Tag Archives: isaac asimov

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Pebble in the Sky by Isaac Asimov

Pico concentrating on the ruffled covers.

Pico concentrating on the ruffled covers.

Why I Read It: I had to see how the Galactic Empire trilogy ended.

Where I Got: My library.

Who I Recommend This To: Space opera lovers.

Narrator: Robert Fass

Publisher: BBC Audiobooks America (2009)

Length: 8 hours 6 minutes

Series: Book 3 Galactic Empire

While Pebble in the Sky is Book 3 in the Galactic Empire series, it can be read as a stand alone, just as the other two books in the same series. In this novel, initially published in 1950, Joseph Schwartz is inadvertently transported to the far future where Earth is one piddly little lightly populated planet in a galaxy of several million populated planets. Earth’s ancient history has been forgotten and poor Schwartz knows none of this, suddenly appearing in a field. He makes his way to the nearest house, only to discover he doesn’t understand the inhabitants, and they do not understand him. The people he has bumped into are farmers, and they believe he is an idiot. Then they hear about Dr. Affret Shekt’s synapsifier and how the good scientist needs human volunteers.

Off to Chica, the once large booming city of Chicago, to get Joseph zapped out of idiocy. While Joseph is coming up to speed with the local Galactic Empire language and settling into his new mental powers, we meet some of the other players. Bel Arvaden is an archaeologist with this wild theory that Earth may once have been the center of all human civilization, but mostly he is considered a crackpot for saying such things. Some typical bad guys (pretty forgettable) are introduced with wild dreams of galactic domination.

Overall, Isaac Asimov followed the same story arc as in the other two Galactic Empire series: Some crazy scientist with some odd gadgetry, young male hero that magically puts all the pieces together, desperate female that alternately needs rescuing or bedding. While a fun listen, it wasn’t anything shining. The space opera action was fun, the synapsifier was interesting, the characters one dimensional, the 3 female characters were wives or love interest. In fact, every time a woman walked on scene, everyone’s IQ dropped to 80. Woman walks out of the scene, and the IQs come back up to about normal. Sigh…. Can I blame it on the 1950s?

Robert Fass was easy to listen to. He had distinct voices for all the male characters and pulled off Joseph Schwartz’s near eternal confusion and despair quite admirably. He could use a little more work on his feminine voices as they basically sounded like young men.

VintageScifiBadgeWhat I Liked: The fast pace; the weird cultural norms built into Earth society; the lost history of Earth.

What I Disliked: Fairly predictable; cardboard cut-out women whose main role is to perform wifely duties or need rescuing.

January has been the Vintage Scifi Month over at Little Red Reviewer. I started with Asimov and it’s pretty cool that I was able to finish with Asimov. This month and next is The Science Fiction Experience over at Stainless Steel Droppings. Make sure to check out both blogs for more great SF.

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The Stars, Like Dust by Isaac Asimov

AsimovStarsLikeDustWhy I Read It: The Currents of Space and The Foundation trilogy were worthy.

Where I Got It: My library.

Who I Recommend This To: Space-Spy-Thriller fans would enjoy this book.

Narrator: Stephen Thorne

Publisher: BBC Audiobooks America (2008)

Length: 7 hours, 22 minutes

Series: Book 1 Galactic Empire

The Galactic Empire series is made up of three very loosely connected books. In publication order they are: Pebble in the Sky (1950), The Stars, Like Dust (1951), and The Currents of Space (1952).  The series order is as follows: The Stars, Like Dust, The Currents of Space, Pebble in the Sky. Or as near as I can tell, according to the various Wikipedia articles. So far, I have read 2 of these books and each stands alone just fine. I expect Pebble in the Sky will be the same.

When I finished reading this book, my impression was that Isaac Asimov watched several black and white espionage flicks, took his 3-4 favorite plot lines, twisted them together and wrote The Stars, Like Dust, and set it in space. The characters are a bit one dimensional, the plot predictable, and cliches have a free run. I think this is one of his earliest published novels; I can tell a significant difference in his story-building skills just between this novel and The Currents of Space.

With that said, it was still fun. Biron Farrill, a young physically fit male, gets tricked into a plot deeper than he is mentally prepared for. Of course, it starts with the death of his father, which could off-set anyone. He believes he must flee his university and Earth for his own safety. Along the way, he meets unexpected friends, and certain friends unexpectedly turn out to be villains. Artemisia, daughter of a powerful ruler, is the main, er…only, love interest being the single female character of the story. She disobeys her patriarch and has a mind of her own, even if it is mainly interested in Biron’s thigh strength. In the end, the good guys win while Artemisia was taken in a swoon, poor lass.

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The narrator, Stephen Thorne, pulled off the different male voices well, with enthusiasm in the correct places. As there was only 1 lady, he only had to employ a semi-feminie voice on occassion, which worked well enough.

What I Liked: Asimov, even at his worst, is still pretty entertaining; Asimov pays attention to both male and female physique giving the ladies something to appreciate.

What I Disliked: Predictable plot; only 1 female and she doesn’t get a weapon and spends time in a faint.

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This review is part of both The Little Red Reviewer’s Vintage SciFi Month and Stainless Steel Droppings’ The Science Fiction Experience. Vintage SciFi Month runs through January while The Science Fiction Experience runs through the end of February. Make sure to stop by both blogs to see what other scifi aficionados are up to.

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The Currents of Space by Isaac Asimov

Why I Read It: It leaped off the library shelf at me!

Where I Got It: My library.

Who I Recommend This To: This was a quick, quaint space mystery.

Narrator: Kevin T. Collins

Publisher: BBC Audiobooks America (2009)

Length: 7 CDs

Series: Book 2 Galactic Empire

Rik had his mind wiped clean, which is a pretty rude thing to have happen (unless you are a violent criminal, in which case I have no pity for you). In fact, Rik couldn’t even tend to basic needs without encouragement and assistance at first. Under Lona’s care and guidance, he slowly comes part way back to himself and can hold down a very simple job at the local manufacturing plant on Florina. When Lona takes him to a doctor, they learn that he had been psycho-probed and that he might not get his memory back.

Yet there is something that is trying to worm it’s way out of Rik’s brain; something that connects Florina, the planet’s main export (kryt, which is used for making beautiful cloth), and himself. As Rik remembers more and more, the mystery deepens and they find themselves caught up in a web of intrigue with a growing body count. The regional power of Trantor and the government of the planet Sark vie for possession of Rik and what he will soon remember (hopefully).

I enjoyed this book for the mystery and because I liked watching Rik muddle and struggle through. Even though simple country Lona didn’t understand much of what Rik was trying to remember, she stuck with him throughout. The class differences between the Florina workers and the Sark nobility threw in some added tension between the characters of the story.

I actually didn’t realize this was Book 2 of the Galactic Series until I started writing up the review. This book reads fine as a stand alone space mystery. (Though I am excited to have this simple excuse to dig up the other two Isaac Asimov books in the series.)

Kevin T. Collins did a great job with men’s and women’s voices, with provincial country accents, and imperial demands, even throwing in dialect accents. I enjoyed his crisp and clear pronunciation and the pacing.

What I Liked: Mystery most tangled; ‘Rik’ is the equivalent of ‘idiot’ in the Florina language; nice twist at the end that I didn’t see coming; works fine as a stand alone novel.

What I Disliked: Out of the whole cast of characters, only two females.

As part of Stainless Steel Droppings’ R.eaders I.mbibing P.eril event, I am going to count this as a mystery, even though it happens in the very far future in space. This event is still going strong until the end of October, so feel free to hop over there and join the fun.