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Isaac Asimov's Foundation Trilogy is one of the high-water marks of science fiction. It is the monumental story of a Galactic Empire in decline, and the secret society of scientists who seek to shorten the inevitable Dark Age with the science of psychohistory. Now, with the permission -- and blessing -- of the Asimov estate, the epic saga continues. Fate -- and a cruel Emperor's arbitrary power -- have thrust Hari Seldon into the First Ministership of the Empire against his will. As the story opens, Hari is about to leave his quiet professorship and take on the all but impossible task of administering 25 million inhabited worlds from the all-steel planet of Trantor. With the help of his beautiful bio-engineered "wife" Dors and his alien companion Yugo, Seldon is still developing the science that will transform history, never dreaming that it will ultimately pit him against future history's most awesome threat.… (more)
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Seldon, facing threats from Lamurk, escapes his home world, Trantor, with his robot wife, Dors. The two visit vast, new worlds that help Seldon better formulate Psychohistory. Likewise, Joan and Voltare escape into the trantor Internet, called the Mesh, and there encounter something long forgotten/
Recommended for fans of Foundation wishing to read more books (albeit by different authors). Not recommended for readers expecting to read another posthumous Asimov book. Those readers will hate it.
I think I might have been missing out on something great. This "Killer B" Foundation prequel fits seamlessly into the tone and themes of Asimov's latter additions to the
There are three major strands
A second story involves simulated intelligences inside of computer systems named Voltaire and Joan of Arc. This begins in a big way around page 100 and continues on and off until the end of the book. I found this storyline uninteresting and distracting from the Foundation premise and story. I did not understand a purpose or point to this storyline. The author explains after another couple of hundred pages why the sims are important to the plot of this book. But by then I had lost all interest in them, and I think they could be removed entirely from the book, with no loss of coherence or plot development.
The third major storyline involves Chimpanzees. This storyline about pans as they are called in the book starts around page 327. I was actually looking forward to this storyline since I had read that the author introduced them as a tool for Hari's development of psycohostory. Although we see a connection between the pan episodes and Hari's theory development, here again I found this storyline distracting and merely an interlude away from the main story. Again here is a major section, which I feel could have been completely excised with a resulting improvement to the plot flow.
I give this book 3 stars, because of my strong interest in Asimov world and the other two entries in this trilogy. Also, as I mentioned I found one of the storylines interesting and worth my time. But if I did not have an ulterior motive in reading this book I would not have finished it, and it would have earned less stars from me.
I think clearly, Benford tried to remain true to the characters but sometimes took liberties which could be interpreted as his own writing style. While every writer has his or her own style (a fact which should be celebrated, of course), I could only feel that Benford had a story in his head that had nothing to do with the Foundation series and adapted it, somewhat clumsily at times.
The author explores some elements left up in the air by Isaac Asimov, and fills with more current knowledge and
Some of the topics he addresses include expanding on Dor, who she is and giving her a little background. Her character is expanded, and perhaps changed a bit, at least from what I may have imagined. In general, he adds a lot about computers and robotics that Asimov didn't go into, or couldn't because the technology wasn't available. Philosophically, he approaches the topic of computer intelligence and what could constitute life. In this, Hari creates two simulated people, Voltaire and Jean of Arc, to help him understand society and to help further his psychohistory, Voltaire and Jean of Arc act as a yin and yang, who's arguments are designed to answer questions. But they evolve their own desires and take on life beyond their programming.
I found the book difficult to work through at times, but still an interesting addition to the Asimov series. I believe those fond of the Asmiov trilogy will enjoy this and find it interesting. It adds background to the trilogy and brings it a little more into the present. Otherwise I don't think it may not be worth the effort.
In his introduction, Benford warns us that these books, while set in the Foundation