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Nightfall

3.94 of 5 stars 3.94 · rating details · 11,073 ratings · 281 reviews

These two renowned writers have invented a world not unlike our own--a world on the edge of chaos, torn between the madness of religious fanaticism and the stubborn denial of scientists. Only a handful of people on the planet Lagash are prepared to face the truth--that their six suns are setting all at once for the first time in 2,000 years, signaling the end of civilizati...more

Paperback, Spectra, 339 pages

Published January 27th 2012 by Bantam Books (first published 1990)

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Jan 09, 2012 Andre T rated it 3 of 5 stars

I was and still am a big Isaac Asimov fan, both of his fiction and his non-fiction. I was in particular a big fan of his short stories and I loved the original short story version of Nightfall, however when I read the long extended version that was made into a book, I wasn't as thrilled.

I was, however, only 8-years-old, when I read the book version, but I still remember thinking this is too long, too wordy and that Isaac Asimov is right in the assessment that Golden Age science fiction writers w...more

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Feb 15, 2013 La Stamberga dei Lettori rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: tancredi

Quando ho iniziato a leggere Notturno di Asimov e Silverberg, conservava ancora una salda consistenza granitica la convinzione assoluta che, nel migliore dei casi, quanto mi accingevo a leggere non sarebbe stato più che un semplice annacquamento del racconto originale di Asimov. Poco a poco, però, la convinzione è venuta meno, e per quanto il racconto mi sembri ancora superiore, soprattutto stilisticamente, non posso dare a questo romanzo meno di cinque stelle.
Se è vero che il sapore romantico-s...more

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Feb 03, 2013 Jacquie rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Everyone

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. This book was FANTASTIC. It takes place on a distant planet in a distant system. The planet orbits five suns, all various sizes and distances away, so that the inhabitants have never known night. Even though they are an advanced society, even the astronomers have no clue that there is anything in the universe besides their planet and the five suns. When scientists discover the existence of a previously unknown planet that will make a close pass and indeed blot out the tiniest of the suns while t...more

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Jan 18, 2013 Josh rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Fans of Asimov and post-apocalyptic stories

Shelves: soft-sf, post-apocalyptic

To start with, I thought the original 1941 novelette was absolutely fascinating. People experiencing a world-wide event that had never occurred before in their entire history, trying to prepare for it and being horrified as it actually occurs. The end is an absolutely masterful span of writing, ever-increasing suspense and dark madness as a mob descends, cut off so abruptly, it's almost certainly the reason the story is so popular.

And then Silverberg brings us to the new world, and spends a hund...more To start with, I thought the original 1941 novelette was absolutely fascinating. People experiencing a world-wide event that had never occurred before in their entire history, trying to prepare for it and being horrified as it actually occurs. The end is an absolutely masterful span of writing, ever-increasing suspense and dark madness as a mob descends, cut off so abruptly, it's almost certainly the reason the story is so popular.

And then Silverberg brings us to the new world, and spends a hundred pages detailing the hopelessness of the post-apocalyptic world and the self-pity the protagonists wallow in. It's very unfortunate that he decided to expand the novel, because his verbose meandering is so jarring compared to Asimov's succinct prose. The original short story is included almost whole as the middle third, with a few obvious and unnecessary interjections by Silverberg, providing a unique contrast on the power of a short versus a novel.

The characters are what drive this story, much more than in the original. The pacing is slow and drawn out, letting them discover, ponder, agonize, reflect, and discuss. Much of the mundane could have been left out, included either to hammer home the idea that these people are identical to us or just that Silverberg didn't have the skill to create an approachable alien, and the writing desperately needed an editor's judicious efforts. Still, the only truly jarring parts were the long flashbacks stitched into the beginning of the short.

Although the plot has a definite "fluff" feel, the masterful writing and ideas of Asimov keep it from becoming stale. Silverberg manages to paint a very convincing picture of a fresh post-apocalyptic world, full of fire and distrust and petty warlords and above all, ever-increasing despair and loss. By the end, the heros' failure is absolute, and even the twist (but not so surprising) ending can't eliminate the sense that the survivors are doomed. That kind of emotional downer is rare in science fiction.

