Foundation - February 2014

[Sarah]

'Foundation' by Isaac Asimov won the vote for the Science Fiction and Fantasy category for February. Please share your thoughts on this book with the group.

Do bear in mind the advice on spoilers

[Leslie]

This is a wonderful book - the one that turned me from a person who "hated science fiction" to a sci fi fan! I don't know if I will have time to reread it this month, but hope to join in the discussion anyway.

[Sarah]

Leslie, your comment has made me even more eager to read this! Some time ago I went through a spell of reading Asimov short stories, so I do know his work but pretty sure I haven't read this one. I look forward to hearing more on how the book impressed you (and to reading it of course!

[Sarah]

Have just started this, it is years since I read any Asimov and I'm remembering how much I enjoyed his short stories. The writing isn't flawless, for example the dialogue doesn't read true at times, but the futuristic world is believable and the plot is such a fun read that these minor points do not effect the reading.

[Iona]

This is my first time reading anything Asimov (it's technically also my first time reading sci-fi too) and it's unlike anything I've ever read before. I'm enjoying it so far - I'm on part 3 - and I love the futuristic setting, but (view spoiler)[the fact that the characters change every couple of chapters is making me dizzy! (hide spoiler)]

[Clare]

I have read some Asimov before and always liked his work but had neglected reading anything from him in quite a while. However, I found the premise of his Foundation series so enticing I just had to go get this first book. (view spoiler)[As a scientist myself, the whole idea of a group of psychohistorians being exiled and how science ends up being twisted was such a fun and delightful concept for me. (hide spoiler)]

[Sarah]

I was quite enjoying this until (view spoiler)[the twist in the plot, since then I can't seem to get into it again. (hide spoiler)] Think it's partly the problem of reading on the computer, I will soon by borrowing/buying books again so maybe I will belatedly finish this one!

Part of the fun of reading science fiction written in the past is seeing if any assumptions have come true. I do hope (view spoiler)[ his assumption that politics will be much the same, and that war will still exist, will be proved wrong. (hide spoiler)]

Something he mentions which I don't think will happen is (view spoiler)[ that of people in the future, having moved to other planets, forgetting that earth was the birthplace of humans. Although some are less interested in the story of the origin of modern humans, many are and I believe there will always be enough people wanting to research and remember where we all originally came from for there always to be some awareness of this knowledge.

I would like to hear what others think for although initially sure of this, it occurred to me that it is only recently, relatively, have we posited the idea that we originated in Africa - and this is on the same planet! So I'd love to hear: Do group members agree with Asimov (as he writes in Foundation at least) that it's possible our distant decendents will forget that Earth was our original planet? Or do you think the tie of history is too strong? (hide spoiler)]

[Leslie]

Regarding your last spoiler, I think (view spoiler)[given enough time, people may recall that they came from a planet called "Earth" but not know where it was or much about it. Information about the past often turns into legends whose veracity is questioned or dismissed - think about Troy; for a long time it was assumed that Homer had made up the Trojan War until Schliemann excavated the city's remains. That wasn't that long ago or far away compared to the setting of the book (hide spoiler)]…

[Phil]

I'm 3/4 of the way through and I'm enjoying this book a lot. There are problems with it: it was written as five separate short stories, published months, if not years, apart and very little attempt (if any) has been made to take into account that you've just read the previous story mere minutes ago. This means there is an AWFUL lot of repetition.

Apart from that, my biggest problem is that apparently there isn't a single woman in the future. Not one (unless a troupe of intergalactic Amazonians swan up in the last chapter).

[Phil]

Oops - my mistake, of COURSE there are women in the future, we've just had a slave girl and a nagging wife in quick succession.

[Dennis]

Asimov could imagine the far future, but he couldn't imagine the feminist movement! Susan Calvin is a sympathetic character in the Robot series, however.

[Sarah]

Phil, thank you for this point, I am glad you commented on the absence of women (the inclusion of classic stereotypes making it worse!) but I hesitated about saying something due to knowing, as Dennis says, about the strong female character of Asimov's Susan Calvin - not only in one of his books, but a central person in a whole series.

Although it was wrong, I do have slight sympathy for writers of earlier times, even female writers would put women into traditional roles and have them respond in cliched ways. It is when women are absent in a book by a more modern writer that I really begin to seethe!