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Foundation (Publication Order) #7
Forward the Foundation
Librarian's Note: Alternate cover for this ISBN can be found here
Here, from a grand master of science fiction, is the long awaited final novel of the greatest series ever told. Completed just before his death, Forward The Foundation is the crowning achievement of a great writer's life, a stirring testament to the creative genius of Isaac Asimov.
As Hari Seldon struggles to perfect his revolutionary theory of psychohistory and ensure a place for humanity among the stars, the great Galactic Empire totters on the brink of apocalyptic collapse. Caught in the maelstrom are Seldon and all he holds dear, pawns in the struggle for dominance. Whoever can control Seldon will control psychohistory—and with it the future of the Galaxy.
Among those seeking to turn psychohistory into the greatest weapon known to man are a populist political demagogue, the weak-willed Emperor Cleon I, and a ruthless militaristic general. In his last act of service to humankind, Hari Seldon must somehow save his life's work from their grasp as he searches for his true heirs—a search the begins with his own granddaughter and the dream of a new Foundation.
Here, from a grand master of science fiction, is the long awaited final novel of the greatest series ever told. Completed just before his death, Forward The Foundation is the crowning achievement of a great writer's life, a stirring testament to the creative genius of Isaac Asimov.
As Hari Seldon struggles to perfect his revolutionary theory of psychohistory and ensure a place for humanity among the stars, the great Galactic Empire totters on the brink of apocalyptic collapse. Caught in the maelstrom are Seldon and all he holds dear, pawns in the struggle for dominance. Whoever can control Seldon will control psychohistory—and with it the future of the Galaxy.
Among those seeking to turn psychohistory into the greatest weapon known to man are a populist political demagogue, the weak-willed Emperor Cleon I, and a ruthless militaristic general. In his last act of service to humankind, Hari Seldon must somehow save his life's work from their grasp as he searches for his true heirs—a search the begins with his own granddaughter and the dream of a new Foundation.
464 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 1993
2265 people are currently reading
24979 people want to read
About the author
Isaac Asimov
4,485 books27.4k followersWorks of prolific Russian-American writer Isaac Asimov include popular explanations of scientific principles,
The Foundation Trilogy
(1951-1953), and other volumes of fiction.
Isaac Asimov, a professor of biochemistry, wrote as a highly successful author, best known for his books.
Asimov, professor, generally considered of all time, edited more than five hundred books and ninety thousand letters and postcards. He published in nine of the ten major categories of the Dewey decimal classification but lacked only an entry in the category of philosophy (100).
People widely considered Asimov, a master of the genre alongside Robert Anson Heinlein and Arthur Charles Clarke as the "big three" during his lifetime. He later tied Galactic Empire and the Robot into the same universe as his most famous series to create a unified "future history" for his stories much like those that Heinlein pioneered and Cordwainer Smith and Poul Anderson previously produced. He penned "Nightfall," voted in 1964 as the best short story of all time; many persons still honor this title. He also produced well mysteries, fantasy, and a great quantity of nonfiction. Asimov used Paul French, the pen name, for the Lucky Starr, series of juvenile novels.
Most books of Asimov in a historical way go as far back to a time with possible question or concept at its simplest stage. He often provides and mentions well nationalities, birth, and death dates for persons and etymologies and pronunciation guides for technical terms. Guide to Science, the tripartite set Understanding Physics, and Chronology of Science and Discovery exemplify these books.
Asimov, a long-time member, reluctantly served as vice president of Mensa international and described some members of that organization as "brain-proud and aggressive about their IQs." He took more pleasure as president of the humanist association. The asteroid 5020 Asimov, the magazine Asimov's Science Fiction, an elementary school in Brooklyn in New York, and two different awards honor his name.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac_As...
Isaac Asimov, a professor of biochemistry, wrote as a highly successful author, best known for his books.
Asimov, professor, generally considered of all time, edited more than five hundred books and ninety thousand letters and postcards. He published in nine of the ten major categories of the Dewey decimal classification but lacked only an entry in the category of philosophy (100).
People widely considered Asimov, a master of the genre alongside Robert Anson Heinlein and Arthur Charles Clarke as the "big three" during his lifetime. He later tied Galactic Empire and the Robot into the same universe as his most famous series to create a unified "future history" for his stories much like those that Heinlein pioneered and Cordwainer Smith and Poul Anderson previously produced. He penned "Nightfall," voted in 1964 as the best short story of all time; many persons still honor this title. He also produced well mysteries, fantasy, and a great quantity of nonfiction. Asimov used Paul French, the pen name, for the Lucky Starr, series of juvenile novels.
Most books of Asimov in a historical way go as far back to a time with possible question or concept at its simplest stage. He often provides and mentions well nationalities, birth, and death dates for persons and etymologies and pronunciation guides for technical terms. Guide to Science, the tripartite set Understanding Physics, and Chronology of Science and Discovery exemplify these books.
Asimov, a long-time member, reluctantly served as vice president of Mensa international and described some members of that organization as "brain-proud and aggressive about their IQs." He took more pleasure as president of the humanist association. The asteroid 5020 Asimov, the magazine Asimov's Science Fiction, an elementary school in Brooklyn in New York, and two different awards honor his name.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac_As...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,753 reviews
January 30, 2020
ENGLISH (Forward the Foundation) / ITALIANO
"Though Isaac Asimov was a remarkable scientific divulgator, we cannot forget that one of the most fascinating cycles of ancient science fiction, i.e. the Foundation series, was born from his pen. Thanks to his work, Asimov can be rightly considered one of the earliest and most direct inspiring of Hari Seldon, the founder of Psichohistory, the science of human behavior reduced to mathematical equations" ENCYCLOPEDIA GALACTICASecond prequel of the Foundation series, the novel takes place on Trantor 8 years after the first prequel Prelude to Foundation. The main character is once again Hari Seldon, committed to the development and practical application of Psychohistory. Despite the time frame of the narration is quite long (basically the entire Seldon's life is narrated in this book), the rythm of events is intensive, and twists and turns are not missing. However, I would now like to make a clarification: my judgment is definitely not objective, 'cause I love Asimov's spying fantasy science and his fascinating theory of spatial colonization.
Vote: 8
"Benchè Isaac Asimov sia stato un notevole divulgatore scientifico, non si può dimenticare che uno dei cicli più affascinanti della fantascienza antica, il ciclo delle fondazioni, sia nato dalla sua penna. Grazie alla sua opera, può essere di diritto annoverato tra i primi e più diretti ispiratori di Hari Seldon, il padre fondatore della psicostoria, la scienza del comportamento umano ridotto ad equazioni matematiche" ENCICLOPEDIA GALATTICASecondo prequel al ciclo delle fondazioni vero e proprio, il romanzo si svolge su Trantor a partire da 8 anni dopo il primo prequel Preludio alla Fondazione. Il protagonista è ancora una volta Hari Seldon, impegnato nello sviluppo e nell'applicazione pratica della Psicostoria. Nonostante l'arco temporale della narrazione sia piuttosto lungo, essendo spalmato per tutta la rimanente vita di Seldon, il ritmo rimane discretamente serrato, e non mancano i colpi di scena. Occorre però fare una precisazione: il mio giudizio è assolutamente non obiettivo, essendo un amante dello spionaggio fantascientifico di Asimov e della sua affascinante teoria della colonizzazione spaziale.
Voto: 8.
February 19, 2022
Robot/Empire/Foundation. Book #8: Chronologically the second book in the Foundation series, but in reality the last book Asimov wrote before his death, remarkably the direct prelude to the original The Foundation Trilogy 42 years after the first book was published!
With outside interference seemingly subdued, Hari Seldon and his allies settle down into working on psycho-history; this is the story of he next four decades of Skelton's life as they strive to complete their work as the Galactic Empire starts to wane and some parties blame Hari and co, as they seek to blame the messenger.
The story is broken down into four parts, each focusing on one of Seldon's allies being under duress mainly because of the psycho-history project. It is less descriptive than the original trilogy of books, but I found it a pretty compelling read, an once I really sat down to it, and finished the last 300 pages in just a few sessions. Once again prominent and interesting female characters are evident as are some minor looks at class-divide, democracy and anti-science. The one thing that kind of annoyed me was not that the 'good guys' used underhand methods to attain their goals, but that this was never ever anything but a very minor talking point. All in all, just more fab Asimov-verse! 8 out of 12
2021 read
With outside interference seemingly subdued, Hari Seldon and his allies settle down into working on psycho-history; this is the story of he next four decades of Skelton's life as they strive to complete their work as the Galactic Empire starts to wane and some parties blame Hari and co, as they seek to blame the messenger.
The story is broken down into four parts, each focusing on one of Seldon's allies being under duress mainly because of the psycho-history project. It is less descriptive than the original trilogy of books, but I found it a pretty compelling read, an once I really sat down to it, and finished the last 300 pages in just a few sessions. Once again prominent and interesting female characters are evident as are some minor looks at class-divide, democracy and anti-science. The one thing that kind of annoyed me was not that the 'good guys' used underhand methods to attain their goals, but that this was never ever anything but a very minor talking point. All in all, just more fab Asimov-verse! 8 out of 12
2021 read
July 4, 2022
The critical reviews of this book are astounding.
"The breathtaking conclusion to the greatest science fiction epic of all time" is a strange thing to say about a book that serves as a second prequel...and not the last of the series either.
"The Foundation series has enthralled readers for more than 40 years, and this work is a dramatic climax." Again, for a prequel, and, frankly, it's not particularly dramatic.
"A moving valedictory performance..." which means...I'm not sure what...
Little known fact: Asimov generated character names using a random number generator.
That said, the book isn't terrible. I find it to be a little pointless and increasingly implausible. But it fits into the series, and the series may well be the "greatest science fiction epic of all time". If it is, it's not because of the prose, the drama, or the characters. It's because of the concepts. The Universe in which stories occur is a magnificent tapestry. Even if the stories themselves fall short of this standard time after time, the occasional glimpses of Asimov's Universe make it worth the read, regardless.
"The breathtaking conclusion to the greatest science fiction epic of all time" is a strange thing to say about a book that serves as a second prequel...and not the last of the series either.
"The Foundation series has enthralled readers for more than 40 years, and this work is a dramatic climax." Again, for a prequel, and, frankly, it's not particularly dramatic.
"A moving valedictory performance..." which means...I'm not sure what...
Little known fact: Asimov generated character names using a random number generator.
That said, the book isn't terrible. I find it to be a little pointless and increasingly implausible. But it fits into the series, and the series may well be the "greatest science fiction epic of all time". If it is, it's not because of the prose, the drama, or the characters. It's because of the concepts. The Universe in which stories occur is a magnificent tapestry. Even if the stories themselves fall short of this standard time after time, the occasional glimpses of Asimov's Universe make it worth the read, regardless.
