Status
Available
Call number
Collection
Publication
Ballantine (1983), Edition: 1st, 426 pages
Description
Interplanetary intrigue, hyperspace pursuit, and future technology combine with a desperate search for the planet Earth.
Media reviews
Now, 33 years later, Mr. Asimov has written a new Foundation book. And I am relieved to report that it is a worthy sequel in every way. As before, the First Foundation wields the power of the physical sciences and technology, and the Second Foundation has the power to cloud men's minds and predict
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mass behavior through the statistical insights of psychohistory. Also as before, the fate of all humanity is at stake as these mighty adversaries clash - and the focus is on the actions of a handful of people who are earnest and articulate and likable even when they do bad things (for what seem to them good reasons). Mr. Asimov gives us adversaries but no villains; this is future history portrayed as a great game. The danger of such a concept is that the reader will cease to care who wins or loses. Mr. Asimov sustains interest by keeping us guessing just which side each player represents. He writes much better than he did 33 years ago - yet he has lost none of the verve that he brought to this series when he and the galaxy were much younger. What more could one ask? Show Less
Rare is the author who can resume a story after a pause of three decades, but Asimov has never been predictable in anything but fecundity. This is his 260th book and one of his best. Given the master's past history, it may be a prelude to a pentalogy.
Kirkus Reviews
After a slowish start, then, the rather talky narrative here develops into grippingly effective drama - with oodles of twisty-turny plot, an engaging cast, and some enjoyably mellow humor (Asimov whimsically manages to work in references to all his previous novels). A grandmasterly performance.
User reviews
LibraryThing member JBreedlove
The best of the Foundation series that I've read. Except for a bit of multi-universe background ranting toward the end a smooth and easy read. Looking forward to the next in the series.
LibraryThing member StormRaven
This is the fourth book in the Foundation series, and was written after a long hiatus after the publication of the first three. This book picks up some time after the crisis of the Mule in Second Foundation, and builds on the idea that the Second Foundation is manipulating events to keep the Seldon
Through various political machinations and subterfuges, the main characters of the book all leave their respective homes and set out across the remnants of the Galactic Empire in search of either Earth, or the mysterious third force that is apparently manipulating everyone. The novel culminates in a three way showdown between the various forces, and a solution provided by the central character of the novel.
Ultimately, it is the ending of the novel that doesn't work for me. Asimov reveals his belief that people can't be trusted to make decisions for themselves, but rather must be taken care of by those who are smarter then they are, or simply superior at decision making. The main character cavalierly casts aside individual choice in favor of security against an ill-defined and possibly nonexistent threat.
Despite the weak ending, the novel is better than many of the later Foundation books, and is certainly better than the poorly thought out Robot-Foundation ret cons that dominated Asimov's later output.
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Plan on track. It also introduces the idea that a third, unknown, more subtle, and powerful force is manipulating the Second Foundation itself with an agenda all its own.Through various political machinations and subterfuges, the main characters of the book all leave their respective homes and set out across the remnants of the Galactic Empire in search of either Earth, or the mysterious third force that is apparently manipulating everyone. The novel culminates in a three way showdown between the various forces, and a solution provided by the central character of the novel.
Ultimately, it is the ending of the novel that doesn't work for me. Asimov reveals his belief that people can't be trusted to make decisions for themselves, but rather must be taken care of by those who are smarter then they are, or simply superior at decision making. The main character cavalierly casts aside individual choice in favor of security against an ill-defined and possibly nonexistent threat.
Despite the weak ending, the novel is better than many of the later Foundation books, and is certainly better than the poorly thought out Robot-Foundation ret cons that dominated Asimov's later output.
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LibraryThing member hskey
I really had no idea how much Asimov's Robots/Empire/Foundation series would appeal to me. I'd heard of I,Robot and seen the movie, but beyond that I was completely clueless.
The Robots novels quickly ushered in a new love for reading I'd long since missed; a sense of adventure and wonder. Trying
I've never read a novelist who could make the events and story FEEL so big with such a small cast. Most epics require a massive cast and thousands of pages. Not so with Asimov. The themes present in the Robots books are so fundamental to the human spirit that it's impossible not be captivated; exploring ourselves, exploring the unknown. Emergence, fear and reliance on new technology. Philosophy. Religion. Psychology. History.
It's all so MASSIVE and Asimov makes it easy to follow every step of the way.
The Empire novels were fluff, but a nice palette cleanser before the Foundation novels.
I enjoyed the first three Foundation books, but this was on another level. You could tell he'd refined his writing over the 30 years inbetween Second Foundation and Foundation's Edge. This is a tremendous journey, with no real traditional antagonists, certainly not on the level of the mule.
Finally bringing back Robots into the story, the Three Laws of Robotics and Earth brought me even closer to the characters and I felt like I was an observer through humanity's most critical moments, throughout the cosmos and time itself.
