Pebble in the Sky
{4.5/5} “To the rest of the Galaxy, if they are aware of us at all, Earth is but a pebble in the sky. To us it is home, and all the home we know. Yet we are no different from you of the outer worlds, only more unfortunate. We are crowded here on a world all but dead, immersed within a wall of radiation that imprisons us, surrounded by a huge Galaxy that rejects us.”
Pebble in the Sky by Isaac Asimov, published in 1950
Joseph Schwartz is somehow transported from 1949 far into the future. He’s on Earth, but much of it is full of radiation. It’s so far in the future that most people have forgotten that Earth is the birthplace of humanity. Bel Arvardan hasn’t forgotten — he’s leading an archaeological expedition to Earth to prove that point.
This was Asimov’s 1st novel.
It’s about how suspicious people can misunderstand a situation. It’s about being older than the age people are euthanized. And it’s about people who are trying to prevent a revolt.
It’s about prejudice against a group of people – in this case, the people of Earth.
The story comes to a startling conclusion, where disaster s narrowly averted.
I’ve read 16 books by Asimov. I previously reviewed The Currents of Space.