It has been several years since I read Foundation, though one thing that lingers in my mind about the first instalment of the series in the scope and ambition behind the work. It is extraordinary and the brilliance continues here.Firstly, though, it is worth mentioning that these books do not work like normal novels do. They are a little bit different. They are almost like self-contained histories in a much larger story and that story is the formation of a new empire: the foundation. So, with ea...

Foundation and Empire is sadly not as interesting as the first book in the series. It was hard to get through at times, mostly because of a total lack of suspense, depth and real characters (which is usually also the case in the first book, but that one easily gets extra points because of the brilliance of the ideas).Still, there are many plainly visible influences to be found, and it's good enough that I definitely want to read more of these books.

from the Earth Journal of Scientific Analyst SLJLK92349UO, Earth Invasion Exploratory UnitHumans will fail and fail again; this much I have learned from my time spent stationed on this muddy ball of earth, the third from its star. Humans will fail and try again, win and then fail, fail and then win, fail and then keep failing. Such is the human kind! Always doing the same things. Humans are much concerned with the concepts of "winning" and "failing", as they are with such things as "civilization...

Foundation and Empire felt like two novels in one. I mean I loved both parts of the novel so I have no complaints, but these two parts really did feel like two separate novels. Both parts of the novel are set in the same Universe but the characters are different in the first and the second part of the book. Moreover, there is a time gap between them- that is about a century long. The first part of the novel is about the conflict between Foundation and Empire and the second one about the war betw...

Re-read 11/12/21:It never ceases to amaze me how interesting this tale is. Hi-tech galactic empire meets the History of the Fall of the Roman Empire meets a mutant.Yeeeeesssssssss.Where's Professor X!?But the best part is just how brainy it is. Classic for the win.Original Review:Split into two stories instead of many like the first book, this one feels a lot more streamlined and the Foundation has met two of its greatest foes. One of which was expected, and one that wasn't.The path back to stab...

2016Well I first read this back in the mid 70s and have re-read it (non Gr) many times since. In my view the trilogy is comparable (if not better than) LOTR which I often say is my favourite all time book. What a quandary.2017As their "series" read, I am reading the Foundation series ( the 7 volume version) with SF Aficionados. I have now re-read the first 2 of the original trilogy and thoroughly enjoyed. Ok so I only read them last year but each time I (re)read them I am truly astonished by the...

English (Foundation and Empire) / Italiano«Galactic Empire was collapsing»Less fragmented than the previous one, the second novel of the Foundation series is divided only into two time bands, respectively 150 and 230 years after the birth of the Foundation. With a new "Seldon Crisis" at hand, a formidable enemy, the Mule, equipped with almost supernatural powers, moves against the Foundation.I enjoyed the Isaac Asimov technique to divide the novel into different temporal phases to better describ...

I read it half in Italian (my physical copy) and half in English (my digital copy) and I've come to the conclusion that the Italian translation sucks. Hard."It was strange that the Glory of the Galaxy should be a rotting corpse."I have gone over and over what to say in this review, but I realized that at the end of the day I had already said everything in my review of Foundation, the first installment in the series. The two books are of course different (for one thing, I found this one less epis...

“society is much more easily soothed than one’s own consciousness.” foundation & empire appears to be a somewhat worthy successor of its predecessor -- at least as far as the second half of the book is concerned.a mixed bag of a reading experience for me, but still an interesting one!the previous book consisted of five mini-stories detailing several crises and changes to the foundation’s government and policy; foundation and empire consists only of two parts with separate plots and ch

Wow! Such a great book! I couldn't put it down! This book tied in the loose ends of Foundation, and Foundation and Empire really brought it all together with a huge bang at the end! I can’t wait to read Second Foundation to see what happens!!Foundation and Empire is set around a century after the first book. At this point, the Empire has completely collapsed and the galaxy is divided into barbarian tribes vying for power. The Foundation is the most technologically advanced group but it doesn’t s...

