Isaac Asimov - Foundation
Isaac Asimov
1951
This book is a collection of five short stories all related to each other, telling the early history of the planet Terminus. The old Galactic Empire, centered around the planet of Trantor. A group of psychohistorians, led by Hari Seldon, have figured out the future course of history, and determined that they can mitigate the dark ages that will ensure after the fall of Trantor from twenty thousand years to a single millenia. A group of people have been sent to Terminus to preserve science and culture for the generations to come.
Foundation’s short stories all revolve around moments in this predicted course of history where the inhabitants of Terminus must radically change their ways in order to maintain and improve their own position in the galaxy, and become the driving force of the future. There are no bloody space wars, just gentle tactics, and the stories are brilliant and riveting.
I love Asimov’s short stories. One of my favourite things is the way he describes environments and paints scenes. I wouldn’t consider characterizations one of his strong suits, but he tells a good story and can paint large swaths of space and time by narrating short periods really well. This is the first book in what was originally a trilogy and is now an epic series which encompasses many of his other novels. I am very much looking forward to reading the next book in the original trilogy.
Hey Shan,
We read Foundation for my Sci-Fi Literature class last semester – great book. Did you notice how the characters were pretty much interchangeable from time period to time period? Still, quite a good piece of literature.
The recommendation of my prof with regards to the series (and apparently a recommendation of Asimov as well in the introduction to the 4th novel) is to stick with the original trilogy… the rest were simply money-makers for the publisher that Asimov was obligated by contract to write.
Enjoy :)
[...] And Empire picks up from the story told in the first Foundation, with the Foundation kicking galaxy periphery ass, and the remains of the old Empire crumbling [...]