March 27, 2019
Finally! The last published Foundation book, written by Asimov (a few more titles written by other authors were published subsequently). My review of the first Foundation book was posted in 2014, as I write it is March 2019, so I feel a nice sense of accomplishment for completing a series review five years in the making.
Forward the Foundation is the second prequel to the classic original Foundation Trilogy (that makes it a sequel to a prequel! Prelude to Foundation that is). It is set on Trantor, the governing planet of the Galactic Empire, eight years after the events of Prelude to Foundation. “Prelude” tells the story of Hari Seldon, the founder of the Foundation, as a young man, and the development of “psychohistory”, a predictive science for computing monumental events on a planetary or even galactic scale.
“It’s a mathematical way of analyzing human society that ends by predicting the future.”
At the beginning of Forward the Foundation Hari Seldon is 60-year-old, and the novel tells the story of the last ten years of his life, as he struggles to put the Foundation together. As his psychohistory predicts, the Empire is deteriorating and beginning to fall. Seldon’s mission in life is to minimize the duration of the dark age that will follow this fall, with the Foundation as the nucleus of a new empire. He is aided by his wife, Dors, who seems to possess some superhuman abilities, his adopted son and granddaughter, who have some uncanny mental abilities and several other colorful characters.
Who is this bloke from the book cover of several editions? No idea, too young to be Seldon! That black box is probably the “Prime Radiant”, but WTF is he doing with it?
Forward the Foundation is pretty great for fans of this classic sci-fi series, it fills out details of things mentioned in the original Foundation Trilogy. However, I personally have some doubts about reading the entire series in chronological order instead of the publication order. The original trilogy, from the 50s, is comprised of three rather short novels, very tightly written and often quite thrilling. This is the case with most of the best Golden Age sci-fi books, they tend to be great stories economically told. I think that anyone new to the Foundation books would be better off reading the trilogy first simply because they are just more fun and exciting. The extra details from the prequels are not really needed to follow the trilogy’s narrative. That said, Asimov himself recommended reading in the chronological order so you may want to ignore me completely!
In and of itself though Forward the Foundation is a solid novel, rather leisurely paced, as is the case of the later Asimov works from the 80s and 90s. Asimov seems to more interested in pondering and exploring ideas than telling gripping, fast-paced stories. The characterization tends to be better in these later novels, the main characters, including the smart villains, have more depth to them, the plot structure tends to be more intricate and complex. The stylistic changes are only natural as Asimov matured and changed, readers who prefer his 50s writing style have plenty of titles they can choose from as this was his most prolific period. In any case, his 80s and 90s books are interesting and very readable and I enjoy them. As a longtime fan of his books, I feel a little nostalgic, like reaching the end of an era. I don’t really feel inclined to read the subsequently published Foundation books by other authors, what I would rather do is go back to reread his early robots and empire books. Whatever order you want to read the Foundation series is up to you, I am happy with my reading order and I love the series in general.
Notes:
• A little spoiler discussion, only read this if you have already read this book (or if you enjoy being contrary). Here goes:
• In a previous Foundation book review (I forget which one) I mentioned that there are no aliens in the Foundation series. This is kind of correct, but there is Gaia in Foundation's Edge which is a non-human sentient entity. See Wastrel's comment, in message #5 under the review, for more details.
*Chronological reading order. You don't have to read every single one of them! Some of them barely add anything to the series’ narrative.
Forward the Foundation is the second prequel to the classic original Foundation Trilogy (that makes it a sequel to a prequel! Prelude to Foundation that is). It is set on Trantor, the governing planet of the Galactic Empire, eight years after the events of Prelude to Foundation. “Prelude” tells the story of Hari Seldon, the founder of the Foundation, as a young man, and the development of “psychohistory”, a predictive science for computing monumental events on a planetary or even galactic scale.
“It’s a mathematical way of analyzing human society that ends by predicting the future.”
At the beginning of Forward the Foundation Hari Seldon is 60-year-old, and the novel tells the story of the last ten years of his life, as he struggles to put the Foundation together. As his psychohistory predicts, the Empire is deteriorating and beginning to fall. Seldon’s mission in life is to minimize the duration of the dark age that will follow this fall, with the Foundation as the nucleus of a new empire. He is aided by his wife, Dors, who seems to possess some superhuman abilities, his adopted son and granddaughter, who have some uncanny mental abilities and several other colorful characters.
Who is this bloke from the book cover of several editions? No idea, too young to be Seldon! That black box is probably the “Prime Radiant”, but WTF is he doing with it?
Forward the Foundation is pretty great for fans of this classic sci-fi series, it fills out details of things mentioned in the original Foundation Trilogy. However, I personally have some doubts about reading the entire series in chronological order instead of the publication order. The original trilogy, from the 50s, is comprised of three rather short novels, very tightly written and often quite thrilling. This is the case with most of the best Golden Age sci-fi books, they tend to be great stories economically told. I think that anyone new to the Foundation books would be better off reading the trilogy first simply because they are just more fun and exciting. The extra details from the prequels are not really needed to follow the trilogy’s narrative. That said, Asimov himself recommended reading in the chronological order so you may want to ignore me completely!
In and of itself though Forward the Foundation is a solid novel, rather leisurely paced, as is the case of the later Asimov works from the 80s and 90s. Asimov seems to more interested in pondering and exploring ideas than telling gripping, fast-paced stories. The characterization tends to be better in these later novels, the main characters, including the smart villains, have more depth to them, the plot structure tends to be more intricate and complex. The stylistic changes are only natural as Asimov matured and changed, readers who prefer his 50s writing style have plenty of titles they can choose from as this was his most prolific period. In any case, his 80s and 90s books are interesting and very readable and I enjoy them. As a longtime fan of his books, I feel a little nostalgic, like reaching the end of an era. I don’t really feel inclined to read the subsequently published Foundation books by other authors, what I would rather do is go back to reread his early robots and empire books. Whatever order you want to read the Foundation series is up to you, I am happy with my reading order and I love the series in general.
Notes:
• A little spoiler discussion, only read this if you have already read this book (or if you enjoy being contrary). Here goes:
• In a previous Foundation book review (I forget which one) I mentioned that there are no aliens in the Foundation series. This is kind of correct, but there is Gaia in Foundation's Edge which is a non-human sentient entity. See Wastrel's comment, in message #5 under the review, for more details.
*Chronological reading order. You don't have to read every single one of them! Some of them barely add anything to the series’ narrative.
May 30, 2022
CICLO FONDAZIONI VOL 2
Lettura di gruppo Edicola & Libreria
Seconda rilettura
che dire se non che l'ho amato?
Unica pecca, se così vogliamo dire, è che li libro è diviso in 4 parti che raccontano avvenimenti successi in periodi differenti, ma ben collegati tra di loro e sempre (o quasi) come protagonista Seldon.
Per il resto bello come sempre.
Anche se è passato tanto tempo, questa rilettura mi sta davvero coinvolgendo, continua ad affascinarmi, a farmi ridere e piangere. Asimov lo amo. Non c'è nulla da fare.
E ora si passa alle Fondazioni. Non vedo l'ora!
Prima lettura
GENIO!
E' inutile Asimov per me è un genio!
purtroppo ho avuto poco tempo per leggere in questo periodo e l'ho dovuto spezzettare, ed è stata una sofferenza. il pensiero andava sempre ad Hari Seldon, ma partiamo con ordine.
Questo libro racconta la vita di Hari Seldon e del suo progetto di salvare la caduta dell'Impero con la Psicostoria, ed è davvero bello. Ma non si ha idea di quello che vuole fare fino alla fine, ed è lì che pensi che Asimov è un genio, io non ci avrei mai pensato.
E' così emozionante, ti trascina tra i pensieri e le vicissitudini di Seldon, vivi con lui tutto. ho anche versato due lacrimucce. è un intro al ciclo delle fondazioni e ora finalmente ne comprendo il significato. non vedo l'ora di leggere il seguito.
Davvero consigliato. pieno di scienza, matematica, umanità, amore, gioia, tristezza e..insomma tutto, ma non il solito tutto, almeno per me.
Lettura di gruppo Edicola & Libreria
Seconda rilettura
che dire se non che l'ho amato?
Unica pecca, se così vogliamo dire, è che li libro è diviso in 4 parti che raccontano avvenimenti successi in periodi differenti, ma ben collegati tra di loro e sempre (o quasi) come protagonista Seldon.
Per il resto bello come sempre.
Anche se è passato tanto tempo, questa rilettura mi sta davvero coinvolgendo, continua ad affascinarmi, a farmi ridere e piangere. Asimov lo amo. Non c'è nulla da fare.
E ora si passa alle Fondazioni. Non vedo l'ora!
Prima lettura
GENIO!
E' inutile Asimov per me è un genio!
purtroppo ho avuto poco tempo per leggere in questo periodo e l'ho dovuto spezzettare, ed è stata una sofferenza. il pensiero andava sempre ad Hari Seldon, ma partiamo con ordine.
Questo libro racconta la vita di Hari Seldon e del suo progetto di salvare la caduta dell'Impero con la Psicostoria, ed è davvero bello. Ma non si ha idea di quello che vuole fare fino alla fine, ed è lì che pensi che Asimov è un genio, io non ci avrei mai pensato.
E' così emozionante, ti trascina tra i pensieri e le vicissitudini di Seldon, vivi con lui tutto. ho anche versato due lacrimucce. è un intro al ciclo delle fondazioni e ora finalmente ne comprendo il significato. non vedo l'ora di leggere il seguito.
Davvero consigliato. pieno di scienza, matematica, umanità, amore, gioia, tristezza e..insomma tutto, ma non il solito tutto, almeno per me.
January 7, 2025
Though I enjoyed it, it wasn't quite what I expected from a "grand master" of science fiction. I hear his other books in this series are better; I'll find out myself when I read them...which will hopefully be soon.
November 10, 2021
Sadly, this hadn't a lot of Foundation stuff in it and it's actually the weakest in the series so far.
It's been 8 years since the events of the previous book and we're back on Trantor. Basically, it's all about Hari fully developing psychohistory and coming up with the Seldon Plan while there is quite some political turmoil in the Empire. This also leads to Hari becoming First Minister (replacing ). For 10 years, this actually goes quite well ... until it doesn't. Meaning that there is a coup which ends in and a decade of what can only be described as disaster. In this time, Hari goes back to his project and finishes it.
As you can see from that very rough overview, not much happens but it happens over a long period of time. In this time, we get to know Hari a bit better.
What was quite well done was how it made us care for the characters. Thus, I was grieving quite a lot when . But that was far from all. Having seen Hari build a life, it was hard to see him lose basically everyone around him. Naturally, one could argue that all this hardship was necessary in the grande scheme of things.
