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The Stars, Like Dust

(Galactic Empire #1)

Isaac Asimov

3.74 · Rating details · 16,837 ratings · 751 reviews

Biron Farrell was young and naïve, but he was growing up fast. A radiation bomb planted in his dorm room changed him from an innocent student at the University of Earth to a marked man, fleeing desperately from an unknown assassin.

He soon discovers that, many light-years away, his father, the highly respected Rancher of Widemos, has been murdered. Stunned, grief-stricken, ...more

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Mass Market Paperback, 304 pages

Published December 1st 1991 by Spectra (first published 1951)

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Feb 25, 2019 Adrian rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: read-again, sci-fi, sf-robots-n-empire, zz-owned-books, riedel-ethereal-2019

Very enjoyable but “ Asimov light”. More tomorrow

Now Isaac Asimov is one of my all time favourite authors, his Foundation novels are to me the epitome of SF space Opera, and he is my "go to" author when I want a great book, so when I felt a bit down/lost/in need of a lift, I decided to read this book as I hadn't touched it in probably 20 + years.
It was an enjoyable book, without a doubt an Asimov book, but a little light, as in not as detailed and structured as some of his more famous books.
For ...more

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Jan 13, 2010 Ahmad Sharabiani rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, childrens-young-readers, science, 20th-century, fantasy

The Stars, Like Dust (Galactic Empire #1), Isaac Asimov
The Stars, Like Dust is a 1951 science fiction mystery book by American writer Isaac Asimov. The book is part of Asimov's Galactic Empire series and takes place before the actual founding of the Galactic Empire, before even Trantor becomes important. It starts with a young man attending the University of Earth. Biron Farrill is the son of the greatest nobleman on the planet Nephelos, one of the Nebula Kingdoms. The story starts with the news ...more

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Mar 25, 2011 Sesana rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: science-fiction, audiobook

I'm trying to read all of the books that eventually fell under the umbrella of the Foundation series, in internal chronological order. Which brings me to this, one of the first novels Asimov ever published. In some ways, it shows. The pacing is far from smooth, and the characters tend towards the wooden. The romance, between Biron and Artemisia, is rushed and unconvincing. And yet, it's still a quick and entertaining read. So far, I've yet to be truly disappointed in any of these books. That's g ...more

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Jul 24, 2017 Alina rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: sociology-anthropology-politics, male-lead, time-travel, classics, sf-and-hard-sf

Well, you can see from his writing that his 'scientist' side was stronger than the 'writer' one: he clearly writes better robots than humans :)

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Oct 15, 2010 Steve rated it it was ok

Ah boy. Man, Asimov disappointed me a bit with this book; fortunately it was short enough to where I could make it through without throwing in the towel.

The Stars, Like Dust is often regarded as the first book in the Empire series, though as far as I know it really doesn't have much to do with the other books in the series, or really much to do with the Robot, Empire, and Foundation series as a whole. This story surrounds Biron Farrill whom at the beginning of the book is studying at a Universit Ah boy. Man, Asimov disappointed me a bit with this book; fortunately it was short enough to where I could make it through without throwing in the towel.

The Stars, Like Dust is often regarded as the first book in the Empire series, though as far as I know it really doesn't have much to do with the other books in the series, or really much to do with the Robot, Empire, and Foundation series as a whole. This story surrounds Biron Farrill whom at the beginning of the book is studying at a University on Earth when thanks to a man named Jonti he is made aware of a bomb that has been planted in his room. He is then made aware of his father’s death. His father holds a high position as the Rancher of Widemos. Jonti convinces Biron to travel to the strongest Tyranni controlled planet, Rhodia. This is where he hears rumors about a rebellion against the Tyranni and it becomes his goal to find the rebel planet. Oh, the Tyranni is an empire of few that have found a way to rule 50 planets, despite being well underpopulated.

On the surface this seems like decent Asimov fare, but there are some real glaring flaws with this book. First, I almost couldn't believe this was Asimovs writing, it just felt so - uninspired. I've only read the Robot series before this, but some of my favorite aspects of those books were the characters (namely R. Daneel and Elijah) and the commanding dialog. Here in Stars the characters are incredibly boring to me and the dialog is very flat.

Also, the plot here starts to feel really clunky. We have a lame contrived love story and more lame twists, double-crosses, double-double-crosses, double-double-double-crosses (you get the point) than I care to read about. For the first time Asimov’s prose feels very amateurish. I actually had to re-read pages because I often found myself so bored that I would just glance words rather than really read them, it was just that bad for me.

