The Last Question (short story)

Sometimes it all feels futile, this thing called humankind.

With no god to believe in, I only have science and well, that in itself is problematic, isn't it? It's not quite the idyllic, benevolent guardian, either. These days, add the explosion of AI in the equation, I can become quite desperate with worry for the future of our species.

My dad, a farmer, used to say, "Worry is rust upon the blade."

Now, after reading this short story--Asimov's own personal favorite--I might be able to take Dad's advice, relax my worries a bit, even about AI. It will only take a few billion years, but all could be well again.

And that is enough for me.

Intriguing story from one of the 20th century's foremost scientific minds. At first, I found myself disturbed by the notion that at some point in the very distant future, our universe will simply cease to exist. But as the story progresses, the parallel between man's relationship with the supercomputer (AC) as similar to man's real life relationship with, and need for oneness with, God. Asimov's story also contains elements of a scientific theory that the universe is in a constant cycle of expanding and contracting.

However unnerving I felt at the beginning, I felt rewarded at the end. This story is thought provoking and well worth your time.

This is one of my favourite short stories. What Asimov does with a small word count is amazing. The timespan which he attempted to cover was a bold move, one he undoubtedly pulled off in my opinion. All the subtleties, from the shift in character’s names to the ever increasing scales of technology, work so well. And what’s more—while this is available for free online—the "No Reply Press" letterpress edition with Rockwell Kent’s artworks absolutely does the story justice and enhances the read.

I cannot deny that Asimov is a brilliant mind and on an intellectual level that probably makes me an amoeba, but there is something falsely brilliant about this story that repelled me. It is an absence of any belief system for man, a belief in nothing except the technology he creates that outstrips him and leaves him a disembodied, un-individualized Borg. Even Star Trek knew that no matter how efficient the collective might be it was not the answer. What good is immortality to these people, for that matter what good would it be for any of us? There is an answer to the Last Question, maybe just not the answer people want to hear.

Queen got it right. Who Wants to Live Forever

It doesn't matter if it's a 9 page story or a 1,000 page story, Asimov always grabs me and thrills me in ways other authors never have. It gets me excited about all the big questions - philosophy, the meaning of life, space travel, religion, technology and more. This is obviously a super quick read, but is densely packed and has a terrific ending.

It’s nearly impossible to properly review The Last Question without spoiling it; without the crucial line that literally inverts the story you think you’re reading. Suffice it to say that Asimov (my favorite science fiction writer) has the goal of making you think about this. It’s about fifteen minutes to read, and all you need to know is that entropy is the measure of chaos.

I could probably write an essay on The Last Question that would actually be longer than the story. But that would be totally useless if you haven’t read it, because anything I write much longer than this will result in a watering down of the story. Just read it., and remember, no problem is insoluble in all conceivable circumstances.

Perfect example of what sci-fi is when it's done well. A volcano of of ideas communicated in sort of shoddy writing. But we forgive the shoddy writing, because the ideas are blowing our minds anyway. This one short story has so so much to it - and from 1956! Was he the first to start talking about the singularity? - predicting what the internet would become when computers themselves were still only toddlers?