I kind of liked it. I don't think it's nearly as rereadable as the short story, when nearly all of the forward motion hinges on the original, but the character interaction and explorations of an old culture clashing and morphing into new provide a passtime for an afternoon.(less)

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Aug 10, 2012 Keith rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: science-fiction

Reread this after many years. The original short story by Asimov stayed with me for a long time as one of the most thought provoking scenarios that had been presented to me. For the first time the idea that sentient beings could be so radically different from us sank home (I was young and foolish). This was an important lesson that many writers of science fiction and fantasy could do with learning.
I read the expanded version when it was releeased and felt oddly dissatisfied with it. Some of the...more

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Jan 30, 2012 Aaron rated it 5 of 5 stars

Aaron King
1/29/12
Per. 6
Book Review: Nightfall by Isaac Asimov
Reading has always been a seminal part of the human experience. It keeps the mind sharp and open to new ideas. Reading also maintains one’s vocabulary. If one never reads, he or she is more susceptible to the same “rusting” that an adolescent’s brain suffers over a long summer. On the other end of the literary spectrum, reading also helps the writers. Authors can use their writing to express emotions and ideas and, in a sense, “trans...more Aaron King
1/29/12
Per. 6
Book Review: Nightfall by Isaac Asimov
Reading has always been a seminal part of the human experience. It keeps the mind sharp and open to new ideas. Reading also maintains one’s vocabulary. If one never reads, he or she is more susceptible to the same “rusting” that an adolescent’s brain suffers over a long summer. On the other end of the literary spectrum, reading also helps the writers. Authors can use their writing to express emotions and ideas and, in a sense, “transmit” these ideas to the reader’s mind. This communication can be highly influential: in reading Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle, a 1906 novel which aimed to highlight the plight of the immigrant worker in America, former President Theodore Roosevelt was so pressured as to push forward the Pure Food and Drug Act as well as the Meat Inspection Act as a result. Here it is demonstrative that reading can have an influence even in government. It is for these reasons that it is highly practical that one finds time in his or her schedule to read. Whether one uses free time or schedules a specific time out of every day to read, it is seminal that he or she does so. My selection for this quarter’s reading assignment was Isaac Asimov’s Nightfall, published in 1990. Originally a short story written in 1941, Nightfall tells the story of a fictional planet Kalgash, one who is always accustomed to light, and what happens to it when that light is suddenly taken away from those who live on Kalgash. Throughout the duration of the novel, an innovative and striking storyline prompts the audience to question the philosophies of change, and provides sustenance for an evaluation and recommendation.
Nightfall’s one setting is on the planet Kalgash, in the fictional city of Saro. The planet resides in a solar system with six suns, in a manner which keeps the planet constantly illuminated by at least two suns in most instances. Complete darkness is unknown to the planet. The story begins with 3 separate storylines, all of scientists who hail from Saro University. Firstly, Siferra 89, an archaeologist, makes a discovery that many prior civilizations all have been subjected to collapse routinely every 2000 years. Following this, Beenay 25, an astronomer, discovers an anomaly in the orbital path of Kalgash. After taking this unearthing to his professor Athor, Beenay and a team of scientists conclude that the only possible way this anomaly can occur is the consequence of another astronomical body that orbits Kalgash. Lastly, Sheerin 501, a psychologist, analyzes the effects of total darkness on the people of Kalgash, as they have never experienced such a phenomenon. Eventually, these stories intertwine to make the discovery that every 2000 years, this normally-unseen planetary body (referred to as “Kalgash Two” throughout the novel) makes its way within visible distance of Kalgash. It also just so happens that when this Kalgash Two comes into sight it blocks out the one sun in the sky of Kalgash in a rare day where this is the case. Consequently, Kalgash is enveloped in darkness and the effects of it eventually lead to the downfall of civilization, consistent with Siferra’s observations.
Nightfall is a very unique novel. This is for more than one reason. The first and most basic reason is that it has a unique storyline. However, the more remarkable reason for its notability is because of its inimitable commentary on the human condition. More specifically, Nightfall goes to great lengths to discuss human reaction to change. Although the people of Kalgash are meant to be aliens, they are very human in nature. They share the same emotional responses, such as love; they share an adaptability to adverse living conditions, as seen in their efforts to rule out darkness as a factor; as well as their reactions when things go awry. It is intrinsic that people are not keen on change. As humans we are more likely to desire stability in life – change brings about things we are not prepared for. Asimov indirectly commentates on this in his novel. Because Kalgashians have sunlight every hour of the day, they grow accustomed to having light no matter what. The “out of sight, out of mind” ideology is a very relevant one here, as the people living on this planet do not concern themselves with that which they do not know. However, change comes in the book, and because the Kalgashians are so used to light, darkness brings about the end of their civilization, and they are forced to begin anew. Additionally, this has been happening routinely throughout the history of Kalgash. And so, Isaac Asimov is clearly elucidating on the obstinacy of humanity and its lack of an openness to change.
Nightfall was a phenomenal read. Isaac Asimov did a superb job of weaving a critical thinking topic into a unique and highly interesting storyline. I am very interested in form of literature where the alternative is explored: that which is fantastic and imaginary. In a sense, that’s all that reading is: delving into the page and consequently into a world that is not your own, and I believe that Asimov grasps this idea quite well. The storyline is one of the most intriguing that I have ever read: it is so far from the truth and yet it is more relatable than other first-rate novels such as Harry Potter. With Nightfall I am able to ask: “What if it were like that here on Earth?” more easily than I can beg the question with Harry Potter, and because of that I feel it is a highly commendable novel. What also adds to its adequacy is that Asimov plaits into this interesting storyline is a thought-provoking set of themes that engage the reader to rethink life itself. What are the limits to which we should become accustomed to life’s daily phenomena? What should happen to humanity if we are to become too acquainted with the goings-on in our lives? Because these themes are so easily and masterfully woven into an already incredibly interesting storyline, I would recommend this novel to anyone without hesitation. Even if you are not interested in science fiction novels, you could surely read this novel from a philosophical, historical, or psychological viewpoint which makes it a highly commendable novel.
Isaac Asimov, in his 1990 novel Nightfall uses a thoroughly fascinating plot with many twists and turns to compliment an exquisite thematic usage to express his thoughts and ideas. He, along with Robert Silverberg, wrote a novel that is exemplary of why I enjoy reading. They created with words such a vivid world for me to enter that I myself became subconsciously fearful of an impending collapse of civilization when I returned home from Kalgash. Reading, as seen here, has not only widened my imagination but also has expanded my horizons toward philosophical, psychological, and historical insights. Reading any book can do this: all one needs to do is pick up a paperback.
(less)