The book does start to pick up a little bit towards the middle, middle-end and when I finally started to see some redeeming value he throws in one doozy of a hokey ending.

So, there's a few interesting moments but as a whole this book didn't work for me at all. I wasn't too surprised when after reading this book I did a little research and found that this is Asimov’s least favorite book, so far this is my least favorite Asimov book. All is well though, I'm certainly not going to give up on Asimov and I look forward to forgetting this one and moving on.
...more

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Jul 18, 2017 Sandy rated it really liked it

Isaac Asimov's very first novel, "Pebble in the Sky" (1950), was the opening salvo in what would later be known as his Galactic Empire trilogy, and was set some 50,000 years in Earth's future. It may surprise some potential readers to learn, then, that book 2 in the series, "The Stars, Like Dust" (the use of a comma after the word "Stars" is not present anywhere in my 1963 Lancer paperback, but Asimov's later autobiography, "I. Asimov," does present the book title with the comma, so don't ask me Isaac Asimov's very first novel, "Pebble in the Sky" (1950), was the opening salvo in what would later be known as his Galactic Empire trilogy, and was set some 50,000 years in Earth's future. It may surprise some potential readers to learn, then, that book 2 in the series, "The Stars, Like Dust" (the use of a comma after the word "Stars" is not present anywhere in my 1963 Lancer paperback, but Asimov's later autobiography, "I. Asimov," does present the book title with the comma, so don't ask me!), takes place a mere 10,000 years in the future, or a good 40,000 years prior to the events in book 1! Thus, the book can be viewed as a very loose prequel of sorts, although the galactic backdrop is the only story element that the two books share. This second novel of Asimov's originally appeared in the January – March '51 issues of Horace L. Gold's "Galaxy Science Fiction" (a 25-cent, digest-sized periodical) with a different title, "Tyrann," and was then released in book form later that same year. It is another highly readable, fast-moving space adventure from this beloved and, ultimately, superhumanly prodigious author, but one with a number of problems, as will be seen.

In the book, the Galactic Empire consists of only some 1,100 settled planets, as opposed to the 200 million colonized worlds of book 1. Some 50 years prior to book 2's commencement, the short and stocky human colonists of the planet Tyrann had conquered 50 other worlds in the neighborhood of the Horsehead Nebula, and if there were ever any doubt as to how the author felt about those space conquerors, let's just say that he calls their race the Tyranni. At the beginning of "The Stars, Like Dust," a 23-year-old resident of the Nebula world Nephelos, Biron Farrill, who is about to graduate from an Earth university, awakens in his dorm only to find that a radiation bomb has been planted near his bed. He survives this murder attempt and later learns that his nobleman father, the so-called Rancher of Widemos, has just been put to death for his participation in an insurrection plot against the Tyranni. Urged by a mysterious benefactor, Sander Jonti, to go to the subject world of Rhodia and speak to that planet's Director, Hinrik V, Biron travels by starship to seek an audience there. Hinrik, as it turns out, is something of a mentally deficient imbecile, but Farrill is soon aided by the Director's brother, Gillbret oth Hinriad, and by Rhodia's princess herself, the beautiful Artemisia. The three steal a Tyranni armored cruiser and set off in search of the "rebellion world" that Gillbret claims to have once visited, all the time playing cat and mouse with the Tyranni commissioner of Rhodia, the dangerously perceptive Simok Aratap. But the discovery of that legendary rebellion world is not the only thing on Biron's and Aratap's minds. A mysterious ancient document containing the details of a highly powerful weapon of some sort has vanished from Earth, and the discovery of that relic is of vital concern to them both, as well....

Writing in his "Ultimate Guide to Science Fiction," Scottish critic David Pringle calls "The Stars, Like Dust" "a minor Asimov space yarn," and that does indeed seem to be the general consensus. As a matter of fact, Asimov himself would later call it the least favorite of all his 40 novels, 38 of which had been in the sci-fi realm. This, it seems, was largely due to the number of rewrites the publisher demanded of him (Doc Ike hated doing rewrites, apparently), as well as the fact that Asimov loathed the subplot revolving around the ancient document that editor Gold compelled him to put in. To be fair, that subplot is a relatively minor thread in the story's weave, and the revelation of its exact nature is one that very few readers will predict. That big reveal does come as something of a surprise ending, akin to the one revealing the First Speaker's identity in the author's classic 1953 novel "Second Foundation." In both books, that surprise is reserved for the very last paragraph; do NOT peek ahead!

