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Apr 17, 2008

ttrygve rated it:

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Nov 22, 2011

Chris rated it:

I remember reading the original Foundation trilogy in the 70s, followed (or possibly preceded) by listening to Hari Seldon's vision as recounted in the BBC radio dramatisation. I wasn't totally convinced by Asimov's psychohistory plot device then, but accepted that this was a reflection of a growing tendency to try to more accurately predict what was coming up in the future, whether in the markets, in technological or manufacturing trends or in developments in popular culture. Mix in some mathem More...

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May 25, 2009

Steven rated it:

In terms of Asimov's writing, this is the last work exploring the Foundation; the copyright date is actually after his death. As some have noted, there is something of a contradiction here. By the time the Foundation series ends (with "Foundation and Earth"), the Foundation is kaput in terms of the future, and Galaxia is to take its place. So, to make his last novel a Hari Seldon novel is a bit strange. Still and all, though, this is a fascinating novel.

There are a couple More...

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Jan 23, 2011

Eva rated it:

This book is really five short stories highlighting portions of Seldon's life. It is well-written, highly consistent, and moves fluidly.

While the main focus is on the trials and tribulations of psychohistory, there are glimpses at Seldon's humanity. He worries about dying and losing those closest to him. He feels age begin to wear on his body, making him slower and more dependent on others. He fails and makes mistakes. This full characterization of Seldon makes him into someone the r More...

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Sep 26, 2009

Michael rated it:

This book continues the fluffy prelude of the foundation story. Like "Prelude" it provides some fun filler and entertaining stories to show how the theories we see in the Foundation stories have their beginnings. This book helps to show how psycohistory isn't so much a prediction of the future as it is an evolution of the most likely and desirable course for history to take.

I love the books but do not think they are high literature. They provide a nice link and give a More...

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Jan 21, 2012

Eric rated it:

A long time ago I was a big fan of the Foundation trilogy, as well as the follow up Foundation edge. When the first prequel was out (Prelude to Foundation) I jumped on this book, because I thought this would be the book where we learn about the events leading to the origins of Foundation serie. I was severely disappointed, so much so that I did not bother with the other prequel, Forward. But recently I reread the trilogy and after reading a few reviews here I decided to give a try to Forward th More...

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Jul 27, 2011

Seabirdicat rated it:

Well, I'm trying to read Foundation in the order Asimov suggests, so that makes this the second one I've read. It was decent, readable.. I was really disappointed that Daneel was only in the first fourth though ;_; still, the rest was easy to get through and interesting.. I know it sets up for his original trilogy which gets such strong reviews that I'm really curious what it is like. It was weird being jerked around in time so often, ten years here, ten years there, but I can see that it was ne More...

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Jan 02, 2010

Max rated it:

This is actually the second prequel to the Foundation Trilogy, and the last book Asimov wrote (see the Author's note in Prelude to Foundation for the chronology of the series vs. when actually penned).

As I read 'Prelude' first, and got accustomed to the later writing style of Asimov before getting to the Foundation Trilogy, it was easy for me to rejoin Hari, Dors, and Raych. The book is separated in sections by character focus, similar to others of the series. Each section jumps fo More...

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Sep 13, 2010

Shivesh rated it:

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2 comments like (1 person liked it)

Jan 24, 2012

R. Sun Moon rated it:

The second prequel in the foundation series and probably the last novel written by Asimov, maybe that explains why he was so comfortable handling emotions here. This one is more of an emotional read than a sci-fi one. The story gets sadder and sadder by the minute, especially in the latter half, with death after death thrown in. This prequel picks off Hari from the Prelude and concludes with his death in his old age. It also shows the developments in psycho history, the mad scramble to power amo More...

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Jul 23, 2009

Tom rated it:

This wasn't the best of the series, but it's a fun read. If you're new to the series, don't start here. Go back to Foundation.

Fans who haven't read it will love the insights on the 2nd Foundation, the surprising amount of action and strong plot, and finally an explanation on how the 2nd Foundation really came to be.

People call Asimov's characters robots, but I still say they're wrong. I used to think so too, but this book is perhaps Asimov's best answer to those criticisms. More...

