The Gods Themselves

by Isaac Asimov

The Gods Themselves

published	September 4th 1990 by Spectra
first published	1972
binding	Paperback
isbn	0553288105 (isbn13: 9780553288100)
pages	320
literary awards	1973 Hugo and Nebula Winner; 1973 Locus Awards Winner
description	Winner of the Hugo Award and Nebula Award. [close] Winner of the Hugo Award and Nebula Award. [close]
date added	04-27-07 edit book

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Jason Pettus

Jason rated it:

04/11/08

Read in April, 2008

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

(Reprinted from the Chicago Center for Literature and Photography [cclapcenter.com]. I am the original author of this essay, as well as the owner of CCLaP; it is not being reprinted here illegally.)

The CCLaP 100: In which I read for the first time a hundred so-called "classic" books, then write reports on whether or not they deserve the label

Book #12: The Gods Themselves, by Isaac Asimov (1972)

The story in a nutshell:
Originally published as three inte...more

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D_Davis

D_Davis rated it:

(review of isbn 0449018296)

12/30/07

bookshelves: science-speculative-fiction

Read in November, 2007

Science fiction often deals with allegory, postulating “what if?” questions concerning present day Earth, with the possible solutions and outcomes beaming from a mirror image reflected from a familiar yet altogether different reality. By examining real problems under the light of imaginary technology, far fetched ideas, and otherworldly beings, the science fiction author affords himself a unique perspective into the inner workings of humanity.

Written in 1972, Isaac Asimov's The Gods Them...more Science fiction often deals with allegory, postulating “what if?” questions concerning present day Earth, with the possible solutions and outcomes beaming from a mirror image reflected from a familiar yet altogether different reality. By examining real problems under the light of imaginary technology, far fetched ideas, and otherworldly beings, the science fiction author affords himself a unique perspective into the inner workings of humanity.

Written in 1972, Isaac Asimov's The Gods Themselves (winner of the Hugo for best novel in 1973), examines three important aspects of its time. The novel is broken up into three interconnected novellas: Part One, “Against stupidity...”, Part Two, “...the gods themselves...”, and Part Three, “...contend in vain?”. Each of these parts can be read as a stand alone story, and each one focuses on a different topic. While there are some connections between the three parts, certain characters and events are mentioned throughout, an attempt is never made to weave them together in an elaborate fashion. That is to say, there is never an “ah ha!” moment where Asimov reveals some grander meta-narrative bubbling away beneath the novel's surface; each part relies solely on its own strengths as a self-contained story.

...

Part three returns us to our own universe, and takes place on the moon. For many years now the Earth has benefited from the Electron Pump, and is enjoying pollution-free energy and cleaner living. But at what cost? There are still those who believe that the Electron Pump will eventually destroy the entire universe, but convincing people to change their ways is, as we all know, an almost impossible task. Ben Denison is a scientist who believes in the dangers of the pump, and he has recently immigrated to the moon. While on the moon he deals with problems of racism and nationalism: the natural Lunites don't much care for the Earthmen. Except for Selene, a native Lunite and an Intuitionist who helps Denison in his studies, the other “Lunies” want as little to do with the “Earthies” as possible. Here, Asimov combines the hard scientific elements of the first part with the sociological elements of the second part into a brilliantly paced and poignant conclusion.

While there may not be a cohesive, driving narrative running throughout Asimov's novel, there really isn't a central conflict and hardly anything gets resolved, it is none-the-less a work of brilliance. Science fiction is all about the ideas, and the ideas on display here are both topical and timeless, entertaining and insightful. That Asimov is able to entertain the us while simultaneously asking us tough, important questions is an extraordinary accomplishment. There were many moments when I set the book aside simply to contemplate the meaning of what I had just read. This is a book to mull over, and not a book to plow through anticipating the next plot-point. The story unfolds like a rich tapestry of ideas and of thought, expertly woven by a man filled with passion for its subject and characters.

full review @ www.genrebusters.com...less

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rgb

rgb rated it:

(review of isbn 1857989341)

03/13/08

Read in January, 2008

I just reread this book for the umptieth time over many years, and was struck once again by what a fine piece of work it is. This is one of the best pieces of pure science fiction every written. It isn't the best STORY, of course -- Asimov himself has better ones, as do many other science fiction authors from the post WWII era. But only a handful of other stories such as Forward's Dragon's Egg come to mind as being such excellent science fiction.

I am a physicist, mind you. The amazing t...more I just reread this book for the umptieth time over many years, and was struck once again by what a fine piece of work it is. This is one of the best pieces of pure science fiction every written. It isn't the best STORY, of course -- Asimov himself has better ones, as do many other science fiction authors from the post WWII era. But only a handful of other stories such as Forward's Dragon's Egg come to mind as being such excellent science fiction.