And then we got to the really good bit: the Second Foundation and its ... well ... "foundation". *lol* (Those knowing the series will know the different between the First and Second Foundation and therefore what I'm referring to.)
While it was nice seeing some things come together in more detail, this book was a bit long for all that. And at times the writing felt as if the author was rambling, unfortunately. Then I found out that Asimmov wrote this while he was dying - and suddenly it actually made sense. After all, Hari and Asimov have a lot in common (no, that's not a coincidence) and so it was not just a good-bye to Hari but to the author as well.
Still, like I said in the beginning, this was the most boring one of the series so far. Which is not gonna stop me from reading the others, too, though.
It's been 8 years since the events of the previous book and we're back on Trantor. Basically, it's all about Hari fully developing psychohistory and coming up with the Seldon Plan while there is quite some political turmoil in the Empire. This also leads to Hari becoming First Minister (replacing ). For 10 years, this actually goes quite well ... until it doesn't. Meaning that there is a coup which ends in and a decade of what can only be described as disaster. In this time, Hari goes back to his project and finishes it.
As you can see from that very rough overview, not much happens but it happens over a long period of time. In this time, we get to know Hari a bit better.
What was quite well done was how it made us care for the characters. Thus, I was grieving quite a lot when . But that was far from all. Having seen Hari build a life, it was hard to see him lose basically everyone around him. Naturally, one could argue that all this hardship was necessary in the grande scheme of things.
And then we got to the really good bit: the Second Foundation and its ... well ... "foundation". *lol* (Those knowing the series will know the different between the First and Second Foundation and therefore what I'm referring to.)
While it was nice seeing some things come together in more detail, this book was a bit long for all that. And at times the writing felt as if the author was rambling, unfortunately. Then I found out that Asimmov wrote this while he was dying - and suddenly it actually made sense. After all, Hari and Asimov have a lot in common (no, that's not a coincidence) and so it was not just a good-bye to Hari but to the author as well.
Still, like I said in the beginning, this was the most boring one of the series so far. Which is not gonna stop me from reading the others, too, though.
June 19, 2007
"Forward the Foundation", Asimov's last novel (written just before his death, published just after), suffers from all the problems of "Prelude to Foundation" only magnified tenfold. Once again, Hari Seldon is transmogrified into an action hero to save the crisis of the day in a prequel to the older and vastly superior Foundation novels. Unlike Prelude, however, there's not enough going on outside the short-term arc to make this one worthwhile. It's just plain silly. Part of what makes the Foundation stories so great is their ability to both offer a good story and present the idea that the individual events pale in significance to the overarching history that Seldon has planned. "Forward the Foundation" accomplishes neither.
November 6, 2021
I think I would recommend this one only for completionist reasons, but for the time, most people read this for nostalgia for the author. Asimov had just died, and Foundation was in our blood.
At least it was for me. I lived and breathed all the wonderful ideas from the original trilogy and I had really liked the sequels and then the prequels came along and I was all, Hari Seldon, Hari Seldon. I had the math in my blood. I loved Sociology because of what Asimov taught me. It was sweet.
But honestly, this brief overview of Hari's life and as he aged was more of a fan service thing than a particularly brilliant novel. The whole thug/garden thing was okay. Just okay. The later bits were spent mostly feeling funding woes or departmental setbacks. Good if you just want to focus on Hari, but I was slightly disappointed. I probably would have given it a higher rating when I read it the first time.
Still, if I'm just going to be serious about this, I'd put this firmly in the average category. And that's OKAY. I like how some of the elements are twisted into a fresher, more interesting way in the new TV show.
At least it was for me. I lived and breathed all the wonderful ideas from the original trilogy and I had really liked the sequels and then the prequels came along and I was all, Hari Seldon, Hari Seldon. I had the math in my blood. I loved Sociology because of what Asimov taught me. It was sweet.
But honestly, this brief overview of Hari's life and as he aged was more of a fan service thing than a particularly brilliant novel. The whole thug/garden thing was okay. Just okay. The later bits were spent mostly feeling funding woes or departmental setbacks. Good if you just want to focus on Hari, but I was slightly disappointed. I probably would have given it a higher rating when I read it the first time.
Still, if I'm just going to be serious about this, I'd put this firmly in the average category. And that's OKAY. I like how some of the elements are twisted into a fresher, more interesting way in the new TV show.
January 15, 2024
My favorite classic sci fi series ever.
There you have it, my third reread of this series and I got to say: it holds up. Of all the old school sci fi books I've read, this is the pinnacle. Yes it's better than Dune. Dune is awesome but the series as a whole crumbles under its own mysticism and becomes pretty incomprehensible. Foundation, on the other hand, starts out very strong, dips a little bit as Asimov explores new concepts, and then finishes really strong with the two prequels. These books are by no means perfect and suffer from bland prose, often poor characterization and sexism but as a whole, this series is some of the best sci fi that anyone can read. The series not only takes hard sic fi concepts like a intergalactic empire and space travel but overlays it with the incredible concept of psychohistory and then unravels an amazing tale of shadow governments, conspiracy, espionage, subterfuge, political brinksmanship all while exploring how different societies arrange themselves into autocracies, democracies and even communism.
MAJOR SPOILIES AHEAD
I felt bad for Asimov because aging is an enormous part of this book. Seldon ages from forty into his seventies and then dies at the end of the book after setting up the Foundation. Seldon is constantly depressed about aging and losing his loved ones and I can't help but think Asimov was projecting his own fears of age and death as he wrote this. Asimov died in 1992 and this book was published in 1993. Despite the weaknesses and sexism of Foundation, I do think Asimov was an amazing sci fi writer and he has been such an inspiration to me ever since I read this series when I was a teenager. I remember been exhilarated by the thought "Wow, THIS is science fiction." He inspired me to become a sci fi writer and a lot of Foundation influenced by own book Refraction.
This book is the second prequel and is a direct continuation of the preceding Prelude to Foundation. It centers on the author of psychohistory, Hari Seldon, and his family. This book is Asimov's most successful attempt at creating sympathetic characters. Most characters up to this point are fairly one dimensional and outright awful to read (don't get me started about Trevize, a character I loathe). This story centers around Seldon and his relationships with his wife Dors, his orphan son Raych and his grand daughter Wanda. Seldon also has meaningful relationships with Eto Demerzel (who is Daneel and ends up being the only robot left behind on Earth's moon in the final chronological book in the series). It's really cool to see how everything came together and was almost lost to start the Foundation and the telepathic Second Foundation which Wanda started on Trantor. I really enjoyed watching everything converge and it made reading these two prequel books essential to experiencing everything this series has to offer.
Anyway, farewell to Foundation until I reread you again in ten years.
There you have it, my third reread of this series and I got to say: it holds up. Of all the old school sci fi books I've read, this is the pinnacle. Yes it's better than Dune. Dune is awesome but the series as a whole crumbles under its own mysticism and becomes pretty incomprehensible. Foundation, on the other hand, starts out very strong, dips a little bit as Asimov explores new concepts, and then finishes really strong with the two prequels. These books are by no means perfect and suffer from bland prose, often poor characterization and sexism but as a whole, this series is some of the best sci fi that anyone can read. The series not only takes hard sic fi concepts like a intergalactic empire and space travel but overlays it with the incredible concept of psychohistory and then unravels an amazing tale of shadow governments, conspiracy, espionage, subterfuge, political brinksmanship all while exploring how different societies arrange themselves into autocracies, democracies and even communism.
MAJOR SPOILIES AHEAD
I felt bad for Asimov because aging is an enormous part of this book. Seldon ages from forty into his seventies and then dies at the end of the book after setting up the Foundation. Seldon is constantly depressed about aging and losing his loved ones and I can't help but think Asimov was projecting his own fears of age and death as he wrote this. Asimov died in 1992 and this book was published in 1993. Despite the weaknesses and sexism of Foundation, I do think Asimov was an amazing sci fi writer and he has been such an inspiration to me ever since I read this series when I was a teenager. I remember been exhilarated by the thought "Wow, THIS is science fiction." He inspired me to become a sci fi writer and a lot of Foundation influenced by own book Refraction.
This book is the second prequel and is a direct continuation of the preceding Prelude to Foundation. It centers on the author of psychohistory, Hari Seldon, and his family. This book is Asimov's most successful attempt at creating sympathetic characters. Most characters up to this point are fairly one dimensional and outright awful to read (don't get me started about Trevize, a character I loathe). This story centers around Seldon and his relationships with his wife Dors, his orphan son Raych and his grand daughter Wanda. Seldon also has meaningful relationships with Eto Demerzel (who is Daneel and ends up being the only robot left behind on Earth's moon in the final chronological book in the series). It's really cool to see how everything came together and was almost lost to start the Foundation and the telepathic Second Foundation which Wanda started on Trantor. I really enjoyed watching everything converge and it made reading these two prequel books essential to experiencing everything this series has to offer.
Anyway, farewell to Foundation until I reread you again in ten years.
May 17, 2022
Último libro escrito por Asimov, y publicado después de su muerte, e historia que sirve para unir con el inicio de Fundación.
Y sigue el mismo tono y ritmo que el anterior libro de la saga. En esta ocasión los acontecimientos suceden durante 50 años de la vida de Seldon, desde que descubre la psicohistoria hasta que muere. Y peca de los mismos problemas que Preludio a la Fundación: esta vez se divide en cuatro bloques cuya trama se repite una y otra vez. La psicohistoria o Hari Seldon están en peligro y en el último instante se encuentra una solución. Si no supiéramos los acontecimientos que ocurren en la trilogía original de Fundación tal vez me hubiera generado algo más de interés esta historia pero al saber lo que iba a ocurrir ha hecho que solamente me interesara cuando se hacía referencia a futuros sucesos que vemos en libros posteriores.
Además, el personaje de Seldon me sigue pareciendo un egocéntrico y borde por lo que el concepto mitificado de este personaje que tenía desde hace años se me ha caído por los suelos.
También noto la pluma ya cansada de Asimov en sus últimos años de vida ya que el tema central del libro es el paso del tiempo a través de Seldon, cómo cada vez se siente más mayor, cómo recuerda cuando era joven...y termina siendo repetitivo en exceso. Además los últimos capítulos me han parecido muy apresurados, no sé si le dio tiempo a terminarlos o los terminaron por él.
En definitiva, no es lo mejor de Asimov, pero si eres fan de Fundación siempre es un buen plan volver a leer sobre Seldon, Daneel Olivaw o la psicohistoria.
Y sigue el mismo tono y ritmo que el anterior libro de la saga. En esta ocasión los acontecimientos suceden durante 50 años de la vida de Seldon, desde que descubre la psicohistoria hasta que muere. Y peca de los mismos problemas que Preludio a la Fundación: esta vez se divide en cuatro bloques cuya trama se repite una y otra vez. La psicohistoria o Hari Seldon están en peligro y en el último instante se encuentra una solución. Si no supiéramos los acontecimientos que ocurren en la trilogía original de Fundación tal vez me hubiera generado algo más de interés esta historia pero al saber lo que iba a ocurrir ha hecho que solamente me interesara cuando se hacía referencia a futuros sucesos que vemos en libros posteriores.