As for the rest of it, I will confess that this reader was a tad confused during the book's first half, and that was undoubtedly deliberate on the author's part. This is the sort of book in which most of the characters have hidden agendas ("Am I too complicated for you?" Aratap asks at one point), and few are what he/she seems at first blush. Thus, it is difficult to discern many of our main characters' motivations. Fortunately, things begin to clarify around the book’s midpoint--"It all hangs together," as Jonti declares around that halfway section--but Asimov still reserves many surprises for his final chapters. In hindsight, the book is very clearly written (not for nothing was Asimov later dubbed "The Great Explainer," after penning over 400 books of nonfiction), but purposefully ambiguous in spots. You may feel the need to read the book over again once you're through with it, to admire how deftly the author has written both honestly and misleadingly at the same time. Asimov, of course, was also known for his books that combined both sci-fi and mystery (I am thinking most especially of 1954's "The Caves of Steel" and 1957's "The Naked Sun," as well as his two unalloyed mystery novels, 1958's "The Death Dealers" and 1976's "Murder at the ABA"), and "The Stars, Like Dust" can almost be seen as a warm-up of sorts to those. It is not just a whodunit, but also a whydunit, and the complexity of the plot here is perhaps the novel's single greatest selling point.

Asimov also throws in many little grace-note touches to please his readers, including a long-distance communication beam attuned only to the intended receiver's mind; the haunting image of how the radioactive Earth appears from far off in space; the monorail elevators that cover the surface of Hinrik's palace; Gillbret's uncanny invention, the visisonor, which creates both images and music in the wearer's brain; and those nasty neuronic whips, which would still be in use 40,000 years later, in book 1. Another interesting touch for this reader: the fact that the Tyranni nemesis Aratap (actually, he might be the most likeable character, strangely enough, in the entire book!) wears contact lenses. Now ubiquitous, contacts, as we know them today, only became generally available to the public in 1949, and thus were still fairly cutting edge when Asimov wrote his story.

The book, naturally, is hardly a perfect affair, with characters who are somewhat unfleshed out and a princess who is kinda lame/wishy-washy/namby-pamby. Asimov even seems to make some slight goofs in this, his second novel. For example, at one point, he tells us that the Tyranni have conquered two dozen planets in the Horsehead Nebula; later, that figure is given as 50. He tells us that our Milky Way galaxy has a diameter of some 30,000 light-years, whereas today, we know that it is more like 100,000 to 180,000 light-years. And in one section, Artemisia quotes from an old poem that turns out to be from English poet Richard Lovelace, circa 1649. But once the reader learns the nature of that secret document at the book's end, the likelihood of anyone being able to quote by heart a 17th century Earth poet becomes highly minute. But these are quibbles. "The Stars, Like Dust" remains a hugely pleasing page-turner, despite everything. For this reader, it would appear, even minor Asimov is preferable to so much of the dross being churned out today. And now, I think it's high time for me to be heading on to book 3, 1952's "The Currents of Space." Stay tuned....

(By the way, this review originally appeared on the FanLit site at http://www.fantasyliterature.com/ ... a most ideal destination for all fans of Isaac Asimov....) ...more

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Nov 18, 2015 Davyne DeSye rated it it was amazing

Very enjoyable…

This is one of Asimov’s very early science fiction novels and is quite a reflection of his times. Having been written in 1951, it reflects the societal fear at the time regarding a possibly upcoming World War III and destruction of the planet by nuclear weapons.

In this book, the planet Earth is only one of many that has been settled by humankind, but – unfortunately – large portions of its surface are highly radioactive and everyone wears (or carries) radiation detectors (in the f Very enjoyable…

This is one of Asimov’s very early science fiction novels and is quite a reflection of his times. Having been written in 1951, it reflects the societal fear at the time regarding a possibly upcoming World War III and destruction of the planet by nuclear weapons.

In this book, the planet Earth is only one of many that has been settled by humankind, but – unfortunately – large portions of its surface are highly radioactive and everyone wears (or carries) radiation detectors (in the form of watches, jewelry, clothing, etc.) in case they inadvertently wander into a high-radiation zone. There is a hint that this is because of some long-past war.

