Introduction
After feeling betrayed by the Estate of Asimov in dishing out a poor Second Foundation novel (Foundation's
Fear), I decided to lighten up a bit by going back to the original maestro's book. I decided to check out The Gods Themselves, one of the few SF books to win both the Hugo and Nebula awards.
The Plot
The concept in the novel is to the
discovery of alternate sources of energy. Frederick Hallam stumbles on some tungsten gone wrong and comes up with discovery of the millennium, an Electron Pump (EP), a device which can generate free energy for all. The discovery’s potential makes Hallam the greatest living scientist of his generation. But, EP requires some help from another
universe (Para-Universe) to function. Young scientist Peter Lamont finds that Hallam is very protective with regards to details of contribution of Para-Universe in the discovery of EP. A little suave investigation proves that Hallam does not know as much about the invention as he claims to. It seems that the whole thing was driven by the Para-Universe intelligence.
This sets Lamont thinking and looking for a catch and he gets it. The functioning of the EP would increase the fusion on sun leading to supernova explosion blowing up the whole Universe. The only problem is he can't figure any practical way to prove other than mathematical equations. So with a bit of help from Hallam the matter gets swept under the carpet.
Meanwhile, the para-universe which comprises of a species that lives on waves and energy, is facing a disaster as its sun is growing smaller and smaller. So the EP represents the only hope for its energy requirements if the sun goes down. Of course, they know that it might result in the destruction of the universe, but even if the universe is destroyed it would provide them with unlimited energy.
Meanwhile, Alan Denison, once a great scientist, and now abused to a reclusive fame thanks to Hallam lands up on moon in search of something to put Hallam in his place. Alan's views somehow seem to be concurrent with Lamont, though his approach to the problem is quite different from Lamont's given his experience. Alan finds an unlikely ally in a tourist guide at the moon, Selene. And so Alan begins his experiments to try and put Hallam to his place.
So does the EP blow up the universe? Do they stop the EP? Check out this novel to get the answers.
Critical Review
The book has three sections to it. Section#1 deals with the legacy of the EP and the Lamont's theories of the threat it poses. Section#2 gives a 360 degree view of the situation from the Para-Universe point of view and what is driving them. Section#3 gives a very practical solution to the situation. The interesting aspect of this book is that it starts with Chapter#6 and then goes back to the first 5 chapters. This adds to the intrigue value of the book and gets the readers of to a pulsating start even when the plot is just shaping up.
The first thing that comes at you is the concept of multiple universes co-existing. Now this concept is not anything new and people have talked about universes for a long time. What is different is the concept that another universe need not be the same as our universe. The laws that are applicable to our universe need not be the same in the other universe. The concept of the para-universe with different laws is a brilliant idea.
Next up the description of the species from the para-universe is again mind-blowing. So we don't have the couples concept in the para-universe, but we have triad. This is something which has always puzzled me in SF, each and every universe would have species with a female and a male, why so? When earth can have hermaphrodites, why can't other universes have triads, quartets etc.? Again the concept of the triad where in the Rational portion, the Parental portion and Emotional portion are allowed to groom in their own mould and coming together to form a complete self is another great concept. Again, wee the subtlety of Asimov's story telling as initially when the concept of the EP is not yet evident to the triad, the way each individual's thoughts are lined up and then when the final decision of the pump needs to taken how the triad is fused together. Almost as if to tell, that whatever our rational mind, emotional mind and parental mind might think at any point of time, when a decision needs to be made all three come together and the best solution comes out.
Asimov's climaxes are good and practical. The idea of Gaea was a great end to the Foundation series, so too the climax of Nightfall, but this one takes the cake. A very simple moral of the story, if you think something is causing trouble, don't criticize it, find an alternative and people would accept it. Very simple!!
Summary
This book does have to be one of the best of SF that I have read. No doubt it deserves both the Hugo and Nebula award. I give this book a 5 star rating!!
PS: Taken from my review published earlier at http://www.epinions.com/content_195716091524