Review

“Pebble in the Sky” by Isaac Asimov is the third book in the Galactic Empire series. In this story a lot of thought is put into how two opposing theories of creation might impact the behaviour between these two schools. Each school of thought perceives itself to be superior to the other and this rift between the two causes a prejudiced approach between each other and presents itself as a phobia.

One might also consider the impact of decisions driven by pride. The perceived superiority of the Empire drives over-confidence in their view of Earth, while this same superiority is what drives the hatred of Earth towards the Empire. It is an excellent example of a lack of opennes and understanding between groups of people can lead to. This type of rivalisation might very well lead to animosity and hatred, which in itself can be frustrating when there is little foundation for it. I guess the argument of the book is that humans are not necessarily rational in their behaviour towards each other.

Much like the previous book in the series it can be compared to “War with the Newts” by Karel Čapek. Personally, I find the scope of story-telling is similar to that of Kurt Vonnegut, which focuses on individuals. Yet, the styles of Isaac Asimov and Kurt Vonnegut are very dissimilar. A better comparison would be to Arthur C. Clarke, which I find to be writing with a similar clarity.

Score: 8/10

Personally, I find that Isaac Asimov is one of my favourite authors. His main strength is the ability to never stray from the path he lays down. He is the master of having a clarity of vision and following that vision all the way through, with little to no detours. I find that this story is quite easy to follow, while not being simple. The characters themselves are distinct and well-written, with clear motivations.

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