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A review by catapocalypse
Foundation by Isaac Asimov
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
1.0
I came so close to DNFing this a few times, but pushed through out of pure curiosity to see if things got better. They didn't.
This eponymous first book of the Foundation series by classic sci-fi author Isaac Asimov follows the decline of a galaxy-spanning empire and psychohistorian Hari Seldon's plans to seed a successor to it in an effort to reduce the ensuing dark age. His preparations based on his calculations of the future's probably course, as well as the decisions of a few savvy individuals over time, help usher these plans along.
It's an interesting premise, with some interesting questions about what drives governments and societies, but Asimov's execution is excruciatingly dry. This isn't just a matter of the time period; I read and enjoyed a lot of Arthur C. Clarke's work growing up. But I was not prepared for a story of empire told almost entirely as a series of meetings between officials.
Meetings can be slow enough, but they often followed a similar pattern, where one of the men involved has it all figured out and smugly strings others along, etc. With the exception of the very beginning and a chunk of the last 50 or so pages, almost all the actual action driving galactic politics happen "off the page." Readers experience very little actual plot themselves.
Nor can it be described as character-driven. The book spans about two to three centuries or so, and jumps between characters as it goes. It's not super long, so not much time can be spent on even the primary individuals driving things. Even Asimov readers admit character isn't his strength, so we're left with very little there.
There is of course the glaring lack of women. Even Clarke managed to sprinkle women into his stories, but I counted only three women in the entirety of this first Foundation volume: a brief mention of an operator with no lines, a Commdor's daughter who only says "Oh!" as she's dazzled by jewelry, and the Commdor's wife, who is the only one with lines, has only a title but no name, and is flatly portrayed as shrewish but placated by jewelry.
Unfortunately, cool premises alone do not a narrative make. I appreciate that for its time, it was playing with ideas others may not have yet, but I don't feel it has much value for the modern reader. As is, it's best left for those interested in studying the progression of sci-fi writing and narratives, which have thankfully come a long way.
Despite all this, I intend to try out I, Robot at some point. I'm DNFing this series, though; I cannot chance having to slog through two more books of <i>meetings.</i> Good grief.
This eponymous first book of the Foundation series by classic sci-fi author Isaac Asimov follows the decline of a galaxy-spanning empire and psychohistorian Hari Seldon's plans to seed a successor to it in an effort to reduce the ensuing dark age. His preparations based on his calculations of the future's probably course, as well as the decisions of a few savvy individuals over time, help usher these plans along.
It's an interesting premise, with some interesting questions about what drives governments and societies, but Asimov's execution is excruciatingly dry. This isn't just a matter of the time period; I read and enjoyed a lot of Arthur C. Clarke's work growing up. But I was not prepared for a story of empire told almost entirely as a series of meetings between officials.
Meetings can be slow enough, but they often followed a similar pattern, where one of the men involved has it all figured out and smugly strings others along, etc. With the exception of the very beginning and a chunk of the last 50 or so pages, almost all the actual action driving galactic politics happen "off the page." Readers experience very little actual plot themselves.
Nor can it be described as character-driven. The book spans about two to three centuries or so, and jumps between characters as it goes. It's not super long, so not much time can be spent on even the primary individuals driving things. Even Asimov readers admit character isn't his strength, so we're left with very little there.
There is of course the glaring lack of women. Even Clarke managed to sprinkle women into his stories, but I counted only three women in the entirety of this first Foundation volume: a brief mention of an operator with no lines, a Commdor's daughter who only says "Oh!" as she's dazzled by jewelry, and the Commdor's wife, who is the only one with lines, has only a title but no name, and is flatly portrayed as shrewish but placated by jewelry.
Unfortunately, cool premises alone do not a narrative make. I appreciate that for its time, it was playing with ideas others may not have yet, but I don't feel it has much value for the modern reader. As is, it's best left for those interested in studying the progression of sci-fi writing and narratives, which have thankfully come a long way.
Despite all this, I intend to try out I, Robot at some point. I'm DNFing this series, though; I cannot chance having to slog through two more books of <i>meetings.</i> Good grief.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide