The start of the book has a guy Schwartz being affected by a mishap(?) in a nuclear lab, and being zapped from 1950-ish into the future (I guess) when the Trantorian Galactic empire is at its height, and Earth is dangerously radioactive, and only a few people cling to the belief that Earth was the birthplace of civilisation: the alternative prevailing view is that "humans" evolved independently in various places throughout the galaxy. Theories referred to as “merger theory” and “radiation theory” (radiate from earth vs evolve distinctly but converge to same race).

Reminded me a bit of the Foundation book, where a load of characters/situations are introduced in the first chapter, and I try and make mental notes of them all, only for them to be completely discarded in chapter 2, where it turns out that hardly any of it was relevant and you didn't need to worry about remembering them.

Group of Native earth people agitate against galactic control and resent the way that earth is treated, come up with plot to destroy galaxy. Schwartz has been treated with experimental brain treatment and can read/influence other people’s minds so discovers and tries to prevent plot

In an epilgoue, Asimov says he wrote this in the aftermath of Hiroshima/Nagasaki, when he had a very gloomy view of what would happen when nuclear weapons started to be used wholesale. So in a way the book feels a bit dated.

Not as good as The Stars Like Dust, or The Naked Sun, but worth a read.

Completed : 13-Dec-2019