Brilliant. Trevize, Gendibal, Sura Novi, Pelorat were fantastic characters, all with believable motivations. I read this in about 5 sittings and cannot wait to start Foundation and Earth. The Foundation series has already cemented itself as one of my all time favorites.
The Robots novels quickly ushered in a new love for reading I'd long since missed; a sense of adventure and wonder. Trying
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to schedule each day of the week to get at least a few chapters in. Seeing these scenes in my head as clear as day. Gladly being manipulated with great characters, twists and turns, and big questions. I've never read a novelist who could make the events and story FEEL so big with such a small cast. Most epics require a massive cast and thousands of pages. Not so with Asimov. The themes present in the Robots books are so fundamental to the human spirit that it's impossible not be captivated; exploring ourselves, exploring the unknown. Emergence, fear and reliance on new technology. Philosophy. Religion. Psychology. History.
It's all so MASSIVE and Asimov makes it easy to follow every step of the way.
The Empire novels were fluff, but a nice palette cleanser before the Foundation novels.
I enjoyed the first three Foundation books, but this was on another level. You could tell he'd refined his writing over the 30 years inbetween Second Foundation and Foundation's Edge. This is a tremendous journey, with no real traditional antagonists, certainly not on the level of the mule.
Finally bringing back Robots into the story, the Three Laws of Robotics and Earth brought me even closer to the characters and I felt like I was an observer through humanity's most critical moments, throughout the cosmos and time itself.
Brilliant. Trevize, Gendibal, Sura Novi, Pelorat were fantastic characters, all with believable motivations. I read this in about 5 sittings and cannot wait to start Foundation and Earth. The Foundation series has already cemented itself as one of my all time favorites.
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LibraryThing member isabelx
"Where is the weakness, young man, that you should brand the Plan as meaningless?"
Gendibal stood stiffly upright. "You are right, First Speaker. The Seldon Plan has no flaw."
"You withdraw your remark, then?"
"No, First Speaker. Its lack of flaw is its flaw. Its flawlessness is fatal!"
Four hundred
Unlike the original Foundation Trilogy, this book was not written as separate short stories, so it reads like a novel. I found it a quick and enjoyable read, even though both Trevize and Gendibal are rather annoying characters.
Gendibal stood stiffly upright. "You are right, First Speaker. The Seldon Plan has no flaw."
"You withdraw your remark, then?"
"No, First Speaker. Its lack of flaw is its flaw. Its flawlessness is fatal!"
Four hundred
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and ninety-eight years since the Foundation was set up the Seldon Plan is going well, having returned to its path after the Century of Deviations caused by the Mule. But are events now too perfectly aligned with Hari Seldon's original plan to be believable? On Terminus, newly elected Councilman Galon Trevize becomes convinced that the Second Foundation still exists and is manipulating events to keep the plan on track, while Stor Gendibal, the most junior of the Second Foundation's twelve Speakers, starts to suspect something even more alarming.Unlike the original Foundation Trilogy, this book was not written as separate short stories, so it reads like a novel. I found it a quick and enjoyable read, even though both Trevize and Gendibal are rather annoying characters.
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LibraryThing member john257hopper
The Foundation series is my all time favourite science fiction series. This was Asimov's return to the series after a gap of several decades and the difference in style of a novel written in the 1980s to the original stories in the 1940s and 50s is stark. This one is even more than its predecessors
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a novel of ideas and concepts, not of action. Nevertheless there are slightly more rounded characters than in those earlier novels. I think this lacks slightly the impact of those books, but builds on their sweeping future history and is still an excellent novel of ideas. Show Less
LibraryThing member olyra
it is one of my favorite science fiction series, by one of my favorite authors.
LibraryThing member kaulsu
4th in the Foundation Series, Foundation's Edge takes us outside of the boundary of our universe and introduces the thought that there may be other intelligences "out there."
LibraryThing member aarondesk
Brilliant! This book is an excellent addition to the Foundation series. I just wanted to keep on reading.
LibraryThing member jpsnow
Asimov continued this series with a 4th installment almost 30 years after the Second Foundation. In this tale, the First and Second Foundation both vie for control of the future of the Seldon Plan, realizing that the Second Empire can be formed and the leadership can be chosen now. A naturally
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intuitive Councilman from Terminus is caught in the middle of the quest and is eventually forced to decide which of three options will become the future model of the galaxy. Show Less
LibraryThing member Ensorceled
Pretty good. While I would say the original 3 foundation books are "Must reads", I'd say this one is for fans only.