Además, el personaje de Seldon me sigue pareciendo un egocéntrico y borde por lo que el concepto mitificado de este personaje que tenía desde hace años se me ha caído por los suelos.
También noto la pluma ya cansada de Asimov en sus últimos años de vida ya que el tema central del libro es el paso del tiempo a través de Seldon, cómo cada vez se siente más mayor, cómo recuerda cuando era joven...y termina siendo repetitivo en exceso. Además los últimos capítulos me han parecido muy apresurados, no sé si le dio tiempo a terminarlos o los terminaron por él.
En definitiva, no es lo mejor de Asimov, pero si eres fan de Fundación siempre es un buen plan volver a leer sobre Seldon, Daneel Olivaw o la psicohistoria.
November 13, 2014
Varies from not bad to pretty good. It almost feels more like a trio of connected novellas than one cohesive novel, which is not necessarily a bad thing. But for the most part, the sequences of events seem a little too convenient. That said, the characters are pretty decent, and the female characters are significantly more capable and well-rounded than I'm used to seeing from these Great Old SF Masters, and indeed from some of Asimov's own older works. Maybe I would have appreciated it more if I'd read the Foundation books in publication order instead of internal chronological order, but that's not how I approached it.
July 17, 2023
Con este libro finalmente llego a la relectura de la última parte de Fundación.
Me ha encantado el recorrido de Hari Seldon, muchas de estas cosas no las veía venir, así que lo he disfrutado bastante.
Me ha encantado el recorrido de Hari Seldon, muchas de estas cosas no las veía venir, así que lo he disfrutado bastante.
September 7, 2008
4.0 to 4.5 stars. Excellent book and another good installment to the Foundation series. Not quite up to the level of the original trilogy, but still an excellent read. Recommended!!!
September 5, 2023
Forward the Foundation is a sequel to Prelude to Foundation, two books that Asimov wrote many years after the original Foundation trilogy. I think that Prelude should really be read prior to tackling this one, as it picks up the theme and situation shortly after Prelude ended and continues through the latter years of Hari Seldon's life as he strives to perfect the psychohistory concept and pave the way for the Second Foundation. It's a much longer, more philosophical, and slower story than the original, and is my least favorite of the series. It seemed bloated at times, as Asimov tried to capture his own feelings of aging, tried to incorporate most all of his other works into a unified tapestry, as well as develop more depth among a more diverse cast of characters. Forward was the last novel he completed and was published posthumously. Like many of the superstars of the Golden Age like Heinlein, Bradbury, Sturgeon, van Vogt, etc., his final novel was something of a let-down for the longtime fans.
July 5, 2021
Like the first Foundation prequel, Prelude to Foundation, I found this a bit of a bloated snoozefest and admit to liberal skimming and skipping. By far the most interesting developments occur in the last several chapters, as Seldon's plan for the secretive Second Foundation take shape. The short epilogue offers a worthwhile and touching retrospective of Seldon and his contribution to galactic civilization.
November 18, 2024
Isaac Asimov's "Foundation" series is considered to be one of the best sci-fi series ever written. That is perhaps a matter of personal opinion, but it is clear that Asimov has staying power based on the popularity of his books, roughly sixty years after many of them were published.
"Forward the Foundation" is, actually, in terms of the storyline's chronology, the second book in the series, a sequel to "Prelude to Foundation" and the book leading in to "Foundation", but it was actually the most recently written and published, just a year before his death in 1992.
Like "Prelude", it is a fun, thoughtful science fiction/adventure yarn that carries on the story of Hari Seldon and his development of psychohistory and the two Foundations. His wife, Dors Venabili, adopted son Raych, and grand-daughter Wanda all play integral roles in the novel.
What makes the novel more than just a fun yarn, though, is the deeply moving almost semi-autobiographical thread that runs through the novel: Hari Seldon is clearly, in this story, an idealized version of Asimov, who, writing this novel in the twilight of his life and only a year before his passing, was more than likely re-examining the life he had led.
Seldon/Asimov's Foundation is his legacy, a chance to live on beyond death and to contribute to a better and brighter future for his children and ours. Time will tell, but I believe that Asimov's wonderful and prolific oeuvre of thoughtful fiction and nonfiction has already succeeded in helping to create a better future.
"Forward the Foundation" is, actually, in terms of the storyline's chronology, the second book in the series, a sequel to "Prelude to Foundation" and the book leading in to "Foundation", but it was actually the most recently written and published, just a year before his death in 1992.
Like "Prelude", it is a fun, thoughtful science fiction/adventure yarn that carries on the story of Hari Seldon and his development of psychohistory and the two Foundations. His wife, Dors Venabili, adopted son Raych, and grand-daughter Wanda all play integral roles in the novel.
What makes the novel more than just a fun yarn, though, is the deeply moving almost semi-autobiographical thread that runs through the novel: Hari Seldon is clearly, in this story, an idealized version of Asimov, who, writing this novel in the twilight of his life and only a year before his passing, was more than likely re-examining the life he had led.
Seldon/Asimov's Foundation is his legacy, a chance to live on beyond death and to contribute to a better and brighter future for his children and ours. Time will tell, but I believe that Asimov's wonderful and prolific oeuvre of thoughtful fiction and nonfiction has already succeeded in helping to create a better future.
June 13, 2020
Letto a 16 anni
Riletto a 47....
Rileggendo questo libro dopo 30 anni (!) mi accorgo con stupore di quanto poco rientri, almeno questo volume, nell'immaginario classico della #scifi: qui in realtà non ci sono astronavi o battaglie galattiche, tutto si svolge sull'unico pianeta di Trantor e gli unici elementi di spicco che veramente ci fanno capire che siamo nel futuro sono il fatto che della Terra si è persa ogni memoria, ci sono robot umanoidi e si sta sviluppando la psicostoria.
Eppure è un romanzo che tiene avvinti ancora, che ti fa andare avanti (anche se già ricordi qualche colpo di scena) e ti rende speranzoso di vedere l'evolversi del grande progetto di Hari Sheldon: poter prevedere a livello di statistiche e probabilità il procedere del genere umano, gli intoppi, le scarse possibilità di successo.
In questo libro si gettano le basi per quelle che saranno le Fondazioni, si fanno i primi accenni alla Seconda, poiché compaiono Wanda Sheldon e i suoi mentalisti: ebbene confesso sin d'ora la mia predilezione proprio per questo nucleo. Ho sempre provato una rabbia profonda per lo spirito di sacrificio di questi uomini e donne rispetto all'arroganza della Prima Fondazione... e andando avanti si capirà perché.
Due note: questo libro resta incentrato su Hari. Quando abbiamo iniziato la lettura del Ciclo, noi "giovani" lettori lo abbiamo conosciuto soltanto come voce dell'Enciclopedia Galattica. Non si può comprendere cosa sia stato l'impatto (e la felicità) di trovarlo in carne ed ossa soltanto decenni dopo. Qui lo troviamo in tutta la sua bravura e fragilità umana, e provi dispiacere per la sua solitudine, nonostante la sua grandezza.
E po c'è Demerzel: sembra una figura ascetica, indolore, una sorta di divinità metallica. Ma andate a leggervi "Abissi d'acciaio" e il ciclo dei Robot, e capirete perché persino lui è una figura commovente, nel suo sopravvivere (inesorabilmente e da solo) all'umanità.
Riletto a 47....
Rileggendo questo libro dopo 30 anni (!) mi accorgo con stupore di quanto poco rientri, almeno questo volume, nell'immaginario classico della #scifi: qui in realtà non ci sono astronavi o battaglie galattiche, tutto si svolge sull'unico pianeta di Trantor e gli unici elementi di spicco che veramente ci fanno capire che siamo nel futuro sono il fatto che della Terra si è persa ogni memoria, ci sono robot umanoidi e si sta sviluppando la psicostoria.
Eppure è un romanzo che tiene avvinti ancora, che ti fa andare avanti (anche se già ricordi qualche colpo di scena) e ti rende speranzoso di vedere l'evolversi del grande progetto di Hari Sheldon: poter prevedere a livello di statistiche e probabilità il procedere del genere umano, gli intoppi, le scarse possibilità di successo.
In questo libro si gettano le basi per quelle che saranno le Fondazioni, si fanno i primi accenni alla Seconda, poiché compaiono Wanda Sheldon e i suoi mentalisti: ebbene confesso sin d'ora la mia predilezione proprio per questo nucleo. Ho sempre provato una rabbia profonda per lo spirito di sacrificio di questi uomini e donne rispetto all'arroganza della Prima Fondazione... e andando avanti si capirà perché.
Due note: questo libro resta incentrato su Hari. Quando abbiamo iniziato la lettura del Ciclo, noi "giovani" lettori lo abbiamo conosciuto soltanto come voce dell'Enciclopedia Galattica. Non si può comprendere cosa sia stato l'impatto (e la felicità) di trovarlo in carne ed ossa soltanto decenni dopo. Qui lo troviamo in tutta la sua bravura e fragilità umana, e provi dispiacere per la sua solitudine, nonostante la sua grandezza.
E po c'è Demerzel: sembra una figura ascetica, indolore, una sorta di divinità metallica. Ma andate a leggervi "Abissi d'acciaio" e il ciclo dei Robot, e capirete perché persino lui è una figura commovente, nel suo sopravvivere (inesorabilmente e da solo) all'umanità.
August 28, 2024
Трудно се прави ревю на втора част в поредица без да се дадат спойлери под някаква форма. Ще кажа само, че тази част ни представя живота на Хари Селдън след като окончателно се установява на Трантор, за известен период от време той бива част и от политическата обстановка в Империята, но най-важното, че психоисторическата наука търпи своеото развитие и че трудът на Хари Селдън ще има своята приемственост в лицето на неговата внучка Уонда. След като е очевидно, че Империята върви към своя заник и всичко, което Хари е твърдял ще се превърне в реалност, ще е интересно да се види как е сработил плана му за Фондацията, която да минимизира този упадък в следващите части.
