the book (i.e., Dua, Odeen, Tritt, etc...), please be so kind as to leave another review here.

The Gods Themselves is such a...philosophical book. The questions that ran through my head as I read it were not the traditional "How's it going to end?" And "What is THIS character going to do?" But deep, intelligent questions came to mind like, "Is it really right to stop something that everyone loves even if it IS destroying them?" And, "Is this how gods REALLY act?" To read this book, you have to be prepared to ask questions like that...this is not a traditional work of fiction.

Aasimov is great at being able to explain and teach science through this work and tell a good story at the same time. It was a good story, but it did not particulary appeal to me as being great. I picked up this book specifically from the library, as it is part of Easton-Press' 'Masterpieces of Science Fiction' Collection, and I do not want to spend in excess of $40 on a fine leatherbound edition which I do not consider to be a classic in the genre, and which doesn't particularly appeal to me personally. Instead, I recommend 'Dune', by Frank Herbert, and/or 'Ender's Game', by Orson Scott Card, as being two of the BEST science fiction books I have ever read, and well worth owning.

This is Asimov at his best, no doubt about it. But besides all the tour de force about paralell universes and so on (which is, indeed, one of the other amazing aspects of the book)what Asimov really does here is an analysis on what drives people and about what one considers to be more important in life. Readers of Sci-Fi usually enjoy the genre because it deals with the non-trivial. And here the Master offers a view on the ones who disregard grand scale happenings, such as saving the world, and prefer to engage themselves on daily life issues instead. And Asimov insinuates, or better, exposes, that perhaps even those who whish to do something for mankind are actually driven by the most selfish of the reasons... The characters are well developed, and they all carry that naive touch that permeates all Asimov's works. The Master uses them magically to show his argument: is it more important to raise kids, or to learn and discover? Or both of these are equally part of the game, being both not only acceptable aproaches to life, as well as complementary ones? Are alien beings capable of communicating with us, even capable to feel fear, anger and love? There are lots of other ideas such as these throghout the book, not to mention the purely scientif possibilities that are raised... This is a masterpiece. It leads to thinking on various levels and, best of all, it is very entertaining.

As Voltaire put it: "The superfluous is very necessary". Asimov blends the superfluous and the necessary wonderfully.

Asimov is always a pleasant read. He combines clear prose with a deep understanding of science and, to a surprising degree, people. Issues raised in this book also have a particular parallel with some scientific/political issues that are hot topics today (pun semi-intended). The degree to which his commentary feels relevant today demonstrates the clarity of his vision and his ability to communicate it.

Aliens in film and literature tend to be highly anthropomorphized. They are usually humanoid, or else they resemble some form of earth life, like insects or lizards. In this book, Asimov gives us aliens who are really alien. There is nothing cliche about their body type, their life cycle, their culture, or their motivations. The only thing familiar about them is their emotions, and I think that makes sense. If readers can't understand why the characters do what they do, then the book would fail completely.

Even better is that the aliens are not treated as "others" viewed from a human perspective. There are no human characters in the middle section. The action is therefore seen from the aliens own point of view. Everything makes sense to them, so things aren't explained as if they were unusual. This makes it difficult to understand the aliens at first, because their culture is shown from an insider's perspective. Things slowly get clearer as their relationships, their desires, and even their gestures, become more familiar and begin to make sense.

This is the most original, inventive treatment of intelligent alien life I've ever encountered. If you must, read only the middle section of the book to understand why it is so special. The rest is standard Asimov fare: a sort of interesting premise, but written in a style drier than dust.

This book stands alone among Asimov's Science Fiction works. About the only thing that could be considered even closely related to this book is The End of Eternity. No Robots, no Foundation, no Empire. Its been quite awhile since I've read the book, and the person I lent it to never returned it, so I'll have to go off memory... but, the things I remember most about the book are: 1) The character who discovers the window into the other dimension - the kind of guy you love to hate; 2) The aliens from the other dimension - they are so bizarre, it is cool.

