Foundation and Empire

Rating:
Summary: Excellent book
Review: Probably the second-best novel in the Foundation series(next to Foundation). A darker story, "Empire" introduces the Mule who proves that Asimov's Foundation galaxy is not always a happy and predictable place. Both stories in the book prove that the Foundation is not invincible. The ending was fantastic and left me hungry for more, and the characters are well developed. Overall, an excellent sequel to Foundation.

Rating:
Summary: A truly incredible book...
Review: An excellent science fiction novel, probably one of the best ever written. Asimov is amaster author who keeps the excitement rolling for hours on end.

Rating:
Summary: It opend the door for poorer future volumes...
Review: I really liked Foundation. Then I really liked the first part ("The General") of this. And then the Mule showed up... First, Asimov always had trouble writing a mystery. I identified the Mule the first time he showed up, and I figured out the basics of his mutation as soon as the Visi-Sensor was described. And that leads me to my second nitpick. The Mule didn't need to have such a powerful ability to affect others. The ability to read minds plus high intelligence would give the Mule the same ability to predict reactions as a trained psychohistorian, and the Visi-Sensor would give him the tool to exploit it. The story itself would go much the same way, with the Mule's ability to force predicted reactions replacing his ability to force actions, but with a tighter integration with the ideas of the previous book. Furthermore, it would have meant none of the psychic conspiracies which proceeded to dominate in the books Second Foundation, Foundation's Edge, etc. The ability to twist minds transforms psychohistory from the powerful science of Foundation to simply a method of forecasting the societal impact of psychic manipulation. It also transformed the Foundation series from moderately hard SF stories about the impact of a new science to just another set of stories about mind control magic. BTW, I like fantasy and soft SF -- I just wish Foundation didn't change genres in mid-trilogy.

Rating:
Summary: Simply a classic
Review: Asimov takes the reader on a journey that is thought provoking and entertaining. It's probably his best work of all the foundation series." Foundation and Empire" is one of those books that you simply can not put down.

Rating:
Summary: Give the man SOME credit
Review: Very briefly, to the pair of one-star reviews below, keep in mind that these stories were written in the 1940's! Must you blame Mr. Asimov for "inaccuracy" in a time where much more mainstream sources felt that by 1980 we'd all be zipping around in flying bubble cars? Obviously you missed the point here. The Foundation series is about our own humanity, not about where we will be technologically in the year 15000. No, I can't prove that there could actually be a Mule, but why waste your time trying to? The Mule is probably one of the best literary constructs to grace the world of science fiction, one that isn't decked out in gadgets and laser beams. There's something to be said about a writer that can make a sci-fi villian without resorting to hi-tech hijinks. You didn't like the Mule? Well tough luck and go back to reading your Star Trek novels.

Rating:
Summary: Trite, simple, unimaginative
Review: What more can I say? The Mule? Give me a break. How can anyone consider this to be great fiction? Go read something else....

Rating:
Summary: Terrible
Review: I hate this book. I don't just "not like it," I hate it! Such a bad book. Do not read it!

Rating:
Summary: His best novel
Review: One of the problems with the original Foundation was that Asimov seemed unsure of where he wanted to go. However, in Foundation and Empire, he finds his way. The story of the Mule is pure genious. With psychic powers being a cliche in SF today, it is hard for the modern reader to appreciate. The part when the Mule's identity is revealed gave me chills, even the second time.

Rating:
Summary: One of the best books EVER written!!!
Review: This book is astonishing! Foundation was great, but this book was even better. I was hooked from the moment I started reading. It immedietly strung together details in the first book which I thought were meaningless. Although the war between Foundation and Empire was good, the best parts of the book was the story of the Mule. This was one kick-a** story! The moment when everyone found out that Hari Seldon's plan had gone wrong in the Vault was one of the series' finest written moments, and the end, oh don't even get me started about the end of the book. I won't spoil it for you, but it is a great plot twist!

Rating:
Summary: A classic series that never tires.
Review: In 40 years I have read the Foundation trilogogy multiple times. Each time is just as intense as the first, if not more. This series was a classic then and still is now. "Hari Seldon crises" and "psychohistory" have been a part of my vocabulary for 40 years. Not bad for fiction.