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Mar 02, 2010

Tamcamry rated it:

• When I looked at some of the reviews on Amazon when I ordered this book it said that this was in some way an autobiographical account of Asimov’s life. Now, I will fully admit that I don’t know much about his life, but I doubt it was this dramatic. Asimov was the most prolific writer in the 20th century, and maybe ever. I’m sure that his accomplishments were many and important. The character that is supposed to represent him, though, literally saves civilization for an entire galaxy. I t More...

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Jul 07, 2011

Lindy rated it:

I FINISHED THE SERIES!!!!! I can now say that I have read Asimov. Prelude and Forward the Foundation were pages turners for me, the other four books were a bit harder to wade through. Science-fiction is not generally my genre of choice, but I am glad to have read the books. Upon closing the las t book, I am left with many questions. I've considered reading Asimov's other series' to see if I get answers, but I'm not dedicating another couple of months to sci-fi for quite awhile!

Ok ... More...

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Oct 15, 2011

Randall rated it:

This is the first book in the Foundation "trilogy", which is actually four books. This particular book was written years after the original trilogy was finished, mainly to provide readers with more background to the story. In fact, I think this is one of the last books that Asimov wrote before he died. Anyway, most of the book was very well written and fun to read, but you could tell by the end that Asimov just wanted to get it over with. All the surprise was gone, and the ways he went More...

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Sep 05, 2010

David C. rated it:

This is the last, and in my opinion, one of the best novels written by the author. It tells the life story of the pivotal character of Asimov's "Foundation" series, Hari Seldon, who lives at the heart of a galactic empire about to enter into a period of great decline. Asimov presents this character in such a strong and compelling way; in part because of his lifetime of writing experience, but also because in many ways Seldon is his alter ego. I felt a lot of emotion as I read this fina More...

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Jan 24, 2012

Rachel rated it:

Although this book is officially the conclusion to Asimov's Foundation series, I honestly feel that Foundation and Earth is a more satisfying ending. If I were recommending the series to someone, I would place Forward the Foundation as a direct sequel to Prelude to Foundation. Watching someone slowly decline into misery and old age, while all my favorite characters slowly vanished from the book, is not really a fun way to end the series. No, far better is the epic quest to find Earth, the revisi More...

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Mar 09, 2011

Harry rated it:

This book is ostensibly the final in the Foundation series, but in time it takes place immediately following "Prelude to Foundation". It shows more details of Hari Seldon's life, and leads to the forming of both the first and second foundations.

I found this one difficult to believe; the story line links clearly to the earlier Robot series, but the linkage seemed somewhat forced. Character development was inconsistent, and the plot seemed contrived. To my mind, this was t More...

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Apr 05, 2009

Darren rated it:

More than 40 years after He started the story, Asimov comes back to the beginning with a second prequel that fills the gap between Prelude and the first 5 books. This one has Hari and his family overcoming numerous plots by governments and would-be governments to take control of Hari and use psychohistory to their sole advantage. You know of course from the other books that he succeeds, but this book sheds some light on how the theory of Prelude becomes the science that rules the others. I'm gla More...

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Feb 05, 2012

Isabel rated it:

The life of Hari Seldon is well encrusted with legend and uncertainty, so that little hope remains of ever obtaining a biography that can be thoroughly factual. Perhaps the most puzzling aspect of his life deals with his consort, Dors Venabili. There is no information whatever concerning Dors Venabili, except for her birth on the world of Cinna, prior to her arrival at Streeling University to become a member of the history faculty. Shortly after that, she met Seldon and remained his consort for More...

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Jan 11, 2012

Steve rated it:

I really loved this book, and as much as 'Prelude' was a disappointment, 'Forward' made sitting through the first prequel worth my time. Knowing that this was the last book that Asimov wrote in this series - and, I believe, the last book he wrote - turning the page to find the about the author was a particularly bitter moment for me. I can't help but draw parallels between Hari Seldon and Asimov, even though I know very little about the author's life. Having read all of the Foundation books More...

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Jan 08, 2012

Tfitoby rated it:

Wow. A highly enjoyable book that ended with a rather wonderful epilogue that may well be the finest piece of writing from Asimov I've yet experienced.

Coming at these Foundation books in chronological order means that I still know nothing of the original trilogy (that comes next) as despite Asimov taking great care to update the reader on what came chronologically before he doesn't bother to explain in any great detail what exactly Seldon was working on. There's not enough science I gu More...

