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GMRC Review: The Stars, Like Dust by Isaac Asimov
Guest Blogger, Allie McCarn, reviews science fiction and fantasy books on her blog Tethyan Books which we featured in a previous post: Five SF/F Book Blogs Worth Reading. She has contributed many great book reviews to WWEnd and has generously volunteered to write some periodic reviews for our blog. This is Allie’s second GMRC review.
The Stars, Like Dust by Isaac Asimov
Published: Doubleday, 1951
Series: The Galactic Empire Book 2
The Book:
“Biron Farrell was young and naïve, but he was growing up fast. A radiation bomb planted in his dorm room changed him from an innocent student at the University of Earth to a marked man, fleeing desperately from an unknown assassin.
He soon discovers that, many light-years away, his father, the highly respected Rancher of Widemos, has been murdered. Stunned, grief-stricken, and outraged, Biron is determined to uncover the reasons behind his father’s death, and becomes entangled in an intricate saga of rebellion, political intrigue, and espionage.
The mystery takes him deep into space where he finds himself in a relentless struggle with the power-mad despots of Tyrann. Now it is not just a case of life or death for Biron, but a question of freedom for the galaxy.” ~barnesandnoble,com
I’ve been a big fan of Asimov’s work, ever since I discovered I, Robot as a kid. I’ve since read the majority of his novels and short stories, but I’d never read any of this particular trilogy (Pebble in the Sky, The Stars, Like Dust, and The Currents of Space). Thus, when I saw The Stars, Like Dust in a used bookstore, I grabbed it. If I’d done a little research first, I suppose that I would have discovered Asimov has apparently referred to this one as his “least favorite novel.” In any case, it’s an interesting look at a lesser, early novel of Asimov’s. The Stars, Like Dust, contains a standalone story, so I don’t think the novels that comprise this trilogy need to be read in order.
Sadly, there won’t be much more Asimov featured on my blog, only because I’ve pretty much read most of his work, and I don’t generally re-read. If you really want to get into Asimov (and who wouldn’t?), his robot short stories are a good place to start.
My Thoughts:
The Stars, Like Dust seems like a pretty typical pulp SF adventure story. There’s an evil empire (the Tyranni), a plucky young hero with a crew cut and well-trained muscles (Biron), a secret rebellion, a feisty love interest (a pretty girl named Artemisia), and even a helpful old inventor. Most of the details of the plot, and the various twists, seem pretty clichéd, though I imagine that might not have been the case back when it was published.
The characters do little to break out of their one dimensionality. Artemisia has little to do in the story besides fall for the hero; she’s an aristocrat on the run from her arranged marriage with a powerful older man. Biron is the typical naïve, ignorant young man who ends up being somehow vastly more capable—physically and mentally—than everyone around him. It doesn’t help that the writing itself also seems clunky, and the dialogue doesn’t seem to flow naturally. There is also a rather ridiculous subplot about mysterious ‘important Earth document’, which I have heard was added against Asimov’s will.
If you’re willing to go along with a fair amount of cheesiness, however, the story is pretty fun. I think that The Stars, Like Dust is clearly one of many similar stories that contributed to the imagining of Star Wars, though this earlier novel misses some of the strengths in plot and character that made Star Wars such a cultural phenomenon. The Stars, Like Dust, is a fast read, and I kind of enjoyed reading such an example of campy 50’s Sci-Fi.
My Rating: ~/5
The truth is, I don’t want to rate this novel. Therefore, I won’t. I can’t in good conscience say it is a good novel. However, I did enjoy it, at least as a glimpse into Asimov’s earlier, lesser-known work. This is also, apparently, Asimov’s least favorite novel, so it was interesting to see what he considers the worst of his large and mostly impressive body of work. I think The Stars, Like Dust is a novel that would mostly appeal to Asimov completionists, though it’s also a fun, short little novel for anyone who wants a dose of good-natured, corny, 50s-style, pulp SF star-spanning adventure.
8 Comments
When I first started reading SF as a kid, Asimov quickly became my favorite writer, but I hadn’t read him since then, until… Last summer, going through some early issues of Galaxy magazine, I saw the serialized version of an Asimov novel called "Tyrann" in the first three issues from 1951. (The title was changed to The Stars, Like Dust when the book version was published.) One of the few Asimov novels I never read back then, I took the opportunity to reacquaint myself with the author. There are a few memorable touches, but it was pretty undistinguished. There’s always the possibility that something you used to like won’t hold up over time, and sometimes it’s better to leave those things in the past, so it’s actually good to see someone who’s read Asimov more recently verify that this really is one of his subpar novels, leaving open the possibility that his work overall will hold up better. Under the circumstances, the refusal to rate is a nice conclusion!
Thanks, Scott! I always feel hesitant when recommending things I loved as a kid, for just that reason. The bulk of my Asimov reading was when I was younger, too, but I think there’s a good chance a lot of his other work holds up better than "The Stars, Like Dust".
Thanks, Scott! I always feel hesitant when recommending things I loved as a kid, for just that reason. The bulk of my Asimov reading was when I was younger, too, but I think there’s a good chance a lot of his other work holds up better than "The Stars, Like Dust".
I like the non-rating. Even though it was the result of mixed feelings, it kind of makes me want to read it more 🙂
Thanks for your comment! I think it could be a fun read if you’re in the right mood for it :).
This is really the only Asimov story I’ve read that I didn’t quite care for. It had its moments but was largely a disappointment. Still, I’m glad that I read it. I read Currents of Space a few years back and it was a big hit. Very pleased with it and highly recommend it.
Oh, that’s good to hear! After "The Stars, Like Dust", I had more or less written off this trilogy. I’ll keep an eye out for a copy of "Currents of Space", then!
I hope you enjoy it Allie. It had a nice "adventure in space" feel to me.
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