Rating: 
Summary: Great early work
Review: "The End of Eternity" was one of the first sci-fi books I ever read. In fact, I remember checking it from the library a few days after seeing "The Time Machine". I was (and am) a fan of time travel tales. Although Asimov has won kudos for his voluminous works over the years, I've always found him somewhat less than appealing. It seems the plot is always for better than the other elements and the romance is, well, unromantic. His characters are often sterile - more portrait than flesh and blood.
But this novel is something different - a work in which the story, characters and action move along to a surprising ending. The pace of the tale is perfection itself, not too rushed or caught up in non-essential happenings. The romance is, as usual, almost chaste in its presentation but surprisingly deep. Rereading it after all these years still brings pleasure even if it is a tad dated. All the paradoxes and what-ifs of time travel are present (the idea of "self-protection" from time changes while in the machine is a stroke of genius). The various twists and turns make for an enjoyable read. Do yourself a favor and get the book.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent synthesis of plot and character,
Review: "The End of Eternity" was one of the first sci-fi books I ever read. In fact, I remember checking it from the library a few days after seeing "The Time Machine". I was (and am) such a fan of time travel tales. Although Asimov has won kudos for his volumnious works over the years, I've always found him somewhat less than appealing. It seems the plot is always for better than the other elements and the romance is, well, unromantic. His characters are often sterile - more portrait than flesh and blood. But this novel is something different - a work in which the story, characters and action move along to a surprising ending. The pace of the tale is perfection itself, not too rushed or caught up in non-essential happenings. The romance is, as usual, almost chaste in its presentation but surprisingly deep. Rereading it after all these years still brings pleasure even if it is a tad dated. All the paradoxes and what-ifs of time travel are present (the idea of "self-protection" from time changes while in the machine is a stroke of genius). The various twists and turns make for an enjoyable read. Do yourself a favor and get the book.
Rating:
Summary: Great early work
Review: "The End of Eternity" was one of the first sci-fi books I ever read. In fact, I remember checking it from the library a few days after seeing "The Time Machine". I was (and am) a fan of time travel tales. Although Asimov has won kudos for his voluminous works over the years, I've always found him somewhat less than appealing. It seems the plot is always for better than the other elements and the romance is, well, unromantic. His characters are often sterile - more portrait than flesh and blood.
But this novel is something different - a work in which the story, characters and action move along to a surprising ending. The pace of the tale is perfection itself, not too rushed or caught up in non-essential happenings. The romance is, as usual, almost chaste in its presentation but surprisingly deep. Rereading it after all these years still brings pleasure even if it is a tad dated. All the paradoxes and what-ifs of time travel are present (the idea of "self-protection" from time changes while in the machine is a stroke of genius). The various twists and turns make for an enjoyable read. Do yourself a favor and get the book.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent synthesis of plot and character,
Review: "The End of Eternity" was one of the first sci-fi books I ever read. In fact, I remember checking it from the library a few days after seeing "The Time Machine". I was (and am) such a fan of time travel tales. Although Asimov has won kudos for his volumnious works over the years, I've always found him somewhat less than appealing. It seems the plot is always for better than the other elements and the romance is, well, unromantic. His characters are often sterile - more portrait than flesh and blood. But this novel is something different - a work in which the story, characters and action move along to a surprising ending. The pace of the tale is perfection itself, not too rushed or caught up in non-essential happenings. The romance is, as usual, almost chaste in its presentation but surprisingly deep. Rereading it after all these years still brings pleasure even if it is a tad dated. All the paradoxes and what-ifs of time travel are present (the idea of "self-protection" from time changes while in the machine is a stroke of genius). The various twists and turns make for an enjoyable read. Do yourself a favor and get the book.
Rating:
Summary: One of Asimov's most profound novels.
Review: A wonderful novel with a unique depiction of the future.Asimov addresses the issue of freedom and safety and wherethe boundaries should be drawn. Much of humanity has become stagnant over countless thousands of years. History is shaped by the Eternals for the purpose of safety, but should freedom be sacrificed for a stable society? We see a man who is an outsider that falls in love, and is willing to sacrifice *everything* for his lover... and he has the power to do it.
