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stuff4bd's review against another edition
slow-paced
2.0
Audio is the wrong format for this book. It reads like a rather dull economic history lesson. My mind drifted easily and I didn’t care much about the political dealings.
codyarrasmith's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
emeraldgreenrosegold's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
4.25
whimsicalmeerkat's review against another edition
4.0
The first of the series, and by far the best. Intriguing and unfolding. Not as good as "Dune" in my opinion, but definitely highly ranked among sci-fi I have read.
little3chordme's review against another edition
challenging
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
2.0
kierano's review against another edition
4.0
Foundation by Isaac Asimov first caught my eye many years ago around the time I finished Dune. Unfortunately for me, I tried to listen to Foundation as my first audiobook—an experience that I quite detested—and I gave up halfway through. (I would genuinely love to be an audiobook person, but it just doesn’t work for me—a story for another day)
These similarities are entirely obvious to anyone who’s read both series—some even suggest that Dune was written in response to the Foundation series—but I had mostly forgotten my previous audiobook foray and was intrigued. I think perhaps my brain was looking for a way to process some of the dense themes of Dune from a new angle, so I bought the book.
I was apprehensive. I was pretty much expecting a level of density and complexity on par with Herbert’s series and braced myself for a challenging reading experience.It was the literary equivalent of tensing up to barge through a locked door only for someone to open it from the inside right before I made contact.
A Long Time Away in a Galaxy Much Like Our Own…
When ‘psychohistorian’ Hari Seldon predicts the fall of the Galactic Empire using a combination of statistics and psychology, he’s put on trial for treason. This is the premise of the first of five interconnected stories that form Foundation—with the other four stories each exploring the fallout of this initial inciting incident from various points in the future.
I really don’t want to spoil more than that. Each of these stories is a joy to read (although the fourth is the weakest) and filled with unexpected twists and gasp-out-loud moments. These stories were written in the 1940s, and as someone who was expecting stuffy prose and long-winded passages on the nature of humanity, I was totally astounded by how well plotted and paced these stories were.
Dune really did a number on me. I’m enamoured with the series (for all its flaws), but one unique aspect of it is that nearly every character knows what’s about to happen all the time. Through a combination of strategy and prescience, each action taken by a character is predicted and planned for and countered. There are plans within plans and counterstrokes to counterstrokes. The end result is an impressive tapestry of political intrigue, but the reader isn’t left with many surprises.
It was then absolutely delightful to have the rug pulled out from underneath me repeatedly in Foundation. Characters have plans that they don’t share with the reader until the point when they’re most impactful. While that seems like it should be the standard, it was a breath of fresh air after reading so much Dune.
The Razor’s EdgeEach story is grounded in a specific character’s point of view and despite the huge scope of the plot, they manage to feel personal. Not once was I buried in abstract, borderline-impossible-to-grasp philosophy or political theory. There’s a real sense of humanity in how these space-age characters are written. They manage to feel distinct too, as most pull their primary POV character from a different facet of society, although there’s a gender diversity problem that may detract from this for some.
The primary plot of the stories each revolve around a seemingly unsolvable political problem. Characters, and indeed entire societies and planets, are repeatedly trapped between a rock and a hard place with no obvious way to survive/succeed.
The catharsis of the stories come from the clever, unforeseen, yet entirely plausible ways that Asimov charts his characters through these problems. The man was obviously smart. He created wonderfully complex political puzzles and navigates through the hidden cracks in them without ever feeling like he’s cheating the reader.
Perhaps what’s most impressive about Foundation, though, is how accessible it is. For as much as I like Dune, it has an extremely steep learning curve that makes it tough to recommend. Foundation, on the other hand, eases the reader in from the beginning with a ‘fish-out-of-water’ point of view character in the first story, and doesn’t bog them down with fantastical sci-fi terms that couldn’t be interpreted at a glance.
It’s easy reading compared to some of the science-fiction that’s out there.
Conclusion
It’s not revolutionary to say that Foundation is necessary reading for any science-fiction fan. I’d always known this, but my own perceptions and misadventures had kept me from experiencing the series for so long, which I regret. Foundation feels timeless and is perhaps one of the most influential works in the genre, but more important than that—you’ll have fun reading it.
As Dune’s popularity explodes, I hope that any new fans of the genre find their way to Foundation.
latrumpet's review against another edition
4.0
At times, I loved this book, and at times it was a struggle. The introduction to the foundation is written beautifully, with Sheldon’s brilliance setting up the rest of the book, and I’m sure, series. For me, the book was too dense at times, and I had a hard time settling in with a character before we were whisked along by another 10, 20, or even more years. This is a book I may revisit a second time so I can fully grasp everything that’s going on.
lilli_w12's review against another edition
3.0
3.5. Really fascinating/amazing ideas and premise. Just dry execution. I can see why it’s a classic of Sci-Fi.