Why 'Foundation' Remains a Timeless Classic

Hello!

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I've been a fan of Isaac Asimov's work for a long time, and my first exposure to his writing wasn't about the universe, but about human anatomy. Asimov is a super talented writer and a versatile person who mostly wrote about the distant future and his own universe in a way that's both thought-provoking and entertaining.

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✔️Book Information:

Published by: Eksmo

Year of publication: 2021

Pages: 320

Price: on the official website of the publisher EKSIMO, the paperback version costs 538 rubles, and the electronic and audio versions cost 339 rubles.

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✔️Synopsis

A distant future... Humanity has conquered space, and Earth has long since stopped being the center of the universe. The enormous size of the Galactic Empire is clearly not beneficial - the vulnerability of individual planets and inefficient management threaten to destroy everything that has been created with such effort. Can Gary Seldon - a scientist, founder of the science of "psychohistory", restore human culture after the impending catastrophe and period of barbarism? Before you is one of the most influential novels in the history of science fiction, combining thrilling action, revolutionary ideas, and a large-scale construction of the world. "Foundation" is an timeless story about the best - and worst - that humanity has to offer, and about the power of a few brave souls who can support the light in a universe of darkness.

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✔️Formatting and content

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I love it when a book is bright, presentable, and catches your attention. In this case, the book cover corresponds to the poster of the series. Since I was already familiar with the series "Foundation", I knew who was depicted on the picture. And I was in for a surprise...

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The book is in a hardcover binding, the cover is thick and doesn't bend. Standard format, without a lacy edge. Given the small number of pages, you can do without bookmarks. Especially since the chapters are often numbered and the total reading time is 16 hours.

Academy. Isaac Asimov I wouldn't have paid attention to "Academy" if I wasn't a fan of science fiction. Firstly, Asimov's works are classics, which have grown up with fans of this genre of my age and beyond. And the novel, by the way, is 70 years old! Secondly, I love comparing the book with the series. Foundation. Isaac AsimovThe typography and design of the book are top-notch, but I've got to give a shoutout to the font and eye comfort. As someone who reads mostly in the evenings, I can tell you that smaller fonts can be a real strain on the eyes. I'm impressed that this particular edition is concise and easy on the eyes – the font's not too small, and the text flows smoothly.Foundation. Isaac AsimovI've heard there are three different editions of this book out there, courtesy of EKSMO. While I do enjoy the works of Salvador Gaudin, I have to say that Asimov's Foundation series is more up my alley – the blend of science fiction and space exploration is just more captivating to me.\xa0

Table of Contents

Foundation. Isaac AsimovThe parts that really stood out to me were 1, 2, and 5 – the characters felt more fleshed out, and the pacing was more engaging.\xa0

Content

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It's tough to review this book without comparing it to the TV series, but I'll give it a shot. While the show took some liberties with the source material, I was expecting the book to delve deeper into the storylines that were left out. One example that came to mind was the cloning of the emperor – I was surprised to learn that this isn't even a key plot point in the original novel!

Foundation. Isaac AsimovThe novel's narrative is cyclical, yet well-structured, without getting bogged down in technical jargon – who knew that science fiction could be written in an accessible way?

Foundation. Isaac AsimovSo, what's this book about, you ask? Well, Gerald Seldon is the founder of psychohistory, but the novel doesn't go into too much detail about it. I'd love to know more about how Seldon went about his calculations to predict humanity's future – perhaps that's explored in other books in the series. I'll definitely be reading on to find out! Foundation. Isaac AsimovSeldon planned the future based on the laws of psychohistorical science, all crises, prepared works in which the collapse of the Empire was discussed. Of course, such information was perceived by the authorities as reckless, and it was decided to send Gary Seldon with encyclopedists to Terminus to build the Academy, where the great works would be collected for future generations. Terminus has no resources, and the encyclopedists have no weapons. It's interesting to see how the settlers' thinking developed over 50 years and what they achieved.

Foundation. Isaac AsimovThe book consists of several parts - stories, and in each, the main character changes. It's enough to get distracted to remember who's who later. So, I read the book with full concentration and was surprised by some moments, like why Gaal Dornick is a woman in the series, but a scientist guy who's not running away from problems at home in the book.

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I was hooked from the start. The book has everything...

Strategy, politics, religion, hostility, the struggle for resources, mutually beneficial cooperation.

There are no romantic storylines or unnecessary filler. That's why the book's a page-turner. Isaac Asimov showed that there are many planets, each people have their own goals, but they all lead to the Academy and Gary Seldon's works. Even after his death, he appeared in the tomb and indirectly helped with the crises.

Foundation. Isaac Asimov"Foundation" ended on an intriguing note for me, so I'll definitely continue reading the rest of the series to get a complete understanding of Isaac Asimov's universe, the Empire, and psychohistory.

Foundation. Isaac AsimovOverall\xa0

Foundation is a light read when you want something fantastical but don't want to think too hard. Because the book is cyclical, structured, and readers don't need to fill in the gaps or predict moments like in the series.

I enjoyed it. I read it with great pleasure. The book is wonderful both inside and out.

I recommend reading the book first, and then the whole series, and then watching the series for comparison and to prove once again that Foundation is hard to adapt, but it can be done.

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Thanks for your attention!