La lecture est agréable, mais la fin est quand même décevante. On se demande parfois si on lit vraiment un livre en rapport au cycle de la fondation. ( )

Ok, I guess that I'm glad I read it. But actually I wish Asimov hadn't written it. It's poorly written, and it makes no sense. A novelette worth of episodes scattered amongst the characters educating each other about the history of mankind and about astronomy, because they each have their own specialties.

And the societal norms 20K yrs on are almost identical to ours. For example, the woman is presumed by several different populations to 'belong' to one or the other man. And when our heroes meet a young hermaphrodite, they decide that they must choose a gender for it, and choose female, so they can refer to the child as 'she.' Never mind that the child is actually prepubescent and therefore only would have gender in potential anyway, just as children who are not hermaphroditic would, anyway. I would not have been surprised if there had been tamping of tobacco in pipes and neat whiskey.

Also, not sure what Rachel means about 'last novel'... what about Foundation #6... didn't Asimov write that? Well, I don't care. This (and the first) is all I could stomach of the Foundation series.

"I understand where you are. I, too, preferred the Robot books over the Foundation. But if you want to see what eventually happens to the Spacer worlds, there is one book you'll have to read: Foundation and Earth (Foundation #5).... This book is unlike any other Foundation book and is the last novel that Asimov wrote.... In it, the Robot, Empire, and Foundation series all meet and reveal themselves to be in the same universe. You will see what happened to the Spacers; it's really awesome. I couldn't read it fast enough."

Rachel Adiyah, Evolution of SF Group

All of the tension that was created in Foundation’s Edge falls flat on this take. Surely the worst of the Foundation novels thus far. Not the worst thing I’ve ever read, but I expected more from Asimov. I’m not sure what happened here. I think he should have stayed in bed. ( )

Science Fiction

Not too bad

If you liked the foundation novels then you have to read this one. Having said that I gave it three stars because it was a little too long I thought. Oddly enough I did like the hook at the end, but I guess we will never read more about that..... ( )

The last in what can be seen as the "extended" 15 book Foundation Series. This 2nd sequel to the Foundation Trilogy concludes with the influences of Earth and robots as well as some surprises in regards psychohistory. Whilst many sequels can be disappointing, Asimov has doing well here to add positively to the overall Foundation story. ( )

• Oh man, Solaria is a Libertarian utopia. Or dystopia, depending on your viewpoint.
• Why in the world are Gaians modest? If they control the weather to be always pleasant, and are constantly sharing each other's thoughts, shouldn't they just run around naked? What's the point of clothes? They've all seen themselves naked before. Yet Bliss is the only demure one on a planet where everyone is topless? o_O
• The whole Gaia superorganism thing is super weak, if you ask me. The way they're written, they seem barely connected to each other, almost entirely individuals, and not even very powerful. ( )

8422629135

The beginning of Science Fiction as we know it today. Asimov was a master world builder, nay, Galaxy builder. A far seer of historical and political shifts. Much has been written about these books, much better than I could. I will always remember my first love. ( )

This was, chronologically, the last of Asimov's Foundation series. Golam Trevize and Janov Pelorat embark on a search for the legendary original home planet of humanity, which Trevize believes may be linked to the crucial decision he has made in Foundation's Edge that will profoundly affect the future of the galaxy. I love the quest nature of this novel which is probably my favourite Foundation novel in terms of a story. It also deals with profound issues such as personal freedom vs. collaborative action and behaviour , and the nature of myths and legends and their relationship with recorded history. A great end to the saga. ( )

Welp. Thank god this is the last Asimov-written Foundation series novel I had to read. What a steaming, stinking mess. It smelled like a my-publisher-wanted-a-new-Foundation-novel-and-all-I-had-was-this-short-story-idea kind of thing.

Asimov essentially mixed up [b:The Wonderful Wizard of Oz|236093|The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (Oz, #1)|L. Frank Baum|http://images.gr-assets.com/books/1398003737s/236093.jpg|1993810], [b:Gulliver's Travels|7733|Gulliver's Travels|Jonathan Swift|http://images.gr-assets.com/books/1427829692s/7733.jpg|2394716], and [b:Goldilocks & the Three Bears|1177268|Goldilocks & the Three Bears|Nicola Baxter|http://images.gr-assets.com/books/1356471932s/1177268.jpg|1165063], extracted all the magic of those stories, threw it away, threw in some really bad sex, and then folded in over-explanatory dialogue that sounds like it was written by a precociously intelligent 12-year-old future scientist/politician.

Only someone who had published a SF series as huge as the original Foundation trilogy would be able to slide this crap past any self-respecting editor and out to a printing press. This really shouldn't have ever seen the light of day.