Interestingly, though the story begins on Earth, most of the story actually takes place off planet. The Tyranni are the despotic rulers of a group of planets near the Horsehead Nebula, and naturally, a rebellion is in the works. Our young hero, Biron (who is on Earth), is flung into the rebellion when his father is killed on their home planet of Nephelos. Another (and possibly high-ranking) member of the rebellion, Jonti, hustles Biron off Earth and sets in motion a chain of events that seems at every turn to be endangering Biron’s life rather than protecting it – making Biron suspect that his benefactor is not the man he pretends to be. Somehow, Biron manages to evade the traps and dangers that surround him. He embarks on a search for the mysterious “rebellion world” that is theoretically located in the Horsehead Nebula and allows Jonti to accompany him on the search, with much reservation, but in the hopes of learning who Jonti really is and what his motivations truly are. Events at the end of the book wrap back to Earth – at least tangentially – an in (to me) a surprising way.

It is an action-adventure novel typical of the 1950s science fiction, full of blasters, space ships, planets, and, as is also typical of the times, some great science and scientific explanations that do not bog down the narrative.

I also enjoyed the “About the Author” section at the back of my edition. Asimov’s sense of humor is displayed throughout. For example:

“He [Asimov] remains as youthful, as lively, and as lovable as ever, and grows more handsome with each year. You can be sure that this is so since he has written this little essay himself and his devotion to absolute objectivity is notorious.”

This is now considered Book 1 in the Galactic Empire series, although at the time it was written, it was simply a standalone novel. Highly recommended to those who enjoy books from the Golden Age of science fiction. ...more

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Feb 07, 2013 Michael Battaglia rated it it was amazing

Those who have often accused Asimov of being historically, shall we say, lax on anything resembling action may have felt a faint flicker of hope when reading the opening passages to this novel, where mild-mannered student Biron Farrill discovers late at night that someone has broken into his room and planted a radiation bomb. There's a few tense pages that make you believe that this is a lost thriller from the master of cerebral SF, a novel of far future espionage where no one is safe and danger Those who have often accused Asimov of being historically, shall we say, lax on anything resembling action may have felt a faint flicker of hope when reading the opening passages to this novel, where mild-mannered student Biron Farrill discovers late at night that someone has broken into his room and planted a radiation bomb. There's a few tense pages that make you believe that this is a lost thriller from the master of cerebral SF, a novel of far future espionage where no one is safe and danger lurks around every corner.

Then everyone starts talking about what just happened and that goes right out the window. I'm not saying this is a bad thing, part of the reason that Asimov is so highly regarded and beloved among SF fans is because he was able to make these talky novels work, that he could wring some semblance of excitement from everyone talking about action but not actually engage in anything that you or I might accidentally misconstrue as this elusive beast sometimes called "action". And the thing was, he was capable of it . . . I remember reading "The Caves of Steel" in the scenes where the cop is trying to elude someone on the moving sidewalks and being actively riveted.

In this case though, not so much. Granted, we're still very early in his career and while this one feels more like one of his novels than "Pebble in the Sky" did, all the kinks still haven't been fully worked out. People count this one as an "Empire" novel, even though there's kind of a reference to an Empire and Earth and whatnot, but it has precious little connection to anything that went before or after it.

Indeed, we mostly focus on a few random worlds held by the Tyranni (nice name). Biron's father is a Rancher on one of those worlds and without warning is captured and presumably executed. Biron is told that his father was planning a rebellion and he's got to get the heck out of Galactic Dodge before the people who got his father come after him. And therein lies the seeds for what could have been a breakneck chase across the galaxy as Biron attempts to uncover the conspiracy and figure out who is on whose side. Before too long he's hunting for a mysterious document and searching for rumored "Rebellion World" that could blow this whole plot wide open and give us a ground level view of galactic governments falling, finally being taken back by the people they've oppressed for so long.

We don't quite get that. Instead we get some typical tropes of both Asimov and SF of that era. We have people with multiple identities, a plot coupon sort of structure where people bounce from one location to another because the plot requires them to and the requisite lone pretty girl who the hero falls in love with (although she does acknowledge that as the only girl he doesn't have much choice, which is remarkably self-aware) simply because they have to. This of course later turns into a minor love triangle with the guy they can maybe trust or maybe not to add some melodramatic tension. In between, everyone discusses every permutation of the plot in every facet they can manage, with a twist I didn't necessarily see coming even if the hero did (Biron starts out in a way that could have been interesting, the young man finding his footing but by the end of it turns into the typically capable SF hero of this period). A lot of it feels very standard at points, even the final twist, which is meant to be shocking, winds up being quite telegraphed by kind of overselling the point halfway through and making you think maybe something is up (it also didn't help that I've read a fantasy series recently which uses a similar twist).

