Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.06 AVERAGE
4.06 AVERAGE
Tengo opiniones contrariadas sobre este libro.
En primer lugar, entiendo que es un libro viejo, pero me pareció por momentos demasiado misógino hasta para la época. Esos comentarios podrían no estar en el libro y sería una buena lectura. De todas formas, libros de este tipo son para analizarlos contextualizados, y como precursores de las historias que consumimos hoy. Dudo que la gran mayoría envejezcan bien, ni tiene sentido analizarlo desde la manera de pensar de hoy, ya que sería anacrónico aplicar valores del 2022 a un libro de 1955, pero lamentablemente me costó disfrutarlo y no lo puedo negar. No soy partidario de justificar cualquier cosa porque "así era la época", había comentarios innecesarios que no sumaban para nada a la trama, y reacciones extremadamente inmaduras y sexistas por parte del personaje principal.
Con respecto a los personajes, son poco profundos, no me sentí atraído por ninguno. El protagonista me resulta insufrible. El típico célibe involuntario que necesita que lo ubiquen de un cachetazo. Noys, la única chica, me cayó bien al final, pero durante todo el libro la tratan como una cosa, como si fuera inferior intelectualmente.
Aparte de eso, la trama me pareció interesante. La forma de abordar las paradojas temporales y los Cambios de Realidad me despertó curiosidad, y eso fue lo que hizo que lo siga leyendo.
El problema filosófico tratado es sobre el progreso humano y la verdadera consecuencia de evitar los problemas para mantener la seguridad, y cómo esto representa un sacrificio del verdadero bienestar.
En resumen: conceptos interesantes, el mundo planteado es creativo, los personajes dejan mucho que desear, y la mentalidad antigua no se ve alterada ni después de siglos de avances tecnológicos a través del hipertiempo.
⭐⭐⭐
En primer lugar, entiendo que es un libro viejo, pero me pareció por momentos demasiado misógino hasta para la época. Esos comentarios podrían no estar en el libro y sería una buena lectura. De todas formas, libros de este tipo son para analizarlos contextualizados, y como precursores de las historias que consumimos hoy. Dudo que la gran mayoría envejezcan bien, ni tiene sentido analizarlo desde la manera de pensar de hoy, ya que sería anacrónico aplicar valores del 2022 a un libro de 1955, pero lamentablemente me costó disfrutarlo y no lo puedo negar. No soy partidario de justificar cualquier cosa porque "así era la época", había comentarios innecesarios que no sumaban para nada a la trama, y reacciones extremadamente inmaduras y sexistas por parte del personaje principal.
Con respecto a los personajes, son poco profundos, no me sentí atraído por ninguno. El protagonista me resulta insufrible. El típico célibe involuntario que necesita que lo ubiquen de un cachetazo. Noys, la única chica, me cayó bien al final, pero durante todo el libro la tratan como una cosa, como si fuera inferior intelectualmente.
Aparte de eso, la trama me pareció interesante. La forma de abordar las paradojas temporales y los Cambios de Realidad me despertó curiosidad, y eso fue lo que hizo que lo siga leyendo.
El problema filosófico tratado es sobre el progreso humano y la verdadera consecuencia de evitar los problemas para mantener la seguridad, y cómo esto representa un sacrificio del verdadero bienestar.
En resumen: conceptos interesantes, el mundo planteado es creativo, los personajes dejan mucho que desear, y la mentalidad antigua no se ve alterada ni después de siglos de avances tecnológicos a través del hipertiempo.
⭐⭐⭐
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
OK! Good old Isaac Asimov at his prime! This was an exciting first read for me. (at least, I don't think I've read it before) Stands up much better than the Foundation Trilogy. Nice little timey-wimpy finagling here.
Bellissimo. Perfect lil 200 pager for the train to London.
This book blew my fucking mind. I will think about it until the day I die. To the beginning of infinity
Check this: it's the trolley problem with time travel! Pencils ready? Eyes on your own work, please.
1) If you could throw a switch to save five strangers by squashing one, would you do it? (FYI, most people say yes)
2) If the one to squash was your own grandmother, would you still do it? (Think it through!)
3) What if it the squashee was your one true love? (Seeming like 1 > 5 somehow? What changed?)
4) What if (for some reason, don't overcomplicate things) what if saving your one true love meant sacrificing a million or two strangers? (Show your work.)
And finally 5) What if you could save your one true love by way of temporal distortion and it meant undoing the potential lives of 50 billion (with a B) future people? (Be honest!)
EXTRA CREDIT: The Bootstrap Paradox features prominently in this story. Which object (or person) serves the most significant "bootstrapping" role? Why?
~
Great sci-fi tackles thorny philosophical challenges with the trappings of technology, and this one asks a real corker:
As cold, indifferent logic brings us the means to learn more about what seems at times a cold, indifferent universe, where does humble Humankind factor in? In essence, what is it that makes us human? And how much is that worth?
2.5 stars. Undoubtedly a product of its time and demonstrating all the social sensitivity of a brick, the uptight 1950s presentation leaves much to be desired. Yet time travel stories are inherently cool so if you feel up to ignoring a heaping helping of "gee whiz, how's a man supposed to think with a curvy dame hanging around?"-brand misogyny, you'll see why this one's something of an icon within the genre. I still like Asimov's short stories much more than his novels, but this one's brief enough that it's over before his overwrought style wears thin.
1) If you could throw a switch to save five strangers by squashing one, would you do it? (FYI, most people say yes)
2) If the one to squash was your own grandmother, would you still do it? (Think it through!)
3) What if it the squashee was your one true love? (Seeming like 1 > 5 somehow? What changed?)
4) What if (for some reason, don't overcomplicate things) what if saving your one true love meant sacrificing a million or two strangers? (Show your work.)
And finally 5) What if you could save your one true love by way of temporal distortion and it meant undoing the potential lives of 50 billion (with a B) future people? (Be honest!)
EXTRA CREDIT: The Bootstrap Paradox features prominently in this story. Which object (or person) serves the most significant "bootstrapping" role? Why?
~
Great sci-fi tackles thorny philosophical challenges with the trappings of technology, and this one asks a real corker:
As cold, indifferent logic brings us the means to learn more about what seems at times a cold, indifferent universe, where does humble Humankind factor in? In essence, what is it that makes us human? And how much is that worth?
2.5 stars. Undoubtedly a product of its time and demonstrating all the social sensitivity of a brick, the uptight 1950s presentation leaves much to be desired. Yet time travel stories are inherently cool so if you feel up to ignoring a heaping helping of "gee whiz, how's a man supposed to think with a curvy dame hanging around?"-brand misogyny, you'll see why this one's something of an icon within the genre. I still like Asimov's short stories much more than his novels, but this one's brief enough that it's over before his overwrought style wears thin.
Enjoyed it and helped give some possible insight to the Foundation series.
This must be my favorite Asimov so far. The apparently banal time traveling story become a much more.
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I loved this! It is very rare for e to like classic literature, and even though I love science fiction, classic sci-fi bores me with its dry writing style or dull characters. But this book! The cool ideas about time travel, science and society glued me to its pages! The writing style was okay and characters were tolerable. I really loved the ending as it resonates with my ideals (of free (selfish) choice and adventure& growth mindset over safe&boring life). Did I mention I loved the cool-crazy ideas? Yes, indeed, I loved the book. Recomended for people with sci-fi love in them!
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No