Reviews

L'Aube de Fondation by Isaac Asimov

jimmacsyr's review against another edition

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4.0

I enjoyed reading the background to Foundation and Second Foundation unfolding.

minimalmike's review against another edition

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4.0

Writing: 4.7
Story: 3.83

Overall: 4.2

After around two months I've finally finished reading the foundation series. Fantastic series, so far only surpassed by Tolkien's middle earth stories.

Asimov was truly a brilliant and wildly imaginative man. I'll be surprised if I ever read a sci-fi novel that rivals anything from this series. All that being said, although this was a great book, it received the lowest rating from me out of the rest of the books in the series.

It seems like at some point, he ran out of ways to make things fit as seamlessly as he did in his previous novels. There were a few points in the book, some of them very major in importance, that made me think "Eh, that was a pretty big stretch."

The desperance chemical that had been continuously put into Raych's food in order to make him lose his will/autonomy

Mandel Gruber, who had been shown to be a very peaceful, kind, and loyal man, suddenly turning insane and somehow being able to infiltrate security and kill the emperor.

Manela being part of some covert security team looking for people who were a threat to the empire.

These were 3 huge deus ex machinas/plot contriveses that just did not sit well with me.

An improvement that this book managed over the others though was the characters showing themselves to be a bit more realistic and human in terms of emotional fallibility. Ironically, the one character that showed the most human susceptibility to brash actions fueled by emotion was Dors, a character who actually isn't human.

lectorliber04's review against another edition

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4.0

The shape of the Galactic Empire is changing. It's getting bigger and more powerful. For how long? Hari is making sure that when the Empire crumbles his psychohistory will lessen the pain when eventually all goes to hell. So, to that end he, his granddaughter and Gaal Dornick and other followers managed to established the First and Second Foundation. The First Foundation is made of psychohistorians and mathematicians while the Second Foundation is made of 'mentalics'. Now this is interesting because no one knows about the Second Foundation except Wanda, Hari's grandchild and a mentalic and all other mentalics that would be recruited throughout the centuries.

There were deaths which touched me and twist and turns I kind of saw coming while at the same time they surprised me. It is so good to revisit this series and pick on details I didn't before.

popcorndiva's review against another edition

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5.0

4.5 Stars

I have been reading through the Robots/Empire/Foundation series slowly over the past year or so. I adored every book in the Robots section and while I've enjoyed everything else in the series, I have been waiting for the emotional impact I felt from those first novels to hit me again. Be careful what you wish for because this hit hard.

This book continued the stories of the characters from Prelude to Foundation. I am so impressed with how the characters developed and changed. In the previous book, Hari Seldon was not always the most likable or complex character, but this book really developed him into someone I rooted for and cared about. Seeing his relationships grow with Dors and Raych really made him feel more real. The characters and their individual stories pulled at my heartstrings and left me in tears twice.

The plot was mostly great. I think the end felt a bit rushed and a tad bit unrealistic, but knowing that this book was written after the Foundation series as a way to connect all the novels together, I give it a pass. Writing a complex series like this, out of order and not initially intentionally connecting, is mind blowing. While there were a few minor conveniences in the plot, I still stand in awe of how Asimov wove this series together.

I have Foundation already checked out from the library and I am ready to read it! I cannot wait to get into the final few books of this series. Asimov has become one of my favorite authors and I cannot wait to finish out the series (hopefully before the year is over!)

taxideadaisy's review against another edition

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4.0

Best of the lot so far, in terms of characters, storyline, etc. Still processing.

Really must get hold of some Robot books soon too.

chipwell's review against another edition

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5.0

Great prequel to the series! I absolutely loved the ending. It was definitely more satisfying to read the original trilogy followed by “Edge” and “Earth”, THEN the prequels. The published order ties things together well.

mhshokuhi's review against another edition

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5.0

خب مجموعه بنیاد از آیزاک آسیموف هم تموم شد :)

این جلد که براساس یکی از ترتیب‌های خوندن (که پیشنهاد خودم هم همینه بعد از اتمام ماجرا)، هفتمین و آخرین چیزی خواهد بود که درباره بنیاد خواهید خوند. داستان ماجرا در ادامه کتاب قبل هست و ماجراهایی که هری سلدون برای تکمیل دانش سایکوهیستوری (علمی بر مبنای ریاضی که می‌تونه احتمال وقوع وقایع رو در مقیاس کهکشانی پیشبینی کنه) پشت سر گذاشته که استادانه متصل می‌کنه داستان رو به اولین جلد سه‌گانه بنیاد.