LibraryThing member TadAD
Thirty years after he wrote the original trilogy, Asimov decided to add to it giving the quite refreshing reason of, "the size of the payment offered by the publisher." :-)
This volume and Foundation and Earth not only extended the original books, they tied in his Robots series and his other novels
This volume and Foundation and Earth not only extended the original books, they tied in his Robots series and his other novels
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set in the Galactic Empire. I don't think they worked as well as the original books and, like many Grand Unification plans of authors, I wish he had just left the stories separate. Show Less
LibraryThing member Karlstar
Continuing the Foundation novels, as the people of the Foundation search for the elusive Earth, and Asimov builds the link between the Robot novels and Foundation universe.
LibraryThing member mohi
Sequel to the foundation trilogy. Foundationer Trevize tries his hand at something that has eluded many before him, find the elusive Second Foundation. Good continuation of the dynamic of the two Foundations that was left open in the trilogy.
LibraryThing member Borg-mx5
Why add to one of the greatest sci-fi trilogies of all time? Maybe it was the bucks, but Asimov finally gave it a shot. He did fall short.
LibraryThing member DrBrewhaha
A continuation of the Asimov Foundation series. This book discusses the tension between the First and Second Foundation and a new, third-party, Gaia, who is manipulating everyone. This book introduces the idea of Earth as the first planet and robots and Asimov's Three Laws of Robots. The book is
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written in a different style from the first three. In some ways it feels like an unnecessary add-on to an already classic series, but it is still a good read mostly because the original series still had some loose ends to tie up. Show Less
LibraryThing member ragwaine
Not as good as the original 3.
LibraryThing member FKarr
characters are lifeless, 2-dimensional place holders; but here even the ideas lag
LibraryThing member Chris.Graham
The storyline is starting to waiver I fear
LibraryThing member sgerbic
Reviewed March 1998
Well it's over 500 years sense the establishment of the Foundation and fans forced Asimov's publishers to make him continue the series. Again the characters are better developed an there are more roles with women in power. In this installment we meet the mayor of the 1st
Well it's over 500 years sense the establishment of the Foundation and fans forced Asimov's publishers to make him continue the series. Again the characters are better developed an there are more roles with women in power. In this installment we meet the mayor of the 1st
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Foundation and the hero, Councilman Trevize. Also, we see the interactions of the 2nd Foundation and its soon to be first speaker, Gendibal. Adding to the mix we have a new world, Gaia whose residents remind us of what much have happened to all those satellite worlds in the Robot Books. All in all the plot is interesting and leaves you needing another sequel, which I already possess and should be the next entry. Show Less
LibraryThing member comfypants
It's overly long and repetitive, with clunky prose. But its ideas are fun and interesting, and kept me excited and wanting more.
LibraryThing member shofichoudhury
A nice book indeed.Gaya mystery leaked now.
LibraryThing member shofichoudhury
A nice book indeed.Gaya mystery leaked now.
LibraryThing member leslie.98
2023 reread:
There are a few aspects of this 4th book in the Foundation series that I particularly like and thus pull it up to a 5* book:
•we finally find out about the Mule's origins
•the hunt for the original world of mankind is introduced - such fun hearing Janov and Golan talk about the
•Gaia, the planet which is a super-organism. I don't know if Asimov was the first author to postulate such a thing, others have certainly used this idea since. It's a concept that I find both entrancing and horrifying but never dull!
There are a few aspects of this 4th book in the Foundation series that I particularly like and thus pull it up to a 5* book:
•the hunt for the original world of mankind is introduced - such fun hearing Janov and Golan talk about the
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improbable nature of some of the myths :)•Gaia, the planet which is a super-organism. I don't know if Asimov was the first author to postulate such a thing, others have certainly used this idea since. It's a concept that I find both entrancing and horrifying but never dull!
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LibraryThing member Daniel_M_Oz
The 14th in what can be seen as the "extended" 15 book Foundation Series. This 1st of 2 sequels to the Foundation Trilogy. The tensions between the 1st and 2nd Foundations continue.
LibraryThing member endolith
Uhhh... How do I explain my complaint? It's like in the first part of the book, Gaia is this secretive immensely powerful "Third Foundation" that's secretly controlling events throughout the galaxy, according to the Seldon plan but with even more skill and accuracy, and then once the planet is
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found, that role is promptly completely forgotten, never explained in any detail (the way the Second Foundation's Prime Radiants and Speakers are described) and the only descriptions of the planet are about hippies communing with nature. Then we go on this adventure in which Gaia is just a minor third wheel character that doesn't know very much and does Jedi mind tricks once in a while. Maybe this is all tied up at the end of the next book, but... meh. Show Less
Subjects
Awards
Hugo Award (Nominee — Novel — 1983)
Nebula Award (Nominee — Novel — 1983)
Locus Award (Finalist — Science Fiction Novel — 1983)
Language
Original publication date
1982
Physical description
426 p.; 6.7 inches
ISBN
0345308980 / 9780345308986