Foundation

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.