Foundation's Edge - Isaac Asimov

Foundation's Edge is the fourth in the, what ahd become staggeringly popular Sci-fi series from Asimov. After Second Foundation, Asimov hadn't written a Foundation novel in some twenty years before finally bowing to the pressure (and money offers) to write a sequel. Obviously there's be some fear here that the master had lost his touch - certainly, Foundation's Edge is very different in style and tone from the original novels but in my opinion it turned out to be every bit as intriguing and rewarding. FE starts out ina fashion somewhat similar to where Second Foundation leaves off, although it is set many years later. Golan Trevise is concerned that ...  Read the complete review

In case you haven't read any of the Foundation novels before, let me give you a brief run-down. Over time a galactic empire had formed, bringing with it peace and stability. As all good things must come to an end, however, it was pointed out by Mathematician Harry Sheldon in the first Foundation novel that the empire was falling apart. He based this premise on a method he'd developed called, “psychohistory”. That is, the mathematical prediction of the movements, actions and responses of large groups of people. He also predicted that, when the collapse came, it would be a great collapse, and all knowledge would be lost and mankind would have to basically start again from ...  Read the complete review

As I've already said of the original Foundation Saga, the planning of it was simply phenomenal. The fact that, by the end of three books, Asimov could still turn all your perceptions of events on their heads was incredible. This book was added later, at the demand of his publishers, and I have to admit there is a slight feeling of it being tagged on the end, rather than being a part of the original concept. But it is still a superb book in its own right. The action focusses on the Second Foundation, of whom the First Foundation thought they had rid themselves at the end of the trilogy. One man on Terminus still has sneaking doubts; he believes the Second ...  Read the complete review