Foundation and Empire

Foundation and Empire is the second of the original Foundation trilogy written in the 1950s. The first book is Foundation and the last is Second Foundation. I enjoyed Foundation but I liked F&E quite a bit more! Foundation consists of five disconnected short stories, too short for adequate development of the settings or characters. F&E is much more focused, containing only two stories, the second of which really impressed me. A quick refresher on the background: The psychohistorian Hari Seldon was able to mathematically foresee the future of human society in the Milky Way. It wasn't pretty. Socio-economic forces were to cause the total collapse of the Trantorian Empire and lead to 30,000 years of anarchy and barbarism before a new empire restored peace and order. However, Seldon saw an "alternate path" that could reduce the duration of the Dark Ages to a single millennium. He established two societies (called Foundations) to bring this change about. In Foundation, we learn how the fledgling First Foundation established itself after Seldon's death and how it grew powerful. In F&E, Seldon is long dead and the First Foundation faces much more serious threats: a war with the dying but still powerful Trantorian Empire and a war with a mutant leader called The Mule who possesses incredible powers. The part about the war with the Empire is a straightforward narrative with a couple interesting twists. The second part about The Mule takes place a few decades later and is written in the style of a mystery, sort of like the first two Robot novels. Since The Mule is an individual of extraordinary power, Seldon's psychohistorical predictions for the First Foundation are in jeopardy because they deal only with masses of people and large scale socio-economic forces. Hence the second part is a more exciting read. :-) Also, until the end of the second part the Second Foundation is a mysterious society on the other side of the Galaxy about whom we know next to nothing. Although I guessed the nature of The Mule's powers, I did not guess his identity and it was a great surprise for me when it was revealed at the end. The events of the last two chapters are stunning and really make you want to rip into the third book. Yet F&E doesn't end on a cliffhanger and is quite satisfying in and of itself. This unique blend is a testament to Asimov's genius as an author. Also, you'll learn why the mutant calls himself The Mule and it's quite enlightening! With novels written later, Asimov tied together three series into one huge one! I recommend reading the entire 14-book series in the following order: the four Robot novels, the three Empire novels, and the seven Foundation novels (the original trilogy plus two prequels and two sequels). So far I've yet to read the last three Foundation books (Second Foundation, Foundation's Edge, Foundation and Earth), but so far most have been excellent and all have been well above average. Read more

If you've read any Asimov books before, you'll appreciate the depth and breadth of his imagination, if not then you're in for a treat! The Foundatuion series, of which this is the first novel, is set in the distant future. Man has colonised most of the galaxy and it is headed by an Emporer and administered by a huge beauracracy. However, one man is able to see the coming fall of the empire and the dark age to follow. He plans to set up a repository of knowledge from which a new civilisation can rise. What we have here is a spin on the fall of the Roman empire on a galactic scale. Asimovs strength is his ability to speculate about future social structures and mores. His weakness is in character development. So what you get is classic space opera, but with a 1950s undertone to it. This is an enjoyable, light read and will doubtless lead you onto the rest of the series. I hope this helps :D Read more

This is a brilliant work, of course, but there was a period around half way through when I almost gave up. I grew tired of the repeat pattern and lost the point. I went looking for others' opinions of whether these books were worth reading these days. It was through that that I decided to keep going. I'm glad I did. Stick with it. It is worthwhile. Read more

Upon finishing I am intrigued by this continuation of the Foundation odyssey: the evolving galaxy in barbarism after the defeat of the Foundation and the Empire by a new and innovative nemesis, the Mule the manipulator of individuals’ emotions to the extent he can work through individuals to consume planets. But there is the Second Foundation that Hari Seldon created. Now the Mule is on a desperate quest to locate the Second Foundation and to end the scheme of Seldin’s psychohistory. Vivid writing and keen imagination makes this series a compelling reading experience. Read more

Long story short, I had a more difficult time getting into the characters and storyline than 'Foundation', but man did it pick up in the second half. It seems the book finally converged on a set of protagonists in the latter half of the book, and crescendoed to a satisfying end. Reading Isaac Asimov's writing is like eating a lean cut of meat. Sure, I enjoy the occasional juicy, fatty steak, with its meticulously crafted settings and deep character development, but Asimov wastes no time. He'll stop to add a bit of depth and explanation here and there, but that's all, and the plot progresses at a blistering pace. It makes sense though. 'Foundation' introduced some of the most compelling concepts I have ever read, and this book follows suit. But this is why I ultimately give this book 4 rather than 5 stars. It was not its predecessor. While the book adds more detail to Hari Seldons plan for the Galaxy, it was not nearly as progressive as 'Foundation's' ideas on psychohistory and cultural evolution. Nevertheless, 'Foundation and Empire' delivers many new elements and beautifully sets the stage for for the finale, 'Second Foundation'. It's amazing how a series published in the '50s can seem so new to me. So far Asimov's precise and deliberate writing style combined with a truly unique story has blown me away. I cannot wait to learn how Seldons plan continues in the final book. If you haven't read 'Foundation', you're missing out. If you have, I wholeheartedly encourage you to continue and power through the first half of 'Foundation and Empire'. Then, savor the building anticipation for whomever and wherever the Second Foundation is inconspicuously spreading its dominance! Read more

20 years ago I gave my son my copy of the 3 original foundation books in one volume to read. He told me they were great. ( needless to say its on his library shelf still 😀 ) have now replaced with these volumes and reread again, classic. Read more