Foundation

I find this book to be somewhere closer to 3.5 out of 5, and it's clear as to why it gets a low rating (in comparison to Dune, another beloved science fiction series). Ultimately what I struggle with when it comes to Foundation is the different way Asimov handles this futuristic human universe.

[Mild spoilers below]

His exploration of the environment lacks, but is not entirely absent. Additionally, decades and centuries pass which is a detriment to the story in some aspects but not for others. While the large span of time captured is fantastic at capturing the crises and the impact of the decline and rise of the empire, there are too many characters in such short periods of time. As a result, there is no character development or exploration outside of superficial tropes. It's easy to say “ah new characters, no need to get invested in them as we'll have a new set in a couple dozen pages.” But to Asimov's point, how else do you capture the story spanning centuries without having new characters? I don't think there is a great way to do so.

Unfortunately, each “sub story” follows the same pattern throughout the book. We're introduced to new characters, an impending crisis arises, and while the protagonist seems to not have the crisis under control until the very end, it's revealed that there has actually been an elaborate Rube Goldberg machine setup that took place outside of the purview of the reader that turns out to save the day.

I don't discount the enjoyment from the book as a whole and the science fiction parts of the story, but once you get past the first couple sub stories, it's easy to just turn off your brain and read for the sake of reading.