As the Foundation Steps Forward Asimov Makes His Final Bow
Written: Apr 12 '03
Product Rating:
Pros: Asimov develops his distinctly ornate and profound science-fiction world further.
Cons: The plot becomes very thin, very predictable and very boring by novel's end.
The Bottom Line: A good addition to the Foundation series, though not necessary in and of itself. Stick to the original books if you don't have time to waste.
avepythagoras's Full Review: Isaac Asimov - Forward the Foundation
I know this is my third Asimov review. Unfortunately, expect many more to follow, because I have decided to write reviews on all the Foundation novels. Why, you might ask? I can't really answer this; I just want to read and re-read them. The Foundation series is important for science-fiction fans, writers, and moviemakers alike. It has influenced the contemporary genre community so radically and decisively, spawning and influencing everything from Star-Trek and Star Wars, that it has become, literally, the Foundation of modern science-fiction. And thus, worth reading if, and this is a strong if, you consider yourself a science-fiction fan. That said: onto the review.
Forward the Foundation is chronologically the second novel in the greater Foundation series, even though it was the last written. Unfortunately, it was Asimov's last novel; he died while this book was slowly making its way through the tedious editing processes any such work would require. Forward the Foundation provides further details of the life and times of Hari Seldon, the imminent mathematical genius behind psychohistory, a statistical method able to predict the future. Through this science, Seldon has predicted the fall of the Galactic Empire, the all-encompassing governmental body ruling the entirety of known human space. And with the fall, a growing barbarous darkness will take hold of all humanity. But psychohistory is still a fledgling science, and far from practical. Seldon works feverishly to further develop his science in hopes it will bring a means to averting the inevitable. As the Empire begins to crumble around him, the pace quickens, rivaling political powers seek to control Seldon, turning his work into a puppet of both politics and propaganda. Seldon is helpless, the movements of history are beyond his control, and he must fight to find a voice amidst the growing storm of future dark ages.
Forward the Foundation is the sequel to Prelude to Foundation, both books were written after the original Foundation novels, as Asimov looked back upon the origins of his successful series. Both books chronicle the life and times of Hari Seldon, the father of psychohistory and the grandfather of the Foundation—an organization developed to save humanity from the growing night of barbarism following the fall of the Empire. Forward the Foundation follows the rise and fall of Seldon as a political figure, his ascendancy to the position of First Minister and his failure in such a capacity. The politics of the Empire are laid out in full, as intrigue and subterfuge become Seldon’s means of holding the Empire together long enough for psychohistory to come to full fruition.
As a book, Forward the Foundation has its merits, the web of intrigue Asimov develops is mildly captivating, and I found myself eager to turn the pages, because the outcomes, unlike many of his other Foundation novels, were anything but immediately obvious. But, by the middle of the book, the storyline begins to drag, Asimov’s control of his themes slackens, and the story devolves into a repetitious cycle, as Seldon faces similar problems with similar solutions. The ingenuity of the early plot becomes suboptimal and, quite frankly, boring. Also, my earlier criticisms stand concerning Asimov’s writing style, he’s not really good with characters or dialogue. Both always end one-sided and overly contrived, the language is very choppy, it feels unnatural, and I wondered at times, do people really talk like this? In the early Foundation novels, the characters are short-lived and don’t require as much development. Whereas in the prequels, the character of Hari Seldon is more dynamic, he is, after all, the main character of these novels, and requires more work, more growth and more emotional depth. But I felt Asimov didn’t rise to the occasion. Hari is written like many of Asimov’s other characters, and thus, comes off as one-sided, one-dimensional and rather dull. Asimov had two novels to develop the emotions, fears, thoughts, ideas and desires of Hari Seldon, and after finishing Forward the Foundation I felt Hari Seldon had changed little from the first time we were introduced in Prelude to Foundation.
This novel is much better than Prelude to Foundation and it is a good book for the many fans of the Foundation series. But it is not really necessary if you want to just enjoy the scope of Asimov's Foundation series, if you don’t have time to wade through the 800 plus pages of Prelude and Forward. And suffice it so say, I’ve found the original Foundation novels to be a little more enjoyable than either of the two prequels. Therefore, I can’t really recommend this book. But if you are a fan of science-fiction you are almost obligated to give it a try, Asimov is an important figure in the history of this genre and thus worth the time, even if he isn’t the best, he did it first, and that is worth something.
A stunning testament to his creative genius. Forward The Foundation is a the saga s dramatic climax -- the story Asimov fans have been waiting for. An...More at Buy.com Marketplaces
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