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May 03, 2011 Jeff Brateman rated it 3 of 5 stars

I read the explanation on the cover detailing how this was a short story adopted into a longer novel, but proceeded expecting a fully hashed book. However, I was greeted with a silly portrayal of the same short story, just with different characters and their points of view. This may have worked before, and it may work again, but that writing style does work for Nightfall. Many times I felt like yelling "get on with it already!" and "okayyyyy" when the characters would start two-page explanations...more

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Sep 06, 2009 Joe rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is a sci-fi novel about the end of the world. Sort of.

Isaac Asimov is the master of sci-fi short stories. He's a little-known author that has written one or two books. One of his stories is called "Nightfall", and is well worth reading. You should probably get a collection of his that includes that story, but if you search around enough, you can find the text online.

Asimov works the short story perfectly. Many sci-fi books have to present an idea or explanation for some technology of phenom...more This is a sci-fi novel about the end of the world. Sort of.

Isaac Asimov is the master of sci-fi short stories. He's a little-known author that has written one or two books. One of his stories is called "Nightfall", and is well worth reading. You should probably get a collection of his that includes that story, but if you search around enough, you can find the text online.

Asimov works the short story perfectly. Many sci-fi books have to present an idea or explanation for some technology of phenomenon that is different than in our world, and unfortunately, they often do it in a pretty clumsy way. Not Isaac, though: he gets to the point, but doesn't shove it in your face. In this case, there's a planet with multiple suns, of which there is always at least one in the sky, thus keeping the entire planet in perpetual daylight. However, once every 2,000 years, a planet eclipses the single sun that happens to be in the sky, turning the world dark. The stories follows a group of astronomers that predict that the darkness will turn people mad, and cause them to destroy society.

As a short story, it works perfectly. It presents a world that has one important difference from ours, and asks: so what? What would, or could, happen, with just that one change? A good sci-fi story will present one storyline, one outcome, but more importantly, it will present the question and let you consider what else might happen. As such, little inconsistencies or things that don't quite make sense aren't so important; the main question remains.