What I find most fascinating about this novel, and I wish he had devoted more to this, were the scenes featuring Tyranni commander Aratap. Far different than most any other SF I had read from this time, there's a focus more on mundane day to day activities and how boring it is to be a conqueror, like reading a story about your accountant set in the future. Asimov seems to be going out of his way to prove that being an overlord can be a dull slog just like your crappy job, and there's some real nice details that I honestly didn't expect (Aratap fidgeting in a uniform he's used to wearing is a treasure). There's more focus on the bureaucracy and Aratap being a clever foil instead of simply overbearingly evil that raises this book above lazier stuff from this era. It's an almost British sensibility, akin to what Robert Holmes would be doing in his "Doctor Who" scripts almost twenty years later. If nothing else, it makes the book worth it and shows that even when Asimov was fully vested in the cliches of the day, he was still working to find interesting angles. Worth a peak. ...more

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Mar 02, 2015 Nicholas rated it did not like it

Spoilers follow, but honestly...who cares with a book like this.

Honestly not really worth the trouble of reviewing, but I'll say a few things anyway...Asimov himself described The Stars, Like Dust as his "least favorite novel" and even that was pretty generous on his part given its tortured publishing history. Forced to include a hokey subplot that involved the Constitution of the United States by his editor and publisher that he detested after being forced to complete an outline and two complet ...more

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Feb 01, 2017 Simon rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: sf

So, my plan to re-read the all the Asimov books that make up our future history in the Foundation Universe continues with this, the first of the Galactic Empire novels. Although, it has to be said, this is the only one of his books in this universe that I hadn't read before.

The galactic empire novels, like the "I, Robot" stories, the first two Elijah Baley novels and the original "Foundation" trilogy were originally published in the 50's. When Asimov began, many years later, to attempt to weave ...more

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Feb 06, 2013 Lisa (Harmonybites) rated it it was ok

Recommends it for: Compleatists

Shelves: novels, fiction, science-fiction, ebooks

Isaac Asimov is one of my favorite writers--truly. I used to joke he was my spiritual father, because his non-fiction pro-reason, pro-science essays had such a huge influence on me. And I love his fiction. Especially his short stories, which hold up well and I'd enthusiastically recommend a collection of them: "The Dead Past," "Nightfall," "The Ugly Little Boy," "The Last Question" are amazing science fiction. So is his Foundation series by and large and his Robot novels and stories, and I remem Isaac Asimov is one of my favorite writers--truly. I used to joke he was my spiritual father, because his non-fiction pro-reason, pro-science essays had such a huge influence on me. And I love his fiction. Especially his short stories, which hold up well and I'd enthusiastically recommend a collection of them: "The Dead Past," "Nightfall," "The Ugly Little Boy," "The Last Question" are amazing science fiction. So is his Foundation series by and large and his Robot novels and stories, and I remember loving The End of Eternity and The Gods Themselves. But this novel even Isaac Asimov himself pointed to as his least favorite, and reading it I can understand why.

This is very early Asimov--only his second novel and book. Published in 1951, this was written before Sputnik, let alone a manned space program. Piloting a spacecraft is quaintly called "spacinautics" in this book. There are blasters and "neuronic whips" and "Nebula Kingdoms." In other words, this is the world of pulp and reads more like a Buck Rogers episode than classic Asimov. His hero, Biron Farrill, is more notable (and noted) for his muscles, not his brains, and his love interest, Artemsia, is described as "smoldering" and "spirited." And their romance is, well, proof that not just women can write treacly love stories and they don't all inhabit the Romance aisle. And did I mention this is very early in Asimov's writing career? Oh, the melodrama! The over-fondness for the exclamation point! He'd get much, much better over the years.

What saves this from one star, besides that I don't think I can bear rating something by Asimov so low? Well, there are glimmers at times of the Asimov to come, in how he injects the science into science fiction, and how the interplanetary intrigue foreshadows his Foundation series. The ending did make me smile. But if this novel had been by an unknown, I think I would have given up on the book a few chapters in. If this is your first Asimov, please, please don't hold this against him. He really is one of the greats of science fiction--you just wouldn't know it from this book. ...more

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Jun 21, 2015 Ms. Smartarse rated it liked it

Shelves: action-adventure, mystery, part_of_a_series, sci-fi

Biron Farrill is a senior student at the University of Earth, the planet now highly radio-active. He has also barely escaped a nuclear attack, good thing he didn't throw out his radiation counter . His father on the other hand, was definitely not as lucky. The late Rancher of Widemos had been imprisoned and executed for high treason.

