There are many topics present in THE GODS THEMSELVES that will be familiar to anyone who has read a good number of the late, great Isaac Asimov's work. Back-stabbing in the academic world, scientific progress, human folly, fear of outsiders and other themes can be found, not only here, but in countless other short stories and novels written by the good doctor. Using his accustomed pieces as a springboard, Asimov created in this book an almost epic tale of human hubris as it tries to take advantage of a science that it doesn't even understand. Despite having a few minor misgivings with the conclusion, I felt that this ranked right up there with the best of his stories.

The book is divided into three sections, each telling part of the tale, and each featuring its own cast of characters. Asimov was clever enough to weave the story carefully so that we get the various portions from three different points of view (this is even cleverer in the middle section but you'll have to read it to find out how). The themes and tones established at the beginning manage to thread their way through effortlessly, which is quite an achievement given how wildly different the three sections are in terms of setting, characters, and motivations.

The middle section of the three could almost be left on the cutting room floor as far as the rest of the plot is concerned. There is virtually nothing here that isn't revealed or repeated in the other two sections. But it is this alien-centric passage that makes this book the classic that it is today. Aliens in science-fiction stories can generally fall into two main categories. In the first, there are the aliens who look, act and sound exactly like human beings, with the only real difference being that they have pieces of plastic on their foreheads, or can see in the dark, or something else trivial like that. They don't really have dissimilar minds to humans; they don't think differently. The second group is the race of creatures of which every individual member is just like every other (watch any episode of Star Trek to see the war-like aliens, or the peace-loving aliens, or the scientific aliens, etc.). Yet, Asimov managed to do something really special here. He created a race of beings that are certainly much different from what we would describe as human, but he also made them into interesting individuals. A triple-gendered species is a difficult concept to develop (especially in novel form), but Asimov did a terrific job here at describing the genders in terms of general archetypes, and then making the individuals interesting in their own right, regardless of their alienness.

One of the only things that I didn't think lived up to the quality of the rest was the ease of the resolution. It's a bit too simple and slightly too neat. The conclusion makes logical and scientific sense, but one doesn't get the impression of any real emotion. It's as if the main characters can really be bothered to get excited over the impending destruction of the solar system. There's also a subplot that only really gets going very near to the end causing it to appear to have come out of nowhere. These aren't really major flaws, but they do cause a little but of a comedown after the wonder on display in the first two sections. It felt a bit as though Asimov had really let himself go wild in the beginning and middle parts, and then forced himself to reign in his story by the end. A little disappointing, but this is still quite a captivating ride.

Like many of Asimov's novels, this is a great book for fans of science fiction or for newcomers to the genre. There's a little bit of High School physics on display, but don't let that intimidate you, as Asimov's deceptively simple writing style is what made him such a great teacher of all things scientific. If you've never had the pleasure of reading any of this author's work before, then THE GODS THEMSELVES would be a great place to start. Several of Asimov's favorite subjects are offered here, and this will give you a great overview of his style of storytelling.

Asimov was the all time master of the American sf of his era. Like all good teenage boys I really enjoyed the puzzling Foundation books. But the poor guy's world came to a shuddering halt with the arrival of the new wave in this continent and new worlds in the UK. Young sf writers were cross-pollinating with the high literature of the time, avant garde art and political vangardism. To them Asimov's sf simply wasn't up to the tasks they set themselves.

This book is Asimov's answer to the sf revolutionaries. For the tasks he set himself, his stories were simply the best. And the really nice thing is his answer is set in a fairly accurate picture of the world of academic science, with tightly drawn and believable characters. (I wish people in science studies would read this book because it's written by a scientist who says everything they do but doesn't throw the baby out with the bath water.) When you put these together with his aliens in the parallel universe, you get one of the most ambitious and imaginative books he ever wrote. I'm still not sure about the science (why exactly do the aliens take the chemicals laid out in labs and not distributed throughout the universe). But it's a cut above Heinlein's in Stranger in a Strange Land.

It's thirty years later and this book still breathes. Enjoy.

