The good
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Fascinating, mind-bending sci-fi ideas: parallel universes with slightly different laws of physics, matter exchange, unique alien species, life on the moon, momentum transfer, and more.
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The plot makes great use of the sci-fi concepts and takes them in intriguing, unexpected directions.
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Finally, a sci-fi book with a unique alien species that isn’t just “humans but green.” The aliens in this one come in “soft” and “hard” forms, where the soft forms are able to change their shapes and mold/expand, and come in three “sexes”: rationals, emotionals, and parentals.
The not so good
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The second part of the book does an abrupt and jarring jump. It took a while to wrap my head around it, but once I did, it was fine.
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The characters are all a bit too brilliant and logical. As happens often in Asimov novels, they feel like aspects of Asimov himself, rather than unique individuals in their own right.
