Foundation Novels: Discussion & Reviews

[Cladson]

I have just read the foundation novels! They were great. Has anyone else read them? I need to talk to someone about them!

 

[Astronuc]

Are you referring to Isaac Asimov's "Foundation" or "Foundation & Empire" series? They are very good.

BTW - this should be posted in the History & Humanities forum.

 

[Cladson]

I'm talking about from .Prelude to foundation through Forward the foundation.

 

[Evo]

This is science fiction, why is it in history and humanities?

 

[selfAdjoint]

This is science fiction, why is it in history and humanities?

Literature is not a humanity? SF is not literature?

The novels from Prelude on are not the original stories. The first three books Foundation, Foundation and Empire and Second Foundation are collections of novellas that Isaac Asimov wrote for Astounding Science Fiction in the 1940s. Prelude and its successors, not all by Asimov were written in the 1970s or 80s to exploit the franchise. They are good, but in my opinion, not as good as the originals.

 

[Evo]

I wish we still had a place to discuss books. Would this forum really draw the right people to discuss this series? Maybe one or two by accident, if at all.

Seriously, how many people are perusing this forum to discuss science fiction?

 

[Astronuc]

Well there is Wooly's Thread on "Anglo Saxson Literature", and TSA put a thread on books, IIRC.

Acutally I liked the Prelude to Foundation and Forward the Foundation, and the final one, Foundation's Edge. The last one was a bit strange, but clever.

 

[Evo]

Well there is Wooly's Thread on "Anglo Saxson Literature", and TSA put a thread on books, IIRC.

Yes history and more classical literature. We have no appropriate place anymore for science fiction and other genres. I personally LOVE science fiction.

We used to have a forum where we could discuss books. I miss that.

 

[Cosmo16]

we did?!? can we get that back!

I made the mistake of getting the first 3 foundation novels in one volume. I was up till 5 on a school night reading them!

 

[Astronuc]

I read the original trilogy: Foundation, Foundation & Empire, and Second Foundation, 30+ years ago. At the time, I was a high school student. I reread these books recently (I read them to my son), and it was interesting to reflect back on when I had read them 30 years before. Also, I am a nuclear engineer, so I was amused by the comments about nuclear energy, which more or less reflected the optimism of nuclear energy and science in general at the time the original short stories were written.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foundation_series

The series started as a series of nine short stories, eight of which were published in Astounding Science Fiction magazine (between May 1942 and January 1950) and a ninth, which was written a few years later to serve as an introduction when the series was first published in book form.

Then a few years ago, I discovered Prelude to Foundation and Forward the Foundation, which I quite enjoyed, and then Foundations Edge, which although I found it a bit strange (weird), I nevertheless enjoyed it. Clearly the later writing is much different than the earlier writing, and science and technology has changed so much.

 

[Cladson]

Yes I am in the 10th grade right now. I couldn't put them down, even during class. Does anyone know of any other good science fiction books or series? I need more to read. I just bought pandora star by Peter F. Hamilton anyone read it?

 

[selfAdjoint]

Yes history and more classical literature. We have no appropriate place anymore for science fiction and other genres. I personally LOVE science fiction.
We used to have a forum where we could discuss books. I miss that.

Yes, whatever did happen to that? It just disappeared about the time we got rid of the mkaku forum. Without a book forum, it seems to me this is the closest venue on PF to discuss any kind of fiction.

 

[Evo]

Yes, whatever did happen to that? It just disappeared about the time we got rid of the mkaku forum. Without a book forum, it seems to me this is the closest venue on PF to discuss any kind of fiction.

I'll go for that.

 

[Cladson]

Yes this will be a good place to discuss books. Noone in my town really reads that much or atleast reads any books I do. Does anyone know of any novels about space that are good?

 

[siddharth]

I liked Rendezvous with Rama by Arthur C. Clarke. Childhood's End(Also by Clarke) was pretty good too.

 

[selfAdjoint]

Yes this will be a good place to discuss books. Noone in my town really reads that much or atleast reads any books I do. Does anyone know of any novels about space that are good?