But novels aren't mainly about presenting the question. They flesh out a possibility in great depth. Because of that, a few of the oddities stand out a little more, and detract a little from the story. People flock to a "Tunnel of Mystery" that just consists of darkness, instead of just drawing a shade? The scientists predict mass hysteria months before the eclipse, but then hardly prepare for it? And so on.

In the end, though, the small problems don't really detract much from what is a thoroughly enjoyable read.(less)

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Apr 20, 2012 Himanshu Bhatnagar rated it 4 of 5 stars

It's a simple enough plot device for science fiction. Imagine a world similar to ours, except in one crucial aspect, fiddle a bit with that aspect and imagine what results. But it's not a concept many authors have been able to execute with success. Asimov and Silverberg do succeed though, almost.
The idea of a world which has never faced night before is intriguing and it is a credit to the authors that they've mapped out the aftermath very plausibly. I liked the novel enough to have read it more...more

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Feb 09, 2012 Pedro León rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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

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Aug 31, 2011 Matt rated it 4 of 5 stars

A must-read for fans of science fiction!

The writing style of this book was very liquid...can someone help me think of a better adjective? What I mean is that the writing had no mental road blocks for me. It was a very cohesive reading experience. I loved the sentence structure and vocab use.

The story was intriguing and very creative (I need to memorize better adjectives). I like how some characters joked about only having one sun, lol. At first the characters' names put a grin on my face each ti...more

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Feb 10, 2013 Tancredi rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: statunitensi, sci-fi, sfida-alfabeto

Quando ho iniziato a leggere Notturno di Asimov e Silverberg, conservava ancora una salda consistenza granitica la convinzione assoluta che, nel migliore dei casi, quanto mi accingevo a leggere non sarebbe stato più che un semplice annacquamento del racconto originale di Asimov. Poco a poco, però, la convinzione è venuta meno, e per quanto il racconto mi sembri ancora superiore, soprattutto stilisticamente, non posso dare a questo romanzo meno di cinque stelle.
Se è vero che il sapore romantico-s...more Quando ho iniziato a leggere Notturno di Asimov e Silverberg, conservava ancora una salda consistenza granitica la convinzione assoluta che, nel migliore dei casi, quanto mi accingevo a leggere non sarebbe stato più che un semplice annacquamento del racconto originale di Asimov. Poco a poco, però, la convinzione è venuta meno, e per quanto il racconto mi sembri ancora superiore, soprattutto stilisticamente, non posso dare a questo romanzo meno di cinque stelle.
Se è vero che il sapore romantico-sublmine dell'uomo solo, nudo, posto di fronte alla sconcertante enormità della natura trova migliore espressione nel racconto originale, ciò che Asimov e Silverberg hanno creato insieme è un romanzo che allunga la trama nella precisa volontà di analizzare chirurgicamente tutte le conseguenze della visione del Buio e delle Stelle, mettendo da parte l'irrazionale e puntando tutto sul razionale, in un esito più fantapsicologico che fantascientifico. In questa deriva si vede soprattutto la mano della fantascienza introspettiva di Silverberg, mentre il genio di Asimov pare applicarsi fondamentalmente alle considerazioni di natura sociologica e all'eterno conflitto tra scienza e superstizione.
I due temi, colonne portanti del romanzo, mi sembrano trattati in maniera eccelsa: la lungimiranza di Silverberg è tale da restituire un ritratto verosimile della follia scaturita dalla visione delle Stelle; quanto alle considerazioni sociologiche, nonostante il limite di una civiltà aliena eppure copiaincollata da quella occidentale di fine XX secolo, sono comunque complesse, verosimili, decisamente intriganti. In particolare l'abilità di Asimov si coglie nel gioco di specchi e di inganni che dà più colore allo scontro tra scienza e superstizione, con la messa al bando di tutta l'intellighenzia da parte del popolo impaurito e ignorante e il ruolo sempre più ambiguo assunto dal clero. Tutto ciò riposa su una trama abbastanza lineare, ma dal ritmo incalzante, su un attraente intreccio tra psicologia, archeologia e astronomia, nonché su personaggi ben definiti e caratterizzati.
Annacquamento del racconto originale o meno, se mi si dovesse chiedere un romanzo emblema della fantascienza contemporanea non avrei dubbi sul quale indicare.(less)

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Feb 27, 2009 Djrmel rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: classic, science-fiction

