Customer Reviews (5)

Looks in excellent shape!
Unlike some other places, this one accurately represented their material, and charged a fair price. It came fairly quickly too. I'd buy from them again!

enjoyable collection of short-shorts
This anthology collected the first 30 stories from a monthly series of mystery shorts Asimov wrote for Eric Potter at Gallery magazine. The frame story for the series is a group of four men who sit together at their club. One of their number claims to have a background in intelligence, and has a habit of telling stories about problems he has solved for the police and intelligence services. The problems are typically in the form of lateral thinking puzzles, and Griswold invariably finishes by commenting that the answer was obvious, and waiting for his companions to admit that they can't work it out before giving them the answer (thus also giving the reader a chance to try to work it out before the answer is revealed). With only 2000 words to play with each month, the stories are of necessity fairly pared down and low on characterisation. They're often great fun, and I find it entertaining to watch the ongoing frame story about the narrator and his two friends trying to decide whether Griswold is telling the truth about his past or pulling their legs; but if you don't like bad puns you won't like a fair few of these little mysteries, and some of them have dated badly.

I enjoyed the collection, though it's more of a book for dipping into occasionally than reading all the way through in one sitting. I find them excellent for when I want something that will occupy me for five or ten minutes without making it difficult for me to put down the book at the end of a chapter. The collection has kept me entertained through more than a few bouts of 3 am insomnia when I wanted something light and short to focus on that I could put down again as soon as I felt sleepy.

It's not really worth going to a lot of effort to lay hands on a copy, but if one comes your way it's well worth trying a few of the stories.

A delightful collection of very short mysteries.
This is a delightful collection of very short mysteries. Each story is about 6 pages long. A group of 3 friends discuss a topic, a slant on it arises, a fourth one, Griswold, tells a mystery associated to it, chellenges them to solve it, which they fail to do, and then explains it to them. And there are 30 of these here! To be sure, they are of a light nature, which is understandable due to their length, but make for a quick, entertaining read.

Not quite the Black Widowers...
More condensed than the Black Widower's Club, these are the `5 Minute Mystery' type stories.And while some are eminently solvable (if you're really smart), there are others that are severely dated.Specifically, the library book mystery - not something the younger generations (especially those living in big cities) would ever get.Still, unless you have to be able to solve them, it's still a fun and worthwhile read.And because they are very short, it's easy to squeeze on in before bed, while waiting on take-out, or in the doctor's office.A great little book to have around for just such time-wasting emergencies.

But if you're looking for really great (if a little longer) mysteries with much better characters, I recommend the Black Widowers series.Even though this book rates pretty high, those are far superior.

Short mysteries based on puzzles rather than psychology
There are basically two types of mysteries, those that are long and involved, requiring a full novel in order to prepare and complete the tale and those that are completed in a few pages. This volume is a collection ofshort stories that Asimov wrote for Gallery magazine. The setting is the library of an aristocratic club where a small set of members gather to momentarily restore their roles of gentlemen in a society where their time has passed. The “hero”, an arrogant, yet effective gent named Griswold, has a tale to tell about every topic that comes up.
The mysteries are not profound or deep, but they are challenging enough so that you will find it difficult to solve them. They truly fit the criteria of such stories, where the solution is difficult to grasp but easy to understand once it is given. I am not a big fan of mysteries, but I liked this collection because the solutions are puzzles to be interpreted rather than psychological quirks to be untangled. If you are a fan of puzzles, then you will most certainly like these. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A great collection
It's too bad this book saw such limited release, because it's a great collection of Asimov's short stories, each chosen by the author himself. There are 28 stories here, all different in length, content and intent - but it's all very well-rounded and gives a great view of the author through a series of short reads. (Well, except for one omission: no robot stories. Asimov states that he collected these already in another volume and so they are conspicuously absent from this one)

What I liked most about this book: science fiction writers often run into troubles with novels, because sustaining reader interest over a novel-length work requires very detailed characters, storylines and an engaging writing style. The short-story medium lets Asimov play with the story alone while using just-deep-enough characters to get the job done. As a result, his plots really shine, and aren't bogged down by poor development in other areas.The end result is a lot of very readable and highly engaging stories.

As far as the stories in this compilation:The handful of play-on-words stories are pretty entertaining (and very brief). Most of the sentimental ones didn't capture my interest well, and there was a song parody that seemed an odd choice, but the rest of the collection was great. My personal favorites: Found!, Franchise, How It Happened, The Immortal Bard, The Last Question, Spell My Name With An S, Unto the Fourth Generation.

One last note: Asimov's personal introduction to each of his stories were pretty funny, in large part because he seems to have a pretty big ego (or at least, is very confident) and so he often talks about how he wrote "a good story on a dare", "a particularly great piece of fiction", etc. It was nice to have the preface to each entry so you'd know why he selected each one.That alone helps set this collection apart from other science fiction compilations.

A Great Collection of Short Stories
With The Best Science Fiction of Isaac Asimov, Mr. Asimov has woven another beautifully crafted book of short stories.In this book there are 28 'best ever personal favorites' from the short stories of the master story teller.Each story features a brief introduction by Asimov.These intriguing introductions illuminate the author's reasons behind the stories.The stories themselves range from the 1950's to the 1980's and cover a wide area of topics, from humor to horror to hard science fiction.

There are 4 stories that deal with a play-on-words ending, that Asimov so loved, that will make you groan and snort.Not all of the stories are quite so whimsical.There are plenty of classic Asimovian themes covered in this book.From the times of cave men to the far future when man is no longer a creature made of matter, these stories deliver far-out settings and expert story telling.

Two of the highlights of this book, though by no means are there just two, are Franchise and The Ugly Little Boy.The former, written in 1954, deals with forecasting elections even before the polls close and the belief that polls influence voting patterns.Considering this story was written almost 50 years ago it is still quite relevant and almost prophetic.The latter story is a true tear-jerker, and one of Asimov's best stories ever.A story about a cave boy that will definitely tug at your heartstrings.The book as a whole is one of Asomov's better short story collections.Some of the stories will remain with you long after you put the book down. ... Read more

Product Description
This giant volume combines two collections of the best science fiction stories from the fifties, sixties, and seventies, edited and with an introduction by the incomparable Isaac Asimov. These thrilling and sometimes frightening visions of the future include:

• "The Last Question" by Isaac Asimov
• "Who's There?" by Arthur C. Clarke
• "Flowers for Algernon" by Daniel Keyes ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (3)

The Little Robot Who Could
Norby, the Mixed-Up Robot (1983) is the first SF novel in the Norby Series.Norby is the product of McGillicuddy -- a genius level space explorer-- who found an alien spaceship in the asteroid belt.Norby was constructed in a stainless steel barrel used to transport nails and has various and sundry components from the alien ship.

In this novel, Cadet Jeff Wells is really in trouble.While trying to use the main computer network to sleep-learn Martian Swahili, he accidentally scrambled the recipes in the kitchen computer.Federation Security Agent Two Gidlow intends to take Jeff back to headquarters to probe his brain for the presence of any classified material.

Admiral Yobo of Space Command is skeptical of Agent Gidlow's charges.He calls Jeff's older brother -- Farley Gordon Wells -- and discusses the situation with him.Fargo suggests that Jeff be sent home by matter transmitter as soon as possible.

Admiral Yobo tells Jeff to do as Fargo says and even gives him some credits to buy a used teaching robot so that he can learn Martian Swahili.Jeff packs -- not hard with the little allowed a cadet -- and heads home.After dropping his stuff off at home, he heads out to buy a teaching robot.

The salesman tries to talk Jeff into putting a down payment on a newer model, but Jeff finds Norby behind all the other robots and buys him for a reasonable amount.It helps that Norby had not been talking to the salesman and was therefore thought to have failing faculties.Jeff immediately takes Norby home with him.

In this story, Norby displays some unusual properties, including a lack of the usual three laws of robotics.He doesn't obey commands very well, but tries to protect Jeff and himself.He is also good-natured, but his feelings are easily hurt.

Fargo does not come home to meet Jeff for the summer solstice rites.Shortly before sunrise, Norby wakes Jeff and takes him to Central Park.Jeff is rather surprised by the method, since Norby has a very small anti-gravity device concealed within his barrel.Jeff enjoys the ride, but Norby complains about power usage.

When they reach the park, Norby has a little trouble with the landing.It is survivable, but somewhat erratic.Jeff lands on his hands and knees in mud and Norby lands in the fish pond.When Norby soars up out of the pond, he rotates and showers Jess with pond water.

Despite this mishap, Jess leads Norby to the proper site.They wait for Fargo, but he doesn't appear.Suddenly three men run out on the high walkway.Fargo seems to be running away from two men.Jeff has Norby lift them over the two pursuers and then they drop on the men, knocking them unconscious.

The two men are henchmen of Ing the Ingrate, wannabe Emperor of the Solar System.Fargo uses their own truth wand to learn something of the situation.Then a cop shows up in an anti-gravity car and insists on taking in Fargo and Ing's men.Jeff leaves for home.Then things start getting really complicated.

This story is a straight forward action tale, with a few moments for introspection and discussion.Norby tries hard and assists Jeff in some very weird ways -- after all, he is mixed-up -- but he always seems to do the right thing eventually.Jeff thinks highly of the little robot.

