Nightfall
Isaac Asimov and Robert Silverberg
This novel is a continuation of the famous short story,
taking its conceit a bit further and exploring in more depth what happens when
complete solar darkness comes to a world that experience perpetual light for
hundreds of years at a time. The novelization bears many similarities to the original
story, but manages to flesh that story out in greater detail, further exploring
the nature and believability of information (and misinformation) and the foundations
and consequences of religious beliefs. The setting is set in compelling detail;
because it is largely a proxy version of Earth with a slightly different solar
arrangement, its characters and cultures are accessible. This magnifies the
importance of the central problem- what happens when the sun sets on a world of
perpetual light?- and allows the plot to unfold as an extended thought
experiment that ultimately shines a mirror on our own societies. The book can
seem a bit heavy-handed at times, but operates with enough ambiguity to provoke
genuine introspection on behalf of the reader; moreover, much as it may seem
distasteful to some readers (as it was always bound to be, tied so closely to
religion), the ultimate resolution is realistic and offers yet more (pleasant)
ambiguity. As with much classic science fiction, the characters sometimes seem
drawn strictly from stock molds, but as this is a novel of Ideas the lack of
truly original characterization isn't too troublesome. Also appreciated is the
novel's focus both on the buildup to and outcome of disaster- readers feel an
almost tangible sense of doom throughout the novel's opening section and are
strongly invested in the story by the time disaster eventually rolls around. Asimov
and Silverberg's continuation of Nightfall
doesn't radically alter the source material but does provide an introspective,
thoughtful expansion of its ideas that should please many science fiction fans.
Grade: A-
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