I am a physicist, mind you. The amazing thing about this book is that it was written decades ago and yet STILL I find the underlying physical premise plausible. This is one of the earliest, and best, multiple universe theory books out there, and actually implicitly postulates physics that explains e.g. the big bang by means of a directed coupling across those Universes. They are differentiated, for example, by the strength of the strong nuclear interaction. Places where it is weak do not experience a big bang, but as they couple to universes with a stronger one, the strong interaction "bleeds through" and eventually tips a pre-bang state over to where it explodes.

The story itself isn't bad. Some of the characters are overdrawn -- the bad-guy physicist is a bit too petty, the rest of the world's scientists a bit too pusillanimous to be strictly believable, and yet we all know at least SOME people who are actually like the caricatures. The inhabitants of the second universe who make up the middle third of the book are almost as spectacular as the underlying physical theory -- very, very different and yet not entirely implausible. Again, just as much fun as the cheela in Dragon's Egg.

At this point, some of it is period piece. Nudity on Luna, the Heinleinian, slightly repressed sexual tension that is taken to an entirely romantic conclusion, the politics. At the time, perhaps, daring -- now merely quaint. Still, this is a book I'd definitely recommend to people wanting to explore the roots of science fiction as portrayed by one of its Grand Masters.

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Maurean

Maurean rated it:

(review of isbn 038502701X)

02/02/08

Read in February, 2008

The book tells of scientists in the distant future who try to solve the world's energy problems by tapping energy from a parallel universe, and tells the tale of human hubris as it tries to take advantage of a science that it doesn't understand. The story is divided into three parts; The first part is the story of physicist Dr. Peter Lamont, and describes to the reader how the "Electron Pump", a device which enables receiving a near-infinite amount of energy as a result of matter trans...more The book tells of scientists in the distant future who try to solve the world's energy problems by tapping energy from a parallel universe, and tells the tale of human hubris as it tries to take advantage of a science that it doesn't understand. The story is divided into three parts; The first part is the story of physicist Dr. Peter Lamont, and describes to the reader how the "Electron Pump", a device which enables receiving a near-infinite amount of energy as a result of matter transference between our universe and another, might destroy our solar system, and this section depicts Lamonts attempt to stop the pump; The second section is the tale of the aliens in the other universe, a ‘triad’ (family) of beings (interestingly, Asimov took the names of the immature aliens — Odeen, Dua, and Tritt — from the words One, Two, and Three in the language of his native Russia), and how “the pump” is being utilized on their side of the transference; The third and final part, tells the story of Dr. Benjamin Denison, a scientist who, as a result of events which occur in the first section, moved to the moon to reestablish himself and his credentials.

I did enjoy the reading of this tale; the first part engaged me completely, as I found the writing to be witty, intelligent and entertaining; the second section put me off a bit, as I found the sexual innuendoes to be frequent and repetitive, however this is the section where Asimov’s brilliance shine through most brightly, in his ability to create such a totally alien collection of beings (a triple-gender species that develops in terms of archetypes) yet keeps the reader interested and sympathetic; the third and final section concludes the story and posits hope for the future.

While I completely enjoyed the storyline, and even satisfied with the three-stories-in-one format, I felt the characters and the presentation somewhat lacking. Overall, I would say I’m glad to have given it a read, but it’s not going to make my list of favorites for the year.
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Rick

Rick rated it:

(review of isbn 1857989341)

08/19/07

recommends it for: Science Fiction Fans; Newcomers and Old-timers

Isaac Asimov rarely wrote about either aliens or sex. In response to critics who complained about these omissions, he wrote a book about alien sex. Rather, a book whose middle third is mostly about alien sex. (Mostly.) The other two thirds of the book tell one of the "purest" and "hardest" science fiction stories I've ever read.

By pure, I mean that there's a single, science-related "what-if," and that the story hinges upon that. (In contrast to, for example, a s...more

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Marcel

Marcel rated it:

(review of isbn 1857989341)

05/14/08

Chosen as my leadership institute award-winning novel in the genre sci-fi. The Gods Themselves is a 1972 science fiction novel written by Isaac Asimov. It won the Nebula Award for Best Novel in 1972 and the Hugo Award for Best Novel in 1973.

This book is a real page turner! I seem to have put aside all of my other books to fully engage this one. The plot is imaginative, especially when one considers that it was written before computers. The character development is excellent!

After f...more

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Jay

Jay rated it:

(review of isbn 1857989341)

06/05/08

A great basis for a scifi novel is the "what-if" - in this one Asimov begins with the mysterious appearance of an "impossible" isotope which begins investigation into an alternate spacetime with intelligent beings living in a universe where the balance of the physical forces is sufficiently different from ours that, for example, a star operating on fission instead of fusion would be possible. The discovery leads to the development of a symbiotic relationship with humanity us...more

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Fred D.