April 5, 2022
2022 reads, #16. THE GREAT COMPLETIST CHALLENGE: In which I revisit older authors and attempt to read every book they ever wrote
Currently in the challenge: Isaac Asimov's Robot/Empire/Foundation | Margaret Atwood | JG Ballard | Clive Barker | Christopher Buckley | Jim Butcher's Dresden Files | Lee Child's Jack Reacher | Philip K Dick | Ian Fleming | William Gibson | Michel Houellebecq | John Irving | Kazuo Ishiguro | Shirley Jackson | John Le Carre | Bernard Malamud | Cormac McCarthy | China Mieville | Toni Morrison | VS Naipaul | Chuck Palahniuk | Tim Powers | Terry Pratchett's Discworld | Philip Roth | Neal Stephenson | Jim Thompson | John Updike | Kurt Vonnegut | Jeanette Winterson | PG Wodehouse
So here as we reach not the last of the '80s and '90s "bridging" novels that Asimov wrote at the end of his life to bring together his famous '50s trilogies "Robot," "Empire" and "Foundation," but indeed the very last book Asimov himself wrote from start to finish before dying in 1993, I thought it'd be worth taking a little time and really asking ourselves if these bridging novels were even worth the effort, given that they've turned out even just 40 years later to be such lackluster reading experiences (and spoiler alert, that was indeed the same case here, such a disappointing read that it almost is not even worth recapping). To understand why Asimov did this, you have to understand the similarly titled "Future History" series by his friend and peer Robert Heinlein, who wrote an entire series of short stories and novels primarily in the '60s and '70s that were all set along a single persistent 300-year storyline, just that he wrote the actual stories out of chronological order; they've lost a lot of name recognition over the decades in a way that Asimov's "Foundation" books never have, but it's important to remember that in 1966, when the attendees of that year's World Science Fiction Convention decided to name an honorary Hugo Award after "Greatest Sci-Fi Series of All Time," Heinlein's Future History came in second, beaten only by Asimov's own Foundation series.
If you look at these three unrelated '50s series of Asimov while squinting and sort of half-frowning, you can sort of squeeze them together into one unified storyline, spanning not Heinlein's 300 years of the future but instead an entire 22,000, to an eventual populated Milky Way galaxy containing thousands of inhabited planets, where Earth has become the stuff of myth and legend, and where the main crisis is that the all-encompassing empire that has run the entire galaxy for the last ten thousand years is on its last gasp, and the only person who knows is an eccentric history professor who comes up with an intellectually clever way to help humanity prevent its own destruction despite itself. But that takes bending some roads in really curvy ways to get all the details to line up, including the fact that the "Empire" trilogy envisions an expanded humanity where not a robot is in sight, while the "Robot" trilogy (taking place thousands of years previously, in a day-after-tomorrow Earth) features tens of thousands of robots everywhere; and that in the "Empire" books, Earth is now supposed to be a radioactive wasteland, while no such indication is given in the "Robot" books.
That's where these eight books from the '80s and '90s came from, a desire to write all the twisty, exposition-heavy roads that lead from one trilogy to the next, and then attempts no less at taking the very last book and somehow trying to tie it back to the first book set 22,000 years previous. That's ballsy, to be sure, and it officially brings Asimov's timeline to an inarguable "megaseries" status, a great thing to leave behind for all of us in the future to think of as a single, monumental work from this genre pioneer and once massively popular author. It's impressive to be able to say "Asimov's Future History," and he deserves credit for devoting the last decade of his life and the last of his physical health to accomplishing this busy feat. But, as my almost exclusively disappointed reactions to the books have made clear, they've all been profound letdowns as actual reading experiences, franchise-propping scaffolding that exists for almost no other reason than to pass along story beats, and that really feel like the work of a worn-out old man who had nothing left of interest to say.
That by itself is tragic enough, but another bad thing these bridging novels deliver, that wouldn't have existed at all without these books existing, is Asimov's increasingly adamant refusal as an old man to ever look back at his old behavior or writing, or to ever think that an apology or at least a rethinking was in order. In fact, Asimov expressly used these last novels of his career to defiantly still engage in the exact behavior that his increasingly younger critics excoriated in his books, such as the subsumed racism of '50s-style "PG-rated" slurs like "boy," and the out-and-out sexism and sexual objectifiction of every female character. He didn't need to do that -- even if he wasn't going to be progressive enough to acknowledge his critics and change those references, he could've easily just stayed neutral on the subject -- so to purposely put them in is a legitimate "fuck you" from Asimov at the end of his life to the people who eventually became the "woke crowd," and who would eat him alive if he happened to be alive and in his nineties and still trying to publish now, like poor old creepy Woody Allen.
So where do we place these books? As the excuse that brings you and I together in this megareview of his megaseries? As a real mistake that left a bitter aftertaste to Asimov's career right when he should've been getting lionized? Good for several more awards and another several million into the Asimov estate checking account before the check-writer finally croaked? All of the above? For me, I like to think about how complex and interesting someone like Asimov's career was that we should still be caring about the arguments 30 years later; flawed to be sure, and sometimes very deliberately and not just a "sign of his times," but also impressive and prodigious, and that laid such important groundwork in the legitimizing of science-fiction that he simply cannot be ignored. Hell, there was a brand-new adaptation of "Foundation" on Apple+ just this last spring; I mean, a shitty and unwatchable adaptation, make no mistake, but there's something amazing to be said that people are still willing to gamble hundreds of millions of dollars on his stories. So if the bridging novels are what's needed to tie together the historical importance and lasting power of these three original '50s trilogies, then I suppose that's not necessarily the worst thing, especially since after you read them all for the first time, you never have to reapproach the bridging tales ever again for as long as you live.
And that finally brings us to the reason I started this megareview in the first place -- because Asimov's original '50s "Foundation" trilogy was the first adult science-fiction I ever read, some of the first adult fiction that I had ever read at all, tied in closely to my nostalgic memories of being in my grandparents' house in the '70s and '80s and peering through my dad and uncle's old '40 through '60s sci-fi collection on the musty back shelves of the guest bedroom. I started reviewing the first Robot novel two and a half years ago precisely because I wanted to get to the point that I'm at right this moment, entering the original "Foundation" trilogy I loved so much as a teen and seeing how it now not only stacks up against the rest of the "Future History" megaseries, but also how it stacks up against time. We'll be talking a lot more about that in the next review, for 1951's Foundation which started them all, so I hope you'll have a chance to join me again next month for that.
Isaac Asimov books being reviewed for this series: I, Robot (1950) | The Caves of Steel (1954) | The Naked Sun (1957) | The Robots of Dawn (1983) | Robots and Empire (1985) | The Stars, Like Dust (1951) | The Currents of Space (1952) | Pebble in the Sky (1950) | Prelude to Foundation (1988) | Forward the Foundation (1993) | Foundation (1951) | Foundation and Empire (1952) | Second Foundation (1953) | Foundation's Edge (1982) | Foundation and Earth (1986)
Currently in the challenge: Isaac Asimov's Robot/Empire/Foundation | Margaret Atwood | JG Ballard | Clive Barker | Christopher Buckley | Jim Butcher's Dresden Files | Lee Child's Jack Reacher | Philip K Dick | Ian Fleming | William Gibson | Michel Houellebecq | John Irving | Kazuo Ishiguro | Shirley Jackson | John Le Carre | Bernard Malamud | Cormac McCarthy | China Mieville | Toni Morrison | VS Naipaul | Chuck Palahniuk | Tim Powers | Terry Pratchett's Discworld | Philip Roth | Neal Stephenson | Jim Thompson | John Updike | Kurt Vonnegut | Jeanette Winterson | PG Wodehouse
So here as we reach not the last of the '80s and '90s "bridging" novels that Asimov wrote at the end of his life to bring together his famous '50s trilogies "Robot," "Empire" and "Foundation," but indeed the very last book Asimov himself wrote from start to finish before dying in 1993, I thought it'd be worth taking a little time and really asking ourselves if these bridging novels were even worth the effort, given that they've turned out even just 40 years later to be such lackluster reading experiences (and spoiler alert, that was indeed the same case here, such a disappointing read that it almost is not even worth recapping). To understand why Asimov did this, you have to understand the similarly titled "Future History" series by his friend and peer Robert Heinlein, who wrote an entire series of short stories and novels primarily in the '60s and '70s that were all set along a single persistent 300-year storyline, just that he wrote the actual stories out of chronological order; they've lost a lot of name recognition over the decades in a way that Asimov's "Foundation" books never have, but it's important to remember that in 1966, when the attendees of that year's World Science Fiction Convention decided to name an honorary Hugo Award after "Greatest Sci-Fi Series of All Time," Heinlein's Future History came in second, beaten only by Asimov's own Foundation series.
If you look at these three unrelated '50s series of Asimov while squinting and sort of half-frowning, you can sort of squeeze them together into one unified storyline, spanning not Heinlein's 300 years of the future but instead an entire 22,000, to an eventual populated Milky Way galaxy containing thousands of inhabited planets, where Earth has become the stuff of myth and legend, and where the main crisis is that the all-encompassing empire that has run the entire galaxy for the last ten thousand years is on its last gasp, and the only person who knows is an eccentric history professor who comes up with an intellectually clever way to help humanity prevent its own destruction despite itself. But that takes bending some roads in really curvy ways to get all the details to line up, including the fact that the "Empire" trilogy envisions an expanded humanity where not a robot is in sight, while the "Robot" trilogy (taking place thousands of years previously, in a day-after-tomorrow Earth) features tens of thousands of robots everywhere; and that in the "Empire" books, Earth is now supposed to be a radioactive wasteland, while no such indication is given in the "Robot" books.
That's where these eight books from the '80s and '90s came from, a desire to write all the twisty, exposition-heavy roads that lead from one trilogy to the next, and then attempts no less at taking the very last book and somehow trying to tie it back to the first book set 22,000 years previous. That's ballsy, to be sure, and it officially brings Asimov's timeline to an inarguable "megaseries" status, a great thing to leave behind for all of us in the future to think of as a single, monumental work from this genre pioneer and once massively popular author. It's impressive to be able to say "Asimov's Future History," and he deserves credit for devoting the last decade of his life and the last of his physical health to accomplishing this busy feat. But, as my almost exclusively disappointed reactions to the books have made clear, they've all been profound letdowns as actual reading experiences, franchise-propping scaffolding that exists for almost no other reason than to pass along story beats, and that really feel like the work of a worn-out old man who had nothing left of interest to say.
That by itself is tragic enough, but another bad thing these bridging novels deliver, that wouldn't have existed at all without these books existing, is Asimov's increasingly adamant refusal as an old man to ever look back at his old behavior or writing, or to ever think that an apology or at least a rethinking was in order. In fact, Asimov expressly used these last novels of his career to defiantly still engage in the exact behavior that his increasingly younger critics excoriated in his books, such as the subsumed racism of '50s-style "PG-rated" slurs like "boy," and the out-and-out sexism and sexual objectifiction of every female character. He didn't need to do that -- even if he wasn't going to be progressive enough to acknowledge his critics and change those references, he could've easily just stayed neutral on the subject -- so to purposely put them in is a legitimate "fuck you" from Asimov at the end of his life to the people who eventually became the "woke crowd," and who would eat him alive if he happened to be alive and in his nineties and still trying to publish now, like poor old creepy Woody Allen.