It's been a while since I read any of Asimov's books - the Foundation series has always been one of my favorite science fiction series. Therefore, I decided to read another classic of Asimov (or at least, so I've been told). "The Gods Themselves" didn't surprise me, yet I was also surprised. Why? Well, the book was terrific, definitely one of Isaac Asimov's greatest novels. But also, I was surprised to see such an amazing description of a fascinating alien society - Asimov usually does not like to write about aliens (at least, that's the impression I've gotten from reading his books), but the "alien part" of the book was SO good, and so well conceived and written, it made me wish Asimov would've written more books in this style.

What is the book about? The book contains 3 parts, each is actually a separate story which revolve around the same theme.
The first part tells the story of Dr. Peter Lamont, a physicist, which recalls how the "Electric Pump", a device which enables receiving a near-infinite amount of energy as a result of matter transferral between our universe, and another universe which has different laws of nature. Lamont finds that this device might destroy our solar system, and this story depicts his attempt to stop the pump. I really liked this story. It's written in typical Asimov style: witty, humorous and totally brilliant.

The second part tells the story of Odeen, Dua and Tritt - an alien "Triplet" (3 beings which are a family). These aliens live in the other universe and the story describes what happens on this side of the pump (as a result of the events from part one). As I mentioned before, this part was truly amazing. I wish Asimov had written more books about this world, as he created such a fascinating universe. You have to read it to see what I mean.

The third and final part, tells the story of Denison, a scientist which also appeared in the first part, and as a result of events which occured there, moved to the moon. I found this part a bit boring. This part resolves the story lines from parts one and two.


I wholeheartly recommend this book, if only for the second part. Asimov being a professor, this book is filled with real science in a way which integrates with the plot and supports it (contrary to "technobabble" use of science) - this is one of the reasons the book is so good. The only thing which bothered me a bit, is that the first and second parts aren't really resolved on their own, meaning, the story ends only after the third part is over. This disappointed me, because these really were the best parts of the book and I felt somewhat cheated that I could not see how the protagonists reacted to what happened in the end. Nevertheless, this only detracts a little from the book which is still a masterpiece.

books when I was a kid,except for this one. The thought of miniaturizing one's self and going into a body in order to save it seemed lame and contrived. Because of this, I avoided this book for the longest time. Finally, I gave in and gave it a chance. It was worth it.

The book has some flaws. The flow of the book is not very fluid. It's somewhat abrupt and I was forced to re-read a few paragraphs, especially in the beginning. Even though the level of detail is great, it sometimes became too much and I was bogged down with a cell structure instead of concentrating on the action.

That said, the rest of the book is amazing. Asimov does a great job explaining how miniaturization works, and develops an interesting scenario involving wars, weapons, spies, and scientists in which such a procedure was neccesary under a specific time frame. The characters themselves are not truly developed, but instead are used to focus and contribute to the action. A major plus indeed.

Asimov seems to weave a story where the human body turns out to be a major battlefield. A place where blood flow causes havoc and where white blood cells are monsters. He transports the reader into a new dimension where the mundane suddenly becomes catostrophic. With this, and his knowledge of the human body, he make a great action and suspense novel.

This is a short read and gets to the point. Asimov wanted to write a great tale involving action and biology, and it is well done.

Fantastic Voyage is one of the best books by Issac Asimov. The author goes really deep down and gets the feeling of the characters and brings them out as if they were writing it them selves. The story is about four men and one women who have been miniturized to the size of a germ ot destroy a blood clot in the mind of a very intelligent man who holds the secret to allow miniturization last for ever, but they must destroy the clot within one houror they will deminiturize in his body that will kill him, and once he is dead the secret will be lost for ever. Read the book to find out what happens to the man and the five humans who are in his body.

