Matt Wiley

A mindf@#k joyride through an unexpected metaphysical thrillscape. Part Hitchiker's Guide; part horror novel; part classic hero's journey; with a bit of Narnia and old world fairy tale mixed in. This story is a collage of settings and characters that weave together into something that is at times simultaneously terrifying and hilarious. Loved it!

This was an interesting run through the beginnings on contemporary sci-fi. Not to mention the experience of being a spectator to Asimov's thought experiment on the evolution of society and powers of state - especially considering he was 21 years old when he wrote it. My only real criticism is for the writing style. It might have been better used as a narrative for a screenplay considering it was mostly dialogue, and the text in between conversational bits simply set the scene rather than providing any real context for the plot.

Overall, it was a good read. I can certainly see why it pops up on sci-fi reading lists as a sort of “godfather” text.