Good, basic, no-frills science fiction from the master. Nightfall began life as a short story by Asimov and was expanded to full novel length by the partnership of Asimov and Silverberg. Often, that makes for a story that's obviously padded, but not in this case. A planet with customs and inhabitants very similar to Earth is about to experience something we take quite for granted (but never quite stop fearing) - natural darkness. Five of their suns will be below the horizon and the sixth will be...more

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Jul 19, 2011 Samuel Viana rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: science-fiction

One of the greatest Asimov's short novels I had the pleasure of reading. Can you imagine what happenned to us if we've at night, and in one entire continnent, the electricity were ran out !? And what in one entire planet. It is true, being us, humans, able, as species that lives under the light of the Sun, were able to conquer the Night after the invention of the electric lamp, but what can happend if those things where gone suddenly !? This way, you can start to feel how the inhabitants of this...more

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Dec 31, 2010 Michael rated it 2 of 5 stars

This book has taken me several weeks to read because--foolishly--I pretty much only read it before bed, and I keep falling asleep after a three or four pages.

Nightfall is about an alien world that has five suns. Life on this planet has evolved in what amounts to perpetual light: it's never full-dark on this world, and the intelligent life (pretty much like humans) cannot bear darkness. They have also never seen the stars since the sky is always illuminated.

Every 2,500 years, however, there is a...more

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Mar 31, 2010 Steven Peterson rated it 3 of 5 stars

This represents an expanded version of the 1941 short story by Isaac Asimov, this time with Robert Silverberg as co-author. Whether the book-length version works as well as the short story is a key question. This version does not seem as "taut."

Nonetheless, it is still a nice piece of work. The premise: The planet Kalgash is normally in sunlight. It has six suns circling it, and for an extended period of time, at least one sun has been in the sky. In cuycles of over 2000 years, though, all suns...more

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Mar 30, 2010 Marts (Thinker) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: sci-fi

Nightfall tells the story of a fictional planet Lagash which has six stars like suns keeping it illuminated all the time so the people there don't know anything about darkness and night. Well over time some scientists from Saro University including a psychologist, an archaeologist, and an astronomer, make some discoveries with show that there have been these collapses in civilizaion in the past, a sort of cycle that occurs. So the scientists try to find out what causes these anomalies. Well one...more

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Jan 17, 2013 Nayantara rated it 4 of 5 stars

Are you afraid of the dark? Nope? Thought so. Now here's a superb story about a bunch of people who've never experienced darkness before, being thrust into the utter pitch darkness. It would be difficult to put yourself in these people's shoes. It would be akin to a blind man trying to imagine the sensation of sight. Darkness ain't no big deal for us, what with our sun setting every 12 hours or so. But this planet has six suns, with each serving as a backup when the other sets. Except when all s...more

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Nov 11, 2009 Fiver rated it 2 of 5 stars

There was a time when I wolfed down books by Isaac Asimov, like an elephant in a donut shop. When I saw this one, the premise caught my eye and I was eager to give it a shot.

Here's the long and the short of it: A good short story does not a good novel make. What works in a single sitting simply doesn't have what it takes to last an entire novel. The idea of an entire apocalypse caused strictly by the onset of darkness is thrilling, of course, and right up until the moment that this darkness arri...more

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May 25, 2012 Rahul Agarwal rated it 5 of 5 stars

"The greatest ideas are the simple ones" or something like that, right? Here is an idea that is sublime in its simplicity and astonishing in its implications, and Asimov knows both ends of the spectrum. Not for nothing is this book known to some as the best science fiction of the 20th century; it truly is a masterpiece.

Put simply, if your species evolved on a planet with 6 suns in the sky, you'd only know the presence of light all around, and darkness would be like not breathing. What would you...more

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Sep 02, 2011 Tom rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: asimov, sci-fi

I went into nightfall having no idea what to expect, and I was rather pleasantly surprised by the outcome of the experience. The story centers around the planet of Kalgash, where six suns circle at all times. Ultimately, that means that even during their "sleep periods," they have at least 1 sun up in the sky, and there are even days where they can have as many as four. A religious group is spouting the end of the world the day the suns disappear from the sky, and some scientists begin to uncove...more I went into nightfall having no idea what to expect, and I was rather pleasantly surprised by the outcome of the experience. The story centers around the planet of Kalgash, where six suns circle at all times. Ultimately, that means that even during their "sleep periods," they have at least 1 sun up in the sky, and there are even days where they can have as many as four. A religious group is spouting the end of the world the day the suns disappear from the sky, and some scientists begin to uncover the truth that the fanatic cult may actually be right. Then, on the day predicted, there is a solar eclipse, and the Stars come out in their magnificent glory.