Advised by the mysterious Jonti, our hero embarks on a top-secret and mysterious adventure to avenge his father. More specifically, to stage a coup d'état that would ...more

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May 29, 2015 Jerry rated it it was ok

Not what I'm used to from the grandmaster of science fiction.

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Apr 29, 2018 Dianna rated it it was ok · review of another edition

I was excited to try my first Asimov. I just randomly picked one off the library shelves, but perhaps it wasn't the best choice. The plot was mildly interesting, but the characters were impossible to understand, especially Biron the protagonist. One minute he was an innocent college boy, then he was being a jerk to a girl, then he saves the day by his mental jockeying—blech. The resolution was also fairly unsatisfying, since it was mostly just Biron explaining (view spoiler) ...more

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May 07, 2020 John rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2020

Good start to the middle series

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Aug 27, 2014 Ken Doggett rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Luckily this was a quick read, because it was not a very rewarding one; I had trouble getting into the book, and almost quit midway. I do not recommend this book for modern readers. It has almost no characterization, so you're held as arm's length from the story, and the story itself is less than credible. On the one hand it's almost too convoluted to follow all of the unlikely twists and turns, and on the other its final conclusion, while probably significant at the time it was written, was too ...more

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Aug 28, 2020 Tony Calder rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: science-fiction

This is very early Asimov - the second full novel that he wrote - the book is full of 1950's gender stereotypes, and the plotting is a bit all over the place. And the reveal on the last page is incredibly twee, although I have heard that his publishers required him to put that in. Still, it's not completely hopeless - the characters have some nuance to them, and no one is either all good or all bad. And it is an easy read.

Originally written as a stand alone novel, Asimov shoehorned this into the ...more

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Jun 13, 2019 Anna (DoesAnnaDreamOf) rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: kindle

Well, it may not be Asimov at his best. Overall, it was a quick and amusing read. The storyline is quite simple: a tyrant and a rebellion. Simple, but well executed all in all. But the ending… Wait until you discover the secret of the subplot. Not great, and that’s an understatement. I’ll try to get over it before attempting to read the second book of the trilogy.

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Feb 24, 2018 Geoff rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: science-fiction

Not the greatest Asimov book but it was an easy read and got me out of my reading slump. Certainly a book of the 50s, so beware if that kind of sci-fi isn't your favourite

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May 18, 2019 Jeff Miller rated it really liked it

Still enjoyable, just the usual flaws with Asimov and characters barely drawn out.

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Jan 28, 2017 Brian Schwartz rated it really liked it

Shelves: science-fiction-fantasy

The Stars, Like Dust works on a level not achieved by The Currents of Space or Pebble in the Sky . It does not try to be a complex spy thriller told in less than 200 pages. Nor does it get weighed down in heavy politics or distracting and ineffective subplots. The Stars, Like Dust is pure space opera loaded with shootouts, space trips, mysterious planets, and evil bad guys.

This is not, in and of itself, the definition of good science fiction. Subplots, intrigue, complex schemes and thick ...more

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Apr 19, 2014 Leonardo rated it it was ok

Shelves: science-fiction

Not really sure how to rate this one. Originally published in 1952, this is one of the first novels by Asimov.
Chronologically, this is set between the Robot novels and the Foundation novels. Having read Robots and Empire prior to this one, one can see how they tie the timeline, but the connection is very mild.

What surprised me a bit was the tone of this novel. I've read 6 Asimov novels prior to this one and was expecting some elements that had become familiar. All the robot novels (and a lot of Not really sure how to rate this one. Originally published in 1952, this is one of the first novels by Asimov.
Chronologically, this is set between the Robot novels and the Foundation novels. Having read Robots and Empire prior to this one, one can see how they tie the timeline, but the connection is very mild.

What surprised me a bit was the tone of this novel. I've read 6 Asimov novels prior to this one and was expecting some elements that had become familiar. All the robot novels (and a lot of the short stories too) have at the core of the story some form of conundrum. The stories, for the most part, would follow the protagonists in their path to deducing it in a logical way. This structure was used to show the positronic brain idea and how the robots affected society, but mostly in a way that highlighted human questions and human issues.