Rating:
Summary: Another view of the Asimov universe
Review: At the beginning, the primary character seems hopelessly naive and smitten by love for a woman, a situation that leads to trouble that threatens eternity. However, Asimov with his sense of mystery along with the science-fictional sense of wonder brings us to a suspenseful ending, one which is eminently satisfying. I was drawn to it after reading his Robot, Empire, and Foundation series, and at first thought found that it just was not in the same universe, but by the end, saw clearly how it fits in.
Rating:
Summary: My first Asimov Book and it was wonderful!
Review: By far the best science fiction book I have ever read. I have to get more books by him!
Rating:
Summary: Eternal Love
Review: Can it be? Has Isaac Asimov actually written a (gasp) love story? Yes indeed. In an organization that is not only apart from time, but actually in control of it (called appropriately enough "Eternity"), one extremely gifted time-alteration technician has done something he never should have. He's fallen in love with a woman from a reality that soon will not longer exist, and is determined to have her love. He knows that it goes against everything he has ever stood for, he knows that it's probably not even real love (can obsession with a person you barely know who only likes you because of mistaken preconceptions actually be called love?), but he's DETERMINED. And to achieve his goal, he's willing to sacrifice ANYTHING, even Eternity itself...
There have been many, many books, movies, ect. over the decades on the subject of time travel. It's always a tricky subject to cover, because so much is theoretical. Rest assured, Asimov knows his stuff. Where others make time travel seem more like fantasy-adventure than science-fiction, Asimov treats his subject as if it were indeed possible, and being done all the time. The implications of changing events in the past and in the future is discussed in a fascinating style, with Eternity altering reality over and over again in the name of making a better world. Although many of the ideas discussed in this book have been done to death since it's creation, this book tackles both the science AND the philosophy of time-travel in expert fashion.
In the end, I'm not sure whether it was the main character and his desperate acts to preserve the only love he'd ever known, or the cool concepts that kept being tossed my way that kept me glued and ripping through pages till I finally finished this masterpiece.
One thing I can tell you though. This is one of the best books by Asimov I've ever read. The characters and world were compelling (and I found myself really feeling for the technician as his plight grew more and more serious), the style is easy to read, the concepts and technology are cool (trading resources across time?), and the plot twists....to die for. This one kept me guessing right up until the end. And if you don't see it coming, you're sure to love the final plot twist. Awesome!
Rating:
Summary: The best time travel story ever - and one of Asimov's best
Review: Even though this book is out of print and difficult to find, make the effort, whatever it may be, and GET IT. Read it. I assure you, you will read it many times over. I have read more than 20 Asimov books and this is for sure one of the Top 3. He deals with Time Travel in a manner that's never (to my knowledge) been done before. The characters - with the exception of Noys - are really well developed and the suprise ending at the end is great.
Rating:
Summary: Is it ok to "adjust" history?
Review: Here's an out of print book that no fan of science fiction should miss. It may be hard to find, but it's one of those REALLY worth the effort. This is the story of an institution called Eternity, which exists "out of time". Eternity takes care of shipping goods from one point in time to another, but, more importantly, "takes care" of history, as well. The people behind this institution are Observers (who collect data in different time periods), Computers (who analyze the data and determine reality changes), Technicians (who carry out computers orders to change reality), among others, all organized in a caste society. The story in this universe evolves exploring the implications of this social structure, the implications of changing history and also the effect that the actions of one individual can have on the whole system. A Technician, Andrew Harlan, falls in love with a certain woman while carrying out an assignment in a time that's not his own. As members of Eternity, Technicians and other Eternals, live "out of time", protected from the changes in history they effect. The relationship between these two people breaks Eternity's rules and what ensues can threaten its existence. So, there is a romantic component to the story, which makes the characters more palpably human and draws you in, tugging you along by your heart. However, the story goes much deeper than that and only as you turn more and more pages, the fact that this is an extremely well thought out book will become more evident. Asimov leaves ample room for your own philosophical exercises at the same time as he helps you not get tangled up in knots around paradoxes. More than just inviting you to explore a universe where reality moves along a controlled path to maximize the good of the many, he shows you the dangers of allowing that to happen. Read this if you like good science ficiton. Read this if you like a good mystery that slaps you in the face with the unexpected. Read this if you're looking for an outstanding book. Fans of the Robots, Galactic Empire and Foundation series will identify elements from that universe in this book, even if it is not directly related.
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