Foundation and Earth (Foundation Series #5)

A very fulfilling end to the Foundation series

It must have been kinda hard to write the "Foundation" books... I mean, it's not like they have a lot of continuing characters other than the Foundations themselves and the Seldon plan. And the time period covered is hundreds of years (And, in this book, thousands of years are important to the plot). It took a sci fi writer that swung for the fences on a regular basis to even attempt it. Asimov was of the generation that still did that in their books though and he was more than up to it.

The problem of continuing characters is dealt with here simply by using the same characters as the last book. That's a good thing - it wouldn't have worked otherwise. And Asimov definitely swung for the fences on this one - not only is it a summation of one of his career defining series but it also ties together his other books in a neat package.

Does it work? Oh yes... it works in spades.

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Spectacular Odyssey of Time and Space

I am having some trouble comprehending why this novel received such poor reviews. Perhaps it is not the greatest in the Foundation Series (that would undeniably be Foward the Foundation) it has definately distinguished itself amongst the countless science-fiction novels of this century, and should not be dismissed by readers of any era.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Favorite of all 5 novels! BEST BOOK EVER : )

This books is a terrific mix of adventure and philosophy. Each page is a grand new leap in the adventure, it's absolutely compelling as you inch closer and closer, planet to planet, towards the truth. What happened to Earth? What will happen to all life as we know it? Issac Asimov puts forth a powerful concept and tells it with the grace of a master story teller. He has both a scientific mind and a grand understanding of human nature. Now this entire series is my favorite of any science fiction I've ever read. I'm tempted to read it again too. I've seen people put down horribly wrong ratings for this book and it deeply hurts, but then again I guess I know how they feel... I've read many series that have a unimpressive and/or let down of a ending. THIS IS DIFFERENT! Any open mind will see the insight in this novel and will enjoy the thrill of being on an adventure. READ IT!!!!! and have a wonderful day :)

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

The End?

Foundation and Earth is the conclusion to one of the most engrossing Sci Fi stories ever told. In a collection of works that spans decades, Asimov has assembled for the reader a concrete Universe of the future. Those fans of the Foundation stories will probably find this work somewhat puzzling. Indeed, it would seem to me that this book is really more of a conclusion of the old Robot novels than of the Foundation stories. True lovers of the old robot novels, will definaley want to read this title that deals with the fates of most of the worlds dealt with in the robot series. As a self-contained book, Foundation and Earth is a failure. Indeed, this work is clearly not among Asimovs best. The main problem is that Asimov feels compelled to wrap up the entire 15 book series. As a foundation novel it is also a failure, as the Foundation is a mere afterthought in this work. However, for all its flaws, I enjoyed this work. Maybe it is because this is the end of the line, although the end of the book leaves open the possility of an endless slew of other books. Asimov, howvever, devoted the last years of his life with Seldon, not Galaxia. I major warning, those who have read all of Asimovs works will find this book a bore, since a great deal of the book concerns redistributing knowledge that to a great extent, the educated reader may already know.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Asimov is still a thrilling read

I recommend any of his books. Even though they are written a while back they are still thrilling and interesting

Truncated Foundation

I am gratified to find that, in Mr. Chambs, I've found someone who was as disappointed with 'Foundation And Earth' as being the final act in the whole megillah of the Foundation Series as well as being horribly dry if taken by itself, and without some fancase getting in my face about 'insulting' Mr. Asimov or his work as if he was the Pope cranking out a load of papal bull. Don't get me wrong, I have thoroughly enjoyed the bulk of his writings 'although I will submit that my exposure to Isaac Asimov's work was initially 'Foundation's Edge', which I enjoyed thoroughly, and then the original 3 novels', but I do not succumb easily to the convenience of putting anyone- certainly not in the creative or entertainment field- on some invisible pedestal. (There are several science-fiction authors I have come to dislike, most of whom have pedestals of their own, and I digress that Mr. Asimov is not one of them.) Back on topic: my only real enjoyment of F&E was the 'last gasp' inclusion of R. Daneel Olivaw, the robot, something I was not expecting 'both of my brothers are science-fiction fans as well, and when I was getting into Asimov's books they would often slip me their copies of 'The Naked Sun' and 'I, Robot' unexpectedly'. Outside of that, the whole U-turn of Galaxia instead of the Foundation, and putting a cynical, yet emotionally-naive pseudoidealist like Golan Trevize in the driver's seat with nothing to go on but his intuition and a boatload of dumb luck just to _get_ to Earth...that Asimov left it there and posed the excuse- I cannot call it anything else- that he 'didn't know where to go with it' ('The Foundation Series'). We needed that. I enjoyed 'Forward The Foundation', which I finally read for the first time a week or so ago, but I honestly think Asimov's last work should've been the real, and satisfying, completion of the Foundation Series, even if it was just to provide some finality to the events in Foundation and Earth, which were woefully inadequate in that manner. At least that he not leave it where it was! But of course, the man is no longer with us in flesh 'and I submit that I did not become directly involved in science-fiction fandom until after his death', so who cares, right?

Don't read... please

Jabber-jabber-jabber. That's all it ever is: Golan Trevize talk about this, Janov Pelorat talk about that, Bliss throws in a few remarks here and there... you get the picture. Also, I had to keep glancing at the cover to remind myself this was a Foundation novel. I give it one star because Golan gets laid in the first few chapters.

0 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Don't bother

The novel explains nothing about Galaxia and I think the word 'foundation' appears only a handful of times. Asimov is a marvelous writer, but this final foundation novel is an utter failure.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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