This novel has very little of this. It's way more pulpy, and although there is some deducing going on, the novel as a whole is way more straight forward. This is by no means bad, just different. And although the big reveal at the end was a bit lame, the light adventure was fun.

My only true complain was with the protagonists. I'd say that for 80% of the novel, Biron is utterly annoying. He acts like a twelve year old for too long and only by the end of the book he feels a tiny little bit developed. Artemisia was even worse. Maybe it's a product of the time period it was written, but shes was very poorly written. And their "romance" was quite silly, to say the least.

Overall, nice pulp adventure filled with silly, paper thin characters.

I miss partner Elijah. :(

EDIT: I just discovered that this was Asimov's least favorite novel, so there's that to consider. This is from his official FAQ:
"His least favorite novel was The Stars Like Dust. It was scheduled for serialization in Galaxy, then edited by Horace Gold. Gold absolutely insisted on including a subplot about the characters ransacking the Galaxy for an ancient document which would utterly revolutionize their political order. In the end, it turns out that the document is "gur Pbafgvghgvba bs gur Havgrq Fgngrf" (rot-13 coding added as spoiler protection, as if this sub-par novel could be truly "spoiled" by giving away plot points).

Asimov loathed the subplot and bitterly resented being forced to add it. He offered to his editor at Doubleday, Walter Bradbury, to remove it for the hardcover publication, but Bradbury liked the subplot and insisted it be left in." ...more

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Apr 30, 2009 Glenn rated it liked it · review of another edition

Since I'm in a science fiction-y kind of mood I thought I'd spend some time with the guy who first got me into the genre, Isaac Asimov. Little me started with I, Robot, which I read over and over. I thought that Donovan and Powell were cool. Susan Calvin was beyond cool and well into the icy, but she was interesting. The positronic brain and the three laws were an analog for human ethics. Little Glenn realized that Asimov was dealing with human morality but had separated it from humanity in orde ...more

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Mar 04, 2010 Bill Wellham rated it really liked it

I seem to have given it more stars than most readers... Should I re-evaluate? Not sure.

This book just has nice memories for me, as I read a very tatty old paperback held together with elastic bands and tape. One of those books that you have no idea where it came from. I was about twelve years old; and as such, my mind was very accepting of stories about space travel, heroes, heroines, strange planets etc. I had been spoon fed on Star Trek and Dr Who!

I wanted to review it now, so I flicked throu ...more

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Sep 17, 2010 Mick rated it it was ok

I picked this up (along with the other 2 Empire trilogy books) since I've read a lot of Asimov's other work (Foundation and Robots stuff). I would say it was "okay" or perhaps "meh." Perhaps at the time it was published in the 1950s it might have resonated with audiences more. Honestly though, the characters I feel really brought it down, they might as well have been cardboard cut-outs. I wouldn't exactly say the story or characters were predictable (except for the last page aka "the document," ...more

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May 20, 2019 Chad Jordahl rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, have-ebook, science-fiction

Eh... it was 'ok'... there are a couple of interesting characters, a couple of not too surprising twists. Oh, and a silly fascination with a specific physical document -- silly and romantic for thinking that a piece of treeware could be the key to an inter-galactic revolution. Asimov has an unappealing habit of writing clunky expository sentences for his characters. There are other problems that are excusable if you remember the book was published in 1951. Maybe I only '2-star' liked it, but it ...more

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Oct 19, 2016 Sina Homayooni rated it it was ok

Shelves: sci-fi

Disappointing!
This is the worst of Asimov I've read up to now. Pretty boring. Full of stale ideas. Very slow turn of events. Lacking the same philosophical, mind engaging characteristics known of Asimov.
I really hope it gets better in the next one from Galactic Empire.

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Feb 07, 2020 Brian Garthoff rated it liked it

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Okay, first and foremost I think it’s impossible to discuss the quality of this book without addressing the ending, specifically the last sentence. The Stars Like Dust ends with the sort of shocker moment similar to Robots of Dawn. And while they may have been published in a different order, I am coming to Stars before Pebble in the Sky, so I don’t know what implications the ending of this book has on the remaining Galactic Empire series, but it’s a real wild card that definitely sent me down a Okay, first and foremost I think it’s impossible to discuss the quality of this book without addressing the ending, specifically the last sentence. The Stars Like Dust ends with the sort of shocker moment similar to Robots of Dawn. And while they may have been published in a different order, I am coming to Stars before Pebble in the Sky, so I don’t know what implications the ending of this book has on the remaining Galactic Empire series, but it’s a real wild card that definitely sent me down a weird train of thought.