The book "Fantastic Voyage", by science fiction writer Isaac Asimov, is one of the greatest sci-fi books I have ever read. The book is about five people, who are shrunk down to miniature size and injected into a man's body to destroy a blood clot. If they fail, the man will die and the Americans will lose all of the information he can tell them to win a war they are fighting. It described the exact situation of the main characters in wondrous imagery. It was told in third person omniscient point of view, and described, in incredible beauty, the feelings of every character. I also enjoyed the feeling of suspense that Asimov projects by causing several problems to fall upon the characters, rerouting the course of their sub several times. I think anyone who enjoys books about the future, government, anatomy, and sci-fi in general will love this book, which ought to be a classic.

This book covers what Asimov calls in the introduction the "secular aspects" of the bible. As a result the book pays little attention to the spiritual meaning of the bible, and I wouldn't advise buying this if that is your main interest.

However, whether you are Christian or not, Asimov does an excellent job of placing the events of the bible in a historical context. There are dozens of maps, which I found invaluable--for example he provides a sequence of maps that cover from 1 Samuel through 2 Kings that show the changing boundaries of Israel and Judah from the reign of Saul through David and Solomon and onwards. He also provides a chronology of important events in biblical times, covering primarily biblical events but also other historical events.

Although Asimov was not a Christian, there is little here that can be construed as a direct attack on Christianity, unless you feel that a secular approach to the bible is already an attack. Occasionally his approach highlights points which an atheist will be happy to see, such as the fact that the later gospels ascribe more miracles to Christ than the earlier ones do, or the fact that the gospel of John has many inconsistencies with the other three. For the most part, however, Asimov sidesteps the question of Christian truth.

The book is now thirty years old, and as a result does not contain the latest scholarship. However, it is not intended as a scholarly work: instead it's a very readable presentation of a great deal of the fascinating background to the most influential book in Western civilization.

If you have an interest in understanding the historical background, religious and political motives, fulfilled and unfulfilled prophecies, and vague allusions concerning the events and characters which fill the Bible; this secular review contains a wealth of knowledge as well as being entertaining. Each book of the Jewish Bible and New Testament are covered as well as several non-canonical books. The evolution of contemporary Judaism and Christianity thought can be traced through the mythical stories of genesis, the Yawists of ancient Israel, the influence of Babylonian, Persian, and Greek beliefs as well as the Babylonian exile and Roman persecutions which inspired biblical apocalyptic writings. Great watershed events such as the invasion and conquest of Canaan by the Hebrew tribes, the establishment of the Davidic dynasty by Samuel, the splitting of the Israel/Judah confederacy due to Solomon's policies in building the first temple, the conquest of Israel by the Assyrians, the conquest of Judah and destruction of the first temple by the Babylonians, the return from the Babylonian exile and construction of the second temple, the destruction of the second temple by the Romans, the life and crucifixion of Jesus, and the establishment of the Christian religion through Paul's efforts are all covered in this 1200+ page tome. Asimov's book reads like a historical novel which is more readable and easier to understand than reading the bible cold. After reading through this book, I feel confident in engaging my Christian and Jewish friends in discussions about the bible and in most cases, am more knowledgeable about their holy book than they are.

This book is an excellent read if you are looking to learn more about the background of names, places, and events described in the Bible from a secular-historical standpoint. It doesn't pretend to be a work of original scholarship. It is what it's titled: a 'Guide' to the Old and New Testaments. Asimov emphasizes chronology and context, which gives the reader the sense that the things depicted as occurring in the various books of the Bible aren't just a collection of disconnected and discordant events. It is an extremely interesting history book in and of itself, and I learned more from it than from any other book about the Bible I've read of narrower topical scope. This was an ambitious project even for Isaac to attempt to tackle, and the range of his 'general overview' is as informative and fascinating as anything else he ever wrote.

