Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Unavailable
    The Currents of Space
    Unavailable
    The Currents of Space
    Unavailable
    The Currents of Space
    Ebook277 pages5 hours

    The Currents of Space

    By Isaac Asimov

    3.5/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this ebook

    Classic science fiction adventure in the Foundation universe by grandmaster Isaac Asimov. Only one man can warn the planet Florinia that it is doomed by an astronomical catastrophe -- but he has amnesia and is a slave.

    High above planet Florinia, the Squires of Sark live in unimaginable wealth and comfort. Down in the eternal spring of the planet, however, the native Florinians labor ceaselessly to produce the precious kyrt that brings prosperity to their Sarkite masters.

    Rebellion is unthinkable and impossible. Not only do the Florinians no longer have a concept of freedom, any disruption of the vital kyrt trade would cause other planets to rise in protest, resulting in a galactic war. So the Trantorian Empire, whose grand plan is to unite all humanity in peace, prosperity, and freedom, has allowed the oppression to continue.

    Living among the workers of Florinia, Rik is a man without a memory or a past. He has been abducted and brainwashed. Barely able to speak or care for himself when he was found, Rik is widely regarded as a simpleton by the worker community where he lives. As his memories begin to return, however, Rik finds himself driven by a cryptic message he is determined to deliver: Everyone on Florinia is doomed…the Currents of Space are bringing destruction. But if the planet is evacuated, the power of Sark will end-so there are those who would kill the messenger. The fate of the Galaxy hangs in the balance.

    At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherMacmillan Publishers
    Release dateApr 27, 2009
    ISBN9781429968461
    Unavailable
    The Currents of Space
    Author

    Isaac Asimov

    Isaac Asimov was the Grand Master of the Science Fiction Writers of America, the founder of robot ethics, the world’s most prolific author of fiction and non-fiction. The Good Doctor’s fiction has been enjoyed by millions for more than half a century.

    Read more from Isaac Asimov

    Related to The Currents of Space

    Related ebooks

    Science Fiction For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      Change Of Heart

      May 7, 2020

      Change Of Heart
      7 min read

    • Article

      Acceptance

      Jul 10, 2022

      October is the rainiest month of the year, the most unbearable month of the year. It is unbearable for those who need to leave the house to go to the bank, the market, the bakery. I had to go to the bank, to the market, the bakery. And I didn’t have

      5 min read

    • Article

      The Room Above

      Sep 10, 2021

      For a moment, he had no thoughts. Just…observations… A blue hole. No – a window… Crystalline sky swelling through a big square gap in the otherwise plain white wall. He blinked. Was that sky out there? What was in here? Where was ‘here’? He blinked s

      29 min read

    • Article

      The Memento

      Jan 16, 2022

      In the middle of the night, after a particularly tough day of interrogations in a Beijing security facility, the artist and dissident Ai Weiwei began to write what would become 1000 Years of Joys and Sorrow: A memoir. His tough, implacable interrogat

      4 min read

    • Article

      Ben Marcus

      Jun 15, 2018

      My wife, Gin, once knocked gently on my head, as if it were a door. “Hello,” she kept saying. “Hello. Who’s in there?” She and our therapist, Dr. Sherby, laughed a little about this, so I did, too. What fun. Keep knocking on my head like that, like i

      23 min read

    • Article

      I Saw Plenty

      Jun 1, 2020

      I Saw Plenty
      6 min read

    • Article

      A Hard Man To Forget

      Jan 8, 2024

      A Hard Man To Forget
      4 min read

    • Article

      Pleasure Palace

      Sep 1, 2022

      Pleasure Palace
      15 min read

    • Article

      To Live a Little

      Oct 3, 2022

      To Live a Little
      13 min read

    • Article

      The Book Of Approved Words

      Jul 10, 2021

      I relaxed on the couch watching an illegal show on videotape. “They had such freedom of language back then,” I thought. “I told you to sit, retard,” the man on the screen shouted. Reluctantly plopping down, the other man mumbled, “Faggot.” “We can’t

      6 min read

    • Article

      The Final Truth

      Jan 21, 2020

      The Final Truth
      5 min read

    • Article

      Prohibition

      Sep 10, 2021

      It had been ten days since my last fix. I knew what I was going to do was wrong, but unless you knew the yearning that your body exerts, the internal pull which strangles your very soul into submission, then you cannot judge me. Yes, it was wrong. Ye

