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lukerik's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Themes of sexuality and gender identity, sustainable power and the stupidity of Man.
In the first part Asimov satirises men, swaggering about with their PhDs and swinging their dicks around. Squatting a bit to make them look like they hang closer to the ground. He also points up some of the thinking mistakes we all fall into.
The second part is one of the most virtuoso displays I’ve ever read. He creates a universe with different physical laws and peoples it with aliens utterly different physiologically from us. He’s thought it all out from the psychological and sociological implications to literally the subatomic level. These aliens have three genders:
Rational (he/him)
Parental (he/him)
Emotional (she/her)
The Emotional in the triad we follow is transgender Rational and there’s a kind of gay three-way going on.
Back in the day I read in an interview or something Asimov saying the reason there weren’t many women in his books was because he didn’t know any. It was only years later reading his wikipedia page that I realised this was because they were avoiding him. He satirises women in this second section as empty-headed sunbathers. I think there’s a bit of a double standard here. The men may be idiots, but at least they have thoughts. Women, according to Asimov, have none at all. Also interesting that the Parental of the triad, though he/him, carries the babies and is an idiot. Only the Rational, the closest to our male is clever. The Emotional’s inner Rational seems to consist solely of being clever too.
Up to this point we’re on course for 5 stars. Consistently interesting and though-provoking, finely written and with a real sense of mystery. But then Asimov goes and screws it up. The third part features a middle-aged man bouncing around on the moon in the nude with a much younger woman. I have subjected this section to a number of scientific tests, including the Bechdel, and have failed to find any evidence that Asimov is satirising himself. I think he’s literally written down his sex fantasy. Toe-curling and just painful to read. The plot’s in place and is interesting but we need more of that and less bouncing and transparent blouses.
In the first part Asimov satirises men, swaggering about with their PhDs and swinging their dicks around. Squatting a bit to make them look like they hang closer to the ground. He also points up some of the thinking mistakes we all fall into.
The second part is one of the most virtuoso displays I’ve ever read. He creates a universe with different physical laws and peoples it with aliens utterly different physiologically from us. He’s thought it all out from the psychological and sociological implications to literally the subatomic level. These aliens have three genders:
Rational (he/him)
Parental (he/him)
Emotional (she/her)
The Emotional in the triad we follow is transgender Rational and there’s a kind of gay three-way going on.
Back in the day I read in an interview or something Asimov saying the reason there weren’t many women in his books was because he didn’t know any. It was only years later reading his wikipedia page that I realised this was because they were avoiding him. He satirises women in this second section as empty-headed sunbathers. I think there’s a bit of a double standard here. The men may be idiots, but at least they have thoughts. Women, according to Asimov, have none at all. Also interesting that the Parental of the triad, though he/him, carries the babies and is an idiot. Only the Rational, the closest to our male is clever. The Emotional’s inner Rational seems to consist solely of being clever too.
Up to this point we’re on course for 5 stars. Consistently interesting and though-provoking, finely written and with a real sense of mystery. But then Asimov goes and screws it up. The third part features a middle-aged man bouncing around on the moon in the nude with a much younger woman. I have subjected this section to a number of scientific tests, including the Bechdel, and have failed to find any evidence that Asimov is satirising himself. I think he’s literally written down his sex fantasy. Toe-curling and just painful to read. The plot’s in place and is interesting but we need more of that and less bouncing and transparent blouses.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism
fantaseareader's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexism