Foundation

Rating:
Summary: This is a classic?
Review: I just finished reading Foundation and was extremely disappointed. Maybe I was expecting too much, something grander along the line of the Dune series. But the book in of itself is an extreme disappointment. I realize Asimov was young (21) when he wrote this, but his style leaves a lot to be desired. I'll take an early Arthur C. Clarke book over Asimov any day. This is the first book by Asimov I've read and I'm not sure I want to read another. His style is very dialogue driven with very few, if any, detail given to what the characters think. Everyone is very two-dimensional. And he never describes any of the scenes were all of this dialog takes place. Part of the interest in science-fiction is exploring new places, seeing different things. This entire story could have taken place on an empty stage. In fact, it seems like it's written more for a play than a novel. As for the story, it starts out interestingly enough. The Empire is going to crumble and to avoid thousands of years of dark-ages, a Foundation is set up to preserve the past learning's of the Empire. Well, that's what the original thought was at least. Soon we discover there's an alternate motive to this. Once we learn of this motive, the story goes straight downhill. Asimov skips decades from one page to another. Characters are introduced that we know practically nothing about, and he never tells us anything about them. I've read history books that had more character development than he gives the people in this book. By the time I got to the end I found myself saying "So what"? Am I supposed to continue on reading this series because it's been called a "classic". I've seen the word "classic" thrown around a little too much sometimes. This is definitely one of those times.

Rating:
Summary: Not sure what all the fuss is about
Review: Recently finding myself with a lot of time on my hands after having just graduated school, I started picking up and reading a lot of the "greatest" works of science fiction. After having noticed all the editorials, reviews, and awards attributed to the Foundation series, I didn't hesitate to order all the books in the series. What a mistake! I'm not sure what people are seeing in these novels, but in no way do they even come close to approaching some of the other hallmarks of sci-fi, like Dune, Ender's Game, you name it. This book has a semi-interesting setup about trying to preserve civilization during a coming galactic dark age, but beyond that the book devolves into stupid scenario after scenario about how the Foundation is threatened but through the citizens' skill (i.e. sheer stupidity and dumb luck) they manage to somehow make it through the crisis only to face another yawner a few pages later. In between each crisis numerous years elapse, so by the time Asimov sets up the next unrelated crises, the entire cast of characters changes -- you barely have time to figure out their names much less get to know any person in significant detail.

This series of books did nothing but put me to sleep on multiple occassions when normally if a book is good I'll stay up all night to finish it. My advice is to steer well clear from this series and try one of the other highly rated sci-fi books out there -- there are so many others that would be far preferable.

Rating:
Summary: True classic
Review: Personally, I don't like "classic" sci-fi. It can be preachy, dated, dry, corny or just not as "mature" as modern science fiction. However, Asimov gives just enough characterization, not too much science and the right amount of action adventure and conceptual gems to keep your mind racing. He truly is the grand daddy of science fiction.

Quirky lines like "Galaxy knows!" or "By Seldon!" evoke nostalgia for the time of space rangers and laser guns. So what if nuclear power is a thing of the past? Asimov doesn't beat you down with tecnobabble. You just know that thats the prime power source in his idea of the future. Remember, this was written in 1941. Furthermore, the writing style and dialogue don't seem dated at all. Asimov's writing is simple, clean, and doesn't get bogged down with excess ramblings. His true talent is in plotting unexpected twists and turns that make this book a pageturner.

Hari Seldon created psychohistory. It is mathematics applied to the development of human society on a grand scale. Seldon's new science predicts the path of human civilization with no regard to individual actions. Religion has given us fate vs. free will. Asimov poses a perhaps even more frustrating question, what if science tells us that one man's will cannot change the path of history?

You're not going to get soliquoys droning on and on about a lost love or a crumbled courage; But what you do get is a brilliant collection of short stories Asimov wrote separately that later were compiled as one novel.

The four(?) stories are brief yet cohesive glimpses into the developing stages of the Foundation's rise amidst the decay of the Imperial Empire. Each character driven event propels the Foundation through its first stages of development: political autonomy, technology protected by religion, and economy. I think Asimov did a great job in breathing life into these characters. After I finished the book, I remembered Hari Seldon's mystic wisdom, Salvor Hardin's determination and Hober Mallow's money hungry practicality and what remains is an overwhelming sense of awe and satisfaction. You will get that too.

Rating:
Summary: Old Fashioned but cool in a retro sort of way
Review: Many of the ideas and terminology is very old time, and retro. The idea and plot of this book may in fact have kicked off the whole space opera sub-genre that i love so well. For more larger than life galaxy spanning sci fi mind blowing, try Vernor Vinge's "A fire Upon the Deep"

Rating:
Summary: Encyclopaedia Galatica
Review: I find the Foundation series to be more interesting than the Robot series. I read the short story which was the seed for this book; unfortunately, it ends completely up in the air so you are sucked into reading the whole novel. I have my problems with Psycho-History...but so will the characters in this universe, as we shall see.

