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Ms. Smartarse's Reviews > Second Foundation
Second Foundation (Foundation, #3)
by
by
Ms. Smartarse's review
bookshelves: sci-fi, classics, oldies-but-goldies
Oct 17, 2012
bookshelves: sci-fi, classics, oldies-but-goldies
Read 2 times. Last read October 23, 2023 to November 13, 2023.
It's been 5 years since the Mule's unexpected "defeat" on Trantor, since his new Galactic Empire has stopped its expansion. According to the official propaganda, this was meant to be a period of consolidation, where rules and regulations were supposed to be cemented. Unofficially though, the Mule has been engaged in a frantic search for the mythical Second Foundation, all over the Galaxy.
So there is this Second Foundation that we've all known about since the beginning, becausethe Founding Fathers Hari Seldon made sure to mention it in the constitution his message to the early settlers. But nobody really knows whether they're a boogie-man or a benevolent saviour... watching creepily from the shadows.
So people try all sorts of tricks to unmask them, only to get so cleverly thwarted that they don't even realise they've been had. And if you think that as a reader you get to oooh and aaah over said thwarting at your leisure, well you're sadly mistaken. You will need to wade through a page-long treatise on just how evolved the psychohistorians are, and how they've transcended normal speech, and that the entire dialogue you're about to read is the result of dumbing things down for your intellectual capacities. Oh and this happens at the start of every chapter involving a dialogue between the Second Foundationers...
Otherwise, the underlying idea is great, especially with the additional information revealed about the final events from Foundation and Empire. And I thoroughly enjoyed all of Dr. Darell's attempts in "sciencing" the heck out of psychohistory. Arkady's plot lines however... started out nicely enough, but Asimov's reticence in giving most of his characters any significant depth eventually turned her into a clichéd caricature.
Score: 3/5 stars
... the plot in a nutshell.
It's fairly clever/intriguing/funny the first few times, but I dare you to keep a straight face by the fifth iteration. And yes, I'm still hooked enough to continue with the series reread.
=================
Review of book 1 (chronological order): Prelude to the Foundation
Review of book 3 (chronological order): Foundation
Review of book 4 (chronological order): Foundation and Empire
So there is this Second Foundation that we've all known about since the beginning, because
So people try all sorts of tricks to unmask them, only to get so cleverly thwarted that they don't even realise they've been had. And if you think that as a reader you get to oooh and aaah over said thwarting at your leisure, well you're sadly mistaken. You will need to wade through a page-long treatise on just how evolved the psychohistorians are, and how they've transcended normal speech, and that the entire dialogue you're about to read is the result of dumbing things down for your intellectual capacities. Oh and this happens at the start of every chapter involving a dialogue between the Second Foundationers...
Otherwise, the underlying idea is great, especially with the additional information revealed about the final events from Foundation and Empire. And I thoroughly enjoyed all of Dr. Darell's attempts in "sciencing" the heck out of psychohistory. Arkady's plot lines however... started out nicely enough, but Asimov's reticence in giving most of his characters any significant depth eventually turned her into a clichéd caricature.
Score: 3/5 stars
"You see, I happen to know where the Second Foundation really is."
... the plot in a nutshell.
It's fairly clever/intriguing/funny the first few times, but I dare you to keep a straight face by the fifth iteration. And yes, I'm still hooked enough to continue with the series reread.
=================
Review of book 1 (chronological order): Prelude to the Foundation
Review of book 3 (chronological order): Foundation
Review of book 4 (chronological order): Foundation and Empire
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Reading Progress
Started Reading
January 1, 2004
–
Finished Reading
October 17, 2012
– Shelved
October 23, 2023
–
Started Reading
October 29, 2023
–
28.62%
"... the true story of which is known in its entirety to very few.
(There! If she had to read it to the class that last part could be said in a dark voice, and someone would be sure to ask what the true story was and then - well, and then she couldn't help tell the truth if they asked her, could she?)
"
page
87
(There! If she had to read it to the class that last part could be said in a dark voice, and someone would be sure to ask what the true story was and then - well, and then she couldn't help tell the truth if they asked her, could she?)
"
November 10, 2023
–
39.47%
"Homir Munn has the largest collection of Muliana - if I may use the phrase to signify collected data concerning the Mule - in existence"
page
120
November 13, 2023
–
Finished Reading
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by
Michael
(new)
Nov 12, 2023 05:12PM
Do you have access to the Foundation series that ran on Apple-TV?
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Michael wrote: "Do you have access to the Foundation series that ran on Apple-TV?"Yeah, I've seen the first season. But except for (view spoiler) I wasn't too fond of how the plot kept diverging form the source material. Then again, as I reread the series now, I'm anything but a fan of the writing style and of the character development so... you can't have it all, I guess. 😋
I'll try to watch season two without trying to (constantly) compare it to the books, but I'm not sure how well I'll manage.
Michael wrote: "Silo, on Apple, is also good"
Thanks for the rec. I've heard of it, but didn't yet watch it. Will have to make time for it.
Everything you said is spot on Ms. Smartarse!
Beverly wrote: "Everything you said is spot on Ms. Smartarse!"Heh, it's always nice to find a kindred spirit. 😅