There were so many so-bad-I've-got-to-laugh-or-I'll-cry moments in this novel. How many times did he write argument for and against Gaia? How many times did he compare all of Gaia to a human body? How many times did he explain things that simply didn't need explaining (Intelligent life under water can't advance technology, because technology is fire-based. You can't have fire underwater. ...well, no shit, Sherlock)? How often would the merry band land somewhere, meet a single person, ask them--the first person they've met on the entire planet--where Earth is, the person wouldn't know, and they'd despair that no one on the entire planet knows? How often did they go somewhere and meet precisely the right person to give them the next clue or puzzle piece?

Then there's the singular stupidities such as, near the end of the book, the merry band is so excited to be where they are that they don't check the atmosphere of the world they're on to see if it's breathable before they exit the ship. Asimov makes a point of this, then tosses it off with an "oh well, lucky for them, it was totally okay" sort of line.

I will give Asimov full credit for his imagination, for his ability to world-build and universe build. But this is one massively popular author who was, when it came to nuance, finesse, characterization, dialogue, and, at times, plot, absolutely awful.

The only reason I'm continuing with the last three Foundation novels I have in this series is because none of them are written by Asimov. Because if it wasn't for that, this particular entry in the series would be my line in the sand.

What a steaming pile of shit. ( )

The hunt is on for planet Earth. Former Councilman of the First Foundation Golan Revize sets out with historian Janov Pelorate and a woman named Bliss. It is centuries after the fall of the First Galactic Empire and the future of humankind lies in the ability to form a new empire. But where? Golan is convinced neither the First Foundation nor the Second are stable enough for success. Instead, he hangs his hope on using Gaia. Before that can happen he must find Earth, the planet that has been lost for thousands of years. It is not going to be easy. In some cultures of the galaxy, it is a superstition to utter the word, 'Earth." One must say 'the Oldest' instead.
Interestingly enough, even though Bliss is a friend and a helper, she is without paperwork, and she is not part of the travel log. As a result, problems regarding immigration arise. She is seen as "entertainment" for the two men who are the only ones accounted for on the spaceship.
Foundation and Earth is heavy with philosophical questions like, is a toe tapping in time to music part of the action, acting as an in-time accompanying drum beat or a response to the action of music being played? ( )

I'm so thrilled that I started reading the Foundation series last year. Nearly to the day, 1 year ago, I started I, Robot and now have finished the chronological conclusion of Foundation and Earth.

Structurally, it's a bit slow compared to Foundation's Edge (a much better book). However, Trevize, Pelorat and Bliss are a wonderful trio. The story of them journeying the galaxy together with an important purpose, discovery and wonder had me captivated on every page.

It's difficult to put into words the power of drawing upon a connection last mentioned 8 books ago, and nearly 2300 pages but I nearly dropped the book. I was so excited - for myself, for being rewarded for sticking with a series that extended to 14 books now (Prelude and Forward still to go), for the characters involved, for the story, for everything. It's so rare that I get that kind of emotional pop in anything from books, movies, games and television and it's the reason I read books in the first place.

Even if this book isn't a 5/5 for me, the entire series is easily one of the best I've had the pleasure of reading and would highly recommend anybody who is interested to check out this hybrid reading order - https://www.reddit.com/r/Asimov/wiki/seriesguide#wiki_algernon_asimov.27s_person...

I cannot recommend enough sticking to the hybrid order - reading it chronologically or in the publication order would diminish a wonderful, wonderful experience. ( )

I've been reading the Foundation books recently, starting with Foundation through Earth—NB: I haven't gotten to the prequels, yet, and after this one I'm not sure if I will—and this is the weakest of them so far. For Asimov fans, it's worth reading just to see where he wanted to end up, but it's frankly a weaker book than the others. Which can be forgiven. Asimov was getting old when he wrote this and had already suffered the heart attack and contracted the illness which ultimately led to his death. (Check Wikipedia for more details. It's a sad story.) I'll forgive a guy facing a terminal illness if he wants to take his story off the rails a bit in the 11th hour. That said, my chief complaints (two of them) are these:

1) Starting with the first book, Foundation, Asimov has kept these stories remarkably clean. Like "G" rated. He doesn't even use curse words. He'll make up expletives like “By galaxy!” or insults like “That son of two strangers!” instead of actual cursing. So I immediately assumed he was a little prudish. Nothing wrong with that. I was enjoying the books enough. The stories were solid and well thought out. But in this one, out of the blue, he has a couple of sex scenes. Not graphically drawn out, but more than hinted at. In fact, he goes on about the main character's "stamina" as if it were a source of pride. Furthermore, the fact that the main character was so good in bed becomes a key plot point and helps resolve a minor crisis. Oh Asimov... that's just disappointing. Sloppy writing aside, that's completely out of character from the previous 4 books.

