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Summary: Foundations¿ Edge Falls off of the Edge
Review: After thirty years, Isaac Asimov finally wrote Foundation's Edge. It is a book undeserving of the name, "Foundation."
Foundation's Edge is the long awaited continuation of his famous Foundation series. It has been four hundred and ninety eight years since the establishment of the foundation by Hari Seldon, which was created to save the galaxy. Being fifty thousand years in the future, society is immensely different. Golan Trevize, a councilman of the Foundation Federation, had been sent off of the capital, under a cover-up. The leaders said that he had been sent to find Earth, the long lost origin planet of the human race. He was actually being sent to find the threatening, Second Foundation. There is great character development. They seem to actually be alive when you read it. At first, it seems like another Foundation book. After awhile, when no "bad guy" shows up, and the main character Golan, says he doesn't like Hari Seldon, (gasp!), die hard fans will start to lose faith in this book. Trevize is actually another boring political leader, who has no sense of adventure.
This book, with beautifully descriptive writing, and great character development, just cannot stand up to the original trilogy's greatness. Instead of answering age-old questions from the first three books, it just gives way to new ones. For example, should he have chosen Gaia? Finally, the ending to this book is the most disappointing ending imaginable. Unlike all of the other books, it says, " The End."
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Summary: Foundation's Edge: The Saga Continues
Review: There was a reason why Asimov's original FOUNDATION TRILOGY was voted the best science fiction trilogy of all time by the Association of SF Writers. It covered a vast sweep of post-Galactic rise and fall that brought to mind Gibbons' RISE AND FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE. Asimov's plots are straightforward, but often convoluted and requires a reader's careful attention to hints that suggest a surprise ending. In his original series, the action is set perhaps 50,000 years from now in an empire ruled by Trantor, covering hundreds of millions of worlds. The empire is falling, and only Hari Seldon sees it. He sets up one foundation in the full glare of light and a secret second foundation buried under the ruins of a devastated Trantor.
Fully thirty years after Asimov wrote this trilogy, he returned to the same theme, but this time he tries to connect other themes from his past: the destruction of earth from his robot series and his fascination with a long-lived sect of humans who exist only to plot the end of their more short-lived brethren.
FOUNDATION'S EDGE tells the stories of two protagonists: Golan Trvize, an upsetter of his superior's political plans, who travels through space to locate the hidden Second Foundation; and Stor Gendibal, a member of the secret Second Foundation, who is on a similar trek to locate Earth. Soon enough, their respective journeys co-incide, but not on Earth. Both wind up on Gaia, a planet that was probably settled long ago from Earth. The complicated plot leaves many loose ends for sequels as both Golan Trevize and Stor Gendibal realize that someone unconnected to either foundation had previously removed all references to Earth from all historical sources and libraries.
To appreciate how this novel fits in to Asimov's Foundation universe, it is useful to have first read other works in the canon. I recommend his robot series and Pebble in the Sky. Still, FOUNDATION'S EDGE can be enjoyed on its own basis.
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Summary: Avoid this book
Review: It still escapes me as to why people think Asimov is such a sci-fi genious. I've read 'I, Robot', the Foundation trilogy and now Foundation's Edge and I am still mistified as to why people think of him as a great sci-fi writer. He has this habit of writing Scooby-Doo type plots, where the 'real villain' is not the 'real villain' or is unmasked multiple times before finally being revealed. It's annoying as hell. I keep waiting for Shaggy to enter the picture. At the same time I feel compelled to buy more of his books (I've just purchased Forward and Prelude) in order to find out how his overall theme ends - mark it off as a guilty pleasure I guess. However, I think he significantly reduced the importance of any of his writings by churning out 10's of them in mass-production style.
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Summary: First Foundation Novel that actually was a Novel
Review: It's worth reminding yourself before you pick up this book that it was written a looong time after he wrote the original three Foundation books-- thirty years after, to be precise. It is also the first of the Foundation books that was written as a single book; the others were originally written and published as a series of short stories. When the Asimov's publisher asked for a new Foundation book, he jumped at a chance to finally make a fully developed book out of the theme.Given these facts, it's not surprising that there's some fairly significant differences between the thematic focus and tone of _Foundation's Edge_ and the three novels preceding it. I think this accounts for some of the dismay from fans of the trilogy and the feeling that Asimov somehow stopped fighting the good fight. The Seldon plan still plays an important role, but it is no longer the backbone of the story as it was in the trilogy. Instead, Asimov takes the opportunity to tie together the Robot and Foundation universes, creating a meditation on autonomy and government styles that asks a number of questions about strategic choices and also asks about the relationship between governed and the governors. When the warlike first Foundation sends a troublesome politician in search of the manipulative second Foundation, every party finds more than they bargained for when they reach the planet Gaia. I *liked* _Foundation's Edge_ although I would agree that it doesn't reach the heights of the trilogy itself-- it has a number of weaknesses (the lame explanation of the Mule's origins, for one) and doesn't feel as important somehow. But the original trilogy was a darned difficult act to follow, true?
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Summary: Killed the best series ever
Review: Issac Asimov's Foundation trilogy is perhaps one of the best sci-fi series ever writtien, and the Foundation preludes are pretty good too. The best two books in the series are Foward the Foundation and Foundation. Asimov was clearly not inspired when he wrote this book, it destroys the Plan set up throughout the rest of the series. While the original trilogy dealt with psychohistory and its practicality, this simply tears it all down. The only plus that can be attributed to the book is that it does indeed keep one on his or her edge. Die hard Foundation fans would do better to reread Foundation, people who want to see the entire timeline of the "Asimovian Universe" tied up neatley should just read Prelude to Foundation. I for one was completely disillusioned with Asimov after this book, fortunately I had not yet read Foward the Foundation, a most readeaming book.
