Read 2/2013, reviewed 4/21/2013
4 stars
This book is Asimov at his best. It’s a great premise with fully realized
characters, human and alien. One of my
biggest criticisms of SF is the treatment of aliens as cartoonish. Asimov’s aliens are not. They are well developed characters, whose
world view and morality are appropriate in and challenged by their own
circumstances.
The book is divided into three parallel sections. The theme is similar in each. There is an establishment which is
flawed. It is controlled by one or
several entities to keep the status quo.
One person recognizes the flaw and its catastrophic implications, works
to undermine the establishment, and save the universe.
One of my favorite parts of this book has to do with the way
the parallel universes communicate with each other. The complexity of the communication drives
the tension to enormous heights. The
buildup and conveyance of each message, and their deciphering and understanding
drives the story.
I gave this book 4 stars.
I knew I was reading a great book from the first few pages. It coalesced for me upon beginning the second
section. This book is great SF.
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