Isaac Asimov - Foundation and Empire

Pros: Typical Asimov strengths...
Cons: ... typical Asimov weaknesses!

Foundation and Empire continues the saga started in Foundation. In that book one man, Hari Seldon, foresaw the beginning of the end of the great, all-encompassing Galactic Empire long before anyone else. He also foresaw, ...

Pros: Asimov ups the ante and writes the best foundation novel.
Cons: Weak one-dimensional characters and dialogue, my biggest problem with all Asimov.

Depending on who’s counting Foundation and Empire is either the second or fourth book in the often over praised Foundation cycle by Isaac Asimov. I consider it the fourth. It is not a stand alone novel, so either read

Pros: Continuation of the Foundation series with a nasty surprise
Cons: Some characterizations lacking due to writing style

The First Foundation from "Foundation" is rolling along with the forces of history to back it up. The people of the Foundation become so assured of their rise in power that they don't even see what their founder, Hari Seldon, predicts for...

Pros: excellent and intriguing writing style practically unseen today, plausible explanations, no great leaps in logic, no use of advanced technology to explain the way out of situations
Cons: only one I can think of is that if you don't read Foundation first you might not fully grasp this one as well

Foundation and Empire is the second novel in the original Foundation Trilogy. It spans from where Foundation leaves off to a war with the remnants of the Galactic Empire.
Foundation and Empire was, like all three of the original Trilogy books,...

Pros: Classic "Ideas" fiction
Cons: A little light on tiny details

The Best book of the Foundtation Series, for me, is "Foundation". (For which there is no epinions category - strange). This book, "Foundation and Empire", and its sequel, "Second Foundation", come close.

The moral...

Pros: very enjoyable
Cons: <>

The Foundation Trilogy is probably misnamed, since it is actually nine short stories, which were put out in three books. The first five stories are in the first book, while the other two books have two stories each.

As Azimov himself wrote in...

Pros: The entire book
Cons: None

Asimov has amazed me at his amazing talent for writing (which isn't really that surprising; he's written so many books I tend to believe is one of the most prolific authors of all time). Foundation was not my first exposure to Asimov, but it certainly...