I recently read The Gods Themselves by Isaac Asimov. The book displayed wonderful insights into complicated scientific theories that I for one would not have been able to comprehend without the story to help. Through all of the subtle hints and clues presented in the book, I found myself coming to the same conclusions at roughly the same time that the characters in the book did. Asimov took science fiction and used it as for which it was meant, taking the difficult concepts and explaining them within plotline. I believe that this book would be a great tool for a person that wants to understand parts of theoretical physics but does not know where to start or a person that wants to get his teenage child interested in the field.

The story itself takes place in three segments, each building on the first with little or no direct overlapping. The three places are the moon, earth, and the home of the paramen, a parallel universe that gave the new technology to the humans. There are a handful of people that believe that the earth will be destroyed due to a new technological source and they have to figure out how they are going to get their peers to accept their conclusions and save the universe. Each character has to go behind the backs of those in higher power and intellectual regard than themselves to try to save the doomed universe.

I found an old copy of this book at a hostel while traveling. I know of Asimov but this is the first time I've read any of his works.
From the first page to the last it was engaging and beautifully written. The alien story arc was incredibly well thought out and Asimov trust that we will understand what he has created without needing to spoon feed us. Although the aliens are based on a now outdated system of Freudian psychology it doesn't diminish from the originality of the story or in any way impair the plot.
I cared more for the human characters than I have in any other book I have recently read. Highly recommend.

Not set in any of Asimov's series, this book is independant of all timelines and universes created by this master.
This book shows what a powerful mind Asimov was ... the plot, the writing and the quote are so well suited, you'd think that they were created for the sole purpose, to meet in Asimov's genius and produce this book.
If you have never read Asimov, read this ... it shows his genius and with what style; this is one book that will capture your mind and hold it.

For what I can say, this is one of the suspenseful science fiction book I have read so far. Asimov combined his knowledge in science and science fiction together, which makes this book very... thoughtful (IF I used the right word for it...) However, there is just one thing I really don't like about this book: Part 2 of the novel is rather confusing for me because of the word usage... BUt the overall is wonderful, so I will give it 9 instead of 10 (because of Part 2).

I have been a fan of Isaac Asimov's short stories since I was a teenager and I have rarely found better since. While I had already read most of these, to have them in one book was quite the treat. Many of my favorites were listed here including some that previously were only available from some obscure sources. Why read Asimov? Because few writers, if any, deal with the great "What If" questions as Asimov does. His explorations into human nature and what potential pitfalls our improvements in technology will bring us are central to his writing. Some of these stories are dated now and in "The Dying Night" he even acknowledges that in the introduction to that story. Even so, it makes for good reading...and entertaining.

It's been a number of years since I read this book, but I still recall the basics of the story and how much I enjoyed the book. The fact that he basically began writing this book off of a bet with a fellow author adds to it's mistique. I don't have much to add here other than I don't understand how people can leave zero-star or one-star reviews for a book they didn't even finish reading.

Just finished this book. The characters are disjointed and often confusing except for the last group. The plot was cloudy until the last sequence. At that point, it all came together. He was writing a variation of a Faulkner technique, using vastly different characters and skill sets to explain the problem.

The science is what kept me interested. Wow! Energy in a way I had never considered, aliens living in a life cycle that never occurred to me. Definitely worth the read if you like your mind expanded.

This is a GREAT collection of short stories by Isaac Asimov, one of the best science-fiction short-story writer ever. It contains over forty of his best works, including Nightfall and the Ugly Little Boy. The book itself is pretty big, with nice-sized font. Overall, a nice, sturdy copy of awesome short-stories. A must for an Isaac Asimov fan.

Isaac Asimov outdoes himself, combining his scientific knowledge with his ability to write clever science fiction. With three distinct story arcs that never really intersect (yet are critical to each other), the novel stays fresh and interesting. The vision of the para-universe - the book's strongest element - is wonderfully constructed and very original. The characterizations in the third arc are a little weak, but overall this is a resounding success and a true classic.

