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lukerik's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
[Event "Pebble in the Sky"]
[Site "Chapter Eleven"]
[Date "Galactic Era 827"]
[Round "51"]
[White "Grew"]
[Black "Schwartz"]
[Result "0-1"]
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 {Where am I?} 5. Nc3 {What?} Be7 {Earth} 6. O-O b5 7. Bb3 d6 8.
d3 {What world is this?} O-O 9. {827 GE} Nd5 Na5 10. Nxe7+ Qxe7 11. Ne1 Nxb3 12. axb3 {What's GE?} Nd7 13. f4 f5 {Saturn, you mean?} 14.
exf5 {it was the wrong choice} Rxf5 15. Nf3 Bb7 16. Bd2 {Earth is boss} exf4 17. Nd4 Rg5 18. Nf3 Rg4 19. h3 Rxg2+ 20.
Kxg2 Qg5+ 21. Kh1 Ne5 22. Qe2 Qg3 23. Qg2 Nxf3 24. Bc3 Nd4 25. Qxb7 {Grew resigns because:} Qxh3+
26. Kg1 Ne2+ 27. Kf2 Qe3+ 28. Ke1 Nxc3#
0-1
A plot device transports Joseph Schwartz thousands of years into the future which is handy because that is when the novel is set and he is the hero. There’s an interesting theory on Wikipedia that the Empire is analogous to Rome and Earth to Judea. The events of the novel would be in the run-up to the destruction of the Temple in AD70. I agree with the theory. There are enough clues to establish that Asimov is talking about the Jews in his depiction of the Earth people and the timelines line up well too. It’s Galactic Era 827. If we take the foundation of Rome to be 753BC it would be equivalent to AD74. Close enough for government work.
Really not bad for a first novel. It’s a light, easy read with a good historical analogy. Perhaps tonally a little too light for the subject. Asimov does make one rookie mistake. Why is Schwartz in it at all, and why the whole thing with time travel? His mind powers could easily be given to one of the other characters. Plotwise, his only real function could be to prove Earth as the home planet, but this line appears to be abandoned half way through. Don’t let me ruin it for you.
[Site "Chapter Eleven"]
[Date "Galactic Era 827"]
[Round "51"]
[White "Grew"]
[Black "Schwartz"]
[Result "0-1"]
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 {Where am I?} 5. Nc3 {What?} Be7 {Earth} 6. O-O b5 7. Bb3 d6 8.
d3 {What world is this?} O-O 9. {827 GE} Nd5 Na5 10. Nxe7+ Qxe7 11. Ne1 Nxb3 12. axb3 {What's GE?} Nd7 13. f4 f5 {Saturn, you mean?} 14.
exf5 {it was the wrong choice} Rxf5 15. Nf3 Bb7 16. Bd2 {Earth is boss} exf4 17. Nd4 Rg5 18. Nf3 Rg4 19. h3 Rxg2+ 20.
Kxg2 Qg5+ 21. Kh1 Ne5 22. Qe2 Qg3 23. Qg2 Nxf3 24. Bc3 Nd4 25. Qxb7 {Grew resigns because:} Qxh3+
26. Kg1 Ne2+ 27. Kf2 Qe3+ 28. Ke1 Nxc3#
0-1
A plot device transports Joseph Schwartz thousands of years into the future which is handy because that is when the novel is set and he is the hero. There’s an interesting theory on Wikipedia that the Empire is analogous to Rome and Earth to Judea. The events of the novel would be in the run-up to the destruction of the Temple in AD70. I agree with the theory. There are enough clues to establish that Asimov is talking about the Jews in his depiction of the Earth people and the timelines line up well too. It’s Galactic Era 827. If we take the foundation of Rome to be 753BC it would be equivalent to AD74. Close enough for government work.
Really not bad for a first novel. It’s a light, easy read with a good historical analogy. Perhaps tonally a little too light for the subject. Asimov does make one rookie mistake. Why is Schwartz in it at all, and why the whole thing with time travel? His mind powers could easily be given to one of the other characters. Plotwise, his only real function could be to prove Earth as the home planet, but this line appears to be abandoned half way through. Don’t let me ruin it for you.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Genocide, Hate crime, Racism, Antisemitism, Colonisation, Death, and Racial slurs
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