Product Description

It is 498 years since the two Foundations came into existence - half-way through the Interregnum planned by Hari Seldon. The Second Foundation has once more successfully concealed its existence so that the laws of psychohistory can operate to usher in a new Empire ruled by the mental sciences. The Second Foundation is thought to be extinct...except by Councilman Golan Trevize. Trevize fears that the mysterious Second Foundation will bid for power once a new Galactic Empire is established. To prevent Trevize spreading alarm' the Mayor of Terminus exiles him to the abandoned ruins of Trantor. Accompanying Trevize is Janov Pelorat' Professor of Ancient History at the University of Terminus. Pelorat hopes to find on Trantor a clue to the location of the planet that gave birth to the human race. His belief in the existence of Earth is considered as far-fetched as Trevize's belief that the Second Foundation endures. But the truths discovered by both of them on Trantor are far stranger than they could have guessed.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #9699 in Books
• Published on: 1994-08-22
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 432 pages

About the Author
Isaac Asimov was the Grand Master of the Science Fiction Writers of America, the founder of robot ethics, the world's most prolific author of fiction and non-fiction. The Good Doctor's fiction has been enjoyed by millions for more than half a century.

Customer Reviews

An awe inspiring vision of humankind.
This is the superbly well-written sequel to the Foundation Trilogy. First and Second Foundations clash again, and the mystery of long lost Earth returns to the galaxy.

A magnificent insight into humanity. The legend of the Foundation continues here in Asimov's breathtaking vision of the future.

BEWARE! Any other Asimov collectors would do well to realise that the cover advertised is WRONG! It is NOT the early edition print, as I discovered recently - instead it is the newest cover. The same applies to all other old-style Asimov covers - you will get the new cover instead.

The older and more experienced Asimov revisits his creation
It seems to me that so many have missed a very important point at what's happened here. Isaac Asimov created, in his youth and from his brilliance, a future universe. Then, as is so with all authors, he moved on to other projects, developing his philosophy and his story telling skills and also his sense of humor as his career continued. Of his own, he really had no idea of returning to Foundation, but of course, readers wanted and began to demand more. Finally, his publishers applied pressure, and the result was FOUNDATIONS EDGE, FOUNDATION AND EARTH, PRELUDE TO FOUNDATION, & FORWARD THE FOUNDATION.

Just as the earlier "novels" were actually shorter stories strung together, FOUNDATIONS EDGE and FOUNDATION AND EARTH are two longer segments of the next step in his future history. Much has happened during the thirty years to affect the author's philosophy, and these two books which represent the necessary trip back to the beginning of it all reflect changes in thinking and of course of advances in scientific knowledge.

We see what is happening from two different viewpoints, the First Foundation viewpoint and the Second Foundation viewpoint. Each has its flaws and one can see that the Second Empire will indeed be deeply flawed if either of the foundations has its way over the other.

Humanity, however, is being guided by intelligence beyond that of Hari Seldon's plan, and those who have read PRELUDE TO FOUNDATION are quite aware of this. FOUNDATION'S EDGE works to lead us in the direction of the true master plan.

Read this book with an open mind, and do continue the thread by reading FOUNDATION AND EARTH before coming to concussions...er, conclusions...about it.

Disappointing (by Asimov's standards)
This book attempts to mergre Asimov's two great series. (Foundation and the Daneel robot novels). In many places however it feels forced and unconvincing. I don't think Asimov had any intention of linkeing the series when he wrote them and this is aparent here.

The Good Doctor is still however incapable of writing a bad novel, his worst (like this one) being merely competently entertaining.