Rashmi bookmarks “The Gods Themselves”

A science fiction novel by Isaac Asimov, The Gods Themselves is the story of a matter-exchanging project started by aliens in a parallel universe, with a view to creating an alternate source of energy.

Based on Friedrich Schiller’s famous quote, “Against stupidity the gods themselves contend in vain”, the story is divided into three parts: Against Stupidity - which takes place on Earth and traces the discovery of plutonium 186 and the creation of the Electron Pump; The Gods Themselves - which takes us to the world of the aliens in the parallel universe; and Contend In Vain? - which takes place on the Moon and looks at a whole new population.

Without question, the first part was brilliant. An element that does not exist, aliens who are trying to establish contact, a parallel universe that is dying … this was science fiction in its purest form. From imagining a road that is downhill both ways to the concept of water running uphill, this was the section that destroyed the very basic understanding of the laws of the universe. Lamont’s questioning of Frederick Hallam’s Pump and raising the possibility of the sun becoming a supernova takes that undermining to a whole new level, climaxing of course with the incoming message “FEER”.

Unfortunately, the story really did not continue in that high vein in its second and third parts. The second part was all about the aliens, chiefly told through the story of the Triad of Odeen, Dua and Tritt. While it was certainly interesting reading about a life form where all creatures are either ‘hard ones’ or ‘soft ones’, with the latter having fixed roles of (left) Rationals, (mid) Emotionals and (right) Parentals, I felt that there was just too much discussion on the social and sexual lives of the aliens, with the core business of the story forgotten for the most part. (Without giving anything away, I will say that the one incident concerning Estwald, which occurs at the very end of this section, was absolutely brilliant!)

The third and final section on the moon - although it still meandered through a guided trip of the moon and all its extra curricular activities - did bring some of the story back on track and gave it some sort of a denouement. Assisted by Lunarian Selene Lindstrom, Denison revisits the potential catastrophe posed by the Electron Pump as he taps into a second parallel universe that exists in a pre-big bang state as a cosmic egg.

When in future I think of this story, I think I will remember that one-third of it was awesome, and I will find that I have faint or no memory of the remaining two-thirds!