| Isaac Asimov |
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The Gods Themselves |
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Charles Daney's Being and Nakedness site provides information about Isaac Asimov's novel The Gods Themselves. The late, great, Isaac Asimov was a giant in the world of science fiction. He was very prolific, and this is one of his books that I haven't read - yet. It is still in print.
Ratings:
| Nudity | Naturist nudity | A good read? |
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| Isaac Asimov |
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The Naked Sun |
First UK publication 1956 by Michael Joseph (curiously the copyright is given as 1957), first UK paperback 1960 by Granada Publishing.
The second of Asimov's full-length novels in his "Robot" strand has a very promising title, from a naturist point of view. As with many other books, the title is an illusion in this respect. There is some brief nudity, but it is almost anti-naturist in tone. Most of the story takes place on the planet Solaria, where all the twenty thousand inhabitants avoid close proximity to one another. They use sophisticated holographic projections to "view", and this is very common. But "seeing" is taboo - even married couples only "see" one another at pre-arranged times for conjugal duties. When "viewing", the Earthly taboos on nudity disappear, resulting in the Earthman being shocked to "view" one of the inhabitants emerging naked from her shower. As far as the lady is concerned, she cannot be "seen", no matter how visible she may be. Therefore the nudity is not social, and naturism doesn't come into it. Similarly, the "viewer" feels like a voyeur. Having said all that, the examination throughout the book of incompatible taboos is well-written, and some aspects can be related to the conflicts between naturism and anti-naturism.
The book is still in print.
Ratings:
| Nudity | Naturist nudity | A good read? |
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Last updated 2003 October 23.
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Other content Copyright © author Tim Forcer
