Foundation and Empire

Surprising story full of unexpected shifts towards what we could imagine would happen to the Foundation. After this book, it's unpredictable what will come since so many changed in this story

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!

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.

Not as much of an impact as when I first read it probably should not have watched the series on a.

The Foundation series isn't about rulers or military might, it's about people making it during a time of upheaval. People we can likely identify with today, making this an enduring classic.

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

Asimov is a master and the Foundation books are page turners. He weaves and paces the story as only a a writer of his caliber is able to do!

O livro é compacto, apresenta uma bela capa, entretanto as folhas são de baixa qualidade. Acredito que poderiam ter utilizado um papel melhor

Correu tudo na perfeição. Simples. Barato. Rápido.

The binding and printing does justice to this classic.

SPOILER FREEThe second entry to Isaac Asimov‘s Foundation Trilogy had a slow start but soon picked up. I found that after the introduction of Foundation, the plot of Foundation and Empire was far more concise.I love a good puzzle, and Isaac Asimov delivers more than one. Who is the Mule and what does he want? What is the Second Foundation, where is it, and why is there one there?I won’t go into spoilers in this bit, but I will say that the answers to those questions are not only satisfying but exciting, and they had me tearing through the second half of this science fiction book. Obviously, not all questions are answered, but who doesn’t like to speculate?This was a great sequel – I hope the final entry of the trilogy lives up to the promises given in this book.SPOILER SECTION BELOW“The General”Despite the attack on the Foundation from the Galactic Empire, I found this part of Foundation and Empire to be quite slow. It promises action and we are left with political manoeuvres. Not that I don’t like politically driven plotlines, but that’s not what I was promised!With the Empire calling off its attack, the members of the Foundation work to figure out what they were supposed to do. This does hint at something going wrong with Hari Seldon’s psychohistory, as he makes no mention of this event.“The Mule”This part was incredible and is the main reason anyone who finds the first part difficult to get though should read on.The Mule himself is an interesting villain due to the powers he seems to have, however all he seems to want is power for power’s sake, and that sort of ruins him for me. Perhaps we will see more of him in the third entry that will explain his motivations.The ending with the reveal of the Second Foundation was so good that I couldn’t stop reading. I think it was because I’d forgotten completely about this second Foundation (from the first book), but also it might have been Hari Seldon’s plan all along.Distract the villain with the Foundation to allow the second Foundation to flourish and prepare in time for his attack. I have so many questions and that’s what SF is all about!

Like: the concept of a storyline spanning hundreds of years inspires and changes one's perspective, while at the same time keeping the red thread throughout the whole period. A masterpiece and must read for all Star Wars, Star Trek etc. fans.