A review by ronitjauthor
The Naked Sun by Isaac Asimov
4.0
4.5/5
It always feels odd to review books like these. On one hand, they’re so old that you need to remind yourself these books were written in a different era, yet on the other hand, they stand strong with their envisioning of the future; they both reinforce traditional views yet introduce strikingly modern ideas.
Asimov does a fantastic job in creating the world of Solaria. He almost makes you want to live there. But then he introduces the problems that this Outer World is deeply entrenched in, making you wonder if that’s supposed to be a warning of a bleak future for humanity. Yet, somehow, despite the dystopia lying behind the curtain, there is hope. All the individual ideas and concepts that Asimov introduces are but lessons that we can learn from and improve upon before implementing them in life. In that sense, this book is a 5/5.
Then why have I given it a 4.5? It’s the same flaws that many of Asimov’s books have. In this book particularly for me, it was the two-dimensional characters and the expertly set up mystery with an underwhelming payoff. Don’t get me wrong, I understand this is speculative fiction, and it’s meant to be about the what-ifs. However, the ending did seem underwhelming, especially the double-whammy twist that felt a tad bit unnecessary. The resolution to the mystery could’ve been more interesting.
If this were a regular murder mystery, I’d probably give it a 3. But it’s an Asimov Robots novel, and his mind-blowing world-building with strong themes that tie in with the narrative perfectly is what elevates this book into a 4.5.
TL;DR
WHAT I LIKED: world-building, themes, leaves you pondering over its ideas and themes
WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE: two-dimensional characters, lack of emotional grounding, underwhelming reveal
It always feels odd to review books like these. On one hand, they’re so old that you need to remind yourself these books were written in a different era, yet on the other hand, they stand strong with their envisioning of the future; they both reinforce traditional views yet introduce strikingly modern ideas.
Asimov does a fantastic job in creating the world of Solaria. He almost makes you want to live there. But then he introduces the problems that this Outer World is deeply entrenched in, making you wonder if that’s supposed to be a warning of a bleak future for humanity. Yet, somehow, despite the dystopia lying behind the curtain, there is hope. All the individual ideas and concepts that Asimov introduces are but lessons that we can learn from and improve upon before implementing them in life. In that sense, this book is a 5/5.
Then why have I given it a 4.5? It’s the same flaws that many of Asimov’s books have. In this book particularly for me, it was the two-dimensional characters and the expertly set up mystery with an underwhelming payoff. Don’t get me wrong, I understand this is speculative fiction, and it’s meant to be about the what-ifs. However, the ending did seem underwhelming, especially the double-whammy twist that felt a tad bit unnecessary. The resolution to the mystery could’ve been more interesting.
If this were a regular murder mystery, I’d probably give it a 3. But it’s an Asimov Robots novel, and his mind-blowing world-building with strong themes that tie in with the narrative perfectly is what elevates this book into a 4.5.
TL;DR
WHAT I LIKED: world-building, themes, leaves you pondering over its ideas and themes
WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE: two-dimensional characters, lack of emotional grounding, underwhelming reveal