Isaac Asimov was often better at short story length, but here he shows himself to be a master of the novel.
A wonderful tale of an alien species, in a different dimension, and its interactions with our own.
Thoroughly deserved the awards it won.
Loved it!
P.S. Deserves five stars for the title alone ;)

You won't be sorry to read this book. This edition collects some of the finest and most clever short stories from a master writer. Each story speculates on our future and on the state of humanity; not dry, but through humor and twists of imagination.
This book includes about 50 short stories, ranging from 2-30 pages each, including "Nightfall".
If you have the chance, read "Jokester" first on page 123. You'll never think about humor again in the same way.

First of the main caractor in the thirds section is not, as stated in one of the previous reviews, the same as the main charactor in the first section. He is a charactor in the first section, but he does not play a starring roll. On a more personal note this is the best Asimov book I have read so far and it far excells the quality of his earlier works in the innovativeness, science, and writting.

I enjoy this book from start to finish. I do see why some might not have liked the ending, which seemed to be a bit short and to the point. However, the ending not only presented a clever solution but also closed the book in an entertaining way. By the way, like several readers have indicated, the aliens were well though out.

I highly recommend this book to all Asimov fans out there.

or Robot universes. I beleive this also the only novel, where Isaac Asimov introduces alien intelegence. There are alien creatures living in the sun and suriving by eating sun's energy. In the meanwhile, humans discover new source of energy. However, this new energy station will present mortal danger to sun and human species. So, an alien and the human realize the truth and they try to talk sence to their civilizations.

After reading this novel, I didn't have the same sort of awed sense of completion I did after finishing the Foundation trilogy or the first three robot novels. However, I did recognize the quality of alien depiction in the middle section, and this novel is pure Asimov-- a must for his fans, a definite for sf fans, and a probable good read for anyone else, except those so pretentious as to consider anything less than Shakespeare as "beneath them."

This book is a well-written, enjoyable read that should be on everybody's reading list, whether a science fiction fan or not. One of the attributes of the genre allows the author to get a message across in an entertaining, non-pedantic manner. This book's message is playing out today and if the world's leaders aren't convinced to listen to those voices crying warnings galore Asimov's hope that, "the war against folly may be won after all" will never come to pass. Sometimes we need reminders that it's possible to make others listen and that we need not give in to just "making the best of things".

But how hard is to look for the occulted fee, when you are hungry and the meal is irresistible! Free energy is not a gift humankind would want to second guess. But it damned well should. This is probably the closest to hard sci fi Asimov got, and he excels at it. The way even the good ones in the history are really motivated by their own petty ambitions is simply excelent. This is a must read for any sci fi lover

This work is simple on the surface -- three parts, three interpretations -- but it is rich with ideas about how man sees himself and how he views his place in the universe. I've been thinking of this long after finishing it, and it remains one of the best pieces of science fiction that I've ever read.

Asimov describes a world 70 years into the future (over 100 years into the future when he wrote it).He uses simple science terms and creates a situation where people have unlimited free power sources and no longer have to work. All man kind is now in some sort of science or technology. A bright young scientist descovers a flaw in the power source, but the public is too content to listen to the "half crazed" ideas of an apocolypse. Asimov exposes man's nature to beleive only what he wants to. Asimov also deals with a paralel universe and to a colony on the moon. His choice of charecters, setting, and plot are brilient to the upmost. This will not suprise you if you have read Asimov, but if you haven't, here is a nice sized book to start of with (293 pages). If you enjoy this book you may also enjoy "Nightfall," by Asimov. Issac Asimov has long been hailed as the master of fiction and this is just one example. Enjoy.

A Complete Stories of Isaac Asimov book in one volume would have to electronic to be liftable, or have paper and print of the rice and really, really tiny variety. Hence the split-up and this volume.

Anyway, several of his best stories here, as well as some really ordinary, and even some humorous fantasy.

Call this volume a 3.25 for the amount of very average stories included, dragging down the rest, as far as quality goes.

Asimov collectors will of course like the sheer volume.

