Ratings1,041
Average rating4
One of my friends told me to read this as less of a novel and more of a thought experiment and that really helped. This was such a fascinating concept to me and the contrast between the Foundation and the civilizations which surround it was super interesting through the progression of time. It's extremely dialog driven, which felt tedious in the last installment.
Talk about a book that absolutely bombs the Bechdel test though. Whew. One female character in the entire book and she's a shrill wife with about four lines.
3.5 stars, prob being generous because it's a classic (shouldn't do that, I know). I cannot wait to see the TV treatment of this.
Amazing plot and vision. Just didn't find it THAT enjoyable to read, not sure exactly why—maybe the lack of character development, maybe audiobook wasn't the best format, or maybe I had too high expectations.
Really disappointed. It's a collection of stories about the Foundation and the troubles it faces to keep it alive.
They're purpose is the maintaining of knowledge in the face of the destruction of mankind, so that when the empire rebuilds itself, it won't have to start from nothing.
They become a target of interests, each kingdom in the empire trying to either conquer it or gain its favor.
Through a series of what can be called political maneuvers, the leaders of the foundation manage to outsmart its opponents.
It goes on to tell stories about the spread of the Foundation influence throughout the fading empire.
The writing is too boring. The intelligent actions of the characters are unconvincing and uninteresting. The “religion” plot had potential, but it was badly executed.
Like most of Asimov's work that I've read, really cool ideas are the only thing that save this book from one star. The writing is eighth grade, as always.
I was a prolific reader before I came to science fiction. For some reason, sci-fi, then had a poor reputation, being seen as silly, frivolous and even childish. This was during my school years, and reading mostly in isolation, I had no reason to doubt this perspective, but, luckily, a really good friend set me straight, recommending as proof to the contrary, the Foundation series. i reluctantly agreed to give them a go, out of honesty, and am I ever glad I did.
Foundation is perhaps the perfect starter book for immersing in the wonders and glories of science fiction. It's sophisticated, complex, mature, exiting and just about everything one could want from a book. After Foundation, and the rest of the series, my reading switched to predominantly sci-fi/fantasy.
Reading Foundation is a spectacular highlight in my reading “career.” Now, after many decades, I am looking forward to rereading it, the entire series, and the additional books which have been added. A huge want-to-read.
Good premise, very slow and dry execution. It's hard to carry on when there are other books out there. On hold for now, it'd take a lot for me to come back to it. Really enjoyed the first story but not been interested in the rest.
A political dive into sci fi, idk why it took me so long to read Asimov, the father of the human empire hehehe :)
ärge laske end petta sellest et see on sci-fi see on lihtsalt mu lemmikžanr “inimesed tubades rääkimas”
Brilliant read. At times it truly felt as if the cornerstones of modern sci-fi were all here. Wanted to keep going on and on which made the ending seem slightly forced upon? Of course there are sequels but still imagine what explorations could have been made further.
wow. wow. wow. isaac i was SO unfamiliar with your game. published nearly 75(!) years ago, foundation manages to deliver a science-forward speculative look at what a interplanetary future holds for the human race in a way that's still accessible AND bitingly funny. this book truly is the father of science fiction and i'm so happy i picked it up.
+1 star for: the prose! i was at all times giggling to myself while reading this. though we follow a multitude of characters through hundreds of years, there is still an underlying current of sarcasm that runs through them all that is portrayed in SUCH a funny way.
+1 star for: the trial of hari seldon! i was at the edge of my chair the entire time. with all of seldons crises we know from the encyclopedic foreshadowing that the main man will somehow masterfully outsmart the impending problem, THIS ONE IN PARTICULAR was the best (perhaps because it was the first)
+1 star for: the fuck ass names and lord dorwins lisp. i was SUFFERING through some of the spellings but the absolute satisfaction i got after deciphering what he was saying was just so top tier
+1 star for: space opera perfection
+1 star for: “The fall of Empire, gentlemen, is a massive thing, however, and not easily fought. It is dictated by a rising bureaucracy, a receiving initiative, a freezing of caste, a damning of curiosity—a hundred other factors”.
and
“Since when does prejudice follow any law but its own”.
two of some frighteningly insightful quotes from this gem
-1 star for: white man nonsense. not a SINGLE important female character on screen other than the hateful wife and passing mentions of a mistress here or there. also every main character is just a super smart scrappy young white guy who gets his way in the end. after 5 times it gets really boring and repetitive. i know it's reflective of its time but once you notice you can't UNnotice. pretty disappointing representation from an otherwise astute look at the human condition. if this book had more variety in its protagonists and/or one less section it would have been a five star.
Undoubtedly a good, classic work of science fiction. Would be great if the single female character wasn't a complete bitchy caricature treated with contempt. (I'm not exaggerating - on multiple occasions her husband threatens to cut out her tongue)
After finishing with Dune, Asimov’s Foundation reads remarkably fast. The pacing of the book is fast and unique, for it is essentially 5 different short stories connected by chronology and setting. The story and concept are interesting by themselves, but they sort of betray the stakes of the plot. I hope that this novel serves as mostly an introduction to the concept of the series, otherwise the books will be very repetitive.
Esperava bem mais dado o hype, demasiadas personagens e pouco brilhantismo para um primeiro livro. Se calhar não é para mim, mas para um livro de 300 páginas pareceu um de 700, muito perto de marcar como dnf.
Category Weight % Rating 0-10PLOT 2 originality 0.3 8pacing 0.1 6structure 0.1 3conflict 0.5 8CHARACTER 1 depth 0.25 1development 0.25 0diversity 0.3 0believability 0.2 5SETTING 2 world-buliding 0.4 9atmosphere 0.3 5originality 0.2 9impact 0.1 5CRAFT 1 prose 0.35 8dialogue 0.25 7show vs tell 0.4 6STYLE 1 voice 0.3 5tone 0.3 5impact 0.4 5RESONANCE 1 impact 0.5 2connection 0.5 2THEME 2 central message 0.4 6subtlety 0.2 3universality 0.4 9
3.5⭐️
A very interesting political sci-fi classic. I do mention political, because if you decide to read this book you need to be aware that there is more politics than science here. I did find the manoeuvring quite fascinating though and I think it was done quite well.
My criticism lies with the lack of challenge to the main driving theory of this book. Namely that science, combined with psychology, could predict the future. I don't think the author made the case for this being possible well enough - it was mostly presented as an axiomatic statement and then maintained all the way till the end. I wish that the author would at least attempt to question it. Because being that there is an infinite number of variables which could change the future from one moment to the next, creating your entire plot on the basis of that not being the case is a little naive, in my opinion.
The influence had on future sci fi like Dune and Star Wars is undeniable, but this read like a radio play. Nearly every scene in every story is just two guys talking in a room. The first two stories overcome the stylistic limitations, but the back half of is rough — despite the compelling (and very 1950s) ideas.
This book very entertainingly touches science, religion, mathematics, humanities, economics, and warfare. It is truly a classic of science fiction, to which every other sci-fi book will be forever compared.
I LOVED this book! Such an interesting premise, characters are deep and complex, and I love how the author makes them consistent and logical. I wish someone had recommended this to me years ago.
Age range: 16+
No mature content, but there are complex philosophical themes throughout that would be incomprehensible to most younger readers.
Bellissimo inizio di una storia lunga e avvincente. Incredibile profondità' narrativa.