This story is very short, but leaves lots of loose ends for the sequels to develop.Enjoy!

Highly recommended for younger Asimov fans (and for some older ones too) as well as for anyone else who enjoys tales of space adventures, evil villains, and mixed-up robots.

-Arthur W. Jordin

A Great Introduction to Science Fiction
Norby the Mixed- Up Robot

First, let me say that the Norby series is an ideal way to introduce Science Fiction to a young adult or to a middle school student.My guess is that boys will like this series more than girls, but what the hey, maybe girls would like it as well.It is written by Janet Asimov, Isaac Asimov's wife.

As I'm sure you know Isaac Asimov was the Father of Science Fiction Robots. (The Robots of Dawn, the Caves of Steel, the Complete Robot, etc).He's the one who invented the three laws of Robotics; in fact, he coined the phrase Robotics.

Now as to the age of the reader.I would guess that a bright seventh grader would enjoy this series.Jeff Wells, the protagonist is fourteen, that's probably a good mid-range age for the reader.I believe that reading science fiction can expand one's vocabulary andexpose one to some new and fascinating ideas; also, it can expand one's sense of wonder and help create a love of reading.
In this book Norby battles against Ing the Ingrate.Now I don't know about you ,but I don't believe that "ingrate"was in my lexicon in the seventh grade.This book reveals that Norby has certain special capabilities, such as the ability to feel emotions and anti-gravity capabilities. He can also go into hyper-space.

To date the series contains the following books, not including the omnibus editions which have their own titles:

* Norby, the Mixed-Up Robot (1983)
* Norby's Other Secret (1984)
* Norby and the Lost Princess (1985)
* Norby and the Invaders (1985)
* Norby and the Queen's Necklace (1986)
* Norby Finds a Villain (1987)
* Norby Down to Earth (1988)
* Norby and Yobo's Great Adventure (1989)
* Norby and the Oldest Dragon (1990)
* Norby and the Court Jester (1991)

Omnibus Editions:
The Norby Chronicles(Books 1 &2)
Norby Robot for Hire (Books 3 & 4)
Norby through Time and Space (Books 5& 6)

I highly recommend this book, especially for young adults.

Gunner, August,2007

The first in The Norby series for juveniles.
This is the first volume in a series of short science fiction novels for young teenagers about a 14-year-old Space Academy cadet, Jeff Wells, and his unusual robot, Norby. Norby has skills that other robots lack,apparently due to the incorporation of alien parts in his construction. Inthis first book of the series, Jeff and Norby foil a plot of a villian totake over the Solar System. Norby discovers he has "anti-gravity"capabilities as well as the ability to travel through"hyperspace" and great distances. [Isaac Asimov, in another book,apologizes for using antigravity in this series: he felt that itrepresented poor science.] The second book in the series is "Norby'sOther Secret," published in 1984. These two books were lateredreissued as "The Norby Chronicles." ... Read more

Product Description
Traces the development of robots from the automatic clock to the microchip and discusses scientific and industrial uses of robots today. ... Read more

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Traces the history of the study of fossils and explains what this has enabled researchers to learn about the dinosaurs. ... Read more

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Describes scientists' attempts to find out how life began, including such topics as spontaneous generation and evolution. ... Read more

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Here are two sci-fi gems by two masters when they were in their prime, Isaac Asimov and Fox B. Holden.
Both stories in this 117-page volume were written in the early 1950s and both stories stand up and exceed today’s sci-fi expectation because they are the real stuff!

Enjoy them as well as the vintage, sci-fi illustrations that accompany them.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Stories good, formatting not so much...
If you are wondering what stories this collection includes, they are:

"Youth" by Issac Asimov - first published in Space Science Fiction May 1952, no longer believed to be copyrighted.

"The Woman-Stealers of Thrayx" by Fox B. Holden - first published in Planet Stories January 1954, also not copyrighted

Although not long, these stories are worth reading and include all of the original illustrations (or at least most of them - I didn't compare pic for pic).

Master in their primes
If you like hardcore sci-fi pulp before it got soft, then this 117-page 2-story collection is for you. It includes to early and forgotten masterpieces by Asimov and Holden when they were in their prime.

The adventure, illustrations and pure, pulp sci-fi from the golden age of the 1950s will bring back memories and make you realize what you have been missing.

I recommend this kindle-only edition highly! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Gaia to the Fore!
Plaza & Janes has a very popular pocket book collection: "Reno". It is a great fortune for low-budget Spanish-speaking readers to have access to Asimov's sci-fi novels thru this series.
The late Isaac Asimov (1920 - 1992) is one of my all-time favorite sci-fi writers. He pertains to the old "hard sci-fi" school that populated the `50s and a successful member of that community by the way.

This story is the first step in the second "Foundation Trilogy". Pressed by editors and fan's claim, after almost twenty-five years Asimov reassumes his famous "Foundation Saga".
He maintains his traditional storytelling structure, approaching each character in separate chapters and following their paths until final convergence.
However this new trilogy is more dynamic than the original one and ties all Asimovians universes into a coherent one (Spacers, Empire, Foundation, Robots and Eternals).

The story is as follows: after the last great Foundation's crisis involving the Mule's disruption, occurred around 120 years before the present tale, events are realigned into Seldon's Path.
The "perfection" of this realignment disquiets young Councilman Trevize at Terminus, First Foundation's capital and young Speaker Gendibal at Trantor, Second Foundation secret capital. Both of them start a (forced) search that will lead them to uncover a new main mysterious player: Gaia.

This book is a landmark in Asimov's sci-fi career.
Enjoy his second disembarkment on Foundation shores!
Reviewed by Max Yofre.

La Fundación continua
Después de leer la Trilogía de la Fundación falta algo, la historia no puede terminar ahí. Este libro entrega lo que faltaba. Una busqueda de los origenes en el Futuro, ir a los límites. Asimov muestra que el ser humanocontinua siendo escencialmente el mismo, es decir muy curioso. Todo lectorde la trilogia de Asimov debe leerlo. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (37)

It arrived in good shape and on time
Pebble in the Sky is more or less a prelude to Asimov's classic Foundation series, taking place in the early days of the Galactic Empire. It has one of the most developed and sympathetic characters in Asimov's fiction with Joseph Schwartz who is a retired tailor and happy to be retired and enjoying life in Chicago with family in 1949. The next thing he knows he is elsewhere. Actually elsewhen but he does not realize this for a while. This was written back when The Bomb was still terribly frightening and plays a significant part of the story. Yet, even then Asimov saw the dangers of overpopulation and found a potential solution to it and explored that solution. This is a great place to start reading Asimov.

Scifi literature, Asimov, Foundation novels
Very pleased with this book.Received in a timely fashion.Will buy from this seller again.

Debunks the absurdity of Zero population theory
Earth has become radioactive. In Earth's past, R Daniel wanted too force mankind into space traveling among the cosmos. As a solution, to overpopulation, R Daniel exposed Earth to low grade radiation preventing large densities of humans to congregate and forced humanity too leave for the stars. As a result, 200 million other planets formed making up the Empire and over the centuries expand until they forgot earth was the seed of humanity. Earth is despondent, only 20 million people can be alive, at one time. Earth has a strange policy for controlling population, death at sixty except for rare contributors of humanity.

Dr. Shekh has developed a machine called the synapsifier that enhanced the speed of neuron bioelectrical transmissions resulting in genius intelligence.

At the Institute of Nuclear Research, a lab assistant was preparing a electrolytic copper determination, however, something went wrong. Heavy radiation was taking place, possibly crude uranium fission reaction, thought Dr. Smith when he saw a corona forming; he panicked and knocked the flask to the floor out the hands of his assistant. A tiny hole penetrated metal to the outside world. No signs of radiation or burns was accounted. However, a time bubble had formed and it accidentally affect Joseph Schwartz.

Schwartz's accidental atomic energy resonance cause him too travel from the past into the future. In the future, Schwartz discovers no cars; he runs along a highway and finds a hard white structure, the people inside were dressed in beautiful clothes. Schwartz meets two people whom he can not communicate with. Loa and Grew are Off Worlders and Loa is a daughter; both of them are associated with the society of ancients. A man of the Empire coming to earth seems odd. Schwartz dialect is strange and he is not registered with the census.

Bel Avardan is an archaeologist and consult the procurator. Avardan tells Ennius that he discovered evidence earth men had established interstellar trade. The empire has 50 planets a day achieving a population of 500 million people. The Empire has one hundred million planets. The procurator is afraid of terrestrial diseases and dislikes contact with others.

Earth is having problems with the Sirus Sector. Off worlders think that are better than earth dwellers. There is debate whether earth was originally radioactive.

The Grand Council has jurisdiction over usage of the synapsifier. Ennuis wants the synapsifier to be used throughout the galaxy to create a race of super genius people.

Pola is Shekt's, daughter.

Arbin takes Schwartz to Shekt because the institution is looking for synapsifier volunteers. Arbin tells Shekt that the synapsifier may be able to help remove Schwartz muteness, saying, "He doesn't talk - can't talk". Shekt removes Schwartz facial hair with a sauve. Shekt is an earthman. The synapsifier improves learning speeds. Shekts institution is in Chica and visitors must wear lead impregnated clothes.