Complete Stories 1 : The Dead Past - Isaac Asimov
Complete Stories 1 : Franchise - Isaac Asimov
Complete Stories 1 : Gimmicks Three - Isaac Asimov
Complete Stories 1 : Kid Stuff - Isaac Asimov
Complete Stories 1 : The Watery Place - Isaac Asimov
Complete Stories 1 : Living Space - Isaac Asimov
Complete Stories 1 : The Message - Isaac Asimov
Complete Stories 1 : Satisfaction Guaranteed - Isaac Asimov
Complete Stories 1 : Hell-Fire - Isaac Asimov
Complete Stories 1 : The Last Trump - Isaac Asimov
Complete Stories 1 : The Fun They Had - Isaac Asimov
Complete Stories 1 : Jokester - Isaac Asimov
Complete Stories 1 : The Immortal Bard - Isaac Asimov
Complete Stories 1 : Someday - Isaac Asimov
Complete Stories 1 : Dreaming Is a Private Thing - Isaac Asimov
Complete Stories 1 : Profession - Isaac Asimov
Complete Stories 1 : The Feeling of Power - Isaac Asimov
Complete Stories 1 : The Dying Night - Isaac Asimov
Complete Stories 1 : I'm in Marsport Without Hilda - Isaac Asimov
Complete Stories 1 : The Gentle Vultures - Isaac Asimov
Complete Stories 1 : All the Troubles of the World - Isaac Asimov
Complete Stories 1 : Spell My Name with an S - Isaac Asimov
Complete Stories 1 : The Last Question - Isaac Asimov
Complete Stories 1 : The Ugly Little Boy - Isaac Asimov
Complete Stories 1 : Nightfall - Isaac Asimov
Complete Stories 1 : Green Patches - Isaac Asimov
Complete Stories 1 : Hostess - Isaac Asimov
Complete Stories 1 : Breeds There a Man? - Isaac Asimov
Complete Stories 1 : The C-Chute - Isaac Asimov
Complete Stories 1 : In a Good Cause' - Isaac Asimov
Complete Stories 1 : What If - Isaac Asimov
Complete Stories 1 : Sally - Isaac Asimov
Complete Stories 1 : Flies - Isaac Asimov
Complete Stories 1 : Nobody Here But' - Isaac Asimov
Complete Stories 1 : It's Such a Beautiful Day - Isaac Asimov
Complete Stories 1 : Strikebreaker - Isaac Asimov
Complete Stories 1 : Insert Knob A in Hole B - Isaac Asimov
Complete Stories 1 : The Up-to-Date Sorcerer - Isaac Asimov
Complete Stories 1 : Unto the Fourth Generation - Isaac Asimov
Complete Stories 1 : What Is This Thing Called Love? - Isaac Asimov
Complete Stories 1 : The Machine That Won the War - Isaac Asimov
Complete Stories 1 : My Son the Physicist! - Isaac Asimov
Complete Stories 1 : Eyes Do More Than See - Isaac Asimov
Complete Stories 1 : Segregationist - Isaac Asimov

There are lots of good reviews here for this really good book, so I'm not going to get into the characters or plot.

Like many others here, I feel this was Asimov's best novel.

Just buy it and read it.

Amazing read, wanted to read this since I was child, but only did so last week.

Not sure if there are any fans out there, but is the final twist - that the moon is actually the same 'planet' of the para-men? Just that it's way into the future, where the laws of physics (and also its inhabitants) have changed due to this circular energy exchange (which is essentially via a time tunnel).

There's nothing to say that the 'hard-ones' are not just (evolved) humans

The description of the para-planet (the surface and the caverns) sound familiar to the one in the third chapter.

There is talk of the Lunarites moving the moon (gets over the contradiction that there are more stars in the para-galaxy than ours), and also Denison's conclusion that there is either one universe or an infinite number - where he just incorrectly assumes the latter.

The cosmeg pump itself being the beginnings of the 'para-universe's' side of the electron pump?

First, in Response to the earlier reviewers review, I would like to say that I disagree. All parts of the book are great (as always) and the second is especially amazing. To describe alien life ao different from human life is genious in itself. Then, to incorparate it into an amazing work about physics is an extent of this genious. One of Asimov's all time bests in my opinion.

