Rating: 
Summary: Foundation? What Foundation?
Review: "Foundation and Chaos" is an improvement from the opening volume of this new Foundation trilogy. Unfortunately, it isn't a huge improvement. Greg Bear's writing style is reminiscent of Asimov, and he manages to avoid subjecting the reader to the seemingly endless philosophical noodling by antagonistic computer sims that dominated "Foundation's Rear". But what we get instead is 400 pages dominated by polite factional disagreements among robots and hide-and-go-seek among telepathic humans and robots. Political corruption and palace intrigue are secondary to a lengthy consideration of the relationship between man and machine. In the process, the machines become ridiculously human and the humans begin to become something else. Don't get me wrong, a consideration of the relationship between human and machine is not an unworthy topic for consideration in the context of science fiction, but it shouldn't supercede the story. The fate of the characters here isn't compelling, there is little action, and the plot is weak. The appearance of "mentalics" in response to robotic manipulation of human history is a failure to really deal with that issue. And, where did the robots get extra-sensory capabilities? There is a new Emperor, but Klayus I disappears from the story long before the end and we're given little information about what happened tohis predecessors, Cleon and Agis. The roles of Prothon, Chen, and Hari Seldon in these events could surely have added interest to this story.This book was an improvement over "Foundation's Fear", but it still fell far short of what it could have been. The decline of an empire of galactic proportions offers fertile ground for story-telling, but these books have squandered that potential. Good books keep you turning the pages to see what is going to happen next, and it makes you care what happens to its characters. This book, like its predecessor, was dull and I had to push myself to get through it. I rate it a weak three stars.
Rating: 
Summary: True Heir to Asimov...
Review: "Foundation's Fear" diverged so much from the Foundation Universe, that I felt it wouldn't be worth reading the forthcoming novels of this new trilogy. Greg Bear's "Foundation and Chaos" has completely changed my idea. He has done an astonishing work in continuing Asimov's work. A true Heir!
Rating:
Summary: Better than Benford, Not as good as Asimov.
Review: After reading Foundation's Fear, I had my doubts about this one. I was pleasantly surprised by Bear's version. My biggest complaint about the previous volume was the "Joan" and "Voltaire" constructs, which were totally at odds with the established flavor of the Foundation series. In this volume, they were de-emphasized, and I hope to see them totally eliminated from the third volume. I have not read much of Bear's other works, this volume tends to encourage me to do so, as well as to look forward to the third volume a great deal more than the first book made me look forward to this one. If you were not happy with the first book, and are debating whether to give this one a try, I would say it is worth it.
Rating:
Summary: A must read for Foundation fans
Review: All I can say is MARVELOUS! This book rewarded my hope that today's best science fiction writers could do justice to Asimov's vision. This one book makes the whole trilogy worthwhile.
Rating:
Summary: Worthy of its legacy
Review: Along with others here I was disappointed in the first book,which I think tried to force the cyberpunk style into the Foundation series. However, the second book is much better. The plot hangs together well (no unecessary tangents) and sets up the scene for the third book.
Rating:
Summary: Asimov collections
Review: Amazon should combine the books of a subject together so as to make ordering easier, in the same way you have combined lists. For eg. all of Robot books of Asimov in onr orderable quantity and the foundation series in another.
Rating: 
Summary: Foundation and Chaos: Isaac would be proud!
Review: As many of you contemplating this second book of the "new" trilogy may think, I thought that no one could possibly capture the writing style and depth of Isaac Asimov...especially after that abysmal first installment. "Foundation and Chaos" was a terrific read that Asimov would be proud of. I lost myself in this novel, not only enjoying the story, but reminiscing in the memorable moments from this legendary Asimov series. As described in other reviews, you will truly beileve that you are reading an Asimov novel. Thank you Greg Bear.
Rating:
Summary: The best of the three "new" Foundation Books
Review: By far the best plotted and written of the three new Foundation books. Bear explores some very interesting nuances of the Foundation Galaxy such as "emotions" in the robot Dors, the various "heresies" amongst robots when it comes to the 3/4 Laws of Robotics, and the effect of no laws. He actually does something useful with the incredibly misguided "sim" story line foisted on us by Benford. And while focusing on robots, he doesn't overdo their impact the way Brin does in the third book in the series. My only wish is that Bear had written all three of the books.
Rating:
Summary: excellent
Review: couldn't put it down. excellent plot with suspense and fast action. nice interweaving of sub-plots and characters. a must-read. looking forward to the third book in the series now.
Rating:
Summary: Filling in the void
Review: During the course of over 25,000 years and 14 novels in the Foundation Universe colossal gaps exist. I view the new foundation series as an attempt to fill the void between Asimov's novels. I give the new foundation series two thumbs up. This novel is full of twists, turns, and complications. Quite a few times during the course of the novel Robot Daneel Olivaw's 20,000 years of work are jeopardized. The fate of humanity is determined in this novel.
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