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travisppe's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Good read the second time around. A classic for a reason but pretty dated. Worth a read, if you love it there’s six more books to follow. I think I’m good with one.
gemd's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
sidharthvardhan's review against another edition
3.0
“PSYCHOHISTORY–...Gaal Dornick, using nonmathematical concepts, has defined psychohistory to be that branch of mathematics which deals with the reactions of human conglomerates to fixed social and economic stimuli..”
Psychohistory is interesting but not as interesting as robo-psychology.
One of the reasons I love reading Asimov is that he is one of the few science fiction writers who do not make scientists look like fools. Most science fiction I’ve read or seen is about scientists releasing some kind of problem on the world – zombies created by T-virus, monsters created using parts of dead bodies, artificial intelligence gone mad and looking to destroy the world, time machines taking people to 10000 B. C. and so on. You could expect them to know better. ” such folly smacks of genius. A lesser mind would be incapable of it."
Now Asimov is different. Here, scientists are rather cool people often solving problems even before they arise. That is what made psychohistory so interesting – it gave them ability to foresee future problems.
“Any fool can tell a crisis when it arrives. The real service to the state is to detect it in embryo.”
It was so in ‘I, Robot’ – where robots were seen to be simply incapable of causing harm; it is more so here where scientists are actually saving the world from chaos.
In fact, the real problem creators in Asimov’s world are, as IRL, conservatives or power-holders – religious orthodoxies, government bureaucracies and so on. And he often creates laughs at their expense:
“ There's something about a pious man such as he. He will cheerfully cut your throat if it suits him, but he will hesitate to endanger the welfare of your immaterial and problematical soul. It's just a piece of empirical psychology.”
The reason why Foundation was successful is that that old management was always giving way to newer methods.
” they were scientists enough to admit that they were wrong.”
Even the problems created by above mentioned trouble-makers are solved by tact. That is another thing that sets Asimov apart from much of other science fiction – an almost absolute lack of violence:
“Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent.”
(not that I am averse to violence, on the contrary – just look at my dp) His lead characters are humorous even in face of trouble and use diplomacy to resolve their disputes, even when guns are pointed at them and are successful each time – a bit like Doctor Who. Even if there is violence, it happens off screen. There are no dishum-dishum fights, shootouts or chases to be found.
Another thing I like about Asimov is his innovation with swearing. By Proust, I love it.
One thing that can bother some people is lack of women in Foundation. In ‘I, Robot’ there was a woman in lead character and there were a couple of minor female characters. In Foundation, there are to be seen three lead characters, each of them having one assistant – and none of six is a woman. No woman of the foundation are to be seen. The only two women who show up are a servant and a queen married by her father for political reasons – and both are there to try a jewelry-gadget. I can understand if some people do not like that (for one thing, presence of women can make everything more interesting) –especially since Foundation is about a world millenniums into the future and Asimov is talking about predicting future of society.
Otherwise, he is cool.
“I, as Mayor of Terminus City, have just enough power to blow my own nose and perhaps to sneeze if you countersign an order giving me permission. “
“There's no merit in discipline under ideal circumstances.”
“Since when does prejudice follow any law but its own.”
“Custom is higher than law, at times.”
mroateater's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.5
kerps's review against another edition
medium-paced
3.0
I believe it's amazing I just wasn't feeling it this time. Might reread when I feel like it more
mystiktrance's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
a_muggle's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
amiewg's review against another edition
4.0
I watched the show first. So when I heard Gaal was a he and Salvor was a he and actually everyone in this book was a he, I was shocked. I promise I feel like there are 2 women in total in the whole book that get screen time. I didn't even hear about a sister or a wife. It started to feel echoey. Where are the girlies?? Where are the babes??
That being said, Isaac is a fantastic writer. There is so much wisdom in this book. And as someone who loves psychology, psychohistory is something I had a great time exploring.
At the beginning of the book, Hari says that the future would take over 100,000 people over 300 years to reduce the amount of demise caused by the end of an era, implying that the book isn't about the individual, it's all about society and the greater good. But that isn't how I read it.
Fine, the book is basically short stories published at different times, and we have like 5 timelines, 5 main characters, and 5 different plots, and the whole thing is about averting crisis so that the Foundation can survive. Each of those main characters was so well written, that I knew their hopes and dreams, their fears. I dissected their personalities in the short time we had with them. Even tho the problem and the universe were so big, someone has to do something for it to be done. Who they are matters.
It was kinda like reading history. Caesar did this, then Nero did that, then Marcus Aurelius did this, and so on. Each of their influence had an impact whether for good or evil. Do we know everything they ever did?? No, yet males are still thinking about them and the Roman Empire daily.
After getting over the no women thing, I realized the show expanded Asimov's work instead of "putting words in his mouth" for lack of a better phrase lol. The books are what if Gaal was a white man?? The show is what if Gaal was a black girl from a dying planet?? What would the future look like if Gaal was a different person?? Because it matters.
Instead of making me feel like "The world is so big, what's the point?" I felt like "The world is so big, that's the point!"
Some of the cheapest therapy I've ever gotten. And it fueled my vanity too.
That being said, Isaac is a fantastic writer. There is so much wisdom in this book. And as someone who loves psychology, psychohistory is something I had a great time exploring.
At the beginning of the book, Hari says that the future would take over 100,000 people over 300 years to reduce the amount of demise caused by the end of an era, implying that the book isn't about the individual, it's all about society and the greater good. But that isn't how I read it.
Fine, the book is basically short stories published at different times, and we have like 5 timelines, 5 main characters, and 5 different plots, and the whole thing is about averting crisis so that the Foundation can survive. Each of those main characters was so well written, that I knew their hopes and dreams, their fears. I dissected their personalities in the short time we had with them. Even tho the problem and the universe were so big, someone has to do something for it to be done. Who they are matters.
It was kinda like reading history. Caesar did this, then Nero did that, then Marcus Aurelius did this, and so on. Each of their influence had an impact whether for good or evil. Do we know everything they ever did?? No, yet males are still thinking about them and the Roman Empire daily.
After getting over the no women thing, I realized the show expanded Asimov's work instead of "putting words in his mouth" for lack of a better phrase lol. The books are what if Gaal was a white man?? The show is what if Gaal was a black girl from a dying planet?? What would the future look like if Gaal was a different person?? Because it matters.
Instead of making me feel like "The world is so big, what's the point?" I felt like "The world is so big, that's the point!"
Some of the cheapest therapy I've ever gotten. And it fueled my vanity too.
casual's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
funny
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
jtrogers1992's review against another edition
2.0
Not quite as engrossing as I hoped it would be. Lots of very clever plot writing but it was more a series of vignettes than a larger story for me. I’m interested in the world building but I don’t know if I’m interested enough to grab the next book in the series. Still, on the whole a fairly enjoyable vacation read for me.