Forward the Foundation: Gratifying
Title: Forward the Foundation by Isaac Asimov
Pages: 480
Time spent on the "to read" shelf: 3 years.
Days spent reading it: 2 days.
Why I read it: I wanted to finish the last of the Foundation series that Isaac Asimov wrote.
Brief review: This is the seventh and final book in the Foundation series by Isaac Asimov. It was finished just before Asimov died in 1992. In the Foundation chronology it comes just after Prelude to Foundation and just before Foundation. It is really a direct sequel to Prelude to Foundation, but more importantly it is a very gratifying conclusion to the series.
Forward the Foundation chronicles the life of Hari Seldon in 10 year increments. At each decade mark something significant has happened to Hari or his plans for psychohistory. I think this book shines because it reads more like four short novels rather than one long novel (which I've commented on about Asimov's writings before). The character of Hari Seldon is fleshed out a little more, as are many of his associates and family members.
Forward the Foundation is a much better conclusion to the series than Foundation and Earth (the last book in the Foundation timeline). It struck me as almost nostalgic. This is good, because I think that the series really struggled during Foundation's Edge and Foundation and Earth. I think Asimov really liked the character of Hari Seldon, and so in Prelude to Foundation and this book, we catch a glimpse of a great character during some crisis moments. These crisis moments are my favorite part about the Foundation series.
This was a fitting ending to a fairly solid series. I think it fleshed out Asimov's vision of Hari Seldon who is sure to be a titan among Science Fiction fans for decades to come. Thanks Isaac, job well done. I would definitely recommend this book to Foundation fans, it was worth it.
Favorite quote: "But together...our power is awesome!" (I know, it makes no sense without context, sorry!)
Stars: 4 out of 5.
Final Word: Gratifying.
Readable, but not that good
Last-written in the Foundation series, this book slots in chronologically close to the beginning, explaining some lose ends and providing more detail about Hari Seldon. Still not that good, but at least well-enough written to be readable without cringing.
Best outside of the original trilogy
I am a huge Asimov fan, but I have always been dissapointed by his later fiction, which never seems to have the life and tight plotting that his earlier stuff does. That is, untll AI read Forward the Foundation. Returning to the style of the original books, Forward the Foundation is a series of short stories, each separated by ten years, rather than a single narrative. And much like in the originals, it work very well.
I guess what I like most about the book is the way it ties up loose end left after Prelude to the Foundation. It also seems more in the spirit of the original than the other prequels and sequels. The characters all shine here, as is typical for any Asimov work. Particularly good in my opinion is the characterization of Emperor Cleon, who trun out to be a rather likable person after all.
Maybe not the best book to just pick up, but certainly a fitting end to the Foundation series and Asimov's brilliant career.
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