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More on the Social Ramifications of Time Travel

By Diana | Posted Under Book Reviews | Comments (10)

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I chose this book for a quick read, and it was. I’ve enjoyed Asimov’s Foundation series (original trilogy) and his short story and essay collections.

The End of Eternity is seen through the eyes of Andrew Harlan, a time technician for the organization Eternity. Eternals live outside of time as we know it. They can travel up and down through a created time tunnel in lifts called kettles. Technicians calculate changes needed throughout various centuries to minimize human suffering and war and keep humanity balanced. They work each time to make the smallest change possible that will lead to the desired results. For whatever reason, they are unable to penetrate the centuries beyond the 70,000th. They can only go as far back as the 27th century, when time travel was discovered. This is why we “primitives” don’t know about Eternity.

Harlan has an interest in Primitive history, and his studies will assist him when he discovers the importance he plays in the very existence of Eternity. He realizes that humanity’s growth is stifled through Eternity’s interference. For one thing, humans fail again and again at developing space travel.

It is interesting to note the lack of women in Eternity. It is later explained that it is easier to take a man out of a century than a woman. A woman’s total effects on history are nearly impossible to calculate.

Harlan makes contact with someone from the unreachable centuries who doesn’t want Eternity to be invented, and this person wants Harlan to help end Eternity instead of creating it.

What to do, what to do?

Asimov creates a world with a foreign yet credible reality. While he doesn’t delve into the mechanics of time travel, we are plunged into the social ramifications of it. If given the opportunity, should we interfere?

This review is part of the Cannonball Read series. For more of Diana’s reviews, check out her blog, Badinage.









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Comments

Sounds interesting!

Posted by: Sunsneezer at June 14, 2010 8:52 AM

I love Isaac Asimov!!

Posted by: Eva at June 14, 2010 9:21 AM

Thanks for the review...sounds like a great book that I'll have to check out (biggest problem with Asimov is that there's sooo much if you're not a diehard...I've mostly stuck to his robot tales thus far).

Asimov at his best (just like Clarke or Bradbury) is all about the social/ethical/human ramifications of technology. I always try to explain to people who claim not to like sci-fi that in most good sci-fi, the robots and spaceships and whatever are just plot devices, and that the stories are really about the same things that the "good" literature they like addresses.

As Danny Boyle said about the making of Sunshine: "Stories about mountain climbing aren't really about mountains...and stories about space aren't really about space."

Posted by: Jacktrade at June 14, 2010 11:48 AM

Wait, could explain this further?
It is later explained that it is easier to take a man out of a century than a woman. A woman’s total effects on history are nearly impossible to calculate.

sounds interesting...

Posted by: dene at June 14, 2010 12:23 PM

This review is sadly not up to par with the rest of Pajiba's beautifully written pieces. It reads very simplistically, like a writing assignment from a high school remedial english class.
There is no flair or emotion here.
No indication that the book made you think, or even affected you at all.

"...we are plunged into the social ramifications of it."

You could have based the entire review around this clumsily written fragment.
What are the ramifications?

"If given the opportunity, should we interfere?"

No, you tell us. This is not the place to be lazy. Tell us what you think Asimov's answer was. Tell us what your thoughts are.

You can allow for differing interpretations of the issues by your readers while still writing with some balls. Find your voice and fucking speak up.

Posted by: Scott at June 14, 2010 2:24 PM

Yo teach, give this bitch detention.

Posted by: Professor Science at June 15, 2010 1:40 AM

Now I feel kinda bad that most of what I remember about End of Eternity is that Noys Lambent wore a lot of outfits (and one nude imagining), at least one of which apparently accentuated the hell out of her tits. Or something like that.

Posted by: j. at June 15, 2010 9:24 AM

Asimovs Foundation series is the most over rated sci fi of all time. As is most of his work.

Posted by: Jack Random at June 16, 2010 1:50 AM

Thanks i like your blog very much , i come back most days to find new posts like this.

Posted by: Issac Maez at March 15, 2011 5:19 PM

What made you think about such a topic. Its funny I am not the only one that feels that way about it. Keep it up!

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