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Jun 27, 2011

David rated it:

It's Asimov at the end of his career and life ... a better story teller than most (even at his weaker moments).

Last fall I began reading Asimov's novels for the first time, starting with Foundation. The order in which you read these novels completely changes the impact of any given work. Most of the novels contain surprises, but depending upon the order in which you read Asimov's books ... what was meant as a surprise might not be a surprise to the reader. And what was not meant as a More...

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Apr 16, 2009

Hollis rated it:

This book is the last in the Foundation series which Asimov laboured to complete just weeks before his death: I really wanted to like it. I didn't. I feel bad saying this considering his eminence as a master of SF but my patience is really wearing thin with Asimov and this was the same as usual: never-ending dialogue, tediousness, characters that consist of names and hair colours. This is the twenty-fifth work of fiction that I have read by Asimov and I am still unable to comprehend why so ma More...

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Nov 19, 2007

Chris rated it:

This is my second Foundation Series novel and fourth from Asimov in general, and it's my favorite, second only to I, Robot. Funny... the one thing that bugged me while reading this one was that it seemed too jumpy or segmented: often, 10 years would pass between parts of the book. Granted, that makes perfect sense, since Asimov essentially needed to cover an entire lifetime of a prominent figure in his universe all in one novel, but it got to the point where I was thinking, "What, again?" More...

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Dec 13, 2011

Fabricio rated it:

Hasta ahora he leído cinco libros de la saga de Fundación; Preludio a la Fundación, el ciclo de Trantor y por supuesto Hacia la Fundación y de todos ellos el que he sentido más débil en cuanto a argumento, desarrollo e importancia en la saga es este último.

Definitivamente es un libro de relleno, y aunque me resta por leer Los límites de la Fundación y Fundación y Tierra, mi consejo es que se queden solamente con el ciclo de Trantor (Fundación, Fundación e Imperio y Segunda Fundación). More...

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Jan 13, 2011

Titus rated it:

The plot is not that great. There are some unnecessary parts, and some unlikely parts. It doesn't make sense to me that the development of a new science could proceed the way Asimov depicts it.

That being said, this book, Asimov's final published work, is a crowning achievement. The character of Hari Seldon is brought to life as a reflection of Asimov himself. Reading this book with the understanding that Seldon is voicing many of Asimov's own thoughts at the end of his life is movi

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Oct 23, 2010

Kevin rated it:

I had to read this book so I could finish the series. It was interesting to see where it all originated, but I feel he made some huge leaps. I disliked this book the most out of all of his.

SPOILER

How in the world did Seldon make this link that of, because my grandaughter saw some equations that were wrong,m some how he concludes that she can read minds?

That was rediculous. He could have built that dynamic up in a different way that just all of a sudde

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Feb 09, 2011

Troy rated it:

Having only read Foundation and Prelude to Foundation, I thought this book connected the two beautifully. This book solidified my decision to finish the series, despite my odd choice in reading order.

I like Asimov's prequels slightly better than the original Foundation novel, simply because the characters seem so much better developed. While Foundation's grand scale presents a sense of awe and wonder, the prequels really dig into the history of Hari Seldon and give the series a strong More...

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May 12, 2011

Deepti rated it:

wow...this was very moving...though it had less to do with the foundation and is more of a tentative exploration of the emotions that wash over hari as he nears his death. without going overboard on the emotion, it shows beautifully how he desperately tries to strike a balance between his dream of psychohistory and his family.

i love the end, where he realises that failure is not wrong, and not always exactly the opposite of success.

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Oct 11, 2011

Elmistico rated it:

L'aube de fondation constitue avec prélude de fondation, le plus beau cadeau que Asimov pouvait faire à ses lecteurs. D'ailleurs le livre est dédicacé à ses lecteurs. Ces deux romans qui ne doivent être lu qu'après avoir dévoré les cinq tomes originaux du cycle de fondation (les trois premiers étant les meilleurs) nous renseigne sur les fondements même de la psychohistoire et plus encore sur l'aube de fondation (d'où le titre. Plus encore qu'un éclaircissement sur les zones d'ombre qui demeuraie More...

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