One of Isaac Asimov’s SF masterpieces, this stand-alone novel is a monument of the flowering of SF in the twentieth century. It is widely regarded as Asimov’s single best SF novel.Andrew Harlan is an Eternal, a member of the elite of the future. One of the few who live in Eternity, a location outside of place and time, Harlan’s job is to create carefully controlled and enacted Reality Changes. … Changes. These Changes are small, exactingly calculated shifts in the course of history, made for the benefit of humankind. Though each Change has been made for the greater good, there are also always costs.
During one of his assignments, Harlan meets and falls in love with Noÿs Lambent, a woman who lives in real time and space. Then Harlan learns that Noÿs will cease to exist after the next Change, and he risks everything to sneak her into Eternity.
Unfortunately, they are caught. Harlan’s punishment? His next assignment: Kill the woman he loves before the paradox they have created results in the destruction of Eternity.
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Lately, I’ve been a bit nostalgic for classic sci-fi and I’ve been reading some Heinlein and Asimov. I somehow missed this book when I tore through all the Asimov novels way back in my youth. I enjoyed this book, but it does have a significant flaw. The basic premise is mankind’s establishment of Eternity in the 27th century that allowed trade of goods from one century to another. However, those that controlled Eternity also controlled human history.
I loved the big concepts in this novel. The idea of constructing a structure outside of time, that allows people (Eternals) to monitor and manage mankind is a fun thought experiment. The storyline is good as well, the main character does what no Eternal is supposed to do, fall in love. There is some good mystery as well, with some hidden centuries and uncertainty about how eternity was established. I loved the ending, which had a major twist that surprised me. It also got me thinking which, for me, is the sign of a great ending. So, big picture, great novel, with one flaw.
The flaw is the same one, I’m seeing in a great number of classic sci fi. Of course, this is well known, I’m just being reminded of it. In this novel, largely only men control and work in eternity. Women occasionally are allowed to cook, clean and other menial tasks. No kidding, this is the plot. The main character falls in love with a women, mainly because she’s beautiful and he’s had little exposure to women. Their relationship develops because she’s pretty and he’s unable to help himself. There is no real development of their relationship other than physical attraction. For me, it makes the relationship flat and lessens the novel. If you don’t think we have made progress in equality of the sexes, just go back and read some 1950’s science fiction.
Ultimately, I was able to set this aside and chalk it up to prevalent 1950’s thinking. I still enjoyed the broader story, the big concepts, and the excellent ending. I’m still an Asimov and Heinlein fan, it’s just a good reminder that they weren’t perfect. I think character development and development of believable relationships has improved in modern science fiction, but it doesn’t stop me from appreciating all that the classic sci-fi masters created.
Classic Asimov. What could be better? In my opinion, nothing.
I read this book about 40 years ago. Maybe a little dated now. But sense of wonder never ceases. I love Asimov’s books. I recommend reading his books. Nothing gut wrenching dark and tragic, or tear jerkers. When you finish, you feel Wow and happy you read his book.
Doesn’t get better then this
Asimov is the quintessential sci-fi writer. His robots are the greatest.
This is NOT a new book, obviously. But it’s a classic SF novel that’s often overlooked–partly because of its complexity, and partly since it isn’t part of the Asimov’s Robots/Galactic Empire universe. (Actually, a mention of it was made in one of the later books when Asimov was trying to tie everything together, but that mention didn’t really make a lot of sense or fit with the original book.)
I’ll go out on a limb here and say that this is not only Asimov’s best, but also the best time-travel novel ever written. If you like complex plots, this is the book for you. Asimov posits an organization/location called Eternity, which is subject to a secondary level of time (referred to as physio-time), from which one can make changes to Time, and observe what happens, and then make other changes, constantly refining things toward perfection. The refinement is necessary partly because Time seems to change some on its own…
Well, that’s just the setting. I haven’t even started on the story yet, and I’m not going to. To get it right would probably require the length of the novel. I’ll just say that it ends with a race–yes, against time, which actually makes sense here–to save Eternity itself.
Brilliant. Give it a try.
This book was good from the very start . It had my interest. so many twists and so many relatable emotions. I ENJOYED YTHIS BOOK
Asimov pushed well beyond the boundaries of most SF authors with this one. I can only think that this one isn’t well-known because it’s overshadowed by his many other brilliant works. The setting is mind-boggling in its implications, the characters truly human in their imperfections, misconceptions and flashes of heroism, and the story well-crafted and told.
While it has some obvious time travel tropes it also has some ideas that at least it was the first time I had seen them. Well written and thats hard for a time travel book.
I am an Asimov fan. This book was very clever and original. If you like Sci-fi, it should be on your reading list.
It was a little slow, with not a lot actually happening, as most older stories are.
some of the vocab that Asimov developed back in the 1940’s has shown up in the Star Trek and all of the other space movies. The stories are scarily on track to today and always, always enjoyable and worth the time to read (over and over and over – like the Foundation series) and this one also
Asimov’s entertaining classic demonstrates why traveling to the past can’t exist: a universe where it is possible is unstable, and will always evolve to a state where time travel is never invented.
He was a great writer of sci fi in fact one of the best. This was quite different than the Foundation or Robot series,but still enjoyed it.
A classic
Asimov first got me interested in Sci Fi many years ago. He is still the standard by which all others are measured.
Timeless excellence
Well written, entertaining, and thought provoking.
Must be a serious Asimov enthusiast to understand and comprehend the scientific terminology. I couldn’t get through the first chapter, despite the fact that I am an educated woman. I gave it three stars because if you speak “Asimov”, I’m sure it’s a wonderful story.
Wow. Great story, well told. Asimov is always a great read, and this story was unknown to me. I stumbled upon it because of a book-buy deal. Not only is the story original and totally amazing, the story holds the readers attention, and keeps the pages turning.
Time travel has been addressed in a thousand stories over the years, but I’m still surprised by a creative writer’s twists and turns and new ideas. Asimov does it well. If you love science fiction, you need to read this story. If you don’t love science fiction, you might when you read this story.