So where do we place these books? As the excuse that brings you and I together in this megareview of his megaseries? As a real mistake that left a bitter aftertaste to Asimov's career right when he should've been getting lionized? Good for several more awards and another several million into the Asimov estate checking account before the check-writer finally croaked? All of the above? For me, I like to think about how complex and interesting someone like Asimov's career was that we should still be caring about the arguments 30 years later; flawed to be sure, and sometimes very deliberately and not just a "sign of his times," but also impressive and prodigious, and that laid such important groundwork in the legitimizing of science-fiction that he simply cannot be ignored. Hell, there was a brand-new adaptation of "Foundation" on Apple+ just this last spring; I mean, a shitty and unwatchable adaptation, make no mistake, but there's something amazing to be said that people are still willing to gamble hundreds of millions of dollars on his stories. So if the bridging novels are what's needed to tie together the historical importance and lasting power of these three original '50s trilogies, then I suppose that's not necessarily the worst thing, especially since after you read them all for the first time, you never have to reapproach the bridging tales ever again for as long as you live.
And that finally brings us to the reason I started this megareview in the first place -- because Asimov's original '50s "Foundation" trilogy was the first adult science-fiction I ever read, some of the first adult fiction that I had ever read at all, tied in closely to my nostalgic memories of being in my grandparents' house in the '70s and '80s and peering through my dad and uncle's old '40 through '60s sci-fi collection on the musty back shelves of the guest bedroom. I started reviewing the first Robot novel two and a half years ago precisely because I wanted to get to the point that I'm at right this moment, entering the original "Foundation" trilogy I loved so much as a teen and seeing how it now not only stacks up against the rest of the "Future History" megaseries, but also how it stacks up against time. We'll be talking a lot more about that in the next review, for 1951's Foundation which started them all, so I hope you'll have a chance to join me again next month for that.
Isaac Asimov books being reviewed for this series: I, Robot (1950) | The Caves of Steel (1954) | The Naked Sun (1957) | The Robots of Dawn (1983) | Robots and Empire (1985) | The Stars, Like Dust (1951) | The Currents of Space (1952) | Pebble in the Sky (1950) | Prelude to Foundation (1988) | Forward the Foundation (1993) | Foundation (1951) | Foundation and Empire (1952) | Second Foundation (1953) | Foundation's Edge (1982) | Foundation and Earth (1986)
April 5, 2012
This was the last novel Isaac Asimov completed before his death in 1992, and it is pervaded by an undercurrent of mortality. Not only does this volume tie up most of the remaining loose ends in the sporadic Foundation series, but by focusing on the latter half of Hari Seldon's life, it provides Asimov with a platform for expressing his own views on growing older.
There is a very clear progression in Asimov's writing style over the years. Although he never entirely overcame his fundamental geekiness, his style did become considerably more relaxed, less wooden with the passing of years, particularly with regard to characterization and dialogue. And, truth be told, in Asimov's case, even the geekiness holds a certain charm: apart from the characters, the plot, or the specifics of any given book, we, the readers, feel as if the author values our time, treats us well, and never talks down to us. Asimov's voice is that of a friend, and it has been missed in the intervening years.
Fans might question the need for what amounts to a second prequel to the Foundation trilogy, but Asimov supplies more than enough by way of the unexpected to both maintain the reader's interest and remain relevant to the larger overall story arc. This is not merely an excuse for an old man to muse in third person about the approach of death. That was just a side benefit of writing this story, and it is perhaps part of his genius that he devised a story that allows for both without sacrificing either.
How ironic, when reading Asimov's works, to realize that he did not live long enough to see the rise of the Internet or the construction of the International Space Station. Most personal computers were still running under DOS. Facebook and Twitter were decades in the future. In the end, however, as played out in the book's final scene, Asimov's regrets as he approached the end of his life had less to do with what the future might have held than with the indelible past.
There is a very clear progression in Asimov's writing style over the years. Although he never entirely overcame his fundamental geekiness, his style did become considerably more relaxed, less wooden with the passing of years, particularly with regard to characterization and dialogue. And, truth be told, in Asimov's case, even the geekiness holds a certain charm: apart from the characters, the plot, or the specifics of any given book, we, the readers, feel as if the author values our time, treats us well, and never talks down to us. Asimov's voice is that of a friend, and it has been missed in the intervening years.
Fans might question the need for what amounts to a second prequel to the Foundation trilogy, but Asimov supplies more than enough by way of the unexpected to both maintain the reader's interest and remain relevant to the larger overall story arc. This is not merely an excuse for an old man to muse in third person about the approach of death. That was just a side benefit of writing this story, and it is perhaps part of his genius that he devised a story that allows for both without sacrificing either.
How ironic, when reading Asimov's works, to realize that he did not live long enough to see the rise of the Internet or the construction of the International Space Station. Most personal computers were still running under DOS. Facebook and Twitter were decades in the future. In the end, however, as played out in the book's final scene, Asimov's regrets as he approached the end of his life had less to do with what the future might have held than with the indelible past.
April 3, 2019
Knjiga koja daje najvise informacija do sada o tome sta je "Psihoistorija" ali isto tako i najdublje ulazi u intimni svet Harija Seldona, njegove porodice i prijatelja. Zapleti su manje vise ocekivani ali na jako zanimljiv nacin vodi ka uspostavljanju Zaduzbine i onome sta nas ocekuje u centralnoj Asimovljevoj trilogiji.
Read
December 29, 2017Un excelente final de precuela :D! Lo único malo es que algunas soluciones, por no decir todas, llegan a ser predecibles, pero cuando le tienes cariño a la historia y a los personajes las llegas a perdonar al autor :D Me da la sensación que este libro es mejor leerlo al final de toda la saga...
September 7, 2021
This is the perfect book to go between the first prequel to Foundation (Prelude to Foundation) and Foundation itself!
Of course, having read Foundation first (decades ago), it is difficult for me to look at this book in the same way a reader might who has not read Foundation first – I was constantly (and pleasantly) comparing the thought processes and younger life of the incomparable Hari Seldon in this book to the vision we are given of Seldon in Foundation, when he is established as an old and very wise demigod and thorough planner of human civilization for the next millennia.
The story is told (sort of) in the form of four novellas and a short story… which, of course, tie together seamlessly. I say this because the novel is, in fact, broken into five parts, with each part dealing with a new decade of Seldon’s life (his 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s). Each decade sees Seldon having to deal with a new crisis and making new headway on his important psychohistory project (the statistical ability to predict the future). So, in this book we see how the “concept” of psychohistory (which is all that Seldon has in the previous book) develops into the finely-tuned instrument that is in use in Foundation.
The other thing that struck me with this book is Seldon’s own inner thought processes as he ages. In his 40s, he has the inevitable “I’m getting old” that (in my experience) few 40-year-olds seem to escape. As the decades pass, he questions whether he really is up to the job mentally of continuing his research – against all evidence to the contrary and the beliefs of his colleagues, friends and family. Asimov manages to present this grinding down of self-confidence in a very real way. Most interestingly though, is the philosophic way Seldon accepts his old age and predicted death toward the end: A not-unhappy looking back on his life, appreciating his time with people he has loved, pondering whether he could or should have done things differently, and an acceptance that he is going to die. I think the reason this aspect of the book struck me as being so genuine is because Asimov finished this book just shortly before his own death. In a way, I could “feel” him looking back through his own decades and the different challenges he faced along the way. I could imagine him at least trying to face his own impending death with the same equanimity that Seldon faced his. (I hope he succeeded.)
Overall, this was an extremely well done building up of the legend of Hari Seldon that both enriches and humanizes the character we come to love in Foundation. And I am now so excited to delve into Foundation!
Of course, having read Foundation first (decades ago), it is difficult for me to look at this book in the same way a reader might who has not read Foundation first – I was constantly (and pleasantly) comparing the thought processes and younger life of the incomparable Hari Seldon in this book to the vision we are given of Seldon in Foundation, when he is established as an old and very wise demigod and thorough planner of human civilization for the next millennia.
The story is told (sort of) in the form of four novellas and a short story… which, of course, tie together seamlessly. I say this because the novel is, in fact, broken into five parts, with each part dealing with a new decade of Seldon’s life (his 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s). Each decade sees Seldon having to deal with a new crisis and making new headway on his important psychohistory project (the statistical ability to predict the future). So, in this book we see how the “concept” of psychohistory (which is all that Seldon has in the previous book) develops into the finely-tuned instrument that is in use in Foundation.
The other thing that struck me with this book is Seldon’s own inner thought processes as he ages. In his 40s, he has the inevitable “I’m getting old” that (in my experience) few 40-year-olds seem to escape. As the decades pass, he questions whether he really is up to the job mentally of continuing his research – against all evidence to the contrary and the beliefs of his colleagues, friends and family. Asimov manages to present this grinding down of self-confidence in a very real way. Most interestingly though, is the philosophic way Seldon accepts his old age and predicted death toward the end: A not-unhappy looking back on his life, appreciating his time with people he has loved, pondering whether he could or should have done things differently, and an acceptance that he is going to die. I think the reason this aspect of the book struck me as being so genuine is because Asimov finished this book just shortly before his own death. In a way, I could “feel” him looking back through his own decades and the different challenges he faced along the way. I could imagine him at least trying to face his own impending death with the same equanimity that Seldon faced his. (I hope he succeeded.)
Overall, this was an extremely well done building up of the legend of Hari Seldon that both enriches and humanizes the character we come to love in Foundation. And I am now so excited to delve into Foundation!
October 15, 2017
Settimo ed ultimo capitolo della saga della Fondazione: capitolo, senza dubbio, inferiore ai precedenti, però comunque ha il suo perchè. Primo perchè chiude il cerchio, tutto viene spiegato, tutti i personaggi vengono caratterizzati per una chiara comprensione della storia. Secondo perchè appena si leggono i trafiletti tratti dall'"Enciclopedica Galattica" come si fa a non proseguire con la lettura. Terzo perchè lo stile di Asimov è ineguagliabile, ha una scrittura talmente delicata, accogliente e poetica che non si può non essere colpiti.
August 23, 2020
Hacia La Fundación.- Isaac Asimov
"-Está utilizando argumentos racionales, y me temo que el ser racional no va a estar muy de moda durante una temporada."
Ocho años después de los eventos de Preludio A La Fundación, Hari Seldon continúa desarrollando la psicohistoria, ciencia que ya está alcanzando un desarrollo tal, que comienza a tener usos prácticos y no solamente teóricos. Mientras tanto en el Imperio comienzan los primeros síntomas de su desmoronamiento.
Hacia La Fundación es una novela publicada de forma póstuma en 1993 y es la segunda precuela de la trilogía original de La Fundación. Está dividida en capítulos largos, con saltos temporales, que van contando la vida de Hari Seldon, su familia y sus colaboradores.