Two recent ones that really impressed me,

A Deepness in the Sky by Vernon Vinge

Schild's Ladder by Greg Egan

 

[ahrkron]

Schild's Ladder by Greg Egan

Is that the one that talks about loop quantum gravity?

 

[Cladson]

Anyone read The Last Legion series by Chris Bunch or any books by him?

 

[Astronuc]

Anyone read The Last Legion series by Chris Bunch or any books by him?

I have not.

How about Robert Heinlein, a contemporary of Asimov and Clarke?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Heinlein - comprehensive list of works included.

Heinlein is an interesting character.

During his long hospitalization he conceived of the waterbed, and his detailed descriptions of it in three of his books later prevented others from patenting the idea.

Heinlein wrote a series - Future History http://www.troynovant.com/Franson/Heinlein/Future-History.html

Another list of works - http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/heinlein.htm

 

[selfAdjoint]

If we are going to do all the golden age writers, I want to speak up for L. Sprague de Camp, author of many witty stories including the Incompleat Enchanter series (with Fletcher Pratt) of scientific fantasies, and the Viagens Interplanetarias space operas. And Henry Kuttner and Lester del Rey, and yes, even L. Ron Hubbard. I see that "To the Stars" has just been reissued. The first space opera story that really internalized the twin paradox.

 

[Cladson]

So many books,not enough time!

 

[Integral]

Anything by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle is worth reading.

Ringworld ,Smoke Ring, Integral Trees, Mote in God's Eye and Footfall are good examples, there are many more.

 

[Astronuc]

Since this is turning into the SciFi literature thread, I am throwing this in for interest.

http://www.sfhomeworld.org/

How about Ray Bradbury? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_Bradbury - The Martian Chronicles (1950) and Fahrenheit 451 (1953) are classics.

And then there is Michael Crichton - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Crichton - The Andromeda Strain (1969) and Jurassic Park (1990) are his best known works, and The Terminal Man (1972) was pretty well known a couple of decades ago.

In general - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Science_Fiction

 

[BobG]

Asimov's "End of Eternity" is a great book as well.

I liked Clarke's short stories. He would playfully take an idea from physics and apply it in unusual ways. "A Touch of Sunstroke" was a good example.

Among the more recent, Orson Scott Card's "Ender's Game" should be mentioned.

 

[Cladson]

Hitch Hikers guide to the galaxy is good.!

 

[Astronuc]

The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy is Great! Outstanding! A superlative work, and a lot of fun.

 

[Cladson]

I don't recommend Pandora's Star by peter f. hamilton. Unless you like a painfully large amount of detail

 

[Amp1]

Since fantasy came up I'll quickly add anything by Terry Pratchet, My personal Fav 'Lost Continent', SF I would suggest, Gregg Bear 'The Forge of God' and sequel, Jeffery(?) Carver 'From A Changling Star', also Octavia Butler anything by her.

 

[Azael]

I love the foundation triology. Foundation triology, 2001 and its sequals and the hechee saga is some of the best books I have ever read. Asimov, clarke and Pohl knew how to write sci-fi

To mention another sci-fi classic. Solaris by Stanisław Lem! that book scared the **** out of me when I read it.

Yes I am in the 10th grade right now. I couldn't put them down, even during class. Does anyone know of any other good science fiction books or series? I need more to read. I just bought pandora star by Peter F. Hamilton anyone read it?

I would rank Pandoras star upp there with the best of them. I couldn't put it down, utterly awsome. But I have always had a weakspot for thick books. If a book is above 1000 pages I am in love
To bad Judas unchained isn't quite as good :(

I really realy really recommend Revelation Space by Alastair Reynolds. Fascinating stuff. Hes second book in the revelation space universe chasm city is also incredible. Cant wait to pick upp his other books.

 

[ray b]

brin and gibson are two of the better resent authors
brin for his aliens [uplift wars ] and gibson for his computer teck

 

[TheStatutoryApe]

Yes history and more classical literature. We have no appropriate place anymore for science fiction and other genres. I personally LOVE science fiction.
We used to have a forum where we could discuss books. I miss that.

Mine was supposed to be for what ever sort of fiction or even non-fiction that was for entertainment reading. I'll have to find it and maybe ressurect it.