Science Fiction: The Gods Themselves

THE BARE FACTS
Title: The Gods Themselves
Author: Isaac Asimov
Publisher: Del Rey
Date of Publication: 1972
Pages: 288
Grade That Means Nothing Coming From Me: A -

SO BASICALLY, IT’S ABOUT…
A device to transmit matter between two universes threatens to destroy the earth, and three individuals – including an alien in the other universe – attempt to warn of the impending doom.

WHY’D YOU WANNA READ THAT?
Brandi made me. Well, technically, she dragged me along to see the cinematic sludge that actually had the temerity to claim it was adapted from Asimov’s I, Robot, despite having as much relation to its literary forebear as I do to a breakdancing cicada. Afterwards, in an effort to cure myself of the resulting post-traumatic stress, I paged through a number of short stories, taking comfort in the presence of actual, unspoiled Asimov. When thoughts turned to longer works, I realized that The Gods Themselves was the only novel-length work of his that I had never read straight through, cover-to-cover. That couldn’t be allowed to stand. Three bucks at Bookworks, and I’m in business.

AND HOW’D THAT WORK OUT FOR YOU?
I could go on for hours about what a landmark book this was for Asimov, what a complete departure it represented from all the work that had come before. The book is structured into thirds, and the most significant stylistic shift comes in the middle third, which incorporates two themes Asimov had assiduously avoided for most of his career: aliens and sex. (In fact, alien sex.) It’s hard to express what a shocking new direction this represented for him, and it’s a real testament to his skill as a writer that these chapters are some of the best writing he ever did.

Asimov has never been renowned for his rich characterization or poetic language. For the most part, The Gods Themselves does nothing to affect that judgment. But consider that Asimov had not produced a novel-length piece of fiction in nearly two decades when this book was released. It does represent a chance for him to cover new ground in his subject matter, and the change is clearly invigorating. The book is divided into three parts, each named after a section of the epigram from Schiller, “Against stupidity, the gods themselves contend in vain.” Until this book, Asimov’s fiction was largely predicated upon the idea the logic and science will lead mankind to peace and enlightenment. More than ever before, The Gods Themselves explores the ways that mankind impedes that very result, and acts irrationally and self-destructively against progress.

But of course, the centerpiece of the book is a visit to an alien world. Asimov always avoided depicting aliens, due to an ongoing dispute with his editor, John W. Campbell. With Campbell’s passing, Asimov was free to explore a very different race of beings, and you can tell how much he’s enjoying it. One unfortunate side effect is that when we return to the human universe, the characters there tend to pale in comparison. (“Bring back the aliens!” is a not-unheard-of response.) But the book’s ending is satisfactory, and suggests the ways self-interest can be turned into something that benefits all.

SHOULD I READ THIS?
One presupposes a willingness to read science fiction when recommending a book like this. This is truly science-based fiction, not fantasy, and Asimov (more than most writers) goes to great pains to explain the various concepts he’s using, so it’s not too dense. And reading Asimov’s long fiction does have similar characteristics to starting a gas-powered lawnmower: sometimes you have to pull the cord several times in order to really get going. But this is Asimov in top form, exploring rich ideas without being as impenetrably dense as some of his fellow hard-SF practitioners, and creating some of the most interesting characters in his entire body of work.

Shane Wilson is a writer and contributing editor to The Greenroom. Read Shane's previous reviews in the BookADay Book Review Archive.