Foundation Tetralogy

A lot of people still take the very thought of evolution as a personal insult of sorts. As I said elsewhere, it's a task. I'll have to add: including coming to grips with the basic fact of being a product of evolution, of accepting the reality of being an animal. There is no gulf separating mankind from animal kingdom. Period. But maybe there needs to be one. The fate - there it is again - of dominant species is to transform their environment to the point where they can no longer be dominant in their own creation. Consciousness maybe the tool to overcome that. It's not a given though, just a potential. A potential, that will probably see fulfillment only if we can stretch our awareness to include both at the same time, the dominant show more primate we evolved as and the rational and ethical beings we aspire to become.

(my 4-volume pack bought in 1991)

Evolutionary biologists actually seem to struggle with it just as well, the selfish gene is still the default mode of explanation with seemingly altruistic behaviour seen as something that needs to be fitted into that general approach, usually a long the lines of survival of the group enhances the chances of survival of individual offspring. Individual beings evolve and by that the species in summary, that seems to be the established view. But is there such a thing as collective evolution? That perspective doesn't seem to get much backing. To me that's a bit suspicious, fits all to well with a political climate that sees societal change as quite the taboo. Corporate capitalism and the end of history...Yeah, I know what you’re thinking, “what’s that got to to do with the book?”.

Let’s be clear then: Asimov’s original Gaia plot was more than a little far-fetched (by definition), but it is Asimov’s narration, combined with the words and actions of his characters, that make you believe that it is a real enough Gaia world to care about. This is what makes the difference between good SF and bad. Bad SF wants to explain things to you that should be everyday and invisible to the people living in the world; good SF lets you discover that world without being lectured. Asimov did sometime skate into the “lecture the reader” arena as it’s on full display sometimes in “Foundation’s Edge”, but by and large, he did let you see this world through the eyes of his characters. Of course, how much you’ll like this 4th volume of the Foundation Saga depends entirely on how much you care about whatever the characters are being serious about. If you don't give two shits about the Galactic Empire, the seriousness will seem nonsensical. However if you have been been introduced by reading the original trilogy in such a way that we are emotionally invested in it, the seriousness will be gripping I can assure you.

The main plus is that Asimov was able not only to renew the story but also to bring a new force to the First and Second Foundations, ingeniously incorporating them into the story, clarifying the still unclear parts of previous novels and connecting them in great style and timing to the other great universe and with what it has to say about the Foundation series as whole. I know there's lot of dialogue, but in the end I didn't care...In this novel there is travel, star and planet viewing, planet landing, foreign cultures, mystery, excitement, adventure, humor. What more can one ask of a vintage SF novel written almost 40 years ago...

NB: The writing is on the wall when 'Foundation's Edge' had to explain patiently that Trantor couldn't really be at the dead centre of the galaxy because of a whacking fucking great black hole... show less

Saga che ho letto negli anni '60 su mamma Urania uscendone con occhi stellanti… persa chissà come, ricomprata e riletta con gioia e ammirazione.
E' la teoria sull'evoluzione sociale umana di Giambattista Vico rivisitata da Asimov grazie all'invenzione di una nuova scienza, la psicostoria, applicata al futuro della nostra galassia in cui il genere umano che la popola vien fatto evolvere dall'autore sotto i nostri occhi, secolo dopo secolo, grazie a una serie di racconti di rara semplicità e grande fascino che ne puntualizzano i passaggi obbligati : feudalesimo, teocrazia, sviluppo economico, democrazia, ecc.
Di fantascientifico non c'è granché di eccessivo, salvo la navigazione ultraluce indispensabile per l'espansione galattica show more della specie, e forse lo sviluppo della mente umana a fine saga.
Un capolavoro per gli amanti del genere…e non solo! show less

Un classico, un capolavoro della fantascienza e non solo.

Lettura abbandonata a causa dello scarso interesse suscitato.

E' capitato per caso nella mia libreria. Lo leggerò mai?

E' capitato per caso nella mia libreria. Lo leggerò mai?