The Gods Themselves

3.5

There’s something in this for you whether you’re a die hard sci-if fan or not. It’s a masterfully written journey into a parallel world that feels close and far at the same time. Asimov’s ability to spin worlds filled with lively characters and compelling narrative is fascinating, similar to his other works most notably the Foundation series (I hope you read the books as the Apple series is a total misrepresentation of how fantastic the books are).

The Gods Themselves is a meltingly fantastic sci-fi novel and one of Asimov's favorites. I think it's a kind of story that works well as a book but would probably be challenging to bring to the big screens or as a TV series. Nonetheless, expect to find alien sex, nude people on the Moon, parallel universes and electron pumps here!

The main highlight of the book is the exploration of a parallel universe where the laws of physics are slightly different and what it means for the aliens living in the such universe. I expected to find humanoid aliens in this parallel universe, but Isaac Asimov was much more creative than that. Don't get surprised if you get aroused by gaseous lifeforms rubbing into rocks!

I think the story could be more engaging if it was not divided into three parts. Each part progresses the overall story but only loosely connects the characters. I could easily imagine the book fleshed out into three separate books.

Overall, The Goods Themselves is definitely a recommended read for sci-fi fans.