Something new

The Foundation and Earth.

I started this book believing it to be the first of Asimov's Foundation series. According to the Author's memoirs Wikipedia, each book of the series can be read chronologically, individually or by publishing date. In fact, if It's Been a Good Life by Jan Asimov is to be believed, The Foundation and Earth was Isaac's finis for the series. Thus, I am forced to conclude it was the last book of the Foundation(s) he wrote willingly. Anyway, I wanted to talk about it because it was the only thing I've been thinking about recently that doesn't turn my head to knots. Have read only half of it this review might seem premature. But the book's been on the shelves since before I was an immodest thought shared by two teen in Illinois.

The writing is style curious. It is a far bit different then the heavy, descriptive language of King or Gaimen. it was none of the dingy narrative so prevalent in Poe's short stories. In fact much of the progression it done through dialogue. The characters are brilliantly opposing; I find myself lost in their debates.

Golan Trevize is a very relatable character, at lest for me. He almost always speaks with questions. the story fallows him most closely (third person limited perspective). So far Asimov has stuck to this model, very occasionally shifting perspective to engage dramatic irony.

I don't often like to learn about an author's ideas behind a book prior to reading it, but i felt in writing this post, i ought to do some investigating. That said, I'd love to explore the socio-political context of this particular book. It talks about Gaia, a super organism that is posed to enjoin all of humanity against Trevize's stubborn individualism. so far, he continually agrees that Gaia is the best course for humanity's evolution. But he is constantly in conflict with his disision as he argues again and again for Indiviualism, what Gaia calls Isolates. The whole thing seems a macrocosm for True Democracy versus Ideal Communism.

I give it a Must Read.

It's a little bulky, but not overly so. It's not flowery or romantic. It's not gritty, gutty realism. but it is fun and short and easy to read and understand.