Foundation’s Edge: The greatest science fiction series of all time, now a major series from Apple TV+: Book 1 (The Foundation Series: Sequels)

When you pick up an Isaac Asimov book, you're always in for a treat. This is the fourth book of the Foundation Saga from the Master of Sci-fi. Here's a summary and review: This book hits the ground running by immediately plunging the reader into the political intrigue of the two foundations in the backdrop of a suspiciously perfectly progressing Seldon Plan. The readers are introduced to the First Foundations' highly advanced technology whose workings and implied societal and cultural implications are astounding. The readers are also thoroughly introduced to the Second Foundation's enormous and literally mind-bending psychic powers and the control they exert on the galaxy. In the middle of it all are two exiled First Foundationers; A bold and courageous councilman with uncanny intuition, and a shy and curiosity-driven historian/mythologist. It's gratifying to read about formidable individuals laying out their elaborate plans within plans, thinking on their feet, and going head-to-head with invisible foes; all in the service of a greater good and sometimes personal gains. The book is a highly engaging page-turner with well-written characters, all of whom beautifully converge towards the resolution of the story via a sometimes convoluted but undeniably imaginative plot. The ideas and themes of technology, politics, free will, governance, etc, are thought-provoking without being preachy. And the world-building in the book is rich and complex. An immensely enjoyable book which is a testament to the author's literary adeptness, imagination, foresight, and overall richness of the mind.

Very good service and quality

I had ordered all seven of the Foundation series novels from Amazon. The items arrived in a staggered manner. Amazon's service- I give 1 star to Amazon's methodology of dealing with same series items such as these Foundation series. For customers' benefit, Amazon should have packaged and sold all books from one vendor. This way we could save shipping cost. Some of the books were eligible for free shipping while others were not. Also, I did not get the feeling of reading from 'one set'. (1) Foundation, (2) Foundation's Edge, (3) Second Foundation and (4) Foundation and Earth were from 'Voyager' while (5) Prelude to Foundation, (6) Forward the Foundation and (7) Foundation and Empire were from 'Bantam-Spectra'. The quality of Voyager was below par while Bantam-Spectra were OK. Foundation Series- The series in itself is mind blowing. Independently I give the series 5 stars. You can find that almost all Hollywood science fiction movies have been inspired by ideas originating in these seven books written by Asimov. I could go on and on but any science fiction lover must read the entire series to appreciate that a great depth of thought has gone in producing this masterpiece series. I can't wait to order the 'Robot' series and other standalone novels by Asimov.

After a long war which saw the first Foundation emerge victorious, the Second Foundation is now believed to be extinct, and all records of planet Earth's existence have been erased. No one suspects that the Second Foundation could still exist. None, except Council member Golan Trevize, who finds himself ordered to leave Terminus, accompanied by historian Janov Pelorat, in order to find it. Yet this quest will lead an unsuspecting Golan further than he could have possibly imagined - closer than ever to Earth, where the fate of the whole galaxy awaits him.

The binding and printing does justice to this classic.

I am reading these books to go back to my teen age days . These books sre classics ...must read for any science fiction book reader .