Como en sus mejores libros, la trama de esta historia (que es importante y además muy buena) es la excusa de Asimov para hablarnos de otras cosas, temas fundamentales. La importancia de la familia, la partida de los seres queridos, el hacer algo que nos apasione en la ínfima cantidad de tiempo que pasamos por este barrio, la hermosa y única relación que se da entre abuelos y nietos, y por supuesto, el envejecer y sus consecuencias. Pero hay algo más que a Isaac lo movilizaba y es la importancia del conocimiento y su divulgación hacia otras personas, porque si no se transmite, ese conocimiento no sirve para mucho.
La transmisión de conocimientos (y en el camino escribir buenas historias) es una forma también de vivir más allá de la propia vida.
🤘🤘🤘🤘
Libro leído para la LC #leemosAsimov
"-Está utilizando argumentos racionales, y me temo que el ser racional no va a estar muy de moda durante una temporada."
Ocho años después de los eventos de Preludio A La Fundación, Hari Seldon continúa desarrollando la psicohistoria, ciencia que ya está alcanzando un desarrollo tal, que comienza a tener usos prácticos y no solamente teóricos. Mientras tanto en el Imperio comienzan los primeros síntomas de su desmoronamiento.
Hacia La Fundación es una novela publicada de forma póstuma en 1993 y es la segunda precuela de la trilogía original de La Fundación. Está dividida en capítulos largos, con saltos temporales, que van contando la vida de Hari Seldon, su familia y sus colaboradores.
Como en sus mejores libros, la trama de esta historia (que es importante y además muy buena) es la excusa de Asimov para hablarnos de otras cosas, temas fundamentales. La importancia de la familia, la partida de los seres queridos, el hacer algo que nos apasione en la ínfima cantidad de tiempo que pasamos por este barrio, la hermosa y única relación que se da entre abuelos y nietos, y por supuesto, el envejecer y sus consecuencias. Pero hay algo más que a Isaac lo movilizaba y es la importancia del conocimiento y su divulgación hacia otras personas, porque si no se transmite, ese conocimiento no sirve para mucho.
La transmisión de conocimientos (y en el camino escribir buenas historias) es una forma también de vivir más allá de la propia vida.
🤘🤘🤘🤘
Libro leído para la LC #leemosAsimov
December 18, 2024
Времето ми прекарано с тази космическа одисея беше едно от най-добрите ми четивни моменти и остави своят траен отпечатък.
На финал исках да се смея и да плача. Два тома приключения. 1901 страници умствена гимнастика, носеща страхотна наслада.
Мозъчните ми клетки пеят и танцуват.
Финалът…
На финал исках да се смея и да плача. Два тома приключения. 1901 страници умствена гимнастика, носеща страхотна наслада.
Мозъчните ми клетки пеят и танцуват.
Финалът…
August 6, 2018
Cuando el contenido vence a la forma: Hacia la Fundación
A menudo me preguntan por qué estudié Filosofía. A menudo bromeo: que porque mientras ingenieros y abogados se dedican a las cosas útiles, alguien debía ocuparse de las importantes, que porque era la única facultad que daba tantas becas, que porque quería bajar de peso… Para ser sincero, pocas veces termino respondiendo esta pregunta de manera seria. Y cuando lo hago, creen que bromeo: estudié Filosofía porque soy fanático de la Ciencia Ficción.
Sí. La literatura de Ciencia Ficción que leí los últimos años antes de entrar a la universidad me llevó a plantearme preguntas y considerar temas filosóficos que anteriormente me tenían sin cuidado. Isaac Asimov es en gran parte responsable de mi gusto por la Filosofìa. Si bien fueron sus cuentos los que me llevaron a plantearme más preguntas y toda su obra está profundamente cargada de planteamientos filosóficos, creo que en la saga de Fundación el tono filosófico es patente y tuvieron un impacto signifcativo en mi vida.
En su novela Hacia la Fundación, Asimov nos plantea una problemática interesante: ¿Qué pasaría si fuera posible predecir los acontecimientos futuros?, ¿qué hacer cuando predices que la civilización (que se ha extendido por toda la galaxia) está destinada a colapsar? Estas preguntas que aparecieron previamente en Preludio a la Fundación, siguen presentes pero también las consecuencias son más graves: el psicohistoriador Hari Seldon se enfrenta a nuevos enemigos y lucha por llevar a cabo su legado más importante: Fundación.
Hacia la Fundación es una novela conformada por una serie de relatos largos en los que se narra la vida Hari, Dors, Raych, Demerzel, años después de los acontecimientos en la novela anterior. Aunque en el formato a manera de relatos se parece más a Fundación, el estilo y narrativa recuerdan mucho a Preludio. Asimov hace mucho énfasis en los sentimientos de sus personajes, en la manera en que cada uno se percibe a sí mismo y en sus reflexiones acerca de cuál es el papel que desempeñan.
En este libro Asimov plantea preguntas sobre la democracia, la estabilidad política, la importancia del acceso al conocimiento y la cultura: cuestiones que para Asimov resultaban de suma importancia en su época y contexto y que creo que, con el auge de Internet y un mayor acceso a medios digitales de información, siguen siendo vigentes.
Si bien el estilo me pareció un tanto repetitivo (resulta cansado que cada vez que aparece Dors se mencione su agilidad y fuerza; siempre que aparece Hari, lo viejo que se siente, etc. ) el valor de las novelas de Isaac Asimov radica no en su prosa ni su narrativa sino en su trasfondo filosófico.
Me parece que si su obra de ciencia ficción es tan reconocida, no es por el manejo de las palabras, sino por el manejo de los conceptos. La ciencia ficción es el lugar perfecto para ‘experimentar’ y plantearse escenarios que aunque nos puedan parecer lejanos o ridículos nos sirven para cuestionar y preguntarnos si a gran escala es sostenible el estilo de vida que llevamos.
Asimov es el claro ejemplo de que el fondo puede vencer fácilmente a la forma: Su estilo jamás será tan auténtico como el de Philip K. Dick, ni su humor tan ágil y cómico como el de Douglas Adams, ni su prosa tan bella como la de Bradbury. Pero aún así es memorable. No importa la manera tan llana en la que relate los acontecimientos, el fondo filosófico le da solidez a su obra. El argumento está bien planteado y sobre él se desenvuelven de manera ordenada y clara los problemas y su eventual resolución. No, no digo que sea mejor que K. Dick, Adams o Bradbury, ni que ellos carezcan de trasfondo filosófico. Mi punto es que Asimov, permanecerá siempre como uno de los grandes de la ciencia ficción, a pesar de tener una prosa y estilo que en terminos literarios y estéticos palidece si se compara la de otros autores.
Para quienes leímos Fundación y en especial, Segunda Fundación resulta interesantísimo conocer no solamente qué pasó antes de las Fundaciones sino qué es lo que pensaba Hari Seldon y cómo se fueron materializando poco a poco y a pesar de tantos enemigos, las ideas del psicohistoriador. A pesar de haber sido la última novela del buen Patillas, en la cronología de la saga de Fundación, encaja perfectamente, como un vínculo que une al Seldon recién llegado a Trántor con el anciano Seldon de Fundación.
El hecho de que Hacia la Fundación se inserte de manera tan natural dentro de la saga de Fundación, hace que no sea un libro que recomiende a quienes no están familiarizados con la obra de Asimov: pertenece a un contexto muy particular y, hay que reconocerlo, no es la mejor de sus novelas. Sin embargo, para quienes ya han leído algo de Asimov, creo que puede ser un excelente punto de partida si quieren introducirse en la Saga de Fundación.
Puedes leer esto y más, en mi blog :D
A menudo me preguntan por qué estudié Filosofía. A menudo bromeo: que porque mientras ingenieros y abogados se dedican a las cosas útiles, alguien debía ocuparse de las importantes, que porque era la única facultad que daba tantas becas, que porque quería bajar de peso… Para ser sincero, pocas veces termino respondiendo esta pregunta de manera seria. Y cuando lo hago, creen que bromeo: estudié Filosofía porque soy fanático de la Ciencia Ficción.
Sí. La literatura de Ciencia Ficción que leí los últimos años antes de entrar a la universidad me llevó a plantearme preguntas y considerar temas filosóficos que anteriormente me tenían sin cuidado. Isaac Asimov es en gran parte responsable de mi gusto por la Filosofìa. Si bien fueron sus cuentos los que me llevaron a plantearme más preguntas y toda su obra está profundamente cargada de planteamientos filosóficos, creo que en la saga de Fundación el tono filosófico es patente y tuvieron un impacto signifcativo en mi vida.
En su novela Hacia la Fundación, Asimov nos plantea una problemática interesante: ¿Qué pasaría si fuera posible predecir los acontecimientos futuros?, ¿qué hacer cuando predices que la civilización (que se ha extendido por toda la galaxia) está destinada a colapsar? Estas preguntas que aparecieron previamente en Preludio a la Fundación, siguen presentes pero también las consecuencias son más graves: el psicohistoriador Hari Seldon se enfrenta a nuevos enemigos y lucha por llevar a cabo su legado más importante: Fundación.
Hacia la Fundación es una novela conformada por una serie de relatos largos en los que se narra la vida Hari, Dors, Raych, Demerzel, años después de los acontecimientos en la novela anterior. Aunque en el formato a manera de relatos se parece más a Fundación, el estilo y narrativa recuerdan mucho a Preludio. Asimov hace mucho énfasis en los sentimientos de sus personajes, en la manera en que cada uno se percibe a sí mismo y en sus reflexiones acerca de cuál es el papel que desempeñan.
En este libro Asimov plantea preguntas sobre la democracia, la estabilidad política, la importancia del acceso al conocimiento y la cultura: cuestiones que para Asimov resultaban de suma importancia en su época y contexto y que creo que, con el auge de Internet y un mayor acceso a medios digitales de información, siguen siendo vigentes.
Si bien el estilo me pareció un tanto repetitivo (resulta cansado que cada vez que aparece Dors se mencione su agilidad y fuerza; siempre que aparece Hari, lo viejo que se siente, etc. ) el valor de las novelas de Isaac Asimov radica no en su prosa ni su narrativa sino en su trasfondo filosófico.
Me parece que si su obra de ciencia ficción es tan reconocida, no es por el manejo de las palabras, sino por el manejo de los conceptos. La ciencia ficción es el lugar perfecto para ‘experimentar’ y plantearse escenarios que aunque nos puedan parecer lejanos o ridículos nos sirven para cuestionar y preguntarnos si a gran escala es sostenible el estilo de vida que llevamos.
