Reviews - Prelude to Foundation

644 reviews for:

Prelude to Foundation

Isaac Asimov

3.94 AVERAGE

adri_'s review against another edition

4.0

adventurous inspiring medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

zjames's review against another edition

3.0

I find Asimov's writing to be solid. It is neither poor, nor extraordinary, but simply gets the job done.

His plots, often relying on some unlikely twist at the end, while I'm sure they were innovative at the time, do feel a bit dated.

With Prelude to Foundation, it was fun to visit the different corners of Trantor, even if it was a bit less descriptive and interesting than I'd hoped. (I think Star Wars and the manga Blame! have spoiled me so far as stories with world-cites in them). The story rushes to various sections of the planet so much you get a bit of whiplash even if the view along the way of scifi's big original ecumenopolis is tantalizing.

However, the questions and scope of the series are so vast and ambitious that it's enough to draw you in by itself, so I think I'll continue with the series.

toshisummers's review against another edition

4.0

adventurous challenging reflective medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

lubaci's review against another edition

4.5

adventurous

anbar's review against another edition

2.75

challenging reflective slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

In a future Galactic Empire, there is the Emperor who wants to keep the massive empire (including MILLIONS of worlds) together, and there are those who want to either take it or break it up. A mathematician is on the verge of developing a fortune-telling theory he calls psychohistory (which, though it's the crux of the plot, still feel very nebulous by the end) which each side believes could give them an edge in their aims. So both sides are out to get him to secure the secret for themselves, and he has to evade capture as he travels to an insular (rather xenophobic and sexist) world, accompanied by a female bodyguard, trying to perfect his theory.
This story is slow going, but may appeal to readers who enjoy the thought-expetimet-iness of different sci-fi worlds' rules and customs.
Content concerns: gangs, knife-fights; at one point near the end, we get the tiresome stereotype of ace/aro = robot e_e

Content Warnings