Rating:
Summary: Killed the best series ever
Review: Issac Asimov's Foundation trilogy is perhaps one of the best sci-fi series ever writtien, and the Foundation preludes are pretty good too. The best two books in the series are Fowrd the Foundation and Foundation. Asimove was clearly not inspired when he wrote this book, it destroys the Plan that has bee set up throughout the rest of the series. While the original trilogy deal with psychohistory ans its practicality, this simply tears it all down. The only plus that can be attributed to the book is that it does indeed keep one on his or her edge. Die hard Foundation fans would do better to reread Foundation, people who want to see the entire timeline of the "Asimovian Universe" tied up neatley should just read Prelude to Foundation. I for one was completely disillusioned with Asimov after this book, fortunately i had not yet read Foward the Foundation, a most readeaming book.
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Summary: A new direction for the Foundation series
Review: Foundation's Edge is chronologically the sixth book in the Foundation series. The events here take place about two hundred years after those in the novel Second Foundation. The book introduces a surprising new element into Asimov's fictional universe. Essentially, a couple key people in the First Foundation realize that the Second Foundation survives and is likely still guiding the First Foundation in following the Seldon Plan. Mayor Branno of Terminus sends the young politician Golan Trevize out to attempt to draw the Second Foundation's attention and thus bring them out of hiding. At the same time, Stor Gendibal of the Second Foundation believes that things are going too smoothly and that some third party may be directing humanity's course, even to the extent of controlling the Second Foundation! He is also aware of Trevize's mission (through a secret agent on Terminus) and thinks that Trevize is headed for a rendezvous with this other organization. So Gendibal sets out to pursue Trevize and to hopefully locate this sinister controlling entity. Some very surprising information is revealed in the last couple chapters of the book. To fully appreciate the revelations, you should read the four-book Robot series prior to reading Foundation's Edge. In addition, Asimov makes a couple references to the third Empire novel "Pebble In The Sky". Therefore, I recommend first reading the Robot series, then the Empire series (three books), and finally the seven Foundation novels. This will give you Asimov's complete vision in chronological order. Overall I enjoyed Foundation's Edge and liked the new characters it introduced. It's a fairly long read but the pace picks up when the plot lines begin converging about two-thirds of the way through. As usual, Asimov is heavy on dialogue and is fond of explaining things through debates or discussions between characters. The ending is a bit weak and doesn't resolve everything but fortunately the novel "Foundation and Earth" picks up right where Edge leaves off. I'm looking forward to reading the final chapter in this wonderful saga.
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Summary: Good book, unsatisfactory ending
Review: I read the Foundation trilogy in lightning speed; when I reached the end of the third book, I wondered why they called it the Foundation trilogy, for this surely was not the end? I was relieved when I found the fourth book. The book was a great read. However, the ending was quite unsatisfactory. How many times have we heard the, "And everyone in the galaxy lived in harmony with one another until the end of time," cliche? This was not even a, "lived happily ever after," which would have been fine with me. I expected better of Asimov. I do recommend this book, but not that strongly.
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Summary: Excellent, stand-alone work
Review: I have never read any of the othe Foundation books before but still enjoyed this one emensely. Sure, I had to read the prologue and may have appreciated smaller details of the story if I had read all the preceeding novels in the series (as well as a few other of Asimov's well-known series), but not enough to complain. The ending is cool if you are a huge Asimov fan and leads into a another book that hardcore sci-fi fans will drool over. All in all it's a good read for anyone interested in reading a good story. Asimov has mastered his craft inside and out. This is good even if you don't like sci-fi but can appreciate a well-told story.
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Summary: A good idea with only mediocre execution
Review: After the first few Foundation stories were published (those that ended up collected in the "novels" called Foundation, and Foundation and Empire), Asimov stated that he couldn't write any more stories in the series because with the Seldon Plan in motion, everything was already determined. Importantly, it should be noted that the Plan was not about establishing a Second Empire after the fall of the first, but only reducing the time between those Empires (and therefore, reducing the amount of strife and hardship). To continue the series, Asimov had to create crises to be resolved. The first crisis was the attack of the Mule, which followed the idea that one powerful man might be able to alter the course of history, or at least disrupt the Plan. This was the equivalent of introducing a Genghis Khan, Alexander, or Napoleon. It's a matter of debate whether they actually altered the course of history (e.g., they don't speak Macedonian in Iran, or Mongolian in Russia), so the Mule's disruption would be one of timing, not the ultimate establishment of the Second Empire. Thus, the series rested for 20 years. By its nature, technological advances cannot be imagined by more "primitive" scientific societies, and this is the crisis that sets up this novel, Foundation's Edge. Just as our great political philosphers of the 19th century could not have predicted nuclear weapons, Hari Seldon could not predict the technological advance of the First Foundation. Thus, some of the Foundation's leaders decide the time has come to dispense with the Plan, and by extension the Second Foundation. This is an intriguing setup, and like all of Asimov's works, you are quickly drawn into the story and immediately get to know the characters intimately. It centres around an exile - Trevize - sent out by the leader of the 1st Foundation as a "lightning rod" to try to flush out the Second Foundation. Naturally, the Second Foundationers find out and take moves to stop it. Both Foundations are also concerned that the Plan is too precise - is there something/someone else guiding the plan for its own purposes? Unfortunately, the story doesn't live up to its promise, or rather, the characters and specific situations don't. They just aren't as interesting or likeable as in other books written during the same few years - namely, the final two robot books (Robots and Empire and Robots of Dawn). It even suffers in comparison to Second Foundation, the immediately previous book in the Foundation series (written 20 years earlier). Thus, while interesting, and a must read for Foundation (and Asimov) fans, it's a little disappointing relative to his other works.
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