The Second Foundation is the third novel in Asimov's Foundation Series which I find interesting because the stories are a merger of diplomacy/politics and science fiction. I have not read any of the other Foundation Series novels but picked this one up because it was included in the box of novels that Adam sent me last year.
As you can tell by the title the first Foundation has collapsed and an entity called the Mule has taken over the galactic government. He rules by manipulating people's brains and making them his unquestioning followers so it is by no means a benign leadership. The Mule hears rumors of the existence of a budding Second Foundation which is in the process of accumulating sufficient power to take over the Mule's leadership and sets about to try to find and then to destroy the Second Foundation.
As I write this quick summary I am surprised that I was not more engrossed by this book: it is certainly a cool premise and something that is right up my alley. Nevertheless, I find the story to be somewhat plodding and not as entertaining as I had built it up to be in my mind.
3 comments:
I read this series a long time ago and remember it to be interesting but not mind blowing. Asimov has never been the most engrossing of writers for me so I can see where you are coming from.
I found the same remove. I think a big part of it is the writing style. He's very much a tell don't show type of writer. His protagonists are also weirdly opaque. I never have any idea of what they look like. I think the Foundation series in particular is like this, because I found his robot stories quite human and moving. I felt much more connected to the characters in those.
Cool concept ... plodding ... yep. You pegged it right. If you go ahead and read the third book, you should stop there. There is a fourth book, but it was written much later and its intent was to tie the story into Asimov's other books, as I recall.
Post a Comment