When I was in my early teens, I read virtually all Asimov's science fiction, and I welcomed his resumption of the genre when `Foundation's Edge' first appeared in 1982. `The Gods Themselves' was one of my favourites at the time, but in retrospect I am struck by what seems a serious plausibility problem with the much admired tri-sexual extra-terrestrials. They are described as having two phase life cycles with an early, reproductive phase and a later, non-reproductive phase. Asimov never gives us enough evidence of how the organisms in the second phase promote the reproductive success of their particular descendents in the earlier phase to make this pattern of life a plausible product of evolution through natural selection.
If you can surmount this problem, then the book is fun to read, but I think that the shortcoming is significant in suggesting a tendency on the part of Asimov (a physical scientist) to be less rigorous in his level of scientific plausibility in the biological sciences.

This is how I felt after reading Isaac Asimov's The Gods Themselves:

Imagine if you had this for a dinner:
For appetizer oysters.
For the main course Grilled Saffron Rack of Lamb.
And for dessert Candied Apples!

The ending was disappointing.

most of the stories are too far out. there is good imagination, however his writing is not up to literary standards. I thought his stories would be based upon events or possibilies that might occur in the future- The stories about space travel were ok. this book is barely ok.

I found the story line more satisfying than not, but the science was more than interesting. The science, while surely not likely, was written in a way, and described in sufficient detail, as to easily allow the reader to suspend disbelief and enjoy the story.

This story is more character driven than Asimov's best. In fact, his ability to wring emotional depth out of the most abstract alien characters is amazing. Witness the scene in which an alien composed of free floating gasses masturbates by rubbing against a rock wall...and it actually ends up being quite erotic. There are also some intriguing ideas about the first cause, meglomania and multiple universes. Certainly worth any sci-fi fan's time.

well, I had high hopes for this one, I am a keen reader of all things Asimov.
yet this book never clicked, I read it anticipating something to be good it never came to be.

The idea started nicely but the author really wanted for us to feel the different species, going so overbored that you couldn't connect to the characters or relate to them...
in the end there is a nice idea behind the book, would have made a very good short story but I fear not novel worthy.

I am sad to say that I don't recommend the book,

It is blatantly obvious from reading other reviews here that being merely a reader, and being a writer one's self can make a difference in how one experiences a piece of writing. When I was but 12 years old, this book gave me my first real understanding of allegory. Asimov wasn't talking about exploring space and other dimensions- just as with "I,Robot," he speaks here loudly of the human condition. I will say no more about the story, save that what is on the surface is not the meaning of the story.

Perhaps the reader who comes to science fiction looking for mere entertainment should look for less intense writers to read....or go watch Babylon 5 again.

This book focuses on a real problem. Energy and where we are going to get it in the future, when we will need it most. It is based in the future and is complex. Two worlds totally different from each other find the same technologie.

Another classic by Asimov, I've read this book a hundred times and enjoy it just as much the hundredth as the first. It's unusual for Asimov to introduce Aliens as he tends to stray away from them in his major series like foundation and the robot novels. I guess Nightfall also includes aliens but the having three seperate entity's merge together to create a mature life form was super cool!!

Oddly easy to read, if you do not give that much thought to the technical stuff.
Good pace, interesting plot, a little odd in structure but it follows a purpose.
A good science fiction piece of literature on its own merit.

First off, it's Asimov short stories, so how could it be less then wonderful? Admittedly, the title is a bit misleading, Asimov wrote so many short stories that no single volume could hold all of them. There is, as could be expected, some overlap: stories in this collection that are also in others. That said, this is one of the best collections I've encountered, and it included several stories I have not seen in any other edition.

I especially enjoyed the parts on the alien planet; the three beings who made a family were facinating. The book seems applicable today because of continuing concerns with caring for the environment.
Recommended for adults and teens.
D. L Burnett

The second part set in the alien universe was difficult to get through. I first read this book over 30 years ago and it was the same. My son told me how much he liked it so I gave it a reread. I love Asimov but this one is overly simplistic and childlike in the second part and overly technical in the first and final part.

I found this book rather irritating to read. The plot is good, but my problem is that every hundred pages or so a new section begins and introduces an entirely new cast of characters which makes me feel like I'm reading a completely different book and also makes it difficult to stay interested. I am really annoyed by this, so that's why I give it 2 stars. I wouldn't recommend this book.

