This novel was first published in 1972. It won the Nebula award for best novel in that year.
In a letter of February 12, 1982, Asimov identified this as his favorite science fiction novel.
and in his autobiography, he stated that the novel, especially the
second section, was the "biggest and most effective over-my-head writing
[that I] ever produced".
In 1973, it also won the Hugo award.
It's hard sci fi .. relative to soft sci fi.
Ender's Game, Star Wars, etc is what I consider to be soft SF.
It's a fascinating novel for lots of reasons.
It's a slog of a read. Lots of scientific details.
Lot's of underlying topics ... the energy crisis, parallel universes,
atomic energy, climate change.
The first oddity you will probably notice is the chapter
numbering system.
The novel is divided into 3 sections:
Section 1.
It starts with a chapter 6 overview, then continues to chapter 1.
Next is chapter 6 overview (again) , then chapter 2.
Chapter 3 is next.
Then chapter 6 overview (again) , then chapter 4.
Chapter 5 follows and finally Chapter 6 concludes.
The rest of the chapters are as you'd expect.
Section 2
Each chapter except the last is in three parts, named "1a", "1b", and "1c", 2a, 2b, 2c etc..
The book's three main parts were first published in
Galaxy Magazine and
Worlds of If as three consecutive stories.
galaxy magazine march 1972 *
Worlds of If magazine April 1972 ***
galaxy magazine may 1972 *
Section 1 centres around the discovery of plutonium 186.
It's an isotope that shouldn't exist in the universe. This leads to the discovery of a parallel universe and the realization that
beings from that universe are exchanging the plutonium 186 (which exists naturally there) for tungsten 186 which exists in our universe.
This exchange yields a nuclear reaction & what appears at first glance to be an inexhaustible source of power... it's called "the positron pump".
However, there is no such thing as a free lunch.
The Pump threatens both universes by the explosion of Earth's Sun and the cooling of that in the parallel universe.
Section 2 takes place in the parallel universe.
It's titled "The Gods Themselves".
It's a challenging & ambitious section.
It's also very emotional & less scientific than section 1.
The world has a dying sun.
Atoms behave differently.. time & matter flow differently.
20 years in our universe equals 2 weeks in the parallel one.
The inhabitants are also unique. and a bit weird... nothing like humans.
They are divided into"Hard Ones" and "Soft ones" .
They seem to absorb their food from a dying sun. I think the soft ones are gaseous.
Like their universe, matter behaves differently.
Some of the "soft ones" can melt, change shape, pass through matter.
As they have sex & reproduce by melting into each other, I think their
description passing through matter is a bit like masturbation ???
There are 3 main groups of soft ones called "Triads".
It looks like the Triad is their family unit. The Triad consists of:
+ Emotionals ( Intuitive ones) - can freely pass through matter. Are also called Mids ... middle.
They provide the energy in the group.
+ Parentals - they raise & bear children. (right)
They provide the incubator.
+ Rationals (Logical ones) - limited ability to pass through matter. (Left)
They provide the seed.
When the Triad melts together for the last time, they pass on and become a "Hard One".
This is why there are more soft ones than hard ones.
The Hard Ones are neither left nor right. They are not Mids either.
They don't melt, or have children.
They have only their "Minds" & their "inquiry into the universe".
The 3 main characters of section 2 are Dua, Odeen & Tritt.
Dua is the emotional one (Mid), Odeen is the Rational (Left), Tritt the Parental (Right).
They have intercourse by melting together.... it's how they form new life...becoming Estwald
(and building "the pump").
Section 3 takes place on the moon . Called Luna.
We are back in our own universe.
The part is called " Contend in Vain?"
Society is made up of human colonists who are starting to see themselves as different from their ancestors of Earth.... as a separate race even.
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