I found this story to generally be a really engaging thought game. You can almost see where the entire thing started for Asimov, and how it branched out into a full novel while he and Silverberg teased out what life (and scientific achievement) would be like in a world where the people would never see a night sky, and where they wouldn't be as adjusted to it as we are. However, there were some rather heavy-handed moments. More than once, talk of the Apostles of Flame (the religious group) turned into a blatant religion-hating spiel, and came close to being a tirade. This was not helped by the religious leader actually telling a few of the scientists "Stop trying to use Reason, and follow me!"

There was also some rather groan-worthy talk of Earth (two characters had a thought experiment of life on a planet with a single sun), which was fun at first and went downhill fast. I'm not sure if there was a good way to have done that at all, but I'm sure that not having it would not have caused any particular problems.

Ultimately, despite these admittedly relatively minor issues, Nightfall was a good read, and an enjoyable look at what it would be like to be faced with the sheer endless majesty of the night sky after your entire civilization has been built on an endless day. If you're a fan of Asimov, I do recommend this book.(less)

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Apr 20, 2010 iffi rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: sci-fi-fantasy

Много увлекателна история за планета, която е огряна денонощно от няколко слънца и на която веднъж на 2000 години се случва катаклизъм (слънчевата светлина изчезва и се появяват Звездите), което кара всички жители буквално да полудеят.
Чудесно описан е сблъсъкът на фанатизма и лудостта с науката.
Книгата е разширение на разказа "Падането на нощта", който си струва да се прочете преди това.

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Aug 01, 2012 Scott rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

With an introduction that reprimands science fiction writers, while at the same time respecting the readers, you are off to a great time. Character development is good, but the development of a world that we could not hardly conceive of is beyond fantastic. He touches on themes of religion, science, fanaticism, and down right disbelief of anything that doesn't fit a person's world view. The book is the first of his I read and amazed me to peer into a mind that can convincingly create a world tru...more

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Aug 11, 2010 kittenlogic rated it 4 of 5 stars

my best friend told me i should read this one, right when i first realized that i really like scifi. it was exhilarating, a page turner. i couldn't wait to see what happened when the suns finally set ...

... but then it just kind of fizzled out. it seemed almost like the authors didn't really know where they were going once they got there. like a car trip where all the thrill is in the ride, the actual destination was just kind of "meh."

i was torn between 5 stars, because i loved the development...more

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Apr 02, 2013 Peter Cawdron rated it 4 of 5 stars

Nightfall is one of the earliest examples of modern scifi, where the expectations, hopes and attitudes of a fictional world are used as an allegory for our own. What happens when night falls? When the status quo is threatened? When the majority fear change? How do you break out of a cycle of defeat? Without giving away any spoilers, the answer lies in generational change. And in that regard, Nightfall is quietly prophetic and so is a fascinating commentary on our own awakening from the dark ages...more

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May 14, 2013 Jess rated it 4 of 5 stars

The end of civilization comes when all six suns set at once on a distant planet. People freak out. I wondered why they didn't think of using hydro power for the generators, or think of torches/candles/the invention of the light bulb/whatever, but then again, these are people who have NEVER been in darkness. Ever. It's interesting that they're smart enough to calculate the time at which the last sun will set, but too short sighted to have preemptively come up with a way to live in darkness for a...more

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Jul 10, 2011 Chris Arena rated it 4 of 5 stars

Though Nightfall is a great work of fiction, I may have been spoiled by having read the short story version first. I felt as if the book was essentially complete after the first of three segments, the rest of this novel felt more like filler necessary for the expansion from short story to novel than any planned direction of plot. If you're looking for a longer read, this is a great book, and you may not even notice this at all. If you're looking for the essence of this brilliant story, though, I...more

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May 04, 2010 Carla rated it 5 of 5 stars