Three times earth has rebelled against the Empire and failed, in the last 200 years.

Ennuis learns from Arvandan about the theory of earth: Earth will be the center of the galaxy; the empire will be destroyed; Earth will triumphant in pristine glory; Earth will become the rightful ruler of the galaxy; and earth was the original home of humanity.

Arvadan is a Siran, outsider and guest of the procurator. Arvadan meets Creen while traveling to Chica. Creen thinks Arvadan's evasion is uncivilized and says, "don't treat me like a dog" calling him a "stinking outsider".

Shekt tells Pola that Schwartz's anatomy is like a living fossil with differences in appendix size and molar counts.

Schwartz escapes the Institute into the city and a private search for him begins.

Schwartz receives food from a coin fed Foodmat. Arvardan traces Schwartz to the Diner and is convinced Schwartz has radiation fever spreading the word and causing fear. Arvadan captures Schwartz being significant stronger. Pola and Arvadan agree to have Natter deliver Schwartz back to the institution. Pola dismisses radiation fear demonstrating Schwartz has no mouth tissue swelling. Natter contacts the Imperial Police officer and they inspect Pola for radiation fever. Avardan intervenes breaking Lieutnant Claudy's arm. The Officers strike down Avardan with a neuronic whip, paralyzing him; he awakes in a military base. Avardan tells the Colonel he is a guest of the procurator and demands an apology for Pola. Pola learns Avardan is an important man and fears him. Avardan is attracted to Pola and doesn't want special attention.

The Secretary of the ancients was not known by anyone. His name is Balkias. Balkias reported directly to the High Minister, but kepts him confused through complex reporting. Balkias believes Schwartz is an empire Espionage agent and Shekt is the contact man along with Avardan.

Balkias captures Avardan, Pola, Shekt, and Schwartz. Balkias believes Avardan is an agent and wants to know which secret plans he has discovered. Avardan falls in loves with Pola. Balkias paraylzes Avardan with a Neurowhip.

Schwartz uses his mind reading to reveal Balkias intentions were bent on deploying virus missiles to destroy trillions of lives in the outer worlds; every one earth person having 25 billion out-worlders. Schwartz did use his mind to hurt Avaradan, but said, "he is not interesting in hurting all people". Balkias wanted to enslave humanity become king and dictator of the human race.

Avardan is brought before the Ennius and he testifies that Schwartz is the master mind behind the plot to destroy the galaxy by spreading "the cold virus" to the 200 million planets in the Empire. Ennius does not find fault in Ennius and Avardan is knockout with a neurowhip. The time has past for launch of the virus and Schwartz reveals that he escaped, force Lt. Claudy, to destroy the Temple of Soolan, the pentagon, prevent the launch of the virus. Pola can not leave earth with Avardan believing she is too common for the Galactic people.

Maybe we all have our preferred time frame that matches our personality, dna, and essence. Schwartz seems too have fixed the future with his past understand that earth population of 2 billion, polution, and population growth. Schwartz resonant correctly in the future and prevented evil men from destroying humanity. In the end, everything work out favorable to humanity.

People in the future are free to move and earth crowned with glory, the seed civilization. Schwartz struggle understand helps him realize the value of his own humanity. Like Elijah Bailey, he must show them the absurdity in population control and teach the people that human has the characteristics for infinite growth and potential. Humans are not the vermin of the universe, but the answer for the existence of the universe. The future needs humans.

First Novel
Asimov was 29 in 1949 when Doubleday accepted his first novel; its first printing was in early 1950.The year 2010 marks its sixtieth anniversary in print.For an author, having your novel reach sixty years in print is a good thing.For the natives of Earth, who reach their sixtieth birthday in the year 827 G.E. (Galactic Era), that is a bad thing.

Earth is one of the very few planets, among the millions of worlds in the Galactic Empire, that is radioactive.Well, not completely, there are a few habitable areas, just enough land to support the current population of 20 million.To keep the population from growing, the Brotherhood ensures everyone who reaches their 'Sixty' will do their duty ...

Unfortunately for Loa Maren, her father is past sixty and the census is next year.They live in fear that the Brotherhood will find out.And then, one early evening, someone begins banging on the door.Could it be the Brotherhood?Arbin leaps up and wheels Loa's father out of the room.Loa opens the door and finds an oddly dressed man, silhouetted agains the softly glowing creek behind him, who begins babbling incoherently.

Unknown to Loa, the confused Mr. Schwartz had just recently appeared out of thin air a couple of miles down the road.

Unknown to Schwartz, a scientific accident had popped him, in mid-step, several hundred thousand years into the future.

Known only to a few, a nefarious plan, to shake the Galactic Empire to its very core, is about to be executed ...

Asimov's second and third novels are 'The Stars Like Dust' and 'Foundation'.For more, reference: 'I. Asimov, A Memoir'.

I can make no comment on the physical quality of the book listed, since mine is a 1971 Fawcett Crest paperback.

Asimov book shipment review
Price, product and service were all outstanding.I would buy from this company again. ... Read more

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Only a few know the terrifying truth--an outcast Earth scientist, a rebellious alien inhabitant of a dying planet, a lunar-born human intuitionist who senses the imminent annihilation of the Sun.  They know the truth--but who will listen?  They have foreseen the cost of abundant energy--but who will believe?  These few beings, human and alien, hold the key to the Earth's survival.Amazon.com Review
Winner of the HugoAward and NebulaAward. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (86)

It takes 3 to make a baby
Once an imaginative genius like Isaac Asimov concocts a world where it takes three entities to make a baby, it then seems obvious to us mere mortals that the idea could be developed into an interesting science fiction book.However, there still are details to work out, such as making the three characters interesting and developing a plot that keeps a reader on edge.Professor Asimov manages to do just that in this book, which was his return to science fiction novels after quite a long hiatus where he concentrated on non-fiction.It is a delightful and entertaining book, one of the professor's very best.

Absolutely Fantastic
This was my first book by Asimov.I was so blown away that I bought (and still buying) any book by Asimov that I can find.Thanks Isaac for the wonderful treat.

the Gods are like ourselves - possible spoilers
So much to say about this book!

The structure was strange - never really figured out why starting with a chapter numbered "6" was deemed necessary but, no doubt, that was a subtlety beyond my scope.

Very interesting evaluation of how mankind would react if we found an inexhaustible, free, and non-polluting form of energy and how we would hang onto it even if it was possible that source would destroy the universe. A view of how scientists can be ruled by pride and a sense of inferiority rather than reason. A view of how self-interest, regardless of species, can be the ruling factor.

Highly readable with some but not much humor, one of the things I liked about this book was Asimov's small and almost unnoticeable inserts: The language of "Earth" - Planetary Standard; that, evidently, no one had to work at all because of this free energy; that, evidently, there was some kind of intentional reduction of the population of earth at some point previous to the time frame of this story and that a person had to obtain a license for approval to procreate; that complacency and ease of life had led to or was leading to a decline in the mental aggressiveness and natural curiosity of man. None of these are pivotal to the story in question but were scathing comments on the mind set of Earthlings and how problems were solved by ukase rather than analysis.

The brief foray into the para-universe was fascinating. It ended far too soon and was never revisited. This disappointed me as I wanted to see if the self-interest factor was ever successfully managed there. The para-men characters were developed with a strong sense of flair. Very much enjoyed that look into a possible version of other sentient beings. It was a little too obvious that, even though sex distinctions were irrelevant to this species, the only female pronoun associated with any of these characters was with an "Emotional." Oh well, at least it wasn't with the "Parental." Asimov clearly (for his time) was attempting to move the female character into the realm of leadership and the "Rational' so I forgive him. The Emotional was caught between, forgive the expression that will become meaningful if you read the book, a "rock" and a "hard" place.

Having just read 13 Things That Don't Make Sense by Michael Brooks, I found that The Gods Themselves reinforced one of Brook's themes - Scientists are rational only about the project's data - they are fiercely protective of the project's findings and, on occasion, that has proved dangerous. Brooks said that science had to continually question the assumptions on which research is based - not just the validity of the findings based on those assumptions. That is a key element of this offering by Asimov.

The primary thesis was, however, that when faced with disaster unless something extremely unpopular is done, one looks for another alternative. In this case, as I suspect is true in all cases, the "problem" was redefined as one of balance so a completely different and orthogonal solution was found. The characters, though, are aware that this will not be the last time that man will face destruction because of his inability to think beyond his own concerns but, for a while, he is safe from at least this one instance of his selfishness, as are "The Gods Themselves."

Very interesting. I look forward to reading more Asimov.

Asimov's best book
What I love about Asimov, is that you don't have to be a science fiction fan, or a Star Trek geek to enjoy his books, and this concept shows in The Gods Themselves.I don't like giving plot "spoilers" so just a basic summary, the book is about an electron pump which allows communication between 2 universes.In the parellel universe the main character has a combination of unique powers that nobody else has, which immediately intrigues the reader.This book is perfect for anyone of any age, it's got great character development, it's mysterious, and it's not overly scientific or technical, it's just great storytelling.Let me just say that Asimov is not only a great writer in his genre, he's one of the best authors ever, in any category.This book won't dissapoint.

Excesive irrelevant and cheesy elements
The book is not bad, it is exactly what is expected of Asimov. It has a great general plot - it is creative and catches the reader in the first few pages. As any of Asimov's stories, it has a lot of science involved, he gives an interesting explanation on many of the concepts he uses, that can be fairly understood by anyone, it's obvious he knew what he was doing. The Universe that he describes in the middle is also creative, and enjoyable enough. All this is what can be found in any book by Asimov.
Besides that, Asimov doesn't offer anything. The story is divided in three parts, which simply don't match. The middle, as enjoyable and praised as it is, just doesn't fit in the novel, what happens there and is not explained in one of the other parts is just irrelevant. I read it, and at the end expected that the story would somehow intermingle with the humans to get an ending for both of them, however, the story is just abandoned altogether. According to me, the middle was just a ~50 pages long pretty description, and not part of the book.
The first part is good science fiction, with decent character development and a very good plot. But then, the third part is again really bad. The best word to describe it is cheesy. (** SPOILERS AHEAD **) The fact that Asimov includes the cliche story of the guy and the girl who start off as friends with a common goal, pledging they are not interested in each other, knowing it's impossible to be intimate, and ending up loving each other and doing the impossible is just disappointing. It just not his style, and therefore feels completely forced in the story. (** END OF SPOILERS **).
Not a bad book, but I expected a lot more from Asimov. ... Read more

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Gold is the final and crowning achievement of the fifty-year career of science fiction's transcendent genius, the world-famous author who defined the field of science fiction for its practitioners, its millions of readers, and the world at large.

The first section contains stories that range from the humorous to the profound, at the heart of which is the title story, "Gold," a moving and revealing drama about a writer who gambles everything on a chance at immortality: a gamble Asimov himself made -- and won. The second section contains the grand master's ruminations on the SF genre itself. And the final section is comprised of Asimov's thoughts on the craft and writing of science fiction.

Customer Reviews (4)

Not Free SF Reader
Doing up a new one like Lear.


3 out of 5

Not quite sure what the other reviewers read
It doesn't seem like the other reviewers read the same book that I did.The book I read consisted of a lot of self-congratulatory essays on Asimov's creation of the Three Laws of Robotics (which aren't really laws, but that's a topic for a different rant) punctuated by a bunch of shaggy-dog stories (MAYBE they were funny in 1955) and a couple of lame science-fiction stories.I know Dr. Asimov was a brilliant man, but this book in no way offers him tribute to his genius.For fans only.Maybe.

Good Collection of Asimov's Work
If you're a diehard Asimov fan like I am, you'll probably like this book.The main story, "Gold," details a filmmaker realizing the second part of ...And the Gods Themselves.For that alone, it's worth a look.

Asimov's more famous collections are a little more fun.If you're becoming an Asimov fan, it's best to start with his early science-fiction and then move through his career.

An author's gamble
"Gold" is an interesting piece of fiction.Clearly turning autobiographical at times, Isaac Asimov tells the story of an author determined to see one of his more famous works turned into something greater -- a "compu-drama", the brand-new visual medium of the future.It's an engaging story that uses its science fiction trappings to tell a tale about authors, stories, and the place the both of them hold in history.It is this theme along with the ways that different characters interpret the same piece of fiction that give this work its bite.

The fictional author would appear to be based, at least somewhat, on Asimov himself.The biggest clue to this is the book that the writer is looking to have produced bears a striking resemblance to one of Isaac Asimov's more celebrated novels.In fact, "resemblance" probably isn't going far enough -- for all intents and purposes, the book being discussed in "Gold" categorically is one of Asimov's more famous stories, at least, in most important respects (there is one section that is hinted to be different, but it seems clear that the bulk of the stories are identical in theme, plot, and characters).Readers who have already read that book will no doubt enjoy picking up some of the references.I had personally greatly enjoyed that book, and I found it quite interesting to get another interpretation of some of the more abstract concepts presented there.Not to say that Asimov explains them away; he merely presents an interpretation of the facts in a way that would be natural to someone trying to produce something so intangible in a visual context.

"Gold" isn't the best piece of fiction that Asimov wrote during his long and celebrated career, but it should definitely be considered worth reading.The science fiction portions are engaging, but that is really just the backdrop to a more fundamental story.The fictional author's comments on his own work were particularly interesting, especially as one attempts to figure out when he was talking from his own character, and when he was voicing the thoughts of Asimov contemplating his own place in literary history.As I wrote this review, my mind went over the events and I found myself appreciating the story even more.That is always a good sign, and "Gold" is definitely a story worth thinking about. ... Read more

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When Jeff and his robot Norby accompany Admiral Yobo to prehistoric times so the admiral can do family research, the trip turns into a dangerous adventure. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

I really liked this book
I had a lot of fun reading this book. It was really exciting to see all of the magical adventures that the author's thought of. I highly reccommend this to anyone who looks for a good time with a story!!!!! ... Read more

Product Description
La saga de la Fundacion (Fundacion, Fundacion e Imperio, Segunda Fundacion y Los limites de la Fundacion) es la obra de ciencia ficcion mas leida de todos los tiempos. Esta narracion monumental continua con el presente titulo, que es la quinta y mas emocionante novela de la serie. La humanidad, en un lejano futuro galactico, busca sus origenes en un planeta perdido llamado Tierra... ... Read more

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From the writer whose name is synonymous with the science of robotics comes five decades of robot visions-36 landmark stories and essays, plus three rare tales-gathered together in one volume ... Read more

Customer Reviews (14)

Amazing Asimov
I read this book when I was 13 and I loved it, so I thought I'd get it for my daughter who was hooked on the Disney's Fairies Colletction(a great choice for little girls BTW) to see if she would share my love for Asimov's stories.She's loving it so much, she already told me I have to wait until she's done with it, to see "if I can borrow it"...
Asimov never ceases to amaze me!!

Good collection of robot stories from Asimov
This is more a complimentary book to I-robot than a stand alone collection. If you have not read I-robot, you should get that as well, as the two books are best consumed together and in close proximity to each other so that the differences between the two can be compared.

The book also includes some of Asimov's excellent non-fiction on the subject of robots, including his foundational theories about THE THREE LAWS.

If you like robots and you've not read this book, you owe it to yourself to get a copy. Asimov is the grandfather of modern science fiction when it comes to all things robotic, and this book is a fantastic place to dig into the wealth of Asimov's imagination on that topic.

Excelent Assimov's short stories
The selected stories were entertaining, and in the best tradition of Assimov's Robots. I enjoyed it thoroughly.
Leon

Not Free SF Reader
The counterpart to Robot Dreams is inferior as far as the fiction quality goes, but does have a whole lot of essays at the end by Asimov on the subject of robots, and the future in general.One interesting comment was that something as simple as worldwide computer communication could change the world, when he was writing about education.

Quite a few of the essays are to do the the Laws of Robotics in particular, and robots in society.So, fairly interesting.


Robot Visions : Robot Visions - Isaac Asimov
Robot Visions : Too Bad! - Isaac Asimov
Robot Visions : Robbie - Isaac Asimov
Robot Visions : Reason - Isaac Asimov
Robot Visions : Liar! - Isaac Asimov
Robot Visions : Runaround - Isaac Asimov
Robot Visions : Evidence - Isaac Asimov
Robot Visions : Little Lost Robot - Isaac Asimov
Robot Visions : The Evitable Conflict - Isaac Asimov
Robot Visions : Feminine Intuition - Isaac Asimov
Robot Visions : The Bicentennial Man [short story] - Isaac Asimov
Robot Visions : Someday - Isaac Asimov
Robot Visions : Think! - Isaac Asimov
Robot Visions : Segregationist - Isaac Asimov
Robot Visions : Mirror Image - Isaac Asimov
Robot Visions : Lenny - Isaac Asimov
Robot Visions : Galley Slave - Isaac Asimov
Robot Visions : Christmas Without Rodney - Isaac Asimov

Time check bad news.

2.5 out of 5


Shrinkbot surgery sacrifice.

3 out of 5


Robot chasey and other games.

3.5 out of 5


Robot curiosity of philosophy.

3.5 out of 5


Telepathic robot advice is caught in logic loop.

3.5 out of 5


Old robot mine retrieval squad.

4 out of 5


Politics and impersonation.

3.5 out of 5


Monkeying with the Laws can have surprising results.

4 out of 5


Politics of The Machine.

3 out of 5


Girlbot creativity communication.

3.5 out of 5


Robot evolution legal test case.

4 out of 5


Writing? You jest.

2.5 out of 5


Computer brain power talk.

3 out of 5


Metallo wannabes.

3 out of 5


Jehosaphat!Deadly mathematical rivalry.

3 out of 5


Robot teaching mummy.

3.5 out of 5


Proofreading plus.

3.5 out of 5


Old versions can still provide good cheer.

3 out of 5





3.5 out of 5

Mixed bag, but "The Bicentennial Man" is the standout of the collection

Let's examine each of the story's storylines and rate it, in U.S. Navy fashion, outstanding, excellent, good, satisfactory or unsatisfactory.SPOILER ALERT.My descriptions of the storylines sometimes give the endings away.

"Robot Visions."Storyline: robot is sent into the future and discovers humanity will destroy itself and be replaced by robots -- and a robot in the present decides to let this happen and does what he can to make it happen.Asimov is capable of the highest of highs and the lowest of lows vis à vis humanity and humanism.For the highest of the highs, nothing tops "The Bicentennial Man."For the lowest of the lows, "Robot Visions" (the short story) would have to be a strong contender.Not only that, the story violates the First Law to boot, without any justification.Essentially, the short story is a further analysis of what happens when robots decide that they're better than humans and therefore decide to "through inaction, allow a human to come to harm."It's Nestor 10 all over again.It's also a continuation of the idea behind "That Thou Art Mindful of Him" but instead of being a warning like that short story, "Robot Visions" is a celebration of robots displacing humans.

Compounding this anti-human calumny is the fact that in the Introduction to the book, Asimov badmouths the play "R.U.R." (p 6) which contains the prototype of the "robots become human-like and kill us" storyline.With no acknowledgement of the contradiction, in "Robot Visions" Asimov takes that storyline and almost lyrically embraces it.For all our flaws, we are at the top of the food chain and should stay that way.The thought that it is an absolute good that we should be killed and replaced by another species, especially one of our own creation, is anathema.It's horrible, disgusting and vile.And no, I don't think Asimov was providing a warning like in "That Thou Art Mindful of Him."I think he really finds the idea of humans dying off but robots remaining to be a great idea (see pp 422, 443).Rating: unsatisfactory.

"Too Bad!"Storyline: robot is miniaturized to be injected into a cancer patient.This is either the prototype of, or a takeoff on, "Fantastic Voyage."Rating: good.

"Robbie."Storyline: a little girl's robot taken away by parents but she is eventually reunited with him.Good characterization, especially considering the fact that this is Asimov's first short story.It's been updated a bit (e.g., the Three Laws and Susan Calvin are mentioned) and I'm sure otherwise tightened up, but the story still stands after nearly 70 years.Rating: excellent.

"Reason."Storyline: a new type of robot becomes convinced he's the prophet for the "God" of a space station.It's an interesting analysis of what occurs when you juxtapose a priori knowledge with a posteriori knowledge, and the analysis is delivered humorously.Asimov certainly needles religion a bit, especially Mohammedism.Rating: excellent.

"Liar!" Storyline: a mind-reading robot tells humans what they want to hear, not what's true, leading to an inevitable collision between hopes and reality.This is the ur-story of mind-reading robots in Asimov's later books, developed further in "The Robots of Dawn."Rating: good.

"Runaround."Storyline: a robot is equipoised between the Second Law and the Third Law -- and only the First Law can snap him out of it.Rating: good.

"Evidence."Storyline: is that D.A. running for mayor really a robot?Susan Calvin intends to find out.Good twist on the end, but one I guessed.Rating: good.

"Little Lost Robot."Storyline: a robot with a weakened First Law hides among other robots; it's up to Susan Calvin to ferret him out by playing to his ego.The 2004 movie "I, Robot" is based in part on this short story, and both the movie and this short story deserve a rating of excellent.

"The Evitable Conflict."Storyline: Susan Calvin tries to understand why machine-guided industrial activities are not performing optimally, and discovers the machines are discrediting their political rivals -- humans.An interesting premise, fairly well done, but once again Asimov seems to be endorsing the concept of machines taking over our free will.Without free will, what makes humans so different from the animals?Read Williamson's "With Folded Hands" for the logical endpoint to this reasoning.I must also point out that the short story contains a writing flaw.The Europe Region contains Egypt (p 206) yet the Tropic Region is supposedly ascendant "for the first time since the Pharaohs" (p 212), who were located in Egypt.A minor flaw in Asimov's writing but frankly an easy one to spot.Rating: satisfactory.

"Feminine Intuition."Storyline: Susan Calvin must determine who overheard the important last words of an intuitive robot.Good story and good detective work.Rating: excellent.

"The Bicentennial Man."Storyline: a robot decides that to be human is a goal worth more than even his life; in 200 years he accomplishes his goal.This is, IMHO, Asimov's greatest short story (and according to him, his third-favorite).It makes the most of characters and is a celebration of humanity.Rating: outstanding.

"Someday."A robot toy, abused by its young owner, demonstrates it's at least capable of contemplating revenge.The story breaks no new ground.Rating: satisfactory.

"Think!"Storyline: a telepathy-producing device is able to pick up a computer's thoughts.It's a surface exploration of the perennial question "can computers become self-aware?" but doesn't address the question of "and if they do, then what?"It could be that Asimov means for *us* to Think! about the answer to that question.Rating: good.

"Segregationist."Storyline: humans are being operated on to become more like robots, while robots are being operated on to become more human.The new miscegenation?This story actually has nothing to do with segregation and would be more appropriately titled "Anti-miscegenationist," though I suppose that doesn't have the same ring.This story surely resonated more in 1967 when it was published than it does now.It also contradicts later Asimov work (Robots and Empire?) that states that robots can never be surgeons.Rating: satisfactory.

"Mirror Image."Storyline: Elijah Bailey interviews two robots to determine which of their owners stole an important mathematical theory, using logic and psychology to catch his man.I do have to point out that Asimov sort of contradicts the reasoning in this short story in his later Daneel Olivaw books, particularly "The Robots of Dawn," which states that it is very difficult to drive a robot into stasis.That said, this short story still deserves a rating of excellent.

Lenny."Storyline: a robot with a childlike brain becomes Susan Calvin's surrogate son.Rating: satisfactory.

"Galley Slave."Storyline: a robot is falsely accused of manipulating the galley proofs of a book, and the perpetrator of the falsehood, through ignorance of robots, is tricked into admitting he manipulated the proofs himself.The title demonstrates Asimov's fondness for puns, and addresses the issue of whether it is a good thing to have robots taking over more and more of work related to the creative process.It reminds me a bit of an article from five or six years ago about how a computer program could write a sports story.Rating: good.

"Christmas Without Rodney."Storyline: a child's misbehavior makes a robot wish the Three Laws didn't exist.This story presents an interesting analysis of the continuum of thoughts to actions -- if a robot could think about wishing there were no Three Laws, isn't that a first step to disobeying them?In fact, isn't that the first step to human sin, thinking about doing something wrong and wishing there weren't rules prohibiting it?Interesting.Rating: excellent.

Asimov's essays.The essays provide no extraordinary insight into either man or machine, and are repetitive of each other and the Introduction.In the essays Asimov also alludes more strongly to his politics, which is about what you'd expect for a New York writer (e.g., "...consider what we're doing to ourselves right now--to all living things and to the very planet we live on.Maybe it is *time* we were replaced." p 422).He's also at times quite churlish about "his" Three Laws (e.g., p 457).I lost a lot of respect for Isaac Asimov the person by reading these essays.Rating: unsatisfactory.
... Read more

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Youth [Illustrated] by Isaac Asimov, 1952. "Red and Slim found the two strange little animals the morning after they heard the thunder sounds. They knew that they could never show their new pets to their parents..." ... Read more

Customer Reviews (77)

Change of pace from the first three books
It was weird to follow the same characters along without skipping years and/or generations.Very good read.For those of you who have followed the adventures of Elijah Baley, there is a little treat at the end.

The Foundation Will Last Forever!
The late Isaac Asimov (1920 - 1992) is one of my all-time favorite sci-fi writers. He pertains to the old "hard sci-fi" school that populated the `50s and a successful member of that community by the way.

This story is the first step in the second "Foundation Trilogy". Pressed by editors and fan's claim, after almost twenty-five years Asimov reassumes his famous "Foundation Saga".
He maintains his traditional storytelling structure, approaching each character in separate chapters and following their paths until final convergence.
However this new trilogy is more dynamic than the original one and ties all Asimovians universes into a coherent one (Spacers, Empire, Foundation, Robots and Eternals).

The story is as follows: after the last great Foundation's crisis involving the Mule's disruption, occurred around 120 years before the present tale, events are realigned into Seldon's Path.
The "perfection" of this realignment disquiets young Councilman Trevize at Terminus, First Foundation's capital and young Speaker Gendibal at Trantor, Second Foundation secret capital. Both of them start a (forced) search that will lead them to uncover a new main mysterious player: Gaia.

This book is a landmark in Asimov's sci-fi career.
Enjoy his second disembarkment on Foundation shores!

Reviewed by Max Yofre.

Say It Ain't So, Dr Asimov!
Say you didn't take the most exciting story in science fiction and turn it into . . . this!

Foundation's Edge opens with a Seldon Crisis having just been /concluded/.Apparently it was a political squabble over whether to move the capital further toward the galactic core, now that the Foundation controls a massive amount of territory.Seldon Crises ain't what they used to be.

Actually, that's a point which the book makes, one of a handful of interesting points that led me, with some reluctance, to award it the second star.The First Foundation characters are aware that, with their nice cushy hegemony to give them stability and prosperity, the heroism of Hardin and Mallow, of the desperate struggle against Bel Riose and the even more desperate struggle against the Mule, of the days when women named Darrell were able to make themselves the only things standing between themselves and telepathic colonialism, is a thing of the past.

The mayor, a woman named Branno, has seen her political stock rise by correctly anticipating Seldon's "desire" that the capital remain on Terminus.But she chafes under the knowledge that she's a very ordinary mayor and that her place in history will be nowhere near that of great mayors past.She's also a far less compelling character than the protagonists and antagonists of the original series.She knows that the Foundation is strong enough to conquer the galaxy and rule as Trantor once did without having to wait another 500 years (we're halfway between the founding of the Foundation and the scheduled establishment of the Second Empire).The only thing is, the Second Foundation would stop her if she tried.So much for the very satisfying ending to Second Foundation the novel--It's been rolled back, and the powers that be on Terminus are once again suspicious that the Second Foundation has survived, as though Preem Palver had never fooled the Darrells into thinking they'd eradicated it.

Golan Trevize is an earnest young councilman who believes the same thing and publicly demands that Branno prepare to take action against the mentallics.That's publicity Branno can't have, because she's preparing to move against them, but in secret.So she convinces Trevize's friend to betray his treasonous actions (apparently he's a traitor) so that Branno can get him out of the way by sending him off to look for Earth with a doddering old historian.Trevize is actually looking for the Second Foundation, or trying to, but is doing it behind Branno's back, or trying to.

Before we go any further, I'd like to request a moment of silence as we reflect upon the great life and tragic death of the original premise of Foundation.Psychohistory used to be what Bel Riose called the "Dead Hand."Riose's position relative to the Foundation was as strong as would be Branno's against any prospective conquest en route to premature galactic imperialism, but he was defeated just the same, because sociopolitical forces had arranged themselves in a way that precluded victory, and that Seldon had known this ahead of time when he built the Foundation where and when he did.He wasn't defeated by telepaths but for whose intervention he would have conquered Terminus.The Mule was, but he was a special case.But Seldon, and then the Second Foundation which continued his work, had always been about /predicting/ inevitable outcomes, not manipulating people into otherwise avoidable ones.

Anyway, on Trantor the Speakers are squabbling politically as well.Like Branno knowing she's no Salvor Hardin, they're self conscious about the fact that their penises are shorter than Preem Palver's.A young Speaker named Stor Gendibal discusses with the First Speaker that, ever since the First Foundation was fooled (umm . . . ) into thinking they'd destroyed the Second, and the Second was able to get the Plan back on track, history has preceded EXACTLY according to plan--which is mathematically impossible, unless someone is manipulating history with far greater precision than the Second Foundation is capable of, manipulating it on the individual level.(Wouldn't a nation full of mathematicians have noticed by now that items in a statistical set are not arranging themselves in the curve they'd predicted, that every standard deviation is turning out to be zero?That's kind of hard to miss if you're well trained in mathematics.)The First Speaker calls this agency anti-Mules: They have the Mule's power, but they're using it to maintain the plan rather than disrupt it.I found it useful to think of them as the Third Foundation: They were checking the work over the Second Foundation's shoulder, as the Second always has for the First.

The problem is, Seldon created no Third Foundation, so this force is maintaining the Plan for its own purposes, which may stop aligning with Trantor's at any moment.Though we're now even farther from the original premise of Foundation, I do find this situation interesting, another reason for the second star.If its resolution weren't so lame, this might have even been a positive review.

The Second Foundation must search for the Third.They contact Trevize's friend-turned-betrayer, who has been their agent all along, and say they want Trevize tailed, believing he's the key to all of this.This is not without controversy, as Gendibal must face impeachment hearings from a political enemy among the Speakers, but it's really not interesting enough to talk about.One effect is that Gendibal ends up going after Trevize himself,eventually.Another is that he gets a sidekick, a woman from Trantor's non-Second Foundation population, which we knew had reverted to an agrarian society after the last vestiges of Empire were lost, but which we didn't know apparently turned into cave men while they were at it.

If this is hard to follow, that's because the book keeps jumping among these various threads.But gradually they all come together for a climactic ending--another reason this is not a one-star review.Trevize, the lynchpin of this entire convoluted operation, ends up on Sayshell, the capital of a small union of worlds which has maintained independence despite being completely surrounded by a superpower--an interstellar Lesotho.Sayshell, in turn, surrounds but does not rule Gaia, a super-mysterious world which destroys anyone who gets close enough to find out what it is, and which is so powerful the Mule himself was afraid to approach it.Of course Trevize must go there.And so must Gendibal, and his Trantorian cavewoman of a sidekick (who is in fact a Gaian), and Branno with a great fleet.

It takes a long, long time for them all to come together, but some worthwhile exposition fills the wait.For example, we learn the true nature of Gaia: that Gaians are all part of some weird collective consciousness.Not just the humans--the animals and plants and rocks and clouds and protons and neutrons and electrons.And of course they're mentallics, very powerful ones.The Mule was born into this Circle of Life but was declared a criminal because he left.Or maybe he left because he was a criminal.They offer both explanations at different points, and say that this should have been impossible--not the circular logic, the leaving without the collective's permission.All I know is, the Mule seems a lot less badass now that he was just a misfit running from these freaks, this wacky cult that somehow manages to be both a hippie compound and the soul-crushing Borg Collective.Also, it doesn't quite fit with the backstory he gave Bayta at the end of Foundation and Empire, but I guess you could say he was lying to her.

The Gaians want Trevize to do something but won't tell him what it is.They take him on a ship where he runs into both Gendibal and Branno, who has almost but not quite perfected the mentallic shield Toran Darrell had been tinkering with.She's prepared to attack Gaia and then Trantor and seize control of the galaxy free of mentallics.The Second Foundation has decided it's a good time to develop non-mental weapons and wants to use them to wipe out Gaia, then cause Branno to forget everything and go back to Terminus.These two developments have been building for a long time and were soon to come to a head, and the Gaians needed to intervene.They must not only prevent their own destruction--a distant priority indeed, actually--they must prevent either Foundation becoming a hegemon, fearing the consequences to humanity of both versions of Second Empire.But there's a catch.

Gaia, it seems, was founded by robots (thus connecting this series to Asimov's other great story) who had grown so advanced they realized their very existence was harming humanity by crushing the individual spirit.So they were obligated by the First Rule to withdraw from human affairs, but to do so in such a way that would leave humanity in as advantageous a position as possible.They determined respect among humans for one another's lives and for the worlds around them was needed, and they founded Gaia as an experiment in collectivism, with the hope that itwould one day expand into Galaxia.

Now whatever the Gaians need to do to create Galaxia is already figured out, but must be implemented before either Terminus builds an empire of blood or Trantor makes human society a mathematical abstraction.Unfortunately for the Gaians, they can't act independently due to being derived from the Laws of Robotics, so they must have someone instruct them on what to do--allow Branno to have her way, allow Gendibal to have his way, or allow Gaia to have its way.They identified Trevize as a man of uncommonly sound judgment and engineered this entire situation to let him decide for them.Representatives of all three camps make their cases, and then Trevize decides for Gaia.

Later, while accepting the gratitude of the senior Gaian, he reveals that he had done so because both Branno and Gendibal would have acted immediately and irrevocably, whereas Gaia's plan would take centuries--during which it would continue to maintain the Seldon Plan on behalf of the Second Foundation, and thus would lead to hegemony for the First Foundation.You see why I call them the Third Foundation?Trevize explains that he intends to use this window of time to find out why Gaia hid information on Earth from him, information which may have led him to decide against Gaia.The senior Gaian says Gaia has done no such thing, and they realize that Gendibal's cavewoman acted under the influence of a possible Fourth Foundation, a greater and more secretive power still.(If it was so great and secretive, why didn't it keep Trevize from deducing its existence?)So Trevize, his long-forgotten historian sidekick, and the senior Gaian must go off on another adventure, which I'm putting off reading.

The book does some things right.It convincingly shows how the Foundations should look once the Seldon Plan has really gone into high gear, enjoying peace and prosperity their predecessors couldn't have imagined, but in danger of falling into a decadent malaise because of it, and growing restless to avoid this.Trevize is quite nearly as strong and memorable a character as any of Asimov's earlier creations, and will perhaps leave an even stronger impression because he has an entire novel to himself--two, actually, though as I said I'm in no great hurry to read Foundation and Earth.The idea of *both* Foundations, not just the First, as unwitting pawns in someone else's project is at least intriguing despite its many problems.Trevize and his sidekick have some interesting diversionary conversations about the broad strokes and cycles of history in a 20,000 year old society which has quite literally forgotten where it came from, and discuss other interesting topics besides.Sayshell is a likeable setting, even though we're not there for very long.The way all the plot threads are gradually woven together into a tighter and tighter story until the epic final showdown is always fun to watch.The unification of Foundation with the Robot series is, I suppose, handled about as well as it could have been, though since I like Foundation better I would prefer if they had merged on equal terms, or at least, if one had to absorb the other, Foundation be The Bob Newhart Show to Robot's Newhart.(Maybe the next book will redress that.)And the bombshell ending does create cliffhanger suspense, even if I found it wore off quickly enough.

But I just can't get over the way this book kicked what had made Foundation great to the curb.Psychohistory's powers of anticipation are now far, far less important than mentalism's powers of manipulation, even though all of Foundation and half of Foundation and Empire were driven by the former exclusively (unless someone in Foundation and Earth is going to say "Oh, by the way, Hardin and Mallow and Riose were all being controlled."They've already made the Mule lame, so why not?)The outcome of the book completely throws out the Seldon Plan in favor of Gaia and whatever force is pulling Gaia's strings.This process of "There's a power manipulating us behind the scenes" "Yes, that's us, but we too are being manipulated from even farther behind the scenes" can continue ad infinitum, and each new layer makes the possibility of a satisfying conclusion more remote.Add to this the irritatingly stupid feel of Gaia and a series of pointless subplots like the impeachment of Gendibal and the romance between the doddering historian and a Gaian who's probably a robot but won't admit it, and this book's in a hole that's just too deep for a positive review to be possible.It makes me want to go back and reread the original trilogy--in the way that a gulp of what you learn too late is expired milk makes you desperate for another beverage to wipe the taste off your tongue.

Starts off great, lands with a thud
The first three quarters of this book were engaging and almost compulsively readable. That section was worth 5 stars. Now, for the first time, we get an idea what life in the 2nd Foundation's inner circle is like. The mystery of the home world, Earth is brought out. All of this makes for a very tightly packed excellent read until we get to Gaia. The book hits with a huge splat at this point. It becomes a 1 star book after that.

Spoiler warning:


The planet Gaia was thought to be Earth at one point, but the book veers off into silly garbage about a planet filled with mind readers who claim to be the Mule's people. They are terrible New Age stereotypes and I wonder if Asimov was making fun of this group. The idea that they are one with their planet and everyone is intimately connected mentally with everything, from rocks to animals, even to each other -(no privacy, even during sex they share it ALL) the whole situation is very disappointing. I remember from the previous books, it was mentioned that the Mule lived in a dystopian world as a boy in some sort of slum. I got the idea it was a large metropolis and he was abused for being a freak. Nothing about a whole planet full of mind readers who have willfully lost their personal identities.

The love story is god awful. I'm sorry, but I was pretty put off by the unlikely May December pairing of the old librarian with the 18 year old girl from Gaia, and when they are intimate, her link with the whole planet broadcasts to everyone what is going on . . . Ugh. The entry of this girl into the story is the point it begins to nosedive. This signals the introduction of Gaia and begins the unraveling of the Foundation universe.

The Foundation series takes a major hit with the introduction of New Age feel good stuff on planet Gaia. If this was meant as some sort of satire, I don't get it. It just ruins the great concept of the Foundation and prevents the story from developing to its conclusion. What happens at the end of 1000 years? Apparently, Asimov lost his way and we do not ever find out at the end of Foundation and Earth, the final book in the series. A serious disappointment. The story of finding Earth had great potential, but the reader is left hanging wondering what will happen at the 1000 year mark, the point at which the Foundation was supposed to prevent the Dark Ages extending to thirty thousand years. Instead, we follow the wooden Trevize and the lovebirds through the next book on an increasingly silly adventure that ends in disappointment.

Awesome Continuation!
This being the first book back into the Foundation Series after Asimov took a long almost 20 year break was still amazing. He keeps all the energy of the first trilogy and brings in a whole new aspect I had not seen coming. Asimov's attention to detail and flawless ability to layer stories beyond your imagination is so much fun to read. Definitely read the first 3 books before coming into this one. There is a prologue that reestablishes where the story is so far, but it doesn't do it justice. Definitely a must read for any Sci-fi fan, let alone Asimov fan. :) ... Read more

Customer Reviews (77)

Change of pace from the first three books
It was weird to follow the same characters along without skipping years and/or generations.Very good read.For those of you who have followed the adventures of Elijah Baley, there is a little treat at the end.

The Foundation Will Last Forever!
The late Isaac Asimov (1920 - 1992) is one of my all-time favorite sci-fi writers. He pertains to the old "hard sci-fi" school that populated the `50s and a successful member of that community by the way.

This story is the first step in the second "Foundation Trilogy". Pressed by editors and fan's claim, after almost twenty-five years Asimov reassumes his famous "Foundation Saga".
He maintains his traditional storytelling structure, approaching each character in separate chapters and following their paths until final convergence.
However this new trilogy is more dynamic than the original one and ties all Asimovians universes into a coherent one (Spacers, Empire, Foundation, Robots and Eternals).

The story is as follows: after the last great Foundation's crisis involving the Mule's disruption, occurred around 120 years before the present tale, events are realigned into Seldon's Path.
The "perfection" of this realignment disquiets young Councilman Trevize at Terminus, First Foundation's capital and young Speaker Gendibal at Trantor, Second Foundation secret capital. Both of them start a (forced) search that will lead them to uncover a new main mysterious player: Gaia.

This book is a landmark in Asimov's sci-fi career.
Enjoy his second disembarkment on Foundation shores!

Reviewed by Max Yofre.

Say It Ain't So, Dr Asimov!
Say you didn't take the most exciting story in science fiction and turn it into . . . this!

Foundation's Edge opens with a Seldon Crisis having just been /concluded/.Apparently it was a political squabble over whether to move the capital further toward the galactic core, now that the Foundation controls a massive amount of territory.Seldon Crises ain't what they used to be.

Actually, that's a point which the book makes, one of a handful of interesting points that led me, with some reluctance, to award it the second star.The First Foundation characters are aware that, with their nice cushy hegemony to give them stability and prosperity, the heroism of Hardin and Mallow, of the desperate struggle against Bel Riose and the even more desperate struggle against the Mule, of the days when women named Darrell were able to make themselves the only things standing between themselves and telepathic colonialism, is a thing of the past.

The mayor, a woman named Branno, has seen her political stock rise by correctly anticipating Seldon's "desire" that the capital remain on Terminus.But she chafes under the knowledge that she's a very ordinary mayor and that her place in history will be nowhere near that of great mayors past.She's also a far less compelling character than the protagonists and antagonists of the original series.She knows that the Foundation is strong enough to conquer the galaxy and rule as Trantor once did without having to wait another 500 years (we're halfway between the founding of the Foundation and the scheduled establishment of the Second Empire).The only thing is, the Second Foundation would stop her if she tried.So much for the very satisfying ending to Second Foundation the novel--It's been rolled back, and the powers that be on Terminus are once again suspicious that the Second Foundation has survived, as though Preem Palver had never fooled the Darrells into thinking they'd eradicated it.

Golan Trevize is an earnest young councilman who believes the same thing and publicly demands that Branno prepare to take action against the mentallics.That's publicity Branno can't have, because she's preparing to move against them, but in secret.So she convinces Trevize's friend to betray his treasonous actions (apparently he's a traitor) so that Branno can get him out of the way by sending him off to look for Earth with a doddering old historian.Trevize is actually looking for the Second Foundation, or trying to, but is doing it behind Branno's back, or trying to.

Before we go any further, I'd like to request a moment of silence as we reflect upon the great life and tragic death of the original premise of Foundation.Psychohistory used to be what Bel Riose called the "Dead Hand."Riose's position relative to the Foundation was as strong as would be Branno's against any prospective conquest en route to premature galactic imperialism, but he was defeated just the same, because sociopolitical forces had arranged themselves in a way that precluded victory, and that Seldon had known this ahead of time when he built the Foundation where and when he did.He wasn't defeated by telepaths but for whose intervention he would have conquered Terminus.The Mule was, but he was a special case.But Seldon, and then the Second Foundation which continued his work, had always been about /predicting/ inevitable outcomes, not manipulating people into otherwise avoidable ones.

Anyway, on Trantor the Speakers are squabbling politically as well.Like Branno knowing she's no Salvor Hardin, they're self conscious about the fact that their penises are shorter than Preem Palver's.A young Speaker named Stor Gendibal discusses with the First Speaker that, ever since the First Foundation was fooled (umm . . . ) into thinking they'd destroyed the Second, and the Second was able to get the Plan back on track, history has preceded EXACTLY according to plan--which is mathematically impossible, unless someone is manipulating history with far greater precision than the Second Foundation is capable of, manipulating it on the individual level.(Wouldn't a nation full of mathematicians have noticed by now that items in a statistical set are not arranging themselves in the curve they'd predicted, that every standard deviation is turning out to be zero?That's kind of hard to miss if you're well trained in mathematics.)The First Speaker calls this agency anti-Mules: They have the Mule's power, but they're using it to maintain the plan rather than disrupt it.I found it useful to think of them as the Third Foundation: They were checking the work over the Second Foundation's shoulder, as the Second always has for the First.

The problem is, Seldon created no Third Foundation, so this force is maintaining the Plan for its own purposes, which may stop aligning with Trantor's at any moment.Though we're now even farther from the original premise of Foundation, I do find this situation interesting, another reason for the second star.If its resolution weren't so lame, this might have even been a positive review.

