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litdreamer 's review for:
The Foundation Trilogy
by Isaac Asimov
A classic of science fiction. While Heinlein's books tend to be about ideas and Clarke's are about scientific advances, Asimov's books best balance the various aspects of sci-fi and great storytelling -- including memorable characters and strong plots.
Of the books I've read, I still think The Robots of Dawn his best book (also his best title!) -- an honor it shares with Nightfall -- but it's been many years since I've read either. As for the Foundation Trilogy, I found the first one the best (called Foundation). It deals with the early years of the Foundation and the crises it must overcome on its way to becoming the Second Empire. The book plays to Asimov's strengths: interesting characters and ingenious solutions to problems (Asimov would have been an excellent mystery writer, as the Robots of Dawn proves). The second book (Foundation and Empire) deals with two crises: an attack by the Empire's last great general, and a mysterious person called The Mule, who seems able to conquer worlds without a fight. It is the second crisis that is the more interesting, since the man who planned the Foundation's transition into a Second Empire only factored in sociological forces, not individual aberrations. The final book, Second Foundation, deals with two separate searches for the Second Foundation, which has remained hidden since Hari Seldon created both Foundations in the waning days of the Galactic Empire.
It is what Asimov is saying, rather than how he is saying it, that makes these books special -- particularly what information he gives the reader, and when. His style is simple, but not simplistic, and doesn't delve in many cliches. Dialogue easily identifies each character speaking, and the main characters are easy to differentiate from each other. Plus, in an age when despicable characters grace too many novels, the characters in these books are flawed but heroic, or villainous but flawed, and always interesting.
The series won a Hugo Award for "Best All-Time Science Fiction Series," and while there's room for another series to take that crown away from Asimov, none have.
Of the books I've read, I still think The Robots of Dawn his best book (also his best title!) -- an honor it shares with Nightfall -- but it's been many years since I've read either. As for the Foundation Trilogy, I found the first one the best (called Foundation). It deals with the early years of the Foundation and the crises it must overcome on its way to becoming the Second Empire. The book plays to Asimov's strengths: interesting characters and ingenious solutions to problems (Asimov would have been an excellent mystery writer, as the Robots of Dawn proves). The second book (Foundation and Empire) deals with two crises: an attack by the Empire's last great general, and a mysterious person called The Mule, who seems able to conquer worlds without a fight. It is the second crisis that is the more interesting, since the man who planned the Foundation's transition into a Second Empire only factored in sociological forces, not individual aberrations. The final book, Second Foundation, deals with two separate searches for the Second Foundation, which has remained hidden since Hari Seldon created both Foundations in the waning days of the Galactic Empire.
It is what Asimov is saying, rather than how he is saying it, that makes these books special -- particularly what information he gives the reader, and when. His style is simple, but not simplistic, and doesn't delve in many cliches. Dialogue easily identifies each character speaking, and the main characters are easy to differentiate from each other. Plus, in an age when despicable characters grace too many novels, the characters in these books are flawed but heroic, or villainous but flawed, and always interesting.
The series won a Hugo Award for "Best All-Time Science Fiction Series," and while there's room for another series to take that crown away from Asimov, none have.