Second Foundation
by Isaac Asimov
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Read in October, 2007
recommends it for:
Laura.
The third book of the original Foundation Trilogy is a good place to stop in a story that could very well never end. Asimov's universe is rendered in such epic scale that he very well could have (and sort of did) gone on writing sequels until his body gave out. [Spoiler Alert] The reason for this is that the first book sets the stage for (at least) a thousand year era of galactic history. Asimov choses to focus the story on The Seldon Plan, and its evolution. It quickly becomes apparent that bar...more
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Read in March, 2008
recommended to Dave by:
Isaac A.recommends it for: anyone with a heart full of lust.
This is the fourth Asimov book that I have read and, as imagined, it did not impair upon his rapidly increasing fame within the populous of my mental realm. The other books being I,Robot, Foundation, and of course Foundation and Empire.
As excited as I was with the first two books in this trilogy, Second Foundation took much more time to get through than the other two. I think my anticipation of a larger-than-life battle between the Mule and the second foundation far exceeded the details prov...more
As excited as I was with the first two books in this trilogy, Second Foundation took much more time to get through than the other two. I think my anticipation of a larger-than-life battle between the Mule and the second foundation far exceeded the details prov...more
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Read in November, 2007
"Second Foundation"(2ndF) made up for the shortfalls of "Foundation and Empire" (Empire). In my opinion the mule character, and really most of Empire, was simply a lead up to this novel. As a plot device for 2ndF the mule worked fabulously to divert the stream of events from the set psychohistory path, but as a story in itself was extremely weak. I also appreciated how Asimov tied events back to the previous books in ways that were not obvious when reading them. I think t...more
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Has a copy to sell/swap
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Read in February, 2007
As much as I did not enjoy reading Foundation and Empire, I had a good time with Second Foundation. I’m pretty sure that this is because in Second Foundation individual actions were actually of importance. What a character did mattered; and therefore, I could care about it again. I felt conflicted because I was almost allied with the Mule in the first half of the book because at least he had some influence and I could be interested in what he was doing. In the second half,...more
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Read in November, 1990
After I was finished with this book, I thought about the second foundation for a long time. I wouldn't be surprised if this book is the reason that I started to wonder about humans as a collective organism and wonder about being able to study the cycles of intelligent animal life on any given planet. Would those cycles be similar to ours? How much is possible to do and to know before a species of intelligent animals use up their host planet? Anyway, there's lots of food for thought in this book ...more
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Read in April, 2007
recommends it for:
SciFi fans.
The Foundation Trilogy lived up to expectations... almost. I had a great time traveling simultaneously backward and forward in time with Issac Asimov. He was writing a series of novels about an advanced spacefaring culture, but he was writing before the advent of computers. His visions are simultaneously quaint and awe-inspiring.
The version of the trilogy that I read is old. It was bizarrely filled with grammatical errors, especially in punctuation. I'm trying to decide if this was th...more
The version of the trilogy that I read is old. It was bizarrely filled with grammatical errors, especially in punctuation. I'm trying to decide if this was th...more
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All through the first two Foundation novels there are references to there being a Second Foundation. It remains throughly shrouded in mystery throughout the first two volumes of Foundation stories. In this one, the mystery gradually unfolds.
For some readers, this novel represents perhaps a logical stopping place for Foundation reading--the subsequent novels were published a long, long time later. But I don't remember what the flow is like between this novel and Foundation's Edge in terms ...more
For some readers, this novel represents perhaps a logical stopping place for Foundation reading--the subsequent novels were published a long, long time later. But I don't remember what the flow is like between this novel and Foundation's Edge in terms ...more
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Read in April, 2008
I have really enjoyed going back and re-reading the foundation books. I will say this book has terrrific twists and turns. But I did feel like it dragged just a little in the middle third. But the unpredictability of some aspects and the complete predictability of others keeps the mind stimulated. This definately works as part of a series, but I don't think it would be the best place to jump into Asimov's universe.
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Read in January, 2008
This book was surprisingly well-done. The events from the story are interesting, very tightly integrated, and very logical. This book puts several pieces of the evolving tale together, some in rather surprising ways. It also sets up the next book in the series to the point where I'm simply forced to read it. :-) Compared to other Foundation books, this one kept me guessing and surprised more than I had expected.
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Read in October, 2007
I've never liked this book as much as the first two, but I suppose that's because I sympathize more with the First Foundationers than the Second (though, of course, they'd say that was predictable resentment). Also, while this does feature the "precocious kid who's terribly important to the fate of the universe" cliche, at least there's an eventual explanation for it.
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Read in July, 2007
recommends it for:
SciFi/Fantasy fans
This is book #4 of the Foundation series by Isaac Asimov. I have a love/hate relationship with series of books, when I begin a series I want it all... reading each and every one of them without anything coming between them. With this series I seem to have every second one and having to wait and buy the next one before being able to continue my reading.
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This would be my second favorite of the trilogy. I loved the personality of Arcadia. The writing style was very engaging and the world was very human. The ultimate ending to the mystery of the Second Foundation was logical and fitting. Seemed like we should have been able to figure it outbefore the answer was given. I really loved the ending.
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Read in November, 2007
holds up. arcadia darell is one of the first great sci-fi heroines. the world-building is spare but exceptional. reflects the paranoia about psychology prevalent at the time asimov wrote. and the decline of the galactic empire feels eerily familiar. the prose is hackneyed in spots, but asimov's extrapolations make it worthwhile.
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Read in July, 1997
This book kicked ass. Though third in the Foundation Tri(Pentalogy) I read this first. It was so good, I read it back to back twice the same day. I have reread it a few times since over the years.
The book is packed with mind games and feels like there is a lot of action though in reality there is none. Asimov is a master!
The book is packed with mind games and feels like there is a lot of action though in reality there is none. Asimov is a master!
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The best Foundation book. The Second Foundation is way cooler than the First. They were the Bene Gesserit before the Bene Gesserit were the Bene Gesserit, though without the breeding programs and religious manipulation and all that. I remember being shocked at the ending too. Gimme a break I was 19...
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Read in January, 1977
recommends it for:
Anyone who wants to get a teenager reading
The original Foundation trilogy was quite exciting to me as a kid. Naturally, I saw no allusion to the Roman empire and the Dark Ages, but I lapped it up. And I was as surprised as anyone when upon finding out who (and where) the Second Foundationers were!
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Read in July, 2007
Hmmm! The Second Foundation is back. And off course the Galactic Empire's best kept secret is out. I now know that the Second Foundation is located on "At the other end of the Galaxy" i.e "Star's End" i.e..... you have to read for yourself.
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Read in January, 1981
Third in the Foundation series where we see Hari Seldon's plan further unfold to reduce the chaos of the collapsing galactic empire reduced to keep order.
Sound boring? It's not. again, a fascinating look at human behavior and vision.
Sound boring? It's not. again, a fascinating look at human behavior and vision.
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Read in May, 2006
recommended to Dan by:
Jeff Fieldsrecommends it for: Everyone
The Foundation series are among the most incredible scifi books I've every read. Probaly my all time favorite. And the reward for reading the 1st two is the third book (2nd Foundation) which is amazing.
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Read in March, 2007
recommends it for:
people that read the first 2,yo
Okay. I loved the first book, really liked the 2nd book, and like the 3rd, okay. Yeah, it kinda lost steam for me towards the end, but still, a good read and a must if you've read the other two.
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