Foundation's Fear

Rating:
Summary: So unbearable I was unable to continue after 130 pages
Review: I might offer a slightly different perspective than the other reviewers here : I'm not an old time Asimov fan, having just recently discovered his works. I read avidly the 7 Foundation books in a very short time (and I loved them all), and immediatly after I began reading "Foundation's Fear" by Gregory Benford, hoping to extend my enjoyment of the Foundation saga. I knew I couldn't expect something similar as the original series, but I sure didn't expect something as difficult and painfully boring to read. I much prefer Asimov's clear vision and gripping storytelling than Benford's techno-babble. There are many elements that are outright annoying and made my attempt to read this book even more unbearable. (wormholes and the use of the word "Mathist" instead of Mathematician, and the Joan and Voltaire sims, for example).

There seems to be a lot of interesting ideas Benford wanted to discuss in this book, but the way it's written makes it almost unreadable for me. I regret having bought this book and I wonder if I should continue with "Foundation and Chaos". Beware...

Rating:
Summary: Foundation's Fear:Philosophical Science Fiction
Review: Foundation's Fear was a page-turning philosophical tome, action adventure and exploration in artificial intelligence. Such themes as the conflict between Reason and Faith along with the nature of the Self are weaved into the familiar narrative of Hari Seldon et. al. Asimov the Humanist is well represented in this work though this may displease those who seek a "sim" Foundation that acts as a mere copy of the original. On the contrary, we are presented with a robust work, one that can be appreciated on many a level. While some may lose interest in the minutiae of psychohistory and artifical intelligence, the inclusion of such detail only adds to the narrative. Those familiar with postmodernism and it's adherents will thrill with the inclusion of a biting parody in this text. If you are familiar with the works of Marvin Minsky and Daniel Dennet you will appreciate the lengthy exposition on selves, sub-selves and sims. If not, be forewarned that this material is far from being light.

All in all, a welcome addition to the Foundation Saga but again, not a carbon copy of Asimov's style. of course, one pays back the Master poorly through imitation alone. Such is not the case with Foundation's Fear.

Rating:
Summary: A very tedious book to read. Asimov fans beware!
Review: This novel was very tedious to read. Being a fan of clearly written fiction, especially Asimov, I found Benford's storytelling very plodding. I could only read it in small, single-chapter snippets, unlike any Asimov book, which I could easily read in one sitting. The introduction of "sims" defied logic. Having a sim act as first minister dumbfounded me. The scenes and references to Panucopia were very distracting. Seldon kept seeing parallels between the Pans and Humans, yet it was unclear whether this formed some basis for Psychohistory. Also the use of the word "mathist" and other non-Asimov language was very distracting. I wish Benford had included his afterword as a warning to Asimov fans contemplating the reading of this book.

Rating:
Summary: A MATURE NOVEL--AND IT SET UP THE WHOLE TRILOGY
Review: It's now obvious from reading the Bear & Brin that Benford designed the arc of the series, and the surprises that come later he planned--particularly the dark past of the mon-robot problem. That's foresight! I recommend all 3 novels--but they require thought! Benford's the best novelist of them, and he thinks more deeply, too.

Rating:
Summary: Boring and not thought through
Review: I would suggest avoiding this book unlesss you can borrow it from a library. It's certainly not worth the cover price. It spends far too much time on incidental events such as simulated personalities which have little relevance to the rest of the plot. I can only assume GB was being paid by the word. It's also full of inconsistencies from Asimov's originals, eg wormholes. Also inconsistencies within the story, for instance Asimov had Daneel "adjust" Hari so he couldn't reveal his nature. GB has Daneel say he can't adjust Hari because he didn't have a particular brain disease as a child. But then he as Hari mull over the fact that he couldn't tell anyone about Daneel and Dors even if he wanted to because he had been adjusted. Oops

All in all one to avoid Neill

Rating:
Summary: A FINE NOVEL...FULLY FORMED
Review: I am astonished at the juvenile views aired by some in this place. This novel is fully rounded, with better characters and plot than Asimov mustered. Benford makes Psychohistory compatible for the first time with what we know of real science--introducing chaos theory so you can follow it, and see what a real theory would be like. Plus, it's an exciting read, with many small details of a completely worked out background. Maybe not to the taste of some readers, but better than the other two that followed it, too. I think this 3-book sequence elevates the Foundation series considerably!

Rating:
Summary: If you loved Asimov's series, skip this one.
Review: I read the numerous reviews and almost didn't purchase this one because of the many negative comments. Being a HUGE fan of Asimov's series, though, I felt I had to give it a try. I regret that decision. This book was nothing like the original series and added nothing to it. If you read Asimov's last book, Forward the Foundation, this one is just a copy with a lot of unnecessary detail included (over 500 pages). You won't miss anything by skipping this one.

If you are a fan of Benford and thought Asimov omitted a lot, then maybe you'll like this one. Maybe it was just over my head, but I loved Asmimov's books and this one wasn't necessary.

Rating:
Summary: ...Not a "Foundation Book"
Review: I found this book qiute tedious to read. It lacks the fluidity that makes Asimov a literary great. Also, I don't like the way that Benford changed the "Foundation" universe, the worst examples being "worm-holes" and alien intelligences. Asimov explains this lack of alien civilizations in "The End Of Eternity". Overall, I found this to be one of the worst books I ever read!

Rating:
Summary: Another twist in the Foundation tale
Review: Mr. Benford delivers in this novel, but, even like the Asimov books, there's plenty for folks to find irritating. I respected Benford's decision not to mimic the Asimov prose, and being familiar with the authors of this new trilogy, the style was pretty much what I expected. This book is much more weighty than any previous Foundation book (and just wait for David Brin's chapter!). It added a richness to the "development" period of the Foundation concept. Also, the continuing story of R. Daneel Olivaw was intriguing. As for the fragmentation of the chapters...well we've seen it before in the very first Foundation book. What I found hard to digest was the ongoing Earth question hitting the reader over the head like a 2 by 4. I can accept this fundamental question in the Asimovian universe, but Benford kept tossing in so much Earthlore (usually in the form of Voltaire and Joan) that I found it increasingly hard to believe that the Imperial people knew so much about the place except for where it was. Of course, Asimov was guilty of this as well - remember the scene of Cleon and Seldon playing TENNIS in the "legendary" Forward the Foundation. I'll have to see where the trilogy ends up once I've closed the book on Brin's chapter, but the first installment went down fairly well, with a few sharp edges. No, it's not "just like Asimov", but it's a solid piece of hard sci-fi.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent...A Must Read!
Review: Mr. Benford expands the Foundation universe and fleshes out Hari Seldon with detail and plot that kept me riveted. I especially enjoyed the section on Panacopia where Hari and his wife Dors go "riding" the Pans (chimpanzees) via immersion technology. Quite dramatic.