Fred D. rated it:

12/17/07

bookshelves: science-fiction

Read in January, 1991

recommends it for: Anyone

Another superb sci-fi book from the Master of Science Fiction. In this book, scientists in the distant future solve the world's energy problems by tapping energy from a parallel universe. Problem is, doing so causes a localized change in the fundamental forces of nature in the vicinity of Earth that threatens to rip a hole in the universe or something. It is also threatening an alien race in the parallel universe they are tapping energy from, and THEIR scientists are taking steps to defend thems...more

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Brian

Brian rated it:

09/28/07

bookshelves: sci-fi

Another "one off" from a major sci-fi master. Totally unrelated to any of his other stories, this one is a mind-bender. A trans-universal thriller in which everything depends upon a near-impossible cooperation between physicists here on earth, and beings in another existence so alien and bizarre it disrupts your basic understanding of what it might mean to be alive and conscious.

Bonus: alien "marriage" and reproduction so inventive it's not even sexy. But it is kind of...more

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Spiro

Spiro rated it:

(review of isbn 1857989341)

01/18/08

Read in January, 2008

Who knew that a novel written in 1972 could touch on global warming, woman empowerment, lax views on different sexual orientations, and foreign policy...all with very pristine and at times technically beautiful scientific writing.

Some of my favorite quotes from this year come from this book:

"Now then, young man, don't ask me to stop the Pumping. The economy and comfort of the entire planet depend on it. Tell me, instead, how to keep the Pumping from exploding the Sun."

&...more

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Kristopher

Kristopher rated it:

06/02/08

Read in June, 2008

Occasionally Asimov relished the raunch factor. This book is just such an example. While more subtle about it than The Robots of Dawn, I think its sheer obsession surpasses that one.

Had he focused less on such things, he might have built the suspense appropriately--and, by the way, the entire story wrapped up too "easily." The ending almost seemed like an afterthought, and a dirty one at that.

I normally allow him some leeway on these matters, but it was WAY out of kilter in thi...more

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Daniel

Daniel rated it:

04/14/08

Read in April, 2008

recommends it for: any sci-fi enthusiast

I really liked this book from a lot of different standpoints. Isaac Asimov is so descriptive in his work, and this is definitely one of his most science-intensive scifi books. Besides the interesting scientific ideas, there's plenty of great social commentary. As a warning, it gets a little technical with explanations of the sciences invented in the book, so if you're into the more 'fi' part of 'sci-fi' you might not appreciate it as much. For me, however, it was the perfect blend.

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erik graff

erik rated it:

(review of isbn 1857989341)

05/05/08

bookshelves: literature

Read in July, 1974

recommended to erik by: no one
recommends it for: asimov fans

This is one of those light reads that punctuated the days while working summers at the Chicago Womens' Athletic Club. Unfortunately, I don't remember much about it beyond having enjoyed it at the time. Indeed, were it not for the lists I started making of completed books in the early seventies, I would have no certainty of ever having read the thing at all and would find myself repurchasing the thing because of a vague, but false, recollection that someone recommended it.

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Billy

Billy rated it:

(review of isbn 1857989341)

01/25/08

This is one of Asimov's most ambitious and successful works. Considering it came out of a vacuum from which he produced very little fiction, it is all the more amazing a statement. He imagines a drama in another universe with different laws of physics, and uses human emotions to describe an unimaginable alien heroine. The end result is touching and triumphant, and probably Asimov's most unique great work.

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Zachary

Zachary rated it:

(review of isbn 038502701X)

07/21/08

It's hard not to be amazed at everything that Asimov writes. Being a huge fan of the Robot and Foundation series, it was hard for me to get into this book because it was a totally different creature. Completely and utterly different. But, even in that, Asimov's amazing creativity shines through. I really did enjoy it in the end - just be prepared for a different type of story (and characters).

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Jeff

Jeff rated it:

(review of isbn 1857989341)

03/23/08

Read in February, 2008

Not bad. Asimov has done better but its still worth a shot since its a quick read. Good book to start with as far as Asimov goes if you want to skip the short stories (which you shouldn't). The ending was kind of vague and abrupt.

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Altankhuu

Altankhuu rated it:

(review of isbn 1857989341)

10/08/07

Realistic drawings about our future. Wonderful dreaming about parallel universe. Unlimited energy source. Civilizations ohter than ours. Habitated Moon. Next is Solar system...
Oh i like Azimov so much. He's the best one!

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Chip

Chip rated it:

(review of isbn 1857989341)

02/08/08

Read in January, 1999

recommends it for: Science Fiction fans only

Great SF. A good example of pure SF. Read this and see we Star Wars should be filed under "Westerns". Mind-bending and entertaining. Go to your local used book store and pick up a copy for a buck or two.

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Abhilash

Abhilash is currently reading it

05/24/08

bookshelves: currently-reading, on-hold

Read in January, 2005

Read half of the book. Its okay but the master has really written better stuff. Anyways i have decided to drop it. Am taking a hiatus from reading fiction. Not sure till when. Lets see.

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Jack

Jack rated it:

(review of isbn 1857989341)

02/13/08

Read in February, 2008

recommended to Jack by: Patrick

I found this book slow to start, but fairly interesting in the last half. One-dimensional characters, fair plot. Not one of Asimov's best. (The Foundation Series is my standard.)

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avg rating (all editions): 3.88 (744 ratings)
avg rating (this edition): 3.98 (150 ratings)
number of reviews: 44

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