So, up to the end we have a familiar Asimov “who done it” mystery on our hands that deals with major figures across the Outer Worlds. I like the characters, the cheesy romance, the basic setup, and subverting expectations with big “Aha” moments even if it is well worn territory by this point.

BUT, the end of this book is one I have been grappling with since I finished it, for at the root of all this dramatic political espionage and chase is a guy who is protecting a sacred document which turns out to be none other than the United States Constitution. HA! I literally laughed the second it was revealed. It’s over the top, it’s uber patriot-boneriffic, but I had to ask myself if it is outside the realm of possibilities? And my answer is: no! Now, the idea that they could take the Constitution and use it to reform a new perfect universe after hitting the big red button on the old one is eye-rolling to say the least (and I have later discovered not Asimov’s original idea for the book either) but who’s to say that a believable character would not cling to the idea that it COULD work? It makes them seem like insane, blindly hopeful, ultra patriotic maniacs, but it is a dot you could connect. Asimov’s characters are often cold and analytical, so I don’t find it that abnormal beneath that already existing lens either.

Ultimately though, the big splashy end did have a tremendous impact on how I feel about the book. It’s very centered on an impending rebellion and the universe being held in the grip of a domineering empire. So to have the big reveal be a US Constitutional power fantasy deflates a lot of the steam it had built up. Still, I enjoyed The Stars, Like Dust a great deal. It was entertaining, and did not hamper my excitement for the rest of the series. I am still flummoxed by that final sentence, but I can live with it. 3.5 stars. ...more

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Apr 13, 2017 Carina rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: science-fiction, 2017-reading-challenge

Well, this read through was certainly a lot harder than the first time I read this book. According to Goodreads, last year I read this book in two days, this time it took me the best part of a week! I'm not 100% sure why I struggled so much with this to be honest with you... but I think it has to be down to the fact that this really doesn't seem to fit into the over-arching universe Asimov has created.

This is considered the first of the Galactic Empire series, and taking that as a single series Well, this read through was certainly a lot harder than the first time I read this book. According to Goodreads, last year I read this book in two days, this time it took me the best part of a week! I'm not 100% sure why I struggled so much with this to be honest with you... but I think it has to be down to the fact that this really doesn't seem to fit into the over-arching universe Asimov has created.

This is considered the first of the Galactic Empire series, and taking that as a single series of three books, and no others, this is a rather good book. But reading this as the closest one to the Foundation series? Nope. Totally disagree. I honestly cannot see why on Earth the reading order says to read the Galactic Empire series out of order.. it's just wrong in my opinion.

So, oddity of place aside, how else does this fit into the overall series? Honestly, not well. If you consider that in terms of a timeline this follows Robots and Empire there is no mention of any of the known worlds from there... in terms of the Foundation series there is not even a hint of Trantor. It means this book just seems to... not advance anything, be pointless, simply exist...

It's a shame really because on the whole this is a good book. Yes it took me a long time to read this in comparison to the others, but it's still an interesting plot (barring the end few sentences), the beginning of the book dragged for me but the middle and end made up for that.

Aratap is an interesting character and I wish there was more of him, I might have to Google and see if he appears in any short stories anywhere... Biron is an acceptable lead, more likeable than Rik (I think that was his name anyway) from the second book in the series. Artemisia is just annoying to me though, I can see with her why people say Asimov couldn't write female characters (generally on the whole, I think he does a good job though!).

I'd mark this off as three and a half stars if that were allowed, given that it isn't I'll be nice and round up to four, but it is a slim thing. ...more

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Feb 02, 2009 Mark rated it liked it · review of another edition

As part of my determination to reread older Science Fiction, my latest read is one of Isaac Asimov’s earliest novels.

In terms of context, The Stars, Like Dust is one of the so-called “Galactic Empire” novels. Like the more-famous Foundation series, it is set at a time when people are spread across the galaxy on hundreds of planets. Of the so-called Empire trilogy (Pebble in the Sky (1950), The Stars, Like Dust (1951) and The Currents of Space (1952)) The Stars Like Dust is the ‘middle’ book, wri ...more

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About Isaac Asimov

Isaac Asimov

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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 one of the most prolific writers 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 o 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 one of the most prolific writers 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/wiki/Isaac_As... ...more