How long does it take to read Fantastic Voyage II?
Destination Brain
Fantastic Voyage II by Isaac Asimov takes about 7 hours 11 minutes to read at 250 words a minute.
About 7 hours 11 minutes
A weekend read
First published 1987. 392 pages, about 107,800 words.
15 days at 30 minutes a day
Estimate based on 275 words per page.
At other speeds
| Slow, 150 words a minute | 11 hours 59 minutes |
| Average, 250 words a minute | 7 hours 11 minutes |
| Fast, 400 words a minute | 4 hours 30 minutes |
The page count is the median across 14 editions, so your copy may differ. How we calculate.
About the book
Not a sequel to the original Fantastic Voyage (a 1966 movie novelization), which Asimov chooses to ignore completely; the upshot isn't too much more than a sclerotically talky retread. In the 21st century, the superpowers coexist peacefully—so why do the Russians choose to kidnap frustrated brain researcher Albert Morrison (no one believes his advanced theories)? Well, genius scientist Shapirov, the inventor of miniaturization, lies in a coma, the victim of an experimental accident; the Russians need Morrison's expertise in order to tap the thoughts of the dying Shapirov (he was on the point of a dramatic breakthrough). The problem is that Morrison doesn't believe in miniaturization and, indeed, is terrified at the prospect. Still, after some judicious blackmail, he agrees to enter a specially-built submarine, along with its stereotyped crew, hearty Dezhnev, manipulative Boranova, Finno-Russian Kaliinin, and obsessive Konev: they will be shrunk to molecular size and injected into Shapirov's comatose brain. After various adventures—unsurprising stuff to fans of the first Voyage—they reemerge, the mission apparently a failure and Shapirov dead, with a mildly surprising twist ending still to come. Like much of Asimov's recent output: a novel-sized conversation, scientifically more credible than FVI but just as tepid plot-and-drama-wise. It slips down easily enough but leaves no lingering impression.
Subjects: Science fiction, miniaturization, brain, biology, physics, Science-fiction