The Second Foundation must search for the Third.They contact Trevize's friend-turned-betrayer, who has been their agent all along, and say they want Trevize tailed, believing he's the key to all of this.This is not without controversy, as Gendibal must face impeachment hearings from a political enemy among the Speakers, but it's really not interesting enough to talk about.One effect is that Gendibal ends up going after Trevize himself,eventually.Another is that he gets a sidekick, a woman from Trantor's non-Second Foundation population, which we knew had reverted to an agrarian society after the last vestiges of Empire were lost, but which we didn't know apparently turned into cave men while they were at it.

If this is hard to follow, that's because the book keeps jumping among these various threads.But gradually they all come together for a climactic ending--another reason this is not a one-star review.Trevize, the lynchpin of this entire convoluted operation, ends up on Sayshell, the capital of a small union of worlds which has maintained independence despite being completely surrounded by a superpower--an interstellar Lesotho.Sayshell, in turn, surrounds but does not rule Gaia, a super-mysterious world which destroys anyone who gets close enough to find out what it is, and which is so powerful the Mule himself was afraid to approach it.Of course Trevize must go there.And so must Gendibal, and his Trantorian cavewoman of a sidekick (who is in fact a Gaian), and Branno with a great fleet.

It takes a long, long time for them all to come together, but some worthwhile exposition fills the wait.For example, we learn the true nature of Gaia: that Gaians are all part of some weird collective consciousness.Not just the humans--the animals and plants and rocks and clouds and protons and neutrons and electrons.And of course they're mentallics, very powerful ones.The Mule was born into this Circle of Life but was declared a criminal because he left.Or maybe he left because he was a criminal.They offer both explanations at different points, and say that this should have been impossible--not the circular logic, the leaving without the collective's permission.All I know is, the Mule seems a lot less badass now that he was just a misfit running from these freaks, this wacky cult that somehow manages to be both a hippie compound and the soul-crushing Borg Collective.Also, it doesn't quite fit with the backstory he gave Bayta at the end of Foundation and Empire, but I guess you could say he was lying to her.

The Gaians want Trevize to do something but won't tell him what it is.They take him on a ship where he runs into both Gendibal and Branno, who has almost but not quite perfected the mentallic shield Toran Darrell had been tinkering with.She's prepared to attack Gaia and then Trantor and seize control of the galaxy free of mentallics.The Second Foundation has decided it's a good time to develop non-mental weapons and wants to use them to wipe out Gaia, then cause Branno to forget everything and go back to Terminus.These two developments have been building for a long time and were soon to come to a head, and the Gaians needed to intervene.They must not only prevent their own destruction--a distant priority indeed, actually--they must prevent either Foundation becoming a hegemon, fearing the consequences to humanity of both versions of Second Empire.But there's a catch.

Gaia, it seems, was founded by robots (thus connecting this series to Asimov's other great story) who had grown so advanced they realized their very existence was harming humanity by crushing the individual spirit.So they were obligated by the First Rule to withdraw from human affairs, but to do so in such a way that would leave humanity in as advantageous a position as possible.They determined respect among humans for one another's lives and for the worlds around them was needed, and they founded Gaia as an experiment in collectivism, with the hope that itwould one day expand into Galaxia.

Now whatever the Gaians need to do to create Galaxia is already figured out, but must be implemented before either Terminus builds an empire of blood or Trantor makes human society a mathematical abstraction.Unfortunately for the Gaians, they can't act independently due to being derived from the Laws of Robotics, so they must have someone instruct them on what to do--allow Branno to have her way, allow Gendibal to have his way, or allow Gaia to have its way.They identified Trevize as a man of uncommonly sound judgment and engineered this entire situation to let him decide for them.Representatives of all three camps make their cases, and then Trevize decides for Gaia.

Later, while accepting the gratitude of the senior Gaian, he reveals that he had done so because both Branno and Gendibal would have acted immediately and irrevocably, whereas Gaia's plan would take centuries--during which it would continue to maintain the Seldon Plan on behalf of the Second Foundation, and thus would lead to hegemony for the First Foundation.You see why I call them the Third Foundation?Trevize explains that he intends to use this window of time to find out why Gaia hid information on Earth from him, information which may have led him to decide against Gaia.The senior Gaian says Gaia has done no such thing, and they realize that Gendibal's cavewoman acted under the influence of a possible Fourth Foundation, a greater and more secretive power still.(If it was so great and secretive, why didn't it keep Trevize from deducing its existence?)So Trevize, his long-forgotten historian sidekick, and the senior Gaian must go off on another adventure, which I'm putting off reading.

The book does some things right.It convincingly shows how the Foundations should look once the Seldon Plan has really gone into high gear, enjoying peace and prosperity their predecessors couldn't have imagined, but in danger of falling into a decadent malaise because of it, and growing restless to avoid this.Trevize is quite nearly as strong and memorable a character as any of Asimov's earlier creations, and will perhaps leave an even stronger impression because he has an entire novel to himself--two, actually, though as I said I'm in no great hurry to read Foundation and Earth.The idea of *both* Foundations, not just the First, as unwitting pawns in someone else's project is at least intriguing despite its many problems.Trevize and his sidekick have some interesting diversionary conversations about the broad strokes and cycles of history in a 20,000 year old society which has quite literally forgotten where it came from, and discuss other interesting topics besides.Sayshell is a likeable setting, even though we're not there for very long.The way all the plot threads are gradually woven together into a tighter and tighter story until the epic final showdown is always fun to watch.The unification of Foundation with the Robot series is, I suppose, handled about as well as it could have been, though since I like Foundation better I would prefer if they had merged on equal terms, or at least, if one had to absorb the other, Foundation be The Bob Newhart Show to Robot's Newhart.(Maybe the next book will redress that.)And the bombshell ending does create cliffhanger suspense, even if I found it wore off quickly enough.

But I just can't get over the way this book kicked what had made Foundation great to the curb.Psychohistory's powers of anticipation are now far, far less important than mentalism's powers of manipulation, even though all of Foundation and half of Foundation and Empire were driven by the former exclusively (unless someone in Foundation and Earth is going to say "Oh, by the way, Hardin and Mallow and Riose were all being controlled."They've already made the Mule lame, so why not?)The outcome of the book completely throws out the Seldon Plan in favor of Gaia and whatever force is pulling Gaia's strings.This process of "There's a power manipulating us behind the scenes" "Yes, that's us, but we too are being manipulated from even farther behind the scenes" can continue ad infinitum, and each new layer makes the possibility of a satisfying conclusion more remote.Add to this the irritatingly stupid feel of Gaia and a series of pointless subplots like the impeachment of Gendibal and the romance between the doddering historian and a Gaian who's probably a robot but won't admit it, and this book's in a hole that's just too deep for a positive review to be possible.It makes me want to go back and reread the original trilogy--in the way that a gulp of what you learn too late is expired milk makes you desperate for another beverage to wipe the taste off your tongue.

Starts off great, lands with a thud
The first three quarters of this book were engaging and almost compulsively readable. That section was worth 5 stars. Now, for the first time, we get an idea what life in the 2nd Foundation's inner circle is like. The mystery of the home world, Earth is brought out. All of this makes for a very tightly packed excellent read until we get to Gaia. The book hits with a huge splat at this point. It becomes a 1 star book after that.

Spoiler warning:


The planet Gaia was thought to be Earth at one point, but the book veers off into silly garbage about a planet filled with mind readers who claim to be the Mule's people. They are terrible New Age stereotypes and I wonder if Asimov was making fun of this group. The idea that they are one with their planet and everyone is intimately connected mentally with everything, from rocks to animals, even to each other -(no privacy, even during sex they share it ALL) the whole situation is very disappointing. I remember from the previous books, it was mentioned that the Mule lived in a dystopian world as a boy in some sort of slum. I got the idea it was a large metropolis and he was abused for being a freak. Nothing about a whole planet full of mind readers who have willfully lost their personal identities.

The love story is god awful. I'm sorry, but I was pretty put off by the unlikely May December pairing of the old librarian with the 18 year old girl from Gaia, and when they are intimate, her link with the whole planet broadcasts to everyone what is going on . . . Ugh. The entry of this girl into the story is the point it begins to nosedive. This signals the introduction of Gaia and begins the unraveling of the Foundation universe.

The Foundation series takes a major hit with the introduction of New Age feel good stuff on planet Gaia. If this was meant as some sort of satire, I don't get it. It just ruins the great concept of the Foundation and prevents the story from developing to its conclusion. What happens at the end of 1000 years? Apparently, Asimov lost his way and we do not ever find out at the end of Foundation and Earth, the final book in the series. A serious disappointment. The story of finding Earth had great potential, but the reader is left hanging wondering what will happen at the 1000 year mark, the point at which the Foundation was supposed to prevent the Dark Ages extending to thirty thousand years. Instead, we follow the wooden Trevize and the lovebirds through the next book on an increasingly silly adventure that ends in disappointment.

Awesome Continuation!
This being the first book back into the Foundation Series after Asimov took a long almost 20 year break was still amazing. He keeps all the energy of the first trilogy and brings in a whole new aspect I had not seen coming. Asimov's attention to detail and flawless ability to layer stories beyond your imagination is so much fun to read. Definitely read the first 3 books before coming into this one. There is a prologue that reestablishes where the story is so far, but it doesn't do it justice. Definitely a must read for any Sci-fi fan, let alone Asimov fan. :) ... Read more