2) For a book in the Foundation series, this one doesn't include the Foundation at all. It should probably have been called "Galaxia and Earth" but it wouldn't have fit the motif. Also, why take the denouement of the previous book, and then write an entirely new book around the main character whining about it when he was the person who decided the fate of the universe at the end of that last book? (I'm getting off topic here.) And why spend an entire novel with Bliss griping about Trevize's sexual exploits, almost as if she were jealous, and then never explain that? (Really off topic.)

Okay, perhaps I have more than a few complaints, but whatever. If you're a fan of the series, read on, just temper your expectations. ( )

Starts out strong, then drags, then just rolls to a stop. This book could have been a good 100 pages shorter. Also, of course, nearly all of the characters talk like they are reading out of a textbook. Unfortunately, the one thing that keeps Asimov interesting, his ideas, fall apart in this novel. My least favorite of the Foundation series. ( )

Starts out strong, then drags, then just rolls to a stop. This book could have been a good 100 pages shorter. Also, of course, nearly all of the characters talk like they are reading out of a textbook. Unfortunately, the one thing that keeps Asimov interesting, his ideas, fall apart in this novel. My least favorite of the Foundation series. ( )

Summa finale dei cicli di Asimov,vengono ripresi riferimenti a tutti i suoi romanzi del ciclo dei robot,dell'impero e della fondazione.
Alcuni particolari della narrazione possono a volte apparire scontati.Si legge tutto d'un fiato e fa venire voglia di rileggere di nuovo tutti i romanzi per poter cogliere meglio dettagli ed informazioni che per ovvi motivi non erano disponibili durante la prima lettura. Avvincente. Fa sognare il futuro. Il primo pensiero che ho avuto appena finito di leggere � stato: peccato che Asimov non ci sia più per poter continuare questa fantastica saga! ( )

An almost perfect close to an excellent series... I just wish Asimov hadn't left things hanging the way they were without providing follow-up. Maybe one day another author will provide the next stage of the Galaxia development. ( )

Possibly the most imaginative and best sci-fi book I've ever read. My friends know how much I've liked it because I've been talking their ears off about the book since I've been reading it. If I could rate it 6 out of 5 stars, I would. The story continues from where Foundation's Edge left off and ultimately ends in a fun maybe-twist. Maybe it was a twist, maybe it wasn't. If it was a movie, as it faded to black the sound would be "DUN DUN DUUUUUUUNNNN". I love this series. ( )

The Foundation series (there are seven books in all though the three originals - _Foundation_, _Foundation and Empire_, and _Second Foundation_ - are the best of the series) is classic sci-fi and some of Asimov’s best. His characters are rather flat, his plots bog down in ideas and are rather short on action. That being said, these books can still thrill you if you’ve never read them and if you’re a sci-fi fan, you will probably love them. Asimov reminds us that history repeats itself and this a _Decline and Fall_ set in the future. ( )

At the beginning of this year part of my vague reading plan was to reread the original Foundation Trilogy then move on to the subsequent unread Foundation books that Asimov wrote during the 80s, 30 years after the last book of the trilogy, [b:Second Foundation|29580|Second Foundation (Foundation, #3)|Isaac Asimov|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1417900922s/29580.jpg|64823]. I never got around to reading these later volumes for reasons that I already explained in my review of [b:Foundation's Edge|76683|Foundation's Edge (Foundation, #4)|Isaac Asimov|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1389759320s/76683.jpg|1725527]. Any way, to cut a dull anecdote short, 80s Foundation books are just as entertaining as the original trilogy from the 50s.

Foundation and Earth follows directly from [b:Foundation's Edge|76683|Foundation's Edge (Foundation, #4)|Isaac Asimov|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1389759320s/76683.jpg|1725527], the previous volume. The central character is once again Golan Trevize, his elderly sidekick Janov Pelorat, and Bliss, the posthuman woman who is part of the planet Gaia’s hive mind. The basic story arc is very simple, Trevize made a decision at the end of [b:Foundation's Edge|76683|Foundation's Edge (Foundation, #4)|Isaac Asimov|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1389759320s/76683.jpg|1725527] that will affect all of humanity. According to Gaia he has a unique innate ability to make the correct decision based on incomplete data; an ability he neither understands or trust. He is therefore not happy to be responsible for making the most important decision in history without knowing why he made that decision. The only way he can think of to clarify or validate this decision for himself is to find Earth where he expects that he can find the explanation for his own monumental but mysterious decision.