Rating:
Summary: Amazing glimpse of a not so distant future(in some respects)
Review: Isaac Asimov captivates the reader in this book, the "unofficial" start to the Foundation series. The story revolves around 3 major characters, Hari Seldon, a famous psychohistorian and predictor of the Empire's demise, Salvor Hardin, mayor of Terminus, home planet of the foundation, and Hober Mallow, a Master Trader who rises through the ranks. I found the 3 separate yet interweaving storylines appealing, much like The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury but not nearly as divided. Each character has their own opinion in how to accomplish a goal and presents each in a logical and realistic way. The thing that's amazing about the Foundation is that it doesn't have to rely on epic battles, hyperdetailed sensory imagery, or ridiculously long monologues by static, stereotypical characters. The characters are real, they get afraid, they make mistakes, and they change throughout the story. The writting is paced just perfectly so that it doesn't tire you out yet it provides enough details about any given situation. Asimov is a literary genius and I can't recommend the whole Foundation series enough to anyone who just has a little free time on their hands. And remember, "Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent" - Salvor Hardin

Rating:
Summary: Seldon knows better...
Review: I read this novel as a trilogy of Prelude to Foundation, Foundation and Second Foundation. The story of the last years of the Trantor Empire helped me understand a lot about our society. Even though I read it in College I still have Harry Seldon name stock in my mind. Isaac uses this story to present his theories on how science and religion influence our society. It is a marvelous saga of a loooong story of a new Empire (USA?) build after the fall of an old one (Britain?). More or less this will be a very entertaining textbook on social science of history. A must for a serious SCFI reader.

Rating:
Summary: Not a Foundation to Isaac Asimov's Career
Review: The book, Foundation, by Isaac Asimov, has promise but leaves the reader without satisfaction upon completion. Though having what initially appears to be a gripping plot, the grip loosens throughout the book. While philosophers may enjoy the lack of action and adventure, other readers who crave that amazingly described action sequence, will find that this is not the book to get. Taking place beyond the year 12,000 A.D, the Galactic Empire, spanning galaxies, is predicted by the revered physcohistorian, Hari Seldon, to crumble. On a mission to shorten a period of 30,000 years of barbarism after the fall of the Galactic Empire, to a mere millennium, he establishes an association, the Foundation, to preserve the Universe's knowledge in a giant Encyclopedia. Foundation takes place on many different planets in many galaxies across the universe. This book spans many generations and involves many characters, as the book covers in different plot lines that converge at the end.

Foundation is a book that focuses on political issues, thus making the book void of action and adventure. This can make the book extremely boring and aggravating to some readers. The story focuses on conflicts among activist parties and groups conspiring against the political leaders of the Foundation's home world, Terminus, as well as diplomatic and religious conflicts between the Foundation's home planet, Terminus, and neighboring kingdoms such as Anacreon and Smyrno, along with greedy kingdoms bent on conquest of their neighbors. But out of the 285 pages of the book, there is only one significant action sequence, which is between the kingdom of Anacreon and the Foundation. The sequence involves a mass riot and uprising of priests on Anacreon's home world, along with the total emancipation of the Anacreonian naval fleet by a priest who threatens to curse the fleet. When characters, like the mayor of Terminus and his advisors, discuss war or the inevitability of a war, there never is an explanation of what occurs during the fighting, just a summary of the war, and who is the victor. An example is at the end of the book, when there is a war between the Foundation and the world of Korell, because of disagreements over religious beliefs and the tolerance of missionaries. The war is only summed up in an excerpt from the "Encyclopedia Galactica". Another noticeable point about Foundation is how confusing it is in many aspects. The book is broken up into "Parts" that separate time, setting, and characters. A part entitled "The Mayors," which takes place mainly on Terminus and involves the mayor, Salvor Hardin, and the relations between his world and the kingdom of Anacreon, is then followed by one entitled "The Traders," which takes place many decades later and involves totally different characters in a different part of the galaxy. When and where each part takes place is not answered until later into the chapters of the part. Also confusing is the fact that new characters are introduced quickly in every part, thus making it harder for the reader to grasp. If the reader gets attached to a character or really likes where the plot and characters are going in a certain part, he or she will be unpleasantly surprised when those characters are never talked about again in the novel, after that part.

One good thing about Foundation is that it expresses new and intriguing ideas about predicting the future through the science of psychohistory and what the human race and universe will be like in ten more millennia. This includes the idea of having a Galactic Empire that controls millions of planets. Along with ideas of nuclear power still being the most advanced power system, man-sized force fields able to block any nuclear handgun's blast and giant space ships with the capability to destroy planets are discussed. Also the ideas of monarchy being the prime governmental system is included in the novel. These may seem like interesting ideas that would make Foundation a great book, but the reader may find that these ideas also make the story harder to understand because they are either seemingly too primitive for the time period, or too far-fetched to be logical. This book could be someone's favorite book, if they happen to like philosophical books without action. It could also be the bore of a lifetime for some people.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent Read
Review: This book is a well written science fiction classic. While not a major action-adventure story like many science fiction novel really makes you think about the plot, the characters, and all of humanity.

It is truly one of the best scienc fiction books I have ever read and encouraged me to read the whole, equally enthralling, series.

Rating:
Summary: Department of Morbid Details
Review: In a twisted (mis)reading of the Foundation series, the Japanese terrorist cult Aum Shinrikyo used Asimov's epic as a prophecy of upcoming apocalypse and converted dimsighted guru-dictator Shoko Ashara into an incarnation of Hari Seldon. Worthwhile to sharpen your wits as you read the story to see how the zealots got it wrong -- but also how they could easily pervert Asimov's points. (See David Kaplan and Andrew Marshall's book, "The Cult at the End of the World.")