Forward the Foundation : The Foundation Series: Prequels (2): The greatest science fiction series of all time, now a major series from Apple TV+: Book 2

As Hari Seldon struggles to perfect his revolutionary theory of psychohistory and ensure a place for humanity among the stars, the great Galactic Empire totters on the brink of apocalyptic collapse. Caught in the maelstrom are Seldon and all he holds dear, pawns in the struggle for dominance. Whoever can control Seldon will control psychohistory and with it the future of the Galaxy. Among those seeking to turn psychohistory into the greatest weapon known to man are a populist political demagogue, the weak-willed Emperor Cleon I, and a ruth less militaristic general. In his last act of service to humankind, Seldon must somehow save his life's work from their grasp as he searches for its true heirs a search that begins with his own granddaughter and the dream of a new Foundation.

So I am reading these books in the order hence this is the second book of the foundation series. Man! what a story it is... and what an ending, you will feel a little sad after reading the book after might not have a night sleep. Asimov is simply one of the best writers I have ever read.

Isaac Asimov is my favourite science-fiction writer and his seven Foundation novels are my favourite science-fiction books. So I was naturally very happy to see this book on Amazon India. “Forward the Foundation” is the last of the more than 500 books that Asimov wrote. It was published posthumously in 1993. (Asimov died in 1992.) The book forms the second volume of the seven that comprise the Foundation series. It tells the story of Hari Seldon’s final years, in which he consolidates his work on psychohistory with the help of collaborators like Yugo Amaryl. But while psychohistory is blooming, Seldon has to watch the sad fading of his life, waning of the empire, and passing of his few friends—Eto Demerzel, Cleon I, and Dors Venabili. My eyes welled up while reading the epilogue, which describes Seldon's passing away. I have read somewhere that the Seldon in this book represents Asimov himself. That makes “Forward the Foundation” particularly poignant for Asimov admirers. I highly recommend the book to everyone! (Just one piece of advice: read the Foundation books in the order in which they were published.) The only reason I give this a four-star rating is that I really hate the quality of this paperback. It looks and feels cheap. The cover is gaudy and the paper is low-grade. (The whole thing reminds me of the Hindi-language paperbacks they used to sell on railway stations!) Volumes 3, 4, and 5 of the Foundation series are available in a beautiful hardback Everyman’s Library edition. Volumes 1, 6, and 7 are available in sober paperback from HarperCollins. Just volume 2 has had the misfortune of remaining stuck in thus ugly packaging.

had this book long time back, typically logical, good assimove book

The logic in the scientific details

Great story

I had ordered all seven of the Foundation series novels from Amazon. The items arrived in a staggered manner. Amazon's service- I give 1 star to Amazon's methodology of dealing with same series items such as these Foundation series. For customers' benefit, Amazon should have packaged and sold all books from one vendor. This way we could save shipping cost. Some of the books were eligible for free shipping while others were not. Also, I did not get the feeling of reading from 'one set'. (1) Foundation, (2) Foundation's Edge, (3) Second Foundation and (4) Foundation and Earth were from 'Voyager' while (5) Prelude to Foundation, (6) Forward the Foundation and (7) Foundation and Empire were from 'Bantam-Spectra'. The quality of Voyager was below par while Bantam-Spectra were OK. Foundation Series- The series in itself is mind blowing. Independently I give the series 5 stars. You can find that almost all Hollywood science fiction movies have been inspired by ideas originating in these seven books written by Asimov. I could go on and on but any science fiction lover must read the entire series to appreciate that a great depth of thought has gone in producing this masterpiece series. I can't wait to order the 'Robot' series and other standalone novels by Asimov.

Excellent! Only Asimov could do it.

Forward the Foundation is set during Hari Seldon's life, during the time that Psychohistory is being developed and the Foundations are being initiated. I consider Asimov's last novel to be a stellar (!) introduction to the trilogy. The author expertly injects some of the scientific concepts developed since the original Foundation trilogy while staying within the spirit of the grand universe he devised long before writing "Forward". This book offers an outstanding glimpse of how precarious it would be to start a universe-shaking science/technology in a decaying society, as well as an endearing personal portrait of the great Hari Seldon, including his "family" and close colleagues. If you want the whole Asimov "universe" in story-time sequence, you might want to read the Robot series, the Empire series, and "Prelude to Foundation" before reading this book. Some of those books are of equal stature to "Forward". I consider "Prelude", the immediate predecessor of "Forward", to be of slightly less merit (four and a half stars), though it is well worth reading. I think one could also start the series with "Forward" without being bewildered by the omission of earlier books in the grand series. Of course, if you want the digest version of the series, the original Foundation trilogy is an amazing work in itself. The trilogy predates word processing and the demand for "tomes", so it is quite concise, and the trilogy is eminently suitable for young readers or for those who want to test the waters before diving in. If you're a SciFi skeptic, "Forward the Foundation" or the original Foundation trilogy would be great introductions to the field. If you're already a SciFi fan, these are seminal works: entertaining and well worth your time. Enjoy! The Kindle version of "Forward" is excellent, and reasonably priced, as well.

It was interesting that the protagonists accredited other secondary personage for their contributions to the project. However, it was also sad that charismatic personages disappeared, such as Dors and Danieel.

Typical Asimov work: absolutely amazing. Like all classical books, the language quality is excellent. A great way of cultivating the mind while enjoying a good read.

This book should be read after Prelude to Foundation, having read the rest of the series. As part of the prequel to the Foundation novels, it answers a question raised in them. The whole series is highly recommended for any science fiction fans.

Another great chapter in the Asimov universe Delivered promptly and perfect condition