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3.8 AVERAGE
3.8 AVERAGE
While some of the book feels out of date it is still worth reading.
Two stories really struck me and I would recommend reading them even if you don't bother with the rest of the book.
The Dead Past
Franchise
Two stories really struck me and I would recommend reading them even if you don't bother with the rest of the book.
The Dead Past
Franchise
An interesting collection of short stories, some of the better ones I'd previously experienced in [b:The Complete Robot|50091|The Complete Robot (Robot, #1)|Isaac Asimov|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1329587268s/50091.jpg|2361910] so the novelty of reading such good stories was worn off and possibly detracted from my overall enjoyment.
The collection also featured some of Asimov's fantasy stories, my first experience of such things, and even though I consider him a good writer of good ideas my eyes just glazed over at the mention of faeries and Avalaon for example. I have Fantasy block even with such a man as Isaac Asimov.
However overall the collection is exactly what you would expect from science fiction of the 1950s and of Asimov short stories in general; a study of humanity with tongue slightly in cheek. Not great, not terrible, merely a good and enjoyable book. And as bonus reading a couple of attempts at humourous poetry about being a science fiction writer.
The collection also featured some of Asimov's fantasy stories, my first experience of such things, and even though I consider him a good writer of good ideas my eyes just glazed over at the mention of faeries and Avalaon for example. I have Fantasy block even with such a man as Isaac Asimov.
However overall the collection is exactly what you would expect from science fiction of the 1950s and of Asimov short stories in general; a study of humanity with tongue slightly in cheek. Not great, not terrible, merely a good and enjoyable book. And as bonus reading a couple of attempts at humourous poetry about being a science fiction writer.
adventurous
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Pretty engaging read for me. I liked almost all of the stories. Some of the poems and two pagers were a little less engaging. I like how they are staggered between short and long. Kind of like black mirror in some ways. I also liked some of the tie ins with Asimov's other books.
Twas okay. Asimov's robot stories are my favorite, so I'd already read all the ones that are also in the complete robot as well as the ones in robot dreams. I was still entertained by the nonrobot ones decently well enough. I liked the one about the end of the world because it was actually Christian based (surprising). Most of these stories have a layer of wit underneath them rather than seriousness... oh and I very much enjoyed his poetry. As a writer myself, I could definitely relate to some of the things in the poems. Feeling kinda annoyed at lack of good female characters.
adventurous
challenging
funny
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
I enjoyed this short story collection of the future. Favorite stories include "The Dead Past," "Gimmicks Three," and "Living Space."
As with most of Asimov's short story collections, this contains several strong pieces mixed with a fair amount of palate-cleansing filler and fluff. The common thread is that all these stories, written between 1951 and 1957, take place on Earth. While there are no outright misfires here, some of the shorter pieces -- particularly the two Gilbert and Sullivan pastiches -- are forgettable. The author more than makes up for them, however, with the more substantive pieces presented here, most notably the opening "The Dead Past," a precursor to Clarke and Baxter's 2000 novel "The Light of Other Days." Other standouts include "Living Space," which explores some of the more provocative implications of the multiverse theory, and may have been a coded commentary on WWII a decade after that conflict had ended; "The Last Trump," a typically playful take on Judeo-Christian theology; "Jokester," which takes up the ultimately metaphysical subject of the nature of humor; and "Dreaming is a Private Thing," which paints an engrossing picture of a future in which professional dreamers are able to record their visions for others to experience. The remaining stories run the gamut from the merely competent to the downright hokey.
As always, Asimov's characteristic "nerdy uncle" style permeates this entire volume. Despite its weaker points, fans of the author will find a great deal to enjoy here, and if I could award three and a half stars, I would have. It is easy to forget that there was a time when a flood of magazines consisting largely of short fiction appeared on a regular basis. There was, thus, a strong impetus for authors to collect their stories together into volumes such as this one; however scattershot the results may have been, it saved their fans from trying to track down dozens of other publications.
As always, Asimov's characteristic "nerdy uncle" style permeates this entire volume. Despite its weaker points, fans of the author will find a great deal to enjoy here, and if I could award three and a half stars, I would have. It is easy to forget that there was a time when a flood of magazines consisting largely of short fiction appeared on a regular basis. There was, thus, a strong impetus for authors to collect their stories together into volumes such as this one; however scattershot the results may have been, it saved their fans from trying to track down dozens of other publications.
informative
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Other than "The Dead Past" this collection of short stories is mostly forgettable.
Decent. Not the best, but there are a few pretty strong stories mixed in there.
adventurous
funny
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No