The straightforward storyline tells of the three central characters’ adventures in their search for Earth on board the super advance “gravitic” (FTL speed capable) spaceship called the “Far Star”. However, why Trevize thinks he will find his answer on Earth is not clearly explained until the end of the book.

If you are familiar with the Foundation series the lack of aliens in this space opera should come as no surprise to you. However, Trevize and co. do encounter some very strange people on the human colony planets that they visit during their search mission. The difficult search for and eventual discovery of Earth’s location is quite well built up from the beginning of the book. Asimov has always loved the mystery genre and he revels in creating the mystique and mysteries of Earth which he has already hinted at in [b:Foundation's Edge|76683|Foundation's Edge (Foundation, #4)|Isaac Asimov|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1389759320s/76683.jpg|1725527].

Foundation and Earth is not an action packed narrative however, apart from barely escaping from some fierce dogs there is no scene of battle or carnage to speak of. This book is packed to the gills with dialogues from which all the expositions are communicated. It is to Asimov’s credit that in spite of having far more dialogue than action the book is never boring. While not a great prose stylist there is an affable tone to his narrative that is quite charming and engaging; though the dialogues tend to be slightly stilted, quaint, polite and often rather formal. However, they are often amusing and charming. There is not a lot of depth to the characters who tend to be defined by their personal quirks but they are likable enough. However, Trevize tend to be a little anal retentive about certain things and the conversations the three main characters have together can be a little repetitious at times. Unlike his 50s books there are some (very mild) sex scenes that seem a little awkward. There is no vulgarity in the writing but the word penis does make a surprise appearance which caused me to spill my coffee. Also notable is an unexpected cameo appearance of one of Asimov’s very best characters from his 50s books.

If I can glean one theme from this book it is that left to our own devices humanity will eventually come a cropper due to our natural disunity and selfishness. That said, in the Foundation universe humanity work well enough together to colonize the entire galaxy, but there are some obvious signs of decay.

Foundation and Earth is very readable and entertaining, it is not as tight or fast moving as the original Foundation books but it is also quite epic in scope in spite of focusing on just three main characters in a single linear plot line. This is the last sequel to the original trilogy that he wrote, but it is followed by two prequels, [b:Prelude to Foundation|30013|Prelude to Foundation (Foundation Prequel, #1)|Isaac Asimov|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1335782474s/30013.jpg|1128436] and [b:Forward the Foundation|76679|Forward the Foundation (Foundation Prequel, #2)|Isaac Asimov|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1388261841s/76679.jpg|3046979] which I intend to read next year. After these two, there are some Foundation books written by David Brin, Greg Bear etc. which I probably will not bother with. ( )

If you’ve been reading my reviews over the past few months, you’ve seen my reviews of Asimov’s Foundation books. I finally read the hugely known and loved Foundation trilogy and was not impressed. I thought the first book was poorly written, I thought the second book was so horribly written and the characters so one dimensional and the plot lines so inane, I didn’t even finish it and gave it one star. The third book of the trilogy satisfied me and salvaged Asimov’s reputation for me. Still, I was unimpressed. Then, last month I read the fourth Foundation book written some 30 years later, Foundation’s Edge. I thought it was excellent! A definite five star book. The writing was fluid and mature. It seemed that over the previous 30 years, Asimov must have taken several graduate level creative writing classes and learned a few things, thank God. I mean, he actually used transitions! I enjoyed that fourth book so much, I sought this fifth and final Foundation book out to eagerly finish the series. Unfortunately, Foundation and Earth is again an Asimov disappointment and is so annoying, I’m not even bothering to finish it, again, after reading over 200 pages. What a waste.

In the previous book, the council member of the First Foundation, Golan Trevize, accompanied by historian and companion, Janov Pelorat, go out in a world class Foundation starship in search of both the Second Foundation and Earth. Meanwhile, a Second Foundationer is traveling to intercept them, intent upon modifying Trevize’s mind to follow the Seldon Plan to its finish while the Foundation Mayor is bringing warships with her to find Trevize to attack and destroy the Second Foundationer, and if Trevize is collateral damage, oh well. They converge at a hidden planet called Gaia, which the two space explorers find and discover is inhabited and alive with a hive mind. Everyone and everything, including the animals, plants, and even the rocks, are alive and joined together in memory and feeling, capable of great power, desirous of having Trevize make a decision between the two Foundations and them, their desire to turn the universe and everything in it into Galaxia, so that ultimately all planets and everyone and everything on them all join together for the greater good, greater peace, greater happiness. Trevize chooses Gaia and that’s how the fourth book ends.

