Foundation (Foundation Novels)
by Isaac Asimov
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Book Summary Information
Author: Isaac AsimovEdition: Mass Market Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 1991-10-01
ISBN: 0553293354
Number of pages: 320
Publisher: Spectra
Product features:
- ISBN13: 9780553293357
- Condition: New
- Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. Tracking provided on most orders. Buy with Confidence! Millions of books sold!
Book Reviews of Foundation (Foundation Novels)
Book Review: On the Original Foundation Series (Trilogy)
Summary: 5 Stars
The original Foundation series was released as a series of three books: Foundation, Foundation & Empire, and Second Foundation, in 1951, 1952, and 1953, respectively. Some datedness to this series is to be expected, but I've read SF stories written 40 years after these that felt more dated, and personally I think the concept, the sweeping distant future galactic empire Asimov writes, far outweighs any datedness one might expect. So much so, that for serious science fiction readers this series is almost essential reading. Not essential in that you *have to*, nothing kills interest faster than making it some classroom prerequisite to SF, but more in that it would be hard to consider that you wouldn't find some aspect of this series worthwhile at least and absolutely fascinating at best. Several reviewers had said that this trilogy is really a series of shorter novellas that were published earlier thus leading to some incohesiveness. Until a few days ago, I wasn't aware of that and when I read this series and discussed with friends afterwards that never came up. This is a sweeping series, where if an *only* 1000 year dark age is the *best* case scenario, you realize that a lot of time may have to be covered leading to chronological jumps.
The idea of psychohistory is a fascinating concept and I haven't seen anyone else really copy it. With that said, it could also be considered a far fetched concept. To predict the history of a huge civilization statistically, albeit in large numbers to offset individuality, but still made up the most irrational entities in the known universe, human beings, is pushing credibility. But that's what also makes this a powerful concept as well. This idea has also been considered in the United States, for what else, economic theory. Statistically there had been too many variables, basically risk. Then in the 80's some economic theorists came upon the concept of eliminating the variable of risk, by forming a mutual fund of as many diverse economic sources as possible. The more the better (like Seldon's the larger the group of people the better) because any worldwide effect causing one economic segment to go down would be offset by some other economic segment that wouldn't. This concept was considered revolutionary and massive amounts of money were poured into this mutual fund from numerous financial institutions. And it worked and paid off well... for a while. But like the Mule of the book series, the theory couldn't account for a single element that would take a large segment of the economy with it. In this case, it was the financial meltdown of the Asian economy that was so sweeping, it took down so many markets that this mutual fund plummeted. So many institutions had poured money into the fund that the US government actually had to help bail it out, because it's collapse threatened the US economy and possibly the entire world economy. (PBS did a fascinating documentary on the events.) So the theory of psychohistory is difficult to consider viable, but is still a fascinating theory and the inventor of it in the series, Hari Seldon, is the Albert Einstein of the empire and is successful at it. Until, that is, a powerful individual comes along, The Mule, which the theory cannot account for and the Seldon Plan fails. The Seldon Plan is so visionary at first that every once in a while long after his death, a prerecorded holographic speech of Seldon would occur stating would should be occurring in the universe at that time and indeed it is occurring. The Foundation realizes they're in big trouble when, after the emergence of The Mule, Seldon returns in one of his recorded messages and the events of the time isn't what he predicted. Asimov writes this section brilliantly.
Thus Seldon had secretly instituted a Second Foundation (which is essentially a Backup Plan). I cannot call myself an Asimov fan. I don't really care for his robot series in general and the endings of Asimov's novels tend to be anticlimactic. But with the Foundation series he turns this into an advantage. The final book of the series deals with the confrontation with the Second Foundation. By this time the reader is aware of the power of the Second Foundation and thus the confrontation doesn't need to be with laser pistol or light saber, and is over in minutes. What a brilliant conclusion.
I've considered the original Foundation trilogy a stand-alone series. Asimov's Foundations Edge, written 30 years later, is different as to be expected. Since the Foundation series was sufficiently concluded (and stood for 30 years), Foundation's Edge has to add a new element and I've always mentally considered it the Third Foundation. The entire Foundation series is now a seven book series (septology?) and some might say that the post-trilogy novels have corrupted the original series. If you decide to read on, Foundation's Edge is a good book, and did win the 1983 Hugo Award, deservedly so, it helps to keep in mind the real-world chronological differences between the two.
Summary of Foundation (Foundation Novels)
For twelve thousand years the Galactic Empire has ruled supreme. Now it is dying. But only Hari Sheldon, creator of the revolutionary science of psychohistory, can see into the future--to a dark age of ignorance, barbarism, and warfare that will last thirty thousand years. To preserve knowledge and save mankind, Seldon gathers the best minds in the Empire--both scientists and scholars--and brings them to a bleak planet at the edge of the Galaxy to serve as a beacon of hope for a fututre generations. He calls his sanctuary the Foundation.But soon the fledgling Foundation finds itself at the mercy of corrupt warlords rising in the wake of the receding Empire. Mankind's last best hope is faced with an agonizing choice: submit to the barbarians and be overrun--or fight them and be destroyed.
Foundation marks the first of a series of tales set so far in the future that Earth is all but forgotten by humans who live throughout the galaxy. Yet all is not well with the Galactic Empire. Its vast size is crippling to it. In particular, the administrative planet, honeycombed and tunneled with offices and staff, is vulnerable to attack or breakdown. The only person willing to confront this imminent catastrophe is Hari Seldon, a psychohistorian and mathematician. Seldon can scientifically predict the future, and it doesn't look pretty: a new Dark Age is scheduled to send humanity into barbarism in 500 years. He concocts a scheme to save the knowledge of the race in an Encyclopedia Galactica. But this project will take generations to complete, and who will take up the torch after him? The first Foundation trilogy (Foundation, Foundation and Empire, Second Foundation) won a Hugo Award in 1965 for "Best All-Time Series." It's science fiction on the grand scale; one of the classics of the field. --Brooks Peck
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