One of the best science fiction books I ever read. From this book, I learned how necessary it is to really think outside the box to write good fiction. Asimov and Silverberg did just that, and the result was COOL. Harlan Ellison wrote a book about creating a world from scratch for your fiction, and I wonder if these guys read it. Reading Nightfull definitely makes me want to go back and find I think it was called "Medea" by Harlan Ellison. I'm not sure about that name, though I know what the boo...more

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Nov 14, 2012 Erin Eve rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: science-fiction

This book is science fiction at its best and most classic. On the surface, it is about a sentient species who are adapted to live on a planet with six suns who must face darkness for the first time in thousands of years. Beneath is a running commentary of how close human civilization is to its bestial roots and how a disruption of society might cause us to regress. There is little effort to distance this other species from ourselves - in fact, there is a note at the beginning of the book which t...more

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Feb 15, 2012 Huckleberry Hax rated it 3 of 5 stars

Short stories like this are like episodes of 1960s Star Trek: warm, fuzzy, not especially challenging, mostly based around a single idea - usually a clever one, admittedly - and nothing more than that. One could despair of the paper-thin characters that Asimov uses here except the twinkle of his mischevious eye shines through them so clearly one usually only ends up relishing them instead. This is the sort of fiction I read when I'm ill to make myself better - cheerful, old-fashioned and packed...more

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About Isaac Asimov

Isaac Asimov was a Russian-born, American author, a professor of biochemistry, and a highly successful writer, best known for his works of science fiction and for his popular science books.

Professor Asimov is generally considered the most prolific writer of all time, having written or edited more than 500 books and an estimated 90,000 letters and postcards. He has works published in nine of the te...more Isaac Asimov was a Russian-born, American author, a professor of biochemistry, and a highly successful writer, best known for his works of science fiction and for his popular science books.

Professor Asimov is generally considered the most prolific writer of all time, having written or edited more than 500 books and an estimated 90,000 letters and postcards. He has works published in nine of the ten major categories of the Dewey Decimal System (lacking only an entry in the 100s category of Philosophy).

Asimov is widely considered a master of the science-fiction genre and, along with Robert A. Heinlein and Arthur C. Clarke, was considered one of the "Big Three" science-fiction writers during his lifetime. Asimov's most famous work is the Foundation Series; his other major series are the Galactic Empire series and the Robot series, both of which he later tied into the same fictional universe as the Foundation Series to create a unified "future history" for his stories much like those pioneered by Robert A. Heinlein and previously produced by Cordwainer Smith and Poul Anderson. He penned numerous short stories, among them "Nightfall", which in 1964 was voted by the Science Fiction Writers of America the best short science fiction story of all time, a title many still honor. He also wrote mysteries and fantasy, as well as a great amount of nonfiction. Asimov wrote the Lucky Starr series of juvenile science-fiction novels using the pen name Paul French.

Most of Asimov's popularized science books explain scientific concepts in a historical way, going as far back as possible to a time when the science in question was at its simplest stage. He often provides nationalities, birth dates, and death dates for the scientists he mentions, as well as etymologies and pronunciation guides for technical terms. Examples include his Guide to Science, the three volume set Understanding Physics, and Asimov's Chronology of Science and Discovery.

Asimov was a long-time member and Vice President of Mensa International, albeit reluctantly; he described some members of that organization as "brain-proud and aggressive about their IQs" He took more joy in being president of the American Humanist Association. The asteroid 5020 Asimov, the magazine Asimov's Science Fiction, a Brooklyn, NY elementary school, and two different Isaac Asimov Awards are named in his honor.

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Isaac Asimov. (2007, November 29). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 21:50, November 29, 2007, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?t...(less)

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The Foundation Trilogy (Foundation, #1-3)

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Quotes from Nightfall

“Life would be impossible on such a planet. It wouldn't get enough heat and light, and if it rotated there would be total darkness half of every day. There wouldn't be any native inhabitants. You couldn't expect life---which is fundamentally dependent on light---to develop under such extreme conditions of light deprivation. Half of every axial rotation spent in Darkness! No, nothing could exist under conditions like that.” — 10 people liked it

“It was a long time since he'd done any actual clinical work, and obviously his sojourn among the academics at Saro University had attenuated the professional detachment that allows members of the healing arts to confront the ill without being overwhelmed by compassion and sorrow. He was surprised at that, how tenderhearted he seemed to have become, how thin-skinned.” — 4 people liked it

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