In this book, we’re back on Gaia, but Trevize is grumpy as hell. He’s not sure he made the right decision and since it’s the biggest decision in the history of the universe, he has to know. And, for some unknown reason, the only possible way he can know is to find and go to the mythical first world of Earth, wherever that is, if indeed it exists at all. There he will find his answer. Why? We’re never told.

Naturally, Pelorat, who wanted to find Earth in the first place, decides to accompany him and Pelorat’s new Gaian girlfriend, Bliss, who is Gaia – literally – goes too, to help “protect” them. Which creates all sorts of problems for she and Trevize. See, Trevize is seriously pissed about the hive mind and the fact that Bliss speaks for and indeed is all of Gaia. He feels that can’t be as good as having one’s individuality. Etc. Bliss feels otherwise, and attempts to explain the benefits of being connected to all beings and things on the planet to him, which he just shrugs off. And as they start traveling to planets, they start bickering. And arguing. And fighting. And it.doesn’t.ever.stop. Oh my God, all they fucking DO is fight and bicker, page after page. It’s fucking relentless and they beat a dead horse over and over, repeating the same tired crap, such as "Bliss did you control my/his mind?" and "I am Bliss but I am also I/we/Gaia.” There’s only so much of that you can see repeated on virtually every other page if not more often before you want to hurl the book at the wall and stomp all over on it. It’s damned infuriating. Why Asimov feels he has to shove this crappy dialogue down the readers’ throats relentlessly and repeatedly is beyond me, but it’s stupid. Really stupid. And, I think, the sign of a poor writer, trying to extend word count so as to make some more money by making his word count quota. I would think he would be better than that.

Trevize, who was a pretty decent and shrewd explorer in Edge is simply really unappealing in this book. Indeed, he’s downright unlikable. Okay, he’s a major dick. He is rude to Pelorat, brutish and mean to Bliss, and apparently cruel to a child called Follum later in the novel. Pelorat is insipid and boring. Bliss says the same things over and over. I guess she’s limited verbally by being a damn planet. The characters, like many of Asimov’s, have no depth and simply argue with each other throughout this overly long book. There’s virtually no action and little of interest. Just bickering and fighting. Oh joy. Oh creativity. Oh brilliance. Oh yeah, for some strange reason, unlike the previous Foundation books, there’s a lot of sex in this book. A lot. I generally don’t mind that sort of stuff, but it makes it stand out from the rest and not necessarily in a good way.

One thing I hadn’t stopped to realize with the fourth book that I liked so much is that the book deviated from the much celebrated Seldon Plan, although it plays a key role in the book. In this book, it’s hardly mentioned. It’s almost as though the Foundation never existed. Is this even a Foundation novel?

This book, like its predecessor, is better written than the original trilogy, in terms of writing style and writing devices and grammar. But the story and characters suck. I really found myself hating each of them and dreading turning the next page as I read through it. Thus, as I said, after about 200 pages, I had had enough. I can only take so much fictional fighting. There’s too much fighting in the world going on in real life. Why use your down time to read it? I was going to give this book two stars because it’s both an Asimov and Foundation book, but I just can’t bring myself to do it. I really don’t think it deserves two stars. I given better books two stars. This is a one star book. If you’re reading the Foundation series, avoid this one. You don’t need to read it and it doesn’t really add anything to the story. Definitely not recommended. ( )

I found the ending very contrived. ( )

Foundation's Edge and Foundation and Earth are really one story. While each has an ending, each leaves room for more. In the first volume, Councilman Trevize insists that something is wrong because the Seldon Plan is working too well and he thinks that the Second Foundation must have survived after all. The Mayor of Terminus (ruler of a large part of the galaxy under the Foundation's control) thinks him dangerous and she arranges to send him, along with an older historian, off on a quest through the Galaxy to find proof of the Second Foundation's existence and to help the professor look for the mythical "oldest planet" sometimes called Earth. With each place they visit Trevize and Pelorat find questions that lead them onwards.

Both volumes caught me up in their stories and I really wanted to see how it would come out. This was space adventure that was sometimes fast moving but also had a lot of scenes where the characters filled one another in on their areas of knowledge or debated their next move for quite a while. That didn't bother me but not everyone likes that kind of story-telling. Recommended for those who enjoyed the original Foundation trilogy.

I had a little trouble getting into this book, but I really liked it in the end. Of course, some of my enthusiasm came from watching Asimov apply the planetary science of the time. He was off on a couple of things but pretty spot on with others. Amazing how our picture of the galaxy has changed in less than 30 years. ( )