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Title: Foundation and Earth by Isaac Asimov ISBN: 0-586-07110-5 Pub. Date: 1987 Format: Mass Market Paperback List Price(USD): $19.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 3.79 (66 reviews)
Rating: 4
Summary: The "last" book in the series, and a fine one at that
Comment: This is the last book, chronologically, in the Robot/Empire/Foundation universe, and it's a very fitting one. The story starts immediately (i.e. days) after the end of Foundation's Edge, so we start with the same three main characters - Trevize, the exiled Foundation councilman; Pelorat, the ancient historian looking for Earth; and Bliss, member of the superorganism Gaia. Since the problems of Trevize and Bliss were solved in Foundation's Edge, we are left to solve Pelorat's in this book - where and what is the planet where all humankind originated? Of course, we already know the answer, but there's a great deal of fun to be had in the journey.
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Thus, we set off on a search for Earth, and with only a few clues and hearsay, it's a long search. Along the way we visit a number of planets we're familiar with from other series - notably Solaria and Aurora, the two most prominent Spacer worlds in the Robot novels. We learn the fate of the Spacers (including the solution to the "hook" at the end of Robots and Empire - why the Solarians disappeared) and along the way Asimov springs a few additional surprises on us. The characters are interesting and much more enjoyable than the same characters in the previous book - I'm not sure why that is, since their personalities are perfectly consistent. The debates between Trevize representing individual freedom and Bliss representing the telepathically linked massmind of Gaia provides much of the philosophical backbone of the book. There is suffienct action and plot twists to keep you turning the pages right to the end of the book.
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It's curious that this book is so difficult to find, yet the books published on either side of it (Robots and Empire and Prelude to Foundation) are readily available. In addition, this book spent 15 weeks on the NY Times bestseller list! It's even hard to find used (it took me about 10 used bookstores in 3 different cities to find it, and every one of the ten had Foundation's Edge). Very odd. But, it was well worth the effort to find - it's one of the best Foundation books, certainly better than Foundation's Edge. There is a hook at the end of this novel too, but the good Dr. Asimov passed on before he could write another installment (and apparently, he did not have any idea what to do with it anyways).
Rating: 5
Summary: Brilliant end to the series
Comment: I think this is the only Foundation book not in print anymore, and I have no idea why. Not only is this the most important one in the series in the way that it provides a sort of conclusion to everything, it's just a great book.
I liked Trevize in Foundation's Edge and we see more to his character here, which is great. We also see more of that fun planet Gaia. I found the arguments between Bliss and Trevize particularly amusing and what was interesting was that Trevize won just about all of them. Give me the Seldon Plan anyday.
The search for Earth took up some much of the book, but when we finally get there it's almost anti-climatic (though any readers of Robots and Empire will know what they find long before the characters do). Fortunately Asimov doesn't allow us to dwell on that by springing the top surprise of the novel on us (which I won't say because I don't want to tip any readers off beforehand).
In the process he clarifies and adds to his histories and weaves the Robot, Empire, and Foundation sagas even closer together. What more can one ask in a novel, especially from Asimov?
Oh, and I heard about the error, but I didn't see anything that seemed wrong. If anybody knows what it is, the curiousity is killing me and I don't have the patience (or the time) to reread the book more carefully. E-mail if you know!
Rating: 5
Summary: The Master of Science-Fiction High Tech!
Comment: Only Isaac Asimov could've comprehensively created a futuristic set of books dealing with humanity thousands of years from where we currently stand. These books are among the greatest books in science-fiction, along with other such books by both Old Masters and Cyberpunk Authors: "Stranger in a Strange Land", "Puppet Masters", "Starship Troopers", "Rendezvous with Rama", "Childhood's End", "Snow Crash", "Cryptonomicon", "Cyber Hunter" and so forth.
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Title: Foundation's Edge by Isaac Asimov ISBN: 0553293389 Publisher: Spectra Books Pub. Date: 01 November, 1991 List Price(USD): $7.99 |
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Title: Forward the Foundation by Isaac Asimov ISBN: 0553565079 Publisher: Spectra Books Pub. Date: 01 March, 1994 List Price(USD): $7.99 |
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Title: Prelude to Foundation by Isaac Asimov ISBN: 0553278398 Publisher: Bantam Books Pub. Date: 01 October, 1991 List Price(USD): $7.99 |
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Title: Second Foundation by Isaac Asimov ISBN: 0553293362 Publisher: Spectra Books Pub. Date: 01 November, 1991 List Price(USD): $7.99 |
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Title: Foundation and Empire by Isaac Asimov ISBN: 0553293370 Publisher: Spectra Books Pub. Date: 01 November, 1991 List Price(USD): $7.99 |
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