I've been rereading this book periodically since I was a teenager. Now that my daughter is a mother, the way that she chases her toddler around reminds me weirdly of the alien parents in the third book chasing after their wispy third children. Definitely time for another reread.

The book is based on the electron-pump as an unlimited source of energy, possibly the most creative idea I've ever seen in a science fiction book. Asimov handles very interestingly the existence of a paralel world, but I think the story lacks the narrative power that makes you refuse to stop reading the book.

During the first part of this novel, I realized just how much science Asimov was cramming into his science-fiction. The characters and plot took the time to detail the scientific basis of their world. That doesn't happen much anymore, and I was really intrigued.

Then I hit the 2nd part. The novel suddenly becomes bogged down in alien social networking and a seemingly endless string of dialogues about conforming to expectations. This new mode went on and on and on.

I finally had to stop reading.

like meny of azimov's books it starts very slowly but builds speed as it progresses down the paths of two universes intertwined by the need for more energy. a tale of overwelming powers that are to blind to see that destruction might come to there world. an advanture in saving the world all wraped in one book. if your willing to read the slow start its well worth the wait

This, like all of his books, although somewhat dated, are great science fiction and worthy of the multiple reads I give them all. From his robot series to the Foundation series as well as the stand-aliens they are fascinating. The fact that he ties them all together make a them just that much more entertaining.

The first third of the book was a fun thought provoking read. After that my interest dropped to near zero as I started skimming page after page until the last one forth of the book The ending was okay.

The present volume of stories is just the tip of the iceberg. An exhibition that showcases what a fine story teller Isaac Asimov. The highlight of most stories of Asimov is his ability to visualise the future not just in terms of technological advances, but also its impact on human behaviour. If this is the first book of Asimov you are reading then you are well on your way to becoming a fan.
choorie@ rediffmail.com

Isaac Asimov is no doubt the finest of all sci-fi writers. The way he builds up completely different realities, completely possible in his mind, and the way he puts these realities to writing, are by all means a heavenly godlike experience. One might actually think he lives in such realities, thus understanding the finest details in every word chosen and all the acting characters themselves.

Featuring stories from "nine tommorows", "earth is room enough", "nightfall" and more, it's a great sci-fi book and a must-have for Asimov's fan (though they'd probably read all the stories before). BUY IT!

I started to read the book, but after about 85 pages of reading it, I was so confused I stopped. It is a good book, but it is written in such a way that it seems to be all jumbled up and difficult to understand. I think this is one of Asimov's more difficult books.

I frankly cannot believe it won both Hugo and Nebula awards.

Terribly boring with stereotypical charcters. Even the aliens whose eating, living, mating, and reproducing habits are completely different from humans, seemed to have emotional and psychological habits remarkably like humans.

This is the second book I read of Asimov, and both times, I wondered what the point was to put incredibly typical and mundane characters in an extraordinary situation and make them think and say very ordinary things. Maybe it was newish back in the 70s, I don't know.

But the alien life in Part 2, was enjoyable, kind of cute, and fun to read. In order to understand Part 2, you would need to go through Part 1. And if you've read until the end of Part 2, you might as well read it until the end. In that sense, it is a fairly readable book.

I picked this up at the library since I didn't recall reading it. What a horrible borefest. It drags on and on and on. Even the first few chapters are completely repetetive. In short, he had a poor three-part short story that he turned into a dreadful three part novel.

This book substantiates the unpopular reality that Mr. Asimov is bluster and hype. I have yet to encounter anything of his pen that warrants a positive adjective. Clearly, the factory has consumed the wayward crickets & dumbfounded sparrows; consequently, the gentleman's legend enters a room 10 yards previous to his apparition. The phantasm should not be mocked--the man has his legions and he is entitled to the throngs--but a scrutinous qualification of what denotes & defines interesting literature should be taken under wing. This book, like his other books, never yields a jolt and I asseverate that it was not worth the nickel that was extracted from my lint-infested pocket to pay its way into my library. BOREDOM.