First of all, Nelson probably realized that he simply does not have a tremendous amount of natural talent as a writer (unlike, say, Patrick O'Brian) so he wisely keeps the action moving in this novel. It is true that the novel's quick pace does keep the reader from dwelling on the quality of his prose and the fact that most of the characters are woefully underdeveloped. Nelson does do a good job developing one character, though; Captain Pendexter is a wonderfully three-dimensional bad guy. Also on the plus side, Nelson is obviously extremely knowledgeable on the subject of 18th century sailing vessels and of sailing in general. I also think that Nelson's decision to set his novels during the American Revolutionary War was a good one. The sea novel set during the Napoleonic Wars has been done to death and done very well by several other writers. The action scenes are well done, for the most part. The problem is that Nelson makes the situation just a little too desperate for us to believe that they survive it the way that they do. Also, certain events (that certainly could happen) tend to happen at very convienent times for our heros. The bottom line is that it was a fairly enjoyable novel, but Nelson should make Biddlecomb a little less of an 18th century Dirk Pitt.

Biddlecomb is an interesting character as are many of the others through the book. The setting and action are very well done. The action and plotting and the narrow escapes kept the pages turning. Compared to Hornblower, Bilotho, Aubrey characters, Biddlecomb is rather meek at times, but he is developing into a heroic figure. The English are portrayed as the tryants that they were at that time. The sea battles and descriptions of the sailing are excellent. The only drawback I found was far too many nautical terms that weren't explained as Alexander Kent does. Nevertheless, a top notch historical adventure. I own the next two books and look forward to reading them. Perhaps another series set in the War of 1812 or the Civil War would be in order. Sail on!

A string of unfortunate events propel Isaac Biddlecomb from captain of a merchant ship, to wanted smuggler, to foremast jack, then - the ultimate degradation - pressed into service in the enemy's Navy, aboard a hell-ship run by incompetent tyrants. Hopes of escape in Barbados are thwarted by a farcical attempt at anchoring, the subsequent disgrace tipping the unstable Captain over the brink into madness.

In parallel, all the elements are coming together for mutiny, both at sea and in the American colonies; this is 1775, just over a year after the Boston Tea Party, and the British blockades and harrying of shipping are stretching tempers to the limit.

Biddlecomb finds himself a key player in the run up to the struggle for American Independance
Mr.Nelson does a fine job of weaving the threads of this story into a fine yarn, with plenty of historical facts to back it up. The characters are well-drawn and believable, the writing flows and the action sequences are so vividly detailed, one almost feels like part of the crew.

This is book 1 of a 5-part saga, which promises great things. There is action and plot twists right up to the last page, I couldn't put it down.
The author has also thoughtfully included a glossary of naval terms for those readers unfamiliar with the jargon.*****

Almost Paradise was the reason I became a fan of Susan Isaacs. It's a completely different book than her later ones- the books Isaacs wrote after this were all very good, funny and suspensful, and quick paced. But Almost Paradise is special for me, maybe because when I read it I had no idea what to expect: and what I discovered was a talented, funny, intelligent writer who decided to write a love story in her own unconventional way: and what a love story it is!

The story of two people (Jane and Nicholas) who seem to belong in the real world, who seem to share problems with the majority of people, and yet...the characters that Susan Isaacs creates become something different, they become people that'll stick in your mind, people that you'll think about long after you close the book. An emotional, deep and at the same time down-to-earth and funny love story- what else can you ask for?

I am an ardent fan of Susan Isaacs, but I must say that as far as characters go, this one is by far the best. Tracing the two main characters back to their great-grandparents, Susan Isaacs creates a love story about two real and painfully human beings. I came to love these characters. I simply couldn't put the book down; it became an obsession.

Be prepared to lose yourself in this novel. Also be prepared to laugh aloud, to feel your heart soar and your heart ache, and definitely bring a hankie.

In fact, the funniest woman in America is available to you in book form. I have read 2 of Susan Isaacs' novels (Lily White and Almost Paradise), and I am captive to her eye for hilarious detail, her fantastic characters, and her page-turning plots. Isaacs' writing is intelligent and thoroughly enjoyable. Instead of reading this review, I highly suggest you click 'buy' and start enjoying!!!