      15 min read

    • Article

      Reach

      Dec 10, 2023

      Jack Benson stands dissolved in an ocean of strangers, humans he couldn’t have known existed until forced to jostle with them for space and shared odors. He recoils imperceptibly with each touch, eager not to offend or stand out any further. As a mas

      10 min read

    • Article

      Cruel Means, Bitter Ends

      Nov 10, 2021

      “In order for this speech to mean anything to me, I’ll need to dispense with the usual demagoguery and, instead, make an attempt at honesty. With this in mind, there is one thing I have to make clear. I’m not in this race to serve your interests, but

      12 min read

    • Article

      Prey

      May 10, 2021

      As I drove slowly towards the mob of angry protestors and my meeting with 200, I thought of 199. The ashes of a once hard man, staring at me with wide eyes that pleaded for hope like a dog begging for treats. I’d somehow found a way to give him that

      41 min read

    • Article

      Reach

      Apr 10, 2021

      Jack Benson stands dissolved in an ocean of strangers, humans he couldn’t have known existed until forced to jostle with them for space and share odors. He recoils imperceptibly with each touch, eager not to offend or stand out any further. As a mass

      10 min read

    • Article

      What’s It Like to Be Me Right Now?

      Nov 6, 2018

      What’s It Like to Be Me Right Now?
      4 min read

    • Article

      Guilt - Edge Security

      May 10, 2021

      I sat beside the bar rubbing my glass across polished mahogany and watching trails of moisture it left behind. It must have cost them a fortune to ship real wood way out to the Rim. It didn’t look synthetic. I looked over at the barman and he tossed

      11 min read

    • Article

      Naked Truths

      Nov 22, 2020

      Of course we had a row. You can’t, or I can’t, interview Paul Henry and not have a row. Somebody once took a picture of us glaring at each other in an Auckland bar, silently but furiously having a row, and put it on social media. It was a picture of

      8 min read

    • Article

      Unwante Guests Ed

      Aug 3, 2021

      Unwante Guests Ed
      4 min read

    • Article

      The Robert Poems

      Dec 11, 2023

      The Robert Poems
      3 min read

    • Article

      The Only Punishment

      Feb 10, 2022

      The floor of the room was white, but three of the walls and the ceiling were light blue. His own bland pajamas were light green. It was probably supposed to be calming, but it only angered Rats. He knew what this was—a fregging brainwashing facility,

      16 min read

    • Article

      Playing God

      Apr 10, 2023

      After Jack was abducted by the alien spaceship, and after the round vessel had vanished into the Milky Way, he found himself walking down a tubular corridor with white vibrating walls, escorted by a sinuous blonde who smiled graciously and said her n

      13 min read

    • Article

      Judges

      Mar 10, 2024

      The doctors assured me the shrapnel in my leg would do no further harm if they “let sleeping dogs lie,” or at least less harm than trying to take it out would cause. “Hey,” I asked them. “What if it decides to cut its way out all on its own?” My grea

      12 min read

    • Article

      Prey

      Mar 10, 2024

      As I drove slowly toward the mob of angry protestors and my meeting with 200, I thought of 199. The ashes of a once hard man, staring at me with wide eyes that pleaded for hope like a dog begging for treats. I’d somehow found a way to give him that h