Less episodic than the first (Foundation), which was a plus. But it makes all the more apparent Asimov's complete inability to create memorable or sympathetic characters. This means that each of the two halves read like over-long short stories. Part I is a suspense-thriller, solved by a ridiculous and anti-climactic deus ex machina, while Part II telegraphs its twist-ending so far in advance that the last few chapters are simply redundant. There's no arguing the brilliance of Asimov's ideas -- o...

Robot/Empire/Foundation. Book #10: Chronologically the fourth book in the Foundation series, but the second published Foundation novel released in 1952. This book, composed of two novellas, sees Asimov take space adventure and socio-political thriller story telling to the max, as the growing strength of the Foundation sees it become a target of the still military strong Galactic Empire in the shape of a glory seeking general; and then the holy grail that threatens psycho-history itself in 'The M...

Differs considerably from its prequel while maintaining the same thrill throughout.

Reading Foundation and Empire, the second book in the Foundation Trilogy, reminded me of a quote by Friedrich Nietzsche: “In every real man, a child is hidden that wants to play.” That said, reading a SF book once in a while, can be great play.This story continued where the previous book Foundation left off. Hari Seldon, used psychohistory to project that the 12,000 year old Galactic Empire will collapse in 300 years and the dark ages will reign for the next 30,000 years. But as the Emperor allo...

Foundation and Empire is an excellent continuation. For those who wanted more reliable characters, you will find them here. For those who enjoyed the hard psychology behind the first book, you will find that here too but briefly. I still like Foundation more, but this second installment goes into a more classical sci-fi direction without losing its philosophical serious plot. Still a very intelligent book, with an incredible pace and perfect exposition. An essential read if you liked the first b...

(Book 527 from 1001 books) - Foundation and Empire (Foundation, #2), Isaac AsimovFoundation and Empire is a science fiction novel by Russian American writer Isaac Asimov originally published by Gnome Press in 1952. It is the second book in the Foundation Series, and the fourth in the in-universe chronology. It takes place in two halves, originally published as separate novellas. The second part, "The Mule", won a Retro Hugo Award in 1996.امپراطوری کهشکشانها کتاب دوم- ایزاک آسیموف - شقایق؛ تاریخ

Isaac Asimov was 31 when he first published the SF classic Foundation in 1951. The next year he came out with the sequel, Foundation and Empire.Unlike many series these days, or even a traditional series or trilogy (which this would be for 30 years) the first part, introducing readers to Hari Seldon and psychohistory and to the beginning of Seldon’s millennia plan, was more of a prequel to the larger scope and more interesting plot brought out in Foundation and Empire.The leaders of the Foundati...

Isaac Asimov based Foundation and Empire on Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire; if you're in any doubt, consider the following lines from his well-known poem "The Foundation of SF Success":So success is not a mystery, just brush up on your history, and borrow day by day.Take an Empire that was Roman and you'll find it is at home in all the starry Milky Way.With a drive that's hyperspatial, through the parsecs you will race, you'll find that plotting is a breeze,With a tiny bit of cribbin' from...

"He has no name other than that of the Mule, a name reportedly applied by himself to himself, and signifying, by popular explanation, his immense physical strength, and stubbornness of purpose.”A big part of what I enjoyed about Isaac Asimov's Foundation and Empire had to do with the Mule, and how this mutant tested Hari Seldon's psychohistorical predictions. The story is big, about the survival of vast galactic empires and civilization itself. I'm not sure I've read a space opera since reading

The saga continues, with the Foundation coming up against the unexpected. We are sharply reminded that psychohistory is a probabilistic science and can fail against the unpredictable.Edit to add:I was thinking of the mutant, Mule, who upset the carefully planned Foundation applecart.Yes, there's very little one can do against unexpected mutants! ;)9/11/2016Another one of my reviews which has proved prophetic today. I am getting so good at this so as to frighten myself.