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johnnnnnnnnny's review
adventurous
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
sighb0rg's review against another edition
4.0
I loved this collection of short stories. The stories covered topics regarding voting, Armageddon, and robotics, to name a few. I laughed while I read and later I reflected on how the world Asimov describes is really not too different from the one we live in now.
It's a strange feeling, reading something you find funny (because it seems at the time so unrealistic) to realize upon closer examination how close to the truth it really is.
It's a strange feeling, reading something you find funny (because it seems at the time so unrealistic) to realize upon closer examination how close to the truth it really is.
katjdent's review against another edition
5.0
I love Asimov's style. This book gave wonderful, thought provoking and enjoyable stories.
hexenjunge's review
It read exactly like the lowkey misogynistic white dude from the fifties I expected so I won’t waste my time on this.
damien_m's review against another edition
5.0
Great collection of short stories. With humour and wit throughout the book, it doesn’t get boring. Many of the themes of the stories are quite intriguing, too.
My favourites are The Dead Past, Living Space, and Jokester, but all of them are worth reading.
My favourites are The Dead Past, Living Space, and Jokester, but all of them are worth reading.
nwhyte's review against another edition
http://nhw.livejournal.com/899237.html[return][return]Collection of Asimov's stories from the first half of the 1950s, also two rather self-indulgent Gilbert and Sullivan pastiches about writing pulp sf. A lot of the stories are extended jokes; a lot of them revolve around intellectually gifted male protagonists in unhappy marriages. The most memorable is possibly "Jokester", in which the source of all humour is revealed. I was surprised to realise that the first story, "The Dead Past", another memorable one about visualising history, is also more than twice as long as any other in the collection; it is set in a near-future world where the government controls and licenses all scientific research, in what seems to be just a world-building detail which becomes vital to the plot. It's all a bit 50s, but generally well done.
readbetweenthevines's review against another edition
5.0
I know a lot of people don’t like this authors work, especially the short stories, having never read this author before I can tell you I fell in love with the writing.
I adore short stories anyway, but there was literally only two in here I’d have given 4 instead of 5 stars to, and both of them were only two page each so easily forgiven.
I read this over the last 5 days at a festival, intriguing and varied stories to keep me interested, but not so overly complex that I couldn’t remember what was going on.
I see this in shops for £1 all the time, for that price, it’s definitely worth a read even if you aren’t a short story fan.
I adore short stories anyway, but there was literally only two in here I’d have given 4 instead of 5 stars to, and both of them were only two page each so easily forgiven.
I read this over the last 5 days at a festival, intriguing and varied stories to keep me interested, but not so overly complex that I couldn’t remember what was going on.
I see this in shops for £1 all the time, for that price, it’s definitely worth a read even if you aren’t a short story fan.
ksbisnauth's review against another edition
4.0
What an imagination. Forgot it was written in the 50s. Best: Franchise, Satisfaction Guaranteed and the Last Trump. Superb stories!
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