I agree with James Randi's train of thought. It's not that I'm saying that unusual phenomenon doesn't exist, its just that I think that in a lot of cases, there are more likely reasons for certain occurrances than, say, the ghost of a thirteenth century slave. I am certainly pleased that there are people like James Randi out there who have studied the tricks that many people who claim to have special powers employ to fool people who, in many cases, are desparate people looking anywhere to find certain information about missing family members and loved ones. I feel that this unfortunate group will be even more expoited, especially in light of the 911 attacks.
That being said, however, I have to say this is a poorly written book. People who agree with Randi's position will probably give it a high rating, but even these people will probably agree that the book is heavily biased. He basically calls people who doesn't see his point of view stupid. It seems he has a great deal of anger against these flim-flam artists, and he is lasing out at them in this book. If I were a person who believed in the supernatural, I would probably get tired of being called stupid and wouldn't finish the book.
What I am really looking for from someone like James Randi is a book that would be psychic friendly, a book that I could give to my friends who believe in the supernatural for them to read without getting offended. This is where this book fails MISERABLY, and this is why I give it only three stars. People who are confused and looking for some helpful information to guide them in one direction or the other simply won't read this book. They will immediately tune out the name calling.
There was actually a TV program(Nova or Discovery) with Randi in it that was incredibly well balanced and fair. Perhaps in the future, with the goal of luring more people over to his unique stand on this topic, he could write a book like that TV program.

If you enjoy looking at the weird and unusual, you could easily be tempted to consider the folks on the fringe to be a bunch of entertaining, harmless, and often friendly kooks...and sometimes, this is true. People have the right to believe anything they want to believe, so long as they cause no harm to others. But some of those dupes of the Conspiracy are far from harmless, and they enjoy nothing better than separating innocent people from their money, using pseudo-science and nonsense as a shield to keep from brought to much-deserved justice. So-called "psychics" rip unsuspecting people out of huge sums of money, and in some cases lives have been lost because terminally ill people have shelled out thousands of dollars to phony "healers" who do nothing but perform a few parlor tricks. James Randi exposed many of the most notorious pseudo-scientific and "psychic" rip-off outfits with this book, and it's still a must-read.

James Randi is a thorn in the side of many people, mostly to those who claim to have a gift of second sight or claim some psychic ability. In Flim Flam he gives the reader a general look at the role he has played as a professional skeptic and truth finder. His $10,000 (now $1 Million) challenge is a means of testing people's claims and he is quick to point out how many fail the pre-interview. He includes chapters on UFO's, Faith Healers, Dowsers and Psychic Surgeons. It is the chapter on Psychic Surgery that should be required reading as he discusses the out right fraud and deceit that is passed off as a medical miracle. He even shows how they do it using some simple items you can pick up at a local grocery store. His purpose is more then just exposing their tricks but to also help save lives and people's money. Overall a great book and a good starter for anyone who ever questioned the world around them.

"Darkness is more than most of us can handle, and that's never going to change so long as we've got a sun left burning in the sky." This sentence expresses the main theme of the book Nightfall written by Asimov and Silverberg in 1988. The story takes place in an alien world named Kalgash, which has a lot of parallels to our planet earth. On Kalgash, scientists and religious fanatics unite to predict an eclipse and total darkness - something that is unthinkable because the six suns of Kalgash constantly illuminate all corners of the known world. For the reader it's easy to imagine how things work on this world, because the book is written in such a real way. Besides, it is thrilling to see how different scientists come together to one conclusion and one destiny. Although Story and characters are created well and the text can be read easily the book is quite predictable and a little lengthy. Altogether the book is recommendable to all science fiction fans and those who like thrilling stories.

Nightfall, by Isaac Asimov and Robert Silverberg, is set on a planet that has six suns and perpetual daylight. The plot revolves around an unlikely event: an eclipse that shrouds the world in darkness for several hours. The main characters in the story are all scientists, and they are able to predict the arrival of the eclipse, but not its results. Because people on this world have lived with sunlight for their entire lives, the darkness inflicts severe psychological trauma on the population. The book is divided into thirds, with the first section showing the discovery of the eclipse, the second section is set on the night of the eclipse, and the third shows what happens afterwards.

This is a fairly short novel, just over 300 pages, and the authors' writing is quite good. I think that Asimov does a better job with the characters and dialogue in Nightfall than he did in most of his other novels. Also, there isn't much time wasted on long descriptions or on lecturing about the novel's themes, so the novel keeps moving at a good pace. I would have liked it if a little less time was dedicated to the character's personal lives, especially since some of their actions during and after the eclipse seem a little bit absurd. Overall, the book's strongest component is the originality of the concept. The idea of a world where darkness is a catastrophe is so different from the repetitive and predictable plots of so many other SF novels that I found Nightfall hard to put down, even when reading it for the second time.

Some people have complained that the authors' attitude towards religion is insulting, but I disagree. I don't think that they intended to bash all religions. They were, rather criticizing fanatiscism and cult-like behavior. And while some people might not agree with Asimov's rigid insistance on following science and logic at all costs, that shouldn't prevent anyone from enjoying the book as a good work of science fiction.

Another superb work by the Grand Master of the genre, co-written by another great author, namely Robert "Where Silverberg goes today Sci-Fi goes tomorrow" Silverberg. An ingenius plot, with seemingly unmatched detail. A six-sun world, where not a second is without the glow of light from at least one of the gleaming suns. Except one day where in a matter of hours the vail of darkness envelops the world of these sun-shoned creatures. Struck by sudden madness they tear their world apart, dooming civilization. The depth of thought and vision needed to contribute to the world of litterature in the way this book has done, is what makes Asimov the GRAND Master of Science Fiction.

I was grasped by it when I read it the first time and I have enjoyed every single moment the other five times I've read it! Intense excitement and suspense makes it a worthy equal to "Nightfall": The short story, not to mention many other great works by this and the other masters of the genre.

When you write a classic series, leave it alone.

The first three books in this series are the best science fiction books I have read. As opposed to most science fiction books, for example, Asimov talked about advances in psychology, as well as physics. The connection between science and story, moreover, were essential parts of this story, compelling so. Finally, Asimov was willing to take great chances and even attack his invention, pschyo-history.

Enter "Foundation's Edge." This story was centered on people, more then science. Each person, in their own way, was just like the others. That is, each of them had the same basic characteristics, pride, arrogance, and impatience. All of them were hard to love.

Worse, the "resolutions" for all of the original stories were believable. That was one of the things that made that books so interesting. Could there be a psycho-history? How would it work? Each story has a mystery around it which, when solved, seemed to be solved in a believable, almost obvious way which always rang true.

Here there is a mystery. There is a planet and a system that even the Mule avoided. Why? Probably because the Mule was written by a younger Asimov that wouldn't want to go anywhere near this story. Anyway, all three characters here, for different reasons, end up going to this mysterious system.

The way the conflict is resolved is also very disappointing. In the end, the original foundation series was about control and choice. Seldon was trying to push the Galaxy toward a certain result. Individual people's choices weren't supposed to make a great difference. With the mule, and others, that was shown to be a lie. Individuals can make a difference, even in a galaxy of billions and billions.

Here, free choice doesn't seem to matter. This galaxy here, to me, was a worse place and I was unhappy with it as I was unhappy with this book. It is very disappointing and a slap at all the great writing in the original series. Measured on its own, Foundation's Edge would have, maybe, been an okay book. Since it is the younger brother to greatness, it seemed much weaker. Read it if you must, but I warned you.

This is by far the worst book in foundation/robot series by Isaac Asimov. Don't get me wrong -it's still better than most other works in the field of science-fiction. However, the fans of Hari Seldon and his Plan will find this book somewhat disappointing due to this new twist. First of all, THIS IS NOT THE LAST BOOK IN FOUNDATION SERIES. Foundation and Earth, is the last novel , and the action takes place right where Foundation's Edge left off. However, FOUNDATION AND EARTH, THE LAST BOOK IN THE SERIES, THE BOOK THAT TIES ROBOT AND FOUNDATION NOVELS TOGETHER, FOR SOME REASON, IS OUT OF PRINT. ( Publishing companies work in mysterious ways....) Anyways, back to the book. The main character, who is the citizen of the First Foundation takes off along with few other people on the quest (which concludes in Foundation and Earth) to find the long lost planet, where human life began, Earth. In the meanwhile, Second Foundation's telepaths feel that something is not right, something is interfiering with the order of things. In the end, chosen people from two foundations arrive to some mysterious planet, where one person will decide the fate of the galaxy.

I really enjoyed this book. I read the entire Foundation series (minus the non-Asimov books, and Forward the Foundation) about 10 years ago. I have re-read all of them (except Foundation and Earth) plus I read Forward the Foundation within the last few weeks. I found the second time through that Foundation's Edge was my favourite (after Prelude). I could not put the book down at all as it was constantly building towards the climax. Even though this was my second read of this series, so that I knew what would happen, it was extremely enjoyable to engulf my mind in it once again. The greatest asset to this book is the extensive conflicts between individuals on an intellectual perspective that Asimov covers quite well. Reading how individuals were trying to outwit one another and dealing with those of lower intellect was quite stimulating especially when I compared it to how similiar these interactions are from current modern day life. I apologize in advance if my descriptions are vague at best but I do not want to ruin the reading experience for anyone who is trully considering reading this book. If you enjoyed Prelude to Foundation (which I strongly suggest you read along with the other 4 Asimov foundation novels prior to this one) then you should enjoy this one immensely.

I've read all of his robot-empire-foundation books. So i thought. If you have ever noticed, Foundation and Earth never appears in any list on the inside front cover of his books until he clears this timeline mess up.(People confused over if the three series were related or not. They are.) He creats a offical list with an intro. At the end i see Foundation and earth. I read it and find it ok but dissapointing. No time jumps, boring charcters, and on top of that, they can't even land on Earth! It is more of an ending to the robot series. There is a surfacing of a dear friend at the end. The best part about this book is, you learn more about the current state of all of the planets in the robot novels, Soloria, Aroura, etc. It is a great adenture book, not a foundation book. There are few references to the foundation. Trevice even says he doesn't even like Hari seldon. (gasp! Overall this book is readable, but very different that his other foundation books.

This is the last book (chronologically) in the Foundation Series, and with Prelude to Foundation, the earliest, the Foundation Series has two excellent bookends, or, perhaps, "foundations", to keep it in place.

F&E is a continuation of Foundation's Edge, and is the story of Trevize, Pelorat and Bliss/Gaia's quest to find Earth, in an attempt to determine why Trevize's choice for the future of mankind is the right one.

The book deviates substantially from the rest of the series, but generally in a positive way. Whereas Asimov has a habit of making his primary characters out of cardboard, presumably to avoid the people getting in the way of the ideas he wants to express, F&E fleshes out the characters with a certain amount of personality. Whereas the rest of the Foundation Series tends to concentrate on worlds which, after a while, all appear similar, the worlds of F&E are different, frightening, and yet serve Asimov's agendas well. F&E also ties together the Robot series universe with that of the Foundation series far more substantially than the other books in the Foundation Series attempted to, portraying the futures of the Spacer worlds that Robot fans will be familiar with.

I'm guessing that the differences are ultimately why this has gotten a lower average review than the others in the series - it's not classic Foundation Series material, and any one expecting a collecton of stories involving a renegade Foundation leader visiting various rebelling worlds and outwitting the dimwitted monarchs that rule over them with some sort of smartarsed politics is going to be sorely disappointed. Hari Seldon makes no appearance. I don't recall even seeing the term "Seldon Crisis" in this book.

If you genuinely want more of the same, you'll probably be disappointed by this book. If you've never read any of the series before, it's probably best to start at the beginning with the equally excellent Prelude to Foundation (or even the Robot series.) But if you're excited by Asimov's ability to paint new worlds, to visualise the future directions for humanity, you cannot afford to miss this. Foundation and Earth is the best yet.