آسیموف این کتاب رو چندسال قبل از مرگش نوشته و اوج مهارت و زیبایی قلمش رو در اینجا می‌تونیم ببینیم (یکی از دلایلی که پیشنهاد میشه آخر خونده بشه برای همینه)، ماجراهای جذاب، شخصیت‌های جالب و قابل درک، پیام‌ها و حرف‌ها و دید جالب آسیموف به جوامع و رفتارهای انسانی رو باز هم در این جلد داریم و در نهایت پرونده Foundation Universe به خوبی بسته میشه (بجز آخر جلد Foundation and Earth که واقعاً دوستش ندارم و اصلا به آسیموف نمیاد -_-)

آه شخصیت دورز ونبیلی چقدر خوب‌تر شده اینجا! هیجان‌انگیز و جذاب و از جا بلندتون می‌کنه و در نهایت اشکتون رو در میاره یه جای داستان :'( دیدن و توصیف سقوط ترانتور هم چقدر دردناکه و آسیموف عالی منتقل می‌کنه احساس ماجرا رو.

فصل آخر کتاب هم سلدون هست و هم خود آسیموف، اون حرف‌هایی که در مورد دفتر و اینهای سایکوهیستوری می‌زد رو راحت می‌تونی وصل کنی به نظر خودش در مورد کتاب‌ها و کارهاش و سفری که طی کرده بود برای Foundation Universeش و نه تنها کار یکجور جمع همه مهارت‌هاش هست، یکجور اتوبیوگرافی از خودش هم هست، از نظرات و تجارب و احساسات درونی خودش و به نظرم خیلی زیبا و غمناک بود.

اگه می‌خواید با جهان بنیاد آسیموف آشنا بشید، ‏‎دو مدل اساسی شروع کردن داره، یکی براساس تاریخ وقایع، یکی براساس مجموعه و سال چاپ.
مدل اول باید از مجموعه ربات شروع کرد، مجموعه امپراتوری کهکشانی رو خوند و بعد رسید مجموعه بنیاد اما دومی رو بیشتر پیشنهاد کردن دوستانیم که کامل آسیموف خوندن و دوست دارن، نظر خودمم حالا همینه بعد از اینطوری خوندن و اون به این ترتیب هست:

1. Foundation
2. Foundation and Empire
3. 3. Second Foundation
4. 4. Foundation's Edge
5. 5. Foundation and Earth
6. 6. Prelude to Foundation
7. 7. Forward the Foundation

اینطوری دوتای آخری به شکل Prequel در میان و بهتر هم هست. هم خود کتاب هم نثر آسیموف بهتره چون اینها رو خیلی سال بعد نوشته. ‏‎اون اولی‌ها ممکنه توی ذوق بزنه وقتی کارهای بهتر رو بخونی (هفتمی بهترینه توی مهارت آسیموف و همه چی) و بخوای بری سراغ کارهای اولش که آماتور به نظر می‌رسه

بعدش حالا مجموعه ربات و امپراتوری رو میشه سراغش رفت

ana_de_buis's review against another edition

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adventurous inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.75

rebecanunez's review against another edition

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3.0

"Forward the Foundation" de Isaac Asimov es la última entrega de su célebre serie de la Fundación. Publicada póstumamente en 1993, esta novela es un epílogo magistral que cierra la épica de ciencia ficción iniciada por Asimov en "Preludio a la Fundación" y que culmina en "Foundation and Earth".

La historia sigue la vida de Hari Seldon, el brillante matemático que creó la disciplina de la psicohistoria y fundó la Fundación para preservar el conocimiento humano durante el inminente colapso del Imperio Galáctico. A medida que avanza la trama, se exploran los últimos años de la vida de Seldon, sus desafíos éticos, y su lucha por mantener viva su visión a pesar de las crecientes amenazas.

Asimov, maestro de la ciencia ficción, demuestra una vez más su habilidad para tejer elementos de intriga, política y filosofía en una trama compleja y cautivadora. A través de la narrativa, el lector es testigo del desarrollo de la psicohistoria y de cómo Seldon enfrenta los desafíos inminentes que podrían poner en peligro su legado.

Los personajes en "Forward the Foundation" son ricos en matices y continúan siendo explorados con profundidad. La complejidad de sus relaciones y decisiones refleja las cuestiones éticas y morales que han sido una constante en toda la serie. El lector acompaña a Seldon mientras se enfrenta no solo a amenazas externas, sino también a dilemas internos que añaden una capa emocional a la historia.

La narrativa se desarrolla con el estilo característico de Asimov, combinando una prosa clara y accesible con ideas científicas y filosóficas complejas. A través de sus palabras, Asimov explora la naturaleza de la predicción y el papel de la libre voluntad en la configuración del destino.

"Forward the Foundation" es un tributo digno a la visión monumental de Isaac Asimov. La obra no solo ofrece una conclusión satisfactoria a la serie de la Fundación, sino que también invita a la reflexión sobre temas fundamentales de la humanidad, el conocimiento y el poder.

En resumen, esta última entrega es un epílogo impresionante que rinde homenaje al genio literario de Asimov y al legado duradero de la serie de la Fundación. Los lectores encontrarán en "Forward the Foundation" una experiencia emocionalmente resonante y reflexiva que cierra con maestría esta saga monumental de la ciencia ficción.

sarkenobi's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25