Isaac Asimov (1920-1992) was an extremely prolific writer who wrote or edited over 500 books in a writing career spanning five decades – covering not just science and science fiction, but fields as diverse as history, religion and detective fiction! I have been reading Dr Asimov’s books for more than thirty years now. Having collected the entire 7-part Foundation series over the years, the ongoing “lockdown” has given me a great opportunity to (re)read them in sequence of the storyline. I must admit, though, that I had not bought these books on Amazon – they were bought long before Amazon came to India! The Foundation series began with a series of stories/novellas published in the (now defunct) periodical called “Astounding Science Fiction.” The first story was published in May 1942, when Asimov was only 22 years old. Later, the stories were compiled into the original trilogy published between 1951 and 1953. Four decades after the initial stories were written, the author wrote two sequels and a prequel. Finally, he wrote another prequel, which was published posthumously in 1993. It has been claimed that the saga of decline and fall of the Galactic Empire is inspired by the history of the Roman Empire – and the Foundation represents the preservation of knowledge by the Church! The extended Foundation series, in sequence of storyline (which, or course, differs from the sequence of publication), is as follows: 1. “Prelude to Foundation” (1988) 2. “Forward the Foundation” (1993) 3. “Foundation” (1951) 4. “Foundation and Empire” (1952) 5. “Second Foundation” (1953) 6. “Foundation’s Edge” (1982) – this book 7. “Foundation and Earth” (1983) The story of “Foundation’s Edge” begins at Terminus, where the young councilman Golan Trevize expresses serious doubts about Seldon’s Plan – rather like a Cardinal questioning the Scriptures! Trevize also believes that the Second Foundation still exists. Harla Branno, the Mayor of Terminus, loses no time in sending Trevize into exile. He is accompanied by Janov Pelorat, an eccentric middle-aged scholar (perhaps Asimov’s alter ego) who is obsessed with finding Earth, the original home of human beings living on numerous planets all over the galaxy. The next scene is set on Trantor, where young Stor Gendibal is also casting doubts on the Seldon Plan, much to the discomfort of his fellow Speakers of the Second Foundation. He is outwitted by the formidable Speaker Delora Delarmi, his rival for the chair of the First Speaker. Soon Gendibal is exiled into space – accompanied only by Sura Novi, a woman from a primitive Hamish farming village who appears to be devoted to him. As the book proceeds, we realise that there is a power centre beyond the two Foundations. Eventually, the protagonists meet near the mysterious world of Gaia, where the author masterfully ties up the Gaia hypothesis with his own creations like Eternity and the Robots. The last page says THE END (for now) – a clear indication that another sequel had been planned! This book mentions several technical developments which reflect the evolution of technology since the earlier volumes, as well as the maturity of the author’s own imagination. For instance, we have an encyclopaedia which “is in a computer and it’s revised daily” – a remarkably prescient forecast of Wikipedia, which was launched in 2001, several years after the author’s death. The Foundation’s spaceships are completely “graviticized” – which means that they operate on the principle of anti-gravity, which was used only for elevators in the earlier books. Moreover, such spaceships are controlled by an interface where the user places his hands and conveys mental commands – far beyond touchscreens! While the language is generally simple, there are a few memorable passages, for example: “Stor Gendibal was the youngest and far from sufficiently aware of the fact. He acted as though youth were in itself a virtue and age a matter of negligence on the part of those who should know better… She was satisfied that there was no sympathy at all with Gendibal. The young man, she had always felt, had all the charm of a centipede and was best treated as one.” One of the shortcomings of Asimov’s books is that they appear politically incorrect by present standards. The role of women is rather restricted, apart from the stereotype of an assertive middle-aged woman, best represented by Dr Susan Calvin in the Robot series. Both Mayor Harla Branno and Speaker Delora Delarmi, who appear in this book, seem to be cast in the same mould. There is also a subtle racism in the names and appearances of the major characters, who are generally described as golden-haired and blue-eyed. In this book, though, the people in the Sayshell (Seychelles?) sector have black eyes and names that sound distinctly South Asian - Jogoroth Sobhaddartha and Namarath Godhisavatta. The publication of this book had created a sensation in the world of sci-fi and it had featured in the New York Times bestsellers list. It won the prestigious Hugo Award for 1983 and it was also nominated for the Nebula award. Though this book is widely acclaimed as a masterpiece, in my opinion, it falls short of perfection. While the original trilogy consisted of short stories or novellas, this book is structured as a novel and it is over 400 pages long. The beginning is stimulating and the climax is masterly, but much of the book seems bloated with superfluous dialogues – and so I feel compelled to give this book four stars instead of five. I wish Asimov had encountered an editor as formidable as Branno or Delarmi, who could have cut down this book to half its length!

One of the best works by THE best science fiction writer in history. Must read.

Un des meilleurs livres du cycle de Foundation. J'adore le style d'Asimov avec ses dialogues à rallonge. On a toujours l'impression de suivre en temps réel ce qui se passe, ce qui n'est pas le cas dans certains romans où le temps est malmené.

O Isaac Asimov dos anos 80 tornou-se mais radical em sua análise do futuro da humanidade: não apenas a humanidade apenas pode sobreviver com a ajuda de um planejamento social central por uma elite (uma evolução do socialismo, ao que parece), mas agora existe a necessidade da visão de Gaia: a inteligência associada ao superorganismo planetário. A forma como Asimov encara o desafio da humanidade em ocupar o nosso planeta de forma sustentável, e não suicida? Uma visão interessante como resumo de uma obra, de uma vida. A visão ecossistêmica permite o final feliz para todo mundo? E a costura das outras "realidades paralelas" da sua obra em um único universo! Fabuloso! Nota final, Asimov parecia ter afinidade com a interpretação de muitos mundos da mecânica quântica.

i had low expectations, given Asimov wrote thus much later in life than the initial trilogy. But it was a really good story and the descriptions of worlds and characters much deeper than the earlier books. I definitely recommend if you're a fan of Asimov and have read the first three Foundation books.

In alcune prefazioni o in altri scritti collaterali Asimov dichiara di aver ricevuto forti pressioni per ampliare il ciclo della Fondazione. Forse originariamente, non voleva farlo, ma per nostra fortuna lo ha fatto e ha scritto un altro geniale capitolo di storie fantastiche.

Very coherent with the whole saga of Foundation plus an exciting and promising finale. I can't wait for the next book.