The final book in this epic series ties in all that Isaac Asimov has been writing about all these years, Mans struggle to understand himself and his actions.

Golan Trevizes and freak child Bliss eventually find what Hari Seldon set humanity out to look for, Earth.

It is not the world they expect to find. It is a cold and poisoned world and when they receive a signal from Earth's ancient sattelite, the Moon they go to investigate.

A face from the past greets them and the whole Foundation series and I Robot series collide together for the ending with a chilling insight to the future of humanity and so finishing the greatest Sci Fi story ever, leaving you hanging for more.

one more time.

Isaacs is a first rate contemporary novelist. She combines the elements of mystery with strong, contemporary characters, primarily women. Dialogue is crisp and honest, supporting characters fit the lifestyle of the heroine, and the story moves along so fast that you are disappointed you finished it so quickly! All of her heroines are feisty yet vulnerable, with an "everywoman" style, and generally a little "long of tooth".

Judith Singer is no exception. Isaacs' first heroine, of "Compromising Positions" fame, is back some 20 years after she stumbled into her first murder and her first love affair. Played by Susan Sarandon(a perfect choice), in the movie of the same name, Judith is even more fascinating once her children are grown, her ambitions in the field of history fulfilled by her Phd., and her memories of Nelson Sharpe, the police lieutenant who won her heart 20 years ago.

Judith is urged to investigate a disappearance that looks like a murder by the father-in-law of the missing woman. "Fancy Phil" is a colorful, Jewish, "retired" mob man; good for many laughs and observations in the book. Judith's ability to spot the trend of "coldness" that runs in the life history of the missing woman
leads her to be able to solve the case, while assisting the police and fulfilling her obligation to Phil. Courtney, the missing/murdered heroine, is well drawn as a female who wants it all, and stops at nothing whenever she hits a brick wall, to proceed in another direction, no matter who she hurts. A great
villain and foil for the likeable Judith - another great read by Isaacs, my favorite author in today's fiction.

Enjoy, and read all the Isaacs novels, you will find a treasure trove of witty characters and tales!

Judith Singer, housewife/detective is now twenty years older. Her husband, the egocentric Bob has been dead for two years, a half day after running the NY marathon in just over 4 hrs. She is teaching history at a small catholic college and seems depressed bored and lonely. Then, just like twenty years ago, a headline catches her eye. A woman in her community of Shorehaven has disappeared without a trace. She finds it interesting, but does nothing until a body is found in the woman's swimming pool months later. Presumably, the body is that of Courtney Logan. Judith rather impulsively offers her services as a researcher to the grieving husband, and is rebuffed at the door. Shortly thereafter, his father, organized crime figure, Fancy Phil Lowenstein, shows up in her garage and asks for her help in solving the crime. This brings Nelson Sharpe, now in Special Investigations, back into her life and her investigation.

All of the old characters from Compromising Positions are back, twenty years older. I was interested to find out how they all changed. The mystery in this book was much better than the last, and that one was very good. It was an excellent Long Island suburban mystery.

As a mystery author with my debut novel in its initial release, I have been waiting quite awhile for Susan Isaacs to write another mystery featuring Long Islander Judith Singer. It's been twenty years since Judith's last appearance in COMPROMISING POSITIONS, and LONG TIME NO SEE is well worth the wait. Much has changed in Judith's life since she solved that dentist's murder. She's raised two kids, become a widow when her husband died as a marathon man, and earned a Ph.D. While she's teaching college, she remains essentially unfulfilled. Then former investment banker and current Long Island housewife Courtney Logan is murdered. Courtney, everyone's idea of a perfect soccer mom, turns out to have had some secrets. Her husband, Greg, is connected to the mob through his father. When Phil Lowenstein, the late Courtney's father-in-law, offers to hire Judith to investigate the death, Judith is more than ready, despite a warning from the police detective who is her former lover, to take on the case. Judith launches her investigation, and Ms. Isaacs spins a fine tale. It is an enjoyable read, and I can barely wait another twenty years for the next Susan Isaacs mystery featuring Judith Singer.