“To the rest of the galaxy, if they are aware of us at all, Earth is but a pebble in the sky.” It's a running theme in a great deal of Asimov's novels – a refreshing view of a galaxy that does not centre around Earth and a writing-style that is not necessarily shackled to the sole portrayal of our own planet's (usually dominant) position in humankind. Though Pebble In The Sky, his first published novel, is set on Earth, it defies convention by portraying the birthplace of humankind as something of a pariah-planet amongst millions of worlds and riddled with radioactivity as a symbol of the damage caused by man. Pretty progressive for 1950, isn't it? ...  Read the complete review