Forward the Foundation

Rating:
Summary: A surprisingly good and moving book.
Review: Upon finishing the other six Foundation novels, I finally picked up "Forward the Foundation". I was amazed by the humanity of the book--it is rarely seen in any other Asimov piece. I enjoyed all of them, but the life of Hari Seldon is more intruiging to me than the deified hologram of Hari Seldon seen in later books. It is difficult to write a "non-spoiler" review of this book, but the characters are delightful and the galaxy is real. For anyone with an interest in these stories, Forward the Foundation is one that should most assuredly not be missed. Asimov's (and possibly ours) future universe comes to life in a whole new light

Rating:
Summary: Robots do have souls. . .
Review: This was the best of the Foundation novels published after the original three. My reasons why-

First of all, this books regains one of the best elements of the original Foundation Trilogy-gaps in time. I loved how in the original Foundation stories I would read about a character, finish that part of the book, and then see that character consistantly refered to as a political or social legend 50 or so years and one page later. This took some getting used to but was a very enjoyable aspect of the original Trilogy.

Also, Hari Seldon is now a fully realized and great character instead of a vehicle for Asimov's imaginary science of Psychohistory. In Prelude to Foundation, Seldon did nothing to futher Psychohistory but trek around the planet Trantor and whine to anyone who wouldn't run from his bitching about how impossible it would be to develope psychohistory and all that...now he acts like the true mathematical badass that he is, actually working on psychohistory dilligently and in the end, perfecting it to create the Foundations.

But the best part about the book was the ending...in which you find out that in Isaac's Universe, positronic robots have souls. It was the kind of ending I loved in the original trilogy, where the last setence or even the last couple of words would shatter your assumptions about the story or even Asimov's entire future history.

An incredible novel, and a great return to form as a last farewell to the science fiction community. We shall never again equal Isaac Asimov's wit and wisdom in his approach to S

Rating:
Summary: Asimov is excellent, as usual
Review: This book is, with out a doubt, one of the best books I have ever read. Asimov topped off his Foundation series with a true winner. Well written, entharlling, and FUN, this book showcases his talent and gives a good, final look at the life of Hari Seldon, the protagonist of "Prelude to Foundation" and a good look at the future history of the Empire's fall

Rating:
Summary: Extraordinary
Review: Asimov, in his final book of the classic foundation trilogy, never fails to provide though-provoking reading. In this novel, wea learn of the late life in the infamous Hari Seldon and the people he knew best. The book details his most intimiate times with his closest friends and damily members. Forward Foundation is written in a different style than the other books: it covers many more years, from Seldon's fourties to his death. Forward foundation is the kind of novel that makes one think about all the thing important to him or herself. We learn about the Second Foundation, the reasoning behind it and how it was founded. Faces from previous novels appear in this one as well. The robots from Foundation and Earth and Robots and empire are present. All in all, a wonderful read and the crowning achievment of Asimov's work.

Rating:
Summary: Interesting.
Review: Interesting but not as well constructed as his other books. In some instances does not seem to follow its predecessor, Prelude to Foundation which is by far a more superior work. Worth reading but not a classic

Rating:
Summary: Excellent but Disappointing End to Foundation Series
Review: Book Review by C. Douglas Baker

FORWARD THE FOUNDATION is an excellent work and very entertaining. It is well written in the vein of the Foundation Series. But ultimately, FORWARD THE FOUNDATION is profoundly disappointing.

FORWARD THE FOUNDATION is a biography of Hari Seldon, filling in the areas of his life not previously covered in PRELUDE TO FOUNDATION. FORWARD THE FOUNDATION is written as a series of novellas covering major portions and events in Seldon's life as he continues his solidification of psychohistory and prepares for the establishment of the Foundation and the Second Galactic Empire. Hari Seldon is a fascinating character and many of his life experiences chronicled in FORWARD THE FOUNDATION were unexpected. FORWARD THE FOUNDATION probably could be enjoyed as a stand alone novel but it is not recommended. Without the background of the previous Foundation novels many of the events and explications of psychohistory would be much less significant to the reader.

Two key questions remained after the last novel, FOUNDATION AND EARTH. First, how and why was the Second Foundation originally established? Second, was the Seldon Plan truly a failure and would Galaxia really be the future of humankind?

FORWARD THE FOUNDATION clearly answers the first question. The First and Second Foundations were established to be complimentary to each other. The First Foundation is to be the backbone of the technological and political regeneration of humanity in the form of the Second Galactic Empire while the Second Foundation plays the role of advancing psychohistory and ensuring the survival of the First Foundation. While this is relatively clear in the previous Foundation novels, the Second Foundation seems vulnerable and venal in FOUNDATION'S EDGE and FOUNDATION AND EARTH. Both Foundations are more concerned with their own self-interest as opposed to the interest of the Second Galactic Empire or the Seldon Plan. In FORWARD THE FOUNDATION we clearly see that they are meant to work together to complete the Seldon Plan.

Ultimately FORWARD THE FOUNDATION is extremely disappointing as a denouement to the Foundation Series. The major question left from FOUNDATION AND EARTH, the latest chronologically of the Foundation Series, is the fate of humanity. It seems pretty clear at the end of FOUNDATION AND EARTH that Gaia or Galaxia, the all encompassing organic planet where every element is interconnected physically, will be the eventual fate of all humankind after Trevize discovers what he considers to be the fatal flaw of psychohistory and decides in its favor (for more detail see FOUNDATION'S EDGE and FOUNDATION AND EARTH). Trevize claims that psychohistory does not take into account the possibility of intelligent life in other galaxies. If such life exists then psychohistory is irreparably flawed (I think this is a terribly poor argument and lament that FOUNDATION AND EARTH was ever written). Therefore Trevize feels he must side with Gaia so that humankind can be united if it ever faces a threat from intelligent life outside the galaxy. Gaia is a very unpleasant and damning ending for humanity. Humankind as one large interconnected organism is defeatist.

Unfortunately, FORWARD THE FOUNDATION does not explicitly state that the Foundation ultimately establishes a Second Galactic Empire and that Galaxia is aborted. FORWARD THE FOUNDATION, however, does strongly imply that Galaxia is not the ultimate fate of humanity and that the Seldon Plan works out. First, if the Foundation does not succeed why should readers, who have already seen the future, care about the life a Hari Seldon? If Galaxia is the fate of humankind then Seldon would have played no role in the shape of humankind's future and would be unimportant in the long run. Surely Asimov would not have spent such effort writing about Seldon's life if Galaxia were to make Seldon's life ultimately purposeless. Additionally there is the continuing entries of the Encyclopedia Galactica which states at the end of FORWARD THE FOUNDATION: "It has been said that Hari Seldon left this life as he lived it, for he died with the future he created unfolding all around him..."

This passage could be interpreted that the Seldon Plan eventually molds the future of humankind.

Whether my assumption that the Foundation ultimately establishes a Second Galactic Empire is correct or not, FORWARD THE FOUNDATION does not bring closure to the Foundation Series. If the Seldon Plan is successful, then we must wonder how the Foundations are able to thwart the establishment of Galaxia after the seemingly firm impetus it had at the end of FOUNDATION AND EARTH. If Galaxia is indeed eventually established, certainly the two Foundations did not acquiesce without a fight. And both Foundations had the resources and ability to fight for their own survival and the Seldon Plan. This conflict would have been interesting and would have made a great premise for a final Foundation novel.

In sum I must say I am disappointed in the ending of the Foundation Series. For the most part FORWARD THE FOUNDATION is well worth reading in the context of the preceding novels. Unfortunately, we are left to speculate about the impending conflict between Galaxia and the two Foundations. I would have rather speculated about the interlude in Seldon's life filled by FORWARD THE FOUNDATION.


Rating:
Summary: Better of the two prequels
Review: This 3.5 star book picks up eight years after Prelude to Foundation, and explains the origins of the two Foundations against the backdrop of the collapsing Empire.

Hari Seldon, his family, friends and colleagues labor to operationalize psychohistory into a useful form, while garnering enough resources to launch the Foundation at Terminus and identifying the key skills necessary for the Second Foundation at Star's End.

Even though this explains how Seldon comes up with the Plan and sets up the Foundations, there are (deliberately) no spoilers to ruin the story of how the Plan unfolds in the central Foundation trilogy. As such, it is the natural complement to that series.

The plot is relatively static -- at least compared to the first prequel, Prelude to Foundation -- focusing on the development of the science of psychohistory. As such, it plays to Asimov's strengths which lie in the science not the fiction.

So while not essential, it is an enjoyable introduction to the trilogy, and a better place to start than Prelude. If necessary, read this and then the last 30 pages of Prelude to fill in a few minor puzzles.

Rating:
Summary: The Sequel to Prelude to Foundation
Review: This story is the continuation of Prelude and it fills the gap between Prelude and Foundation. It is a great piece of work--in fact one of Asimov's last before his death. This is one of those stories that sticks in your mind and stays there for years to come.

Rating:
Summary: OK book, but still a must read for fans of the series
Review: Forward the Foundation is the second book in the Foundation series, but the last book to be written by Asimov. The setting for Forward the Foundation predates that of Foundation as Asimov reveals more about the life of Hari Seldon, his family and those who help him with his psychohistory work.

I first became acquainted with the Foundation series when I read Foundation. Since that time, I have hungrily read the other books of the series with Forward the Foundation being the last of the books to be read. I like the Foundation series due to the problems that the characters face and the clever and seemingly easy ways in which the Foundation avoids destruction. However, I feel that Forward the Foundation just is not up to par with the other Foundation books. The writing is disjointed almost as if Asimov would pick up the manuscript after being absent from it for a while and start to write again. He starts chapters by introducing information that the reader already knows from other chapters as if it is new. Furthermore, some of what is written seems to contradict things that happen in some of the other books. The contradictions are small, but noticeable.

In all, I think that Forward the Foundation is a descent book which helps to fill in the time period before the Foundation was established. I would not say that I have found it an essential read to enjoy the Foundation series. However, as a fan of the Foundation, I would have read it nonetheless. Just be prepared for a book which is not as good as the other books in the series.

Rating:
Summary: Forward the Foundation-Filling in the Gaps
Review: Isaac Asimov is, in my opinion, the greatest modern science fiction writer. His crowning achievement, the Foundation series, is widely aknowledged to be one of the greatest Sci-Fi series of all time. The series, Prelude to F-, Foundation, F- and Empire, Second F-, F-'s Edge, and finally Forward the Foundation, is the consummate of some 40 years of intermittent "dabbling" in the series. For this reason, there are, as can be expected, some continuity problems with the plot line. However, Asimov's skill as a storyteller through the characters is unparalleled in the genre. He is able to weave from words great characters such as Salvor Hardin, Hober Mallow, Lethan Devers, Bayta and Arkady Darrell, Stor Gendibal, Sura Novi...chracters as human as they are fictional. His greatest character, however, is Hari Seldon. Forward the Foundation represents Hari Seldon. It continuies the job of tying together all of Asimov's major novels begun in Foundation's Edge, and gives a sense of resolution, while only describing events that occur 500 years prior to those in Foundation's Edge. This book is not without flaws...though for it's insight into one of the greatest fictional characters of all time, I highly recommend it.