Asimov es el claro ejemplo de que el fondo puede vencer fácilmente a la forma: Su estilo jamás será tan auténtico como el de Philip K. Dick, ni su humor tan ágil y cómico como el de Douglas Adams, ni su prosa tan bella como la de Bradbury. Pero aún así es memorable. No importa la manera tan llana en la que relate los acontecimientos, el fondo filosófico le da solidez a su obra. El argumento está bien planteado y sobre él se desenvuelven de manera ordenada y clara los problemas y su eventual resolución. No, no digo que sea mejor que K. Dick, Adams o Bradbury, ni que ellos carezcan de trasfondo filosófico. Mi punto es que Asimov, permanecerá siempre como uno de los grandes de la ciencia ficción, a pesar de tener una prosa y estilo que en terminos literarios y estéticos palidece si se compara la de otros autores.
Para quienes leímos Fundación y en especial, Segunda Fundación resulta interesantísimo conocer no solamente qué pasó antes de las Fundaciones sino qué es lo que pensaba Hari Seldon y cómo se fueron materializando poco a poco y a pesar de tantos enemigos, las ideas del psicohistoriador. A pesar de haber sido la última novela del buen Patillas, en la cronología de la saga de Fundación, encaja perfectamente, como un vínculo que une al Seldon recién llegado a Trántor con el anciano Seldon de Fundación.
El hecho de que Hacia la Fundación se inserte de manera tan natural dentro de la saga de Fundación, hace que no sea un libro que recomiende a quienes no están familiarizados con la obra de Asimov: pertenece a un contexto muy particular y, hay que reconocerlo, no es la mejor de sus novelas. Sin embargo, para quienes ya han leído algo de Asimov, creo que puede ser un excelente punto de partida si quieren introducirse en la Saga de Fundación.
Puedes leer esto y más, en mi blog :D
April 17, 2021
Maybe it’s because this is Asimov’s last Foundation novel, published shortly after his death. Maybe it’s because it’s the last Asimov novel I am likely to read, now that I have completed my re-read of this entire series. Whatever the reason, I am inclined more favourably towards Forward the Foundation than I have been to the other books. Now, I will still pan Asimov’s writing skills and the general plot of the book. Nevertheless, this book is certainly not the worst in the series.
Picking up ten years after Prelude to Foundation, this book continues to follow Hari Seldon and his associates on Trantor. Seldon is still working on making psychohistory viable, but it is a lifetime of work. He is aware of his age—he’s forty at the start of the book, oh my God! As decades pass, Asimov tells us the story broken up into shorter novellas like he did with the first book (which might be one of the reasons this one feels more coherent?). In the end, we arrive at the founding of the Foundations that made the rest of the series possible. Full circle. Loop closed. Good night, sweet science fiction author: your work here is done.
Asimov’s intentness upon Seldon’s discomfort around his age jumps out immediately and feels so uncomfortable to me, a 31-year-old reader. Is this Asimov projecting his own advanced age and frailties onto his character of Seldon? Forty is not that old, my dude. Even when Seldon reaches the age of 60, I’m not sure he would be as “infirm” as you make him out to be. Then again, one might also interpret this as a microcosm for the wider decay of the Galactic Empire, which is the principal theme Asimov spins out over the course of this novel: the Empire’s last days are here, and only Seldon can provide the guidance (through psychohistory) that might mitigate the darkness ahead.
We’ve heard this before, of course. It turns out that watching the Foundations being built is not nearly as exciting as watching them existing and doing things. That being said, I’ll give Asimov credit for having plenty of action in this book—both physical and mental battles abound. There is plenty of tension, plenty of reversals, and lots of characters beyond Seldon get their time in the limelight. Shocked as I am to admit it … this book might actually have good pacing and an all right plot structure.
Ultimately, it is clear that Asimov wanted to tie up all the loose ends and fully explain the origins of the Foundations—and in particular, the psychic powers of the Second Foundationers. He even ties in another novel of his, Nemesis (which I don’t plan to read) that is only loosely related. This is the double-edged sword of long-lived and prolific authors: it can be a joy to see them revisit their oeuvre and continue to expand upon their earlier works. Yet that temptation, taken once too often, can become treacherous (I feel this way with Terry Brooks and the Shannara series as well). I’ll give Asimov credit for largely avoiding too much retconning or other such changes that could undermine what he accomplished with his earlier works.
Overall, the Foundation series is obviously a classic science fiction series, and I won’t argue otherwise. But if you have read my reviews of the other books here, then you’ll know that I don’t think it’s a particularly good set of classics. Asimov is not a great writer in the most technical sense of the word, nor is he a particularly grand storyteller, and his attitudes towards women leave a lot to be desired. Yes, some of his big ideas are interesting and commendable, yet I will argue that many of them are not particularly thought-provoking or so original that someone else wouldn’t have come along and done something similar.
So my verdict: if you are interested in the history of science fiction as a genre, reading this series (or at least the first few books) is a good idea. Asimov’s role in that history is indisputable even if his reputation is up for debate. If, however, you are a fan of science fiction but not particularly interested in its older, sexist iterations like this series, then give this a miss. You aren’t missing out.
I am fairly certain now that I have closed the chapter on my reading of Asimov. I have no desire to dig into his robot novels or any other works. I will hang on to these books in my library for a while, and then perhaps one day I will trade them in or pass them on to the next people who are interested in this slice of sci-fi history. It was an interesting experience, but it is also one I am happy to leave behind.
Originally posted on Kara.Reviews, where you can easily browse all my reviews and subscribe to my newsletter.
Picking up ten years after Prelude to Foundation, this book continues to follow Hari Seldon and his associates on Trantor. Seldon is still working on making psychohistory viable, but it is a lifetime of work. He is aware of his age—he’s forty at the start of the book, oh my God! As decades pass, Asimov tells us the story broken up into shorter novellas like he did with the first book (which might be one of the reasons this one feels more coherent?). In the end, we arrive at the founding of the Foundations that made the rest of the series possible. Full circle. Loop closed. Good night, sweet science fiction author: your work here is done.
Asimov’s intentness upon Seldon’s discomfort around his age jumps out immediately and feels so uncomfortable to me, a 31-year-old reader. Is this Asimov projecting his own advanced age and frailties onto his character of Seldon? Forty is not that old, my dude. Even when Seldon reaches the age of 60, I’m not sure he would be as “infirm” as you make him out to be. Then again, one might also interpret this as a microcosm for the wider decay of the Galactic Empire, which is the principal theme Asimov spins out over the course of this novel: the Empire’s last days are here, and only Seldon can provide the guidance (through psychohistory) that might mitigate the darkness ahead.
We’ve heard this before, of course. It turns out that watching the Foundations being built is not nearly as exciting as watching them existing and doing things. That being said, I’ll give Asimov credit for having plenty of action in this book—both physical and mental battles abound. There is plenty of tension, plenty of reversals, and lots of characters beyond Seldon get their time in the limelight. Shocked as I am to admit it … this book might actually have good pacing and an all right plot structure.
Ultimately, it is clear that Asimov wanted to tie up all the loose ends and fully explain the origins of the Foundations—and in particular, the psychic powers of the Second Foundationers. He even ties in another novel of his, Nemesis (which I don’t plan to read) that is only loosely related. This is the double-edged sword of long-lived and prolific authors: it can be a joy to see them revisit their oeuvre and continue to expand upon their earlier works. Yet that temptation, taken once too often, can become treacherous (I feel this way with Terry Brooks and the Shannara series as well). I’ll give Asimov credit for largely avoiding too much retconning or other such changes that could undermine what he accomplished with his earlier works.
Overall, the Foundation series is obviously a classic science fiction series, and I won’t argue otherwise. But if you have read my reviews of the other books here, then you’ll know that I don’t think it’s a particularly good set of classics. Asimov is not a great writer in the most technical sense of the word, nor is he a particularly grand storyteller, and his attitudes towards women leave a lot to be desired. Yes, some of his big ideas are interesting and commendable, yet I will argue that many of them are not particularly thought-provoking or so original that someone else wouldn’t have come along and done something similar.
So my verdict: if you are interested in the history of science fiction as a genre, reading this series (or at least the first few books) is a good idea. Asimov’s role in that history is indisputable even if his reputation is up for debate. If, however, you are a fan of science fiction but not particularly interested in its older, sexist iterations like this series, then give this a miss. You aren’t missing out.
I am fairly certain now that I have closed the chapter on my reading of Asimov. I have no desire to dig into his robot novels or any other works. I will hang on to these books in my library for a while, and then perhaps one day I will trade them in or pass them on to the next people who are interested in this slice of sci-fi history. It was an interesting experience, but it is also one I am happy to leave behind.
Originally posted on Kara.Reviews, where you can easily browse all my reviews and subscribe to my newsletter.
May 21, 2017
When I was young, Isaac Asimov was my favorite author. I read a lot of his books, science fiction and science fact, novels and short stories. I had decided that his short stories were better than his novels, that his novels were written like long short stories. I have forgotten most of what I had read of his books and in recent years I've been rereading.
Forward the Foundation was written after my youthful fanship. It does sort of confirm my early opinion. Asimov is not great at dialog. It is stiff, sometimes stodgy, and weak on inflection and nuance. In the audio book that I just heard, I think this was made to seem even more so by the narrator, Larry McKeever. R Daneel Olivaw made an appearance in Forward the Foundation, as he does in several of Asimov's late works. I think Asmiov's dialog style suits Daneel, being a robot.
Hari Seldon, the developer of psycho-history, the basis of the Foundation series, is pretty much the same character as Elijah Baley, in the Robot series, and Golan Trevize in the Foundation sequels, and probably most of Asimov's leading characters in other novels.
So, having denigrated the object of my early SF literary admiration, let me say that I haven't read anything of Asimov's that isn't pretty good. (Which I can't say of his contemporaries I also admire, Philip K Dick and Robert A Heinlein, both of whom have writen a couple of dogs.) Forward the Foundation is good old fashioned Sci-Fi and well worth the read, especially in the context of the Foundation Trilogy.
Forward the Foundation was written after my youthful fanship. It does sort of confirm my early opinion. Asimov is not great at dialog. It is stiff, sometimes stodgy, and weak on inflection and nuance. In the audio book that I just heard, I think this was made to seem even more so by the narrator, Larry McKeever. R Daneel Olivaw made an appearance in Forward the Foundation, as he does in several of Asimov's late works. I think Asmiov's dialog style suits Daneel, being a robot.
Hari Seldon, the developer of psycho-history, the basis of the Foundation series, is pretty much the same character as Elijah Baley, in the Robot series, and Golan Trevize in the Foundation sequels, and probably most of Asimov's leading characters in other novels.
So, having denigrated the object of my early SF literary admiration, let me say that I haven't read anything of Asimov's that isn't pretty good. (Which I can't say of his contemporaries I also admire, Philip K Dick and Robert A Heinlein, both of whom have writen a couple of dogs.) Forward the Foundation is good old fashioned Sci-Fi and well worth the read, especially in the context of the Foundation Trilogy.
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