Paperback, 430 pages
English language
Published Sept. 13, 1994 by Hunter Publishing+inc.
After the defeat of the Mule by the Second Foundation, Terminus enjoys a period of prosperity and stability which is publicly attributed to the Seldon Plan, but which some feel is the work of the Second Foundation. A search is begun to determine if the Second Foundation still exists. Meanwhile, the Second Foundation finds that there is evidence of an independent force acting against the Mule to protect the Seldon Plan. A search is launched to determine what this force is and if it is a threat. The end result is a search for Earth (Terminus being the last planet settled by the galactic empire and Earth being the metaphoric opposite of first human planet settled). A final three way confrontation results in a fateful decision and an open question.
After the defeat of the Mule by the Second Foundation, Terminus enjoys a period of prosperity and stability which is publicly attributed to the Seldon Plan, but which some feel is the work of the Second Foundation. A search is begun to determine if the Second Foundation still exists. Meanwhile, the Second Foundation finds that there is evidence of an independent force acting against the Mule to protect the Seldon Plan. A search is launched to determine what this force is and if it is a threat. The end result is a search for Earth (Terminus being the last planet settled by the galactic empire and Earth being the metaphoric opposite of first human planet settled). A final three way confrontation results in a fateful decision and an open question.
This started out slowly and I was convinced my rating would be lower than the previous ones in the Foundation series, but it took on a whole new twist to the series unlike the previous ones and in the end I enjoyed it very much.
More engaging than the classic trio, and harder to put down, but in a way unsatisfying, and sometimes transparent.
Three and a half stars.
One of the most fun aspects of re-reading the original Foundation trilogy was seeing the retro view of the future of techonology and society. It's fun in this one to see Asimov working within that universe of the 50s to update things for the 70s: computers are much more powerful, and women can be in leadership positions. The story is a nice conundrum of a vision of the future of the universe.
One of the most fun aspects of re-reading the original Foundation trilogy was seeing the retro view of the future of techonology and society. It's fun in this one to see Asimov working within that universe of the 50s to update things for the 70s: computers are much more powerful, and women can be in leadership positions. The story is a nice conundrum of a vision of the future of the universe.