      41 min read

    Reviews for The Currents of Space

    3.5/5

    511 ratings25 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 3/5
      Didn't enjoy as much as The Stars, Like Dust. I have a lot of similar complaints - nowhere near as good as the Robots series, quite fluffy and pulpy and it's lacking that Asimov touch. This is very early on in his career, however, so it's still impressive that I was able to breeze through this book with a smile (mostly) on my face the entire time. I will say that events are rushed, and often occur through heresay. I believe the book would have been vastly improved if it was longer (not often I say that about any novel). The Townsman's motivations often confused me, and found Rik to be an endearing character. Everything sort of settles at the end, but not in a satisfying way. My least favorite Asimov book, but still a fun read.
    • 5/5
      In a mere 191 pages, Asimov manages to weave a complex tapestry of interweaving plotlines, spanning the identity search of a man under complete memory loss, the rebellion of a minor official of a colonised people against his suppressors, a mysterious mastermind throwing the internal dealings of a ruling council of oligarchs to the brink of open conflict, interplanetary political intrigue and a nerve-wracking fugitive hunt. Thoroughly good read.
    • 3/5
      Better than "The Stars, Like Dust", but then it couldn't help but be better than that one. At least he refrained from a cheesy ending. Continuing my march through Asimov's Foundation universe. Haven't read three of the remaining nine..."Pebble in the Sky" being one of the three and next...
    • 4/5
      Rik has had his memory wiped because of what he knew. Found by Valona who took care of him until he was able to function he works in a menial job. Then one day part of his memory returns and he tries to avert the tragedy he knew would happen. Written in 1952.
    • 4/5
      The 7th in what can be seen as the "extended" 15 book Foundation Series. This 1950's book is also the 2nd in the Galactic Empire books. This one shows the empire still strong enough to do great and good things.
    • 4/5
      Last month you may recall that I reviewed Isaac Asmiov's first novel, Pebble in the Sky, which was part of the Galactic Empire series. Now here's where it gets interesting because even though he wrote this one first it wasn't actually the first book of the series...it actually started with The Currents of Space which coincidentally is what I'll be reviewing today. (Do I know how to prologue a post or what, guys?) So far, I'd say that there is absolutely no need to read these in any particular order as there are no character crossovers and in fact only cursory mention of Earth at all (which is where 99.9% of the action took place in Pebble in the Sky). In this story, we are introduced to Rik (not his real name), Valona (peasant mill worker), Townman (title not name), Junz (cool cat), Abel (mover and shaker), and the Great Squires of Sark (I'll let the book describe these). This book's main focus is on classism especially on the world of Florina where the major commodity is kyrt (super fancy clothing is made from it). There's intrigue, rebellion, derring-do, and space yachts. Asimov is the king of sci-fi for a reason, ya'll. I was swept away on a gentle cloud of otherworldliness. The last book of the series is proving difficult to obtain but hopefully I'll have my hands (actually ears) on it soonish. XD However, if you're looking for a fun read and/or want to continue the Galactic Empire series then you'd be accomplishing both objectives by reading The Currents of Space.
    • 4/5
      Asimov’s 1952 novel, The Currents of Space, surprised me. In it, I thought he showed some insights into racial/class/cultural issues that were ahead of his time, and that was something he rarely did in my opinion. He takes on economic and class privilege here, slavery, classicism, racism, addiction, invasive psychiatric procedures, and more. There’s a good story here and it makes for a good mystery. It’s not the author’s toughest mystery to crack, but as it was one of his very first books, that’s forgivable. He learned as he matured as a writer. The plot is fairly original as presented, or was at the time, I presume. I am, however, sick to death of reading about Trantor. The fact that every one of his 500 books all connect together in some incestuous way all back to one book is just plain warped. Cough, cough. Anyway, very good story. Some nice tension, good mystery. Who’s the man with amnesia? Where did he come from? What are these warnings about? Suppression? What? Yeah. Good stuff. Nice paranoia. Sounds more like Philip K. Dick, actually. Four stars. Recommended.
    • 4/5
      The Currents of Space is the first Isaac Asimov novel I’ve read. I was expecting a novel that felt dated but what I read was captivating, well-written, and intriguing. The novel is set in the planet of Florina, whose people are treated like slaves to the planet of Sark, who control the planet and all of its inhabitants. The people of Florina have been bred to be simpletons, but have one thing that make them valuable—kyrt, an all-purpose material used for clothing and all sorts of other things. Rik, a spacio-analyst who had his mind wiped, is beginning to remember his previous life, in particular that Florina is in danger of being wiped out. What follows this is a tug of war between the leader of Sark, it’s chief rival, Trantor, and a man who wants to remove the Sarkites from controlling Florina.I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of the novel. It was a fast paced read that had little fluff and was filled with intrigue and action. Asimov used an overall economy of words and gave just enough description of setting and character development for it to work. The only quibble I have was that I wasn’t too crazy about the ending. It wrapped things up neatly, but wasn’t all that well explained or plausible. I think a better ending could have really sealed what was an overall high quality novel. As it stands, this book was well worth reading.Carl Alves – author of Reconquest: Mother Earth
    • 3/5
      Another Agatha Christie-style thriller masquerading as science fiction. This one was a little less preposterous than than the last in the series, as we get to see multiple different persons construct an explanation of the events from their different perspective. I listened to the book on audio, and was entertained by the French accent of the wily old diplomat. The most interesting science-fiction detail: gum-chewers are still as disgusting as ever but cigarettes can now dispose of themselves.Besides science-fact and science-fiction, Asimov also wrote plenty of histories, including histories of the Roman republic and the Roman empire. The Trantorian empire has a very similar history, on a stellar or galactic scale.
    • 3/5
      One of the dozens of pretty good SF books written by Asimov during the Golden Age of SF. I like his Robot books better but this was OK.
    • 3/5
      Like the first novel I'm the series, a little clunky in the story. Full of innuendo and misunderstanding, the stuff of drama. Our hero, Rik, is clearly the object of bureaucratic preoccupation. Novel demonstrates ruling class obsession with status quo as the single product line appears superior to continued life on the planet. Asimov is one of the most revered SciFi writer, think I'll try another.
    • 4/5
      This book is the middle book in the rather loose trilogy that make up Dr Asimov's 'Empire Novels', telling the stories of some of the uncounted numbers of people affected as his Galactic Empire is formed. In this book, Trantor is close to becoming the Galactic Empire of his Foundation novels when a man belonging to the ISB discovered that the planet Flotina was about to be destroyed by its sun going nova. He's mind wiped and as his memory returned he precipitates an interstellar crisis between the local representative of the Trantorian Empire and the Squires of Sark who were keeoing Florina in thrall as the sole source of Kirt in a situation that is similar to cotton plantations of the American South. This is a well written book and the characters are quite well done for Asimov though some plot lines are briefly dealt with.
    • 3/5
      I enjoyed this more than the last one (The Stars, Like Dust), but it still has some issues. I did really enjoy the political plottings and seeing all the different characters coming to incorrect conclusions because they didn't have all the information.

      This time, there are a whole two female characters! Both of whom are apparently as smart as a bag of rocks. One of them is only there to be a love interest and the other one is there to provide blackmail material against her father, after which she is never mentioned again.

      I need to read a few books by people who have actually met a woman before moving on to the next one, I think.
    • 5/5
      In a mere 191 pages, Asimov manages to weave a complex tapestry of interweaving plotlines, spanning the identity search of a man under complete memory loss, the rebellion of a minor official of a colonised people against his suppressors, a mysterious mastermind throwing the internal dealings of a ruling council of oligarchs to the brink of open conflict, interplanetary political intrigue and a nerve-wracking fugitive hunt. Thoroughly good read.
    • 4/5
      A man without a memory, a lonely girl, and a rogue mayor tumble into an adventure that has mystery, murder, melancholy, and betrayal. But also love and hope as they unravel a mystery. An entire planet is at stake!A well readable and enjoyable novel. The science fiction in it still feels crispy and believable. Only at the very end of the book is the mystery fully unraveled.
    • 4/5
      These [Empire] novels are immature from both a writing and plotting craft viewpoint. But how wonderful it was to read this one! Since I had read almost all of Asimovs science fiction before, this one stood out like a treasure suddenly unearthed. Throughout the book there were wisps of future books' characters, plotting, and genius. Tractor was really beginning to take shape. The Spacer worlds were fading into the mists of forgotten time, yet there they were, too.I will begin my rereading of the [Foundation Trilogy] after I read a few non-Asimov books, but I am SO glad I paused to read these three Empire novels.Oh, and shame on the publisher --Tor Books, an imprint of Tom Doherty--for changing Asimov's biography. As EVERYONE knows, his parents immigrated to the U.S. by accompanying Isaac when he was a lad of three.
    • 2/5
      Merely okay. The three major story arcs didn't do it for me.
    • 4/5
      Another terrific non-series Asimov novels. This one is set on a remote planet, Florina, where most of the population work as slaves producing the precious fabric kyrt; the benefits of the kyrt trade go to the nearby (and much richer) planet of Sark. An earthman who has lost his memory first appears as a simple peasant on Fiorina, but as his memory returns, the plot thickens. A compelling read.
    • 3/5
      A man wakes up in a rural town on an oppressed planet with no memory of his identity or past. Slowly, as his memories begin to return, events are set in motion that will shake the future of two worlds, and possibly the entire Galactic Empire. This shorter novel shares some of the same characteristics of Asimov's more famous Foundation series: a big concept hook that underpins the story but isn't actually that integral to it; an emphasis on plot rather than characters; and a reliance on wildly improbable coincidences, some of which turn out not to be coincidences after all, to drive the story. On the other hand, in the various perspectives this novel offers of a radically unjust social and economic system -- and the compromises power makes to preserve privilege -- the novel implies a little more political reflection than the Foundation or Robot series. It's also a little less fun.
    • 3/5
      This is sort of a pre-Foundation novel, even a pre-Robot novel. Mostly, this seems to be Asimov's exploration of a theory he had, and one of his usual commentaries on forms of government. Not bad, but his later books are better.
    • 4/5
      The Currents of Space is part of Asimov's Galactic Empire trilogy (although they weren't really written as a trilogy as most people use the term today, and they can be read separately without any trouble). I found this to be the best of the three.The novel is set on Floriana, a planet that is essentially a fiefdom of the planet Sark. Floriana is valuable for a rare and irreproducible agricultural product, and the rulers of Sark have no intention of ever losing control of this valuable resource. Floriana is a heavily controlled society, in which education is denied to all but a handful, and the inhabitants are taught to perceive the "Squires" of Sark as almost godlike beings. Into this situation a man with no memory and no past is found and taken in by the denizens of a small Florinian village. First the stranger's mere presence, and then his slowly recovering memories upset the society imposed upon the Florinians.Running in parallel to this story is the tale of agents of the Galactic Empire at Trantor seeking to break the power of the Squires of Sark without resorting to war. Eventually, the two sides of the story weave together, until several surprising secrets are revealed concerning the wealth produced by Floriana, the threat it is under, and the identity of the mysterious amnesiac stranger, and how all three are interrelated.This is one of Asimov's better novels - not as good as the Foundation or Robot books, but in the groups that falls right behind them. The characters are well-written, and (unlike those in some other Asimov books) have rational reactions to the events they find themselves confronted with. The story is quite good, both as a story of political intrigue, and a story of the impact of the surrounding environment that affects that intrigue (although the science behind the science fiction in the book is well out of date). I found it to be an intriguing and engaging book well worth reading.
    • 5/5
      Read for the first time ever, and in one sitting. As off a novel written in 1951, the non-pervasiveness of computers and electronic information storage and retrieval was obvious. Still enjoyable. The middle book of the three novels later grouped together as Asimov's Galactic Empire novels, it takes place when only half of the galaxy under Trantor's control.
    • 3/5
      This is Asimov's 2nd Galactic Empire Novel. I was a little disapointed to not find a direct sequel to "The Stars, Like Dust". The power that gained control of the US Constitution (Asimov noted in his autobiography he regretted, and was annoyed at letting editor H.L. Gold talk him in to naming the document the US Constitution, I congratulate Gold on job well done)--which is thought to be Trantor--is now in a power struggle with Sark over the control of the Planet Florina. These powers manifest themselves in the form of Abel--Tantorian Ambassador--and the most powerful Great Squire of Sark, Fife. All together there are 5 Great Squires of Sark, each with a highly entertaining personality. Dr. Junz, from the ISB, has been searching for a missing man of his organization, a Spatio Analyst who disappeared after warning of immense danger to Florina. Florina is the producer of Kyrt, a material unique to the planet, and most economically vialble. Rik, our missing man, turns up with wiped memory working at the kyrt mills and in the care of Valona--a plain country girl--and the Townman. He begins to remember his past.
    • 1/5
      Reviewed Oct 1999 Another Asimov! This is from the Foundation series and the first after all the robot books. In fact robots aren’t even mentioned. Earth is though although almost no one has heard of it. It’s still a radioactive planet where people can live in small cities. Sadly we know that Earth doesn’t survive despite all the hard work people put into it. But this book isn’t about Earth, but a man who is found on a planet called Florina. Florina is virtually a slave word run by a nearby planet, Sark who exploit the workers to grow Kyrt, a type of plant that wen grown anywhere else becomes cotton. This man is found in a village, nude and able to care for himself, just like an infant. He has been psycho probed and has no memory. It’s been a year when his memory begins to come back in pieces. His caregiver, Voona is in love with him, and helps him along with the Townman to put the pieces back together. Political struggles and double crossings are everywhere. Who can you trust? Rik (the memory less man) finally remembers that he was a scientist who had just discovered that the planet Florina was going to blow up. Quite a tease, Asimov shows the beginnings of the Empire. 41-1999
    • 4/5
      Pretty good novel, one that I enjoyed much more than The Stars, Like Dust. The ending is amazing. Such twists!