A review by jdhacker
The Gods Themselves by Isaac Asimov

adventurous challenging funny hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

A novel in three parts, spanning quite a few years. The first part is set on Earth, the second in the alternate universe we're drawing energy from, and the third on the moon. The second part is some very interesting world building, with some really novel notions about a completely alien life form. The structure within that part also mirrors the tripartite nature of the alien life form. Though I think the first part is probably the best written, though a lot of the drama is driven by the sort of politicking and jockeying that is going to be most familiar to those in academia. While the third part I think poses some of the most interesting ideas about people and human civilization, the writing is perhaps the most stilted...especially the writing for the one prominent woman in the book.
Over all, interesting, but not a must read.