The Gods Themselves

The problem with science fiction, or the literature of ideas, is that much of science fiction lacks genuinely new and original ideas. How many times have you read a science fiction book and upon completion realized that what you had just read was simply a rehashing of something you had already read. For two of it's three parts that is the case with this novel.

There isn't much novel about humanity's race to save the planets imminent destruction in the face of those that simply don't see that a problem exists, and that is perfectly fine. It still makes for an exciting fast-paced read. Will they save the planet or will we perish because of our close-minded stupidity and greed? This is the stuff of thrillers. It gets the heart pumping and makes you want to continue reading to see what happens next, but it hardly makes for a groundbreaking piece of art. What makes "The Gods Themselves" special is the second part, a completely original look at the inner-workings of an alien race so much like our own and yet so incredibly different. Never has there been an alien race like the one depicted in this novel, and I have yet to read about one like it since. It is truly original stuff that makes "The God Themselves" a must read.