A
wonderful book; very much worth reading, particularly the middle section. I believe that this book could have been quite successful as a
short story encompassing only that section. While most aliens are portrayed as
impervious,
disgusting or
frightening, Asimov's are simply
fascinating. There are two distinct types -- the "Soft Ones" and the "Hard Ones". Members of the former are divided into three sub-groups: "Parentals", "Emotionals" and "Rationals". These beings join together to form "triads", composed of one member of each sub-group. Only as a threesome can they "melt"
together, combining their
atoms together into one, thicker
version of themselves.
The book is strangely disjunctive -- the other two sections are more typically Asimov, about human scientists, devices and politics. But the surreal, beautiful portrayal of the aliens and the parallel universe is something I haven't forgotten...