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Forward the Foundation Audiobook
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(4.00) - 14,136 listener ratings
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The second of two prequel novels in Isaac Asimov’s classic science-fiction masterpiece, the Foundation series As Hari Seldon struggles to perfect his revolutionary theory of psychohistory and ensure a place for humanity among the stars, the great Galactic Empire totters on the brink of apocalyptic collapse. Caught in the maelstrom are Seldon and all he holds dear, pawns in the struggle for dominance. Whoever can control Seldon will control psychohistory—and with it the future of the Galaxy. Among those seeking to turn psychohistory into the greatest weapon known to man are a populist political demagogue, the weak-willed Emperor Cleon I, and a ruthless militaristic general. In his last act of service to humankind, Hari Seldon must somehow save his life’s work from their grasp as he searches for its true heirs—a search that begins with his own granddaughter and the dream of a new Foundation.
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"I believe this is one of the last books Asimov ever wrote, and I originally read it at the same time as I was reading his autobiography. I feel that this is one of his most emotional books, and that, in killing Hari Seldon, he was coming to terms with his own death. This is a much different beast than the action packed "Prelude to Foundation," as it is the story of a man growing older and slowing down as the universe keeps pace and begins to pass him by. Hari struggles to solidify his science, thereby assuring his mark on the universe before succumbing to death."
— Billy (5 out of 5 stars)
Forward the Foundation Listener Reviews
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Richard Ellwood, 1/27/2023
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Carlos Migueis, 5/25/2022
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Michael Patrick, 10/1/2021
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" Like the writing style. It's straight forward science fiction. Scifi like it's supposed to be "
— bhalfers, 2/12/2016 -
" Better than the last book, but that one really sucked. "
— Christopher, 2/5/2014 -
" I used to like Asimov when I was a kid. This is one of his later books (the last?) in the foundation series. It was pretty bad. It just wasn't in any way believable. It was somehow a mockery of itself, in the way sequels sometimes are. All the new ideas and surprised were in the previous books, so now the continuations of those ideas are lifeless. "
— Dan, 2/4/2014 -
" Okay, maybe this is my favorite of the Foundation series. "
— Carrie, 1/26/2014 -
" Seldon was around 30 years old when he first presented his theory of psychohistory at a conference in Trantor. 8 years later he still struggles to mathematically establish the concepts of psychohistory (in fact the struggle practically goes on till the end of his life). En-route to building a tool for predicting future, he faces many crises, and loses many of his close friends. "
— Utkarsh, 1/20/2014 -
" Asimov has some interesting insight on what we can do with our predictions about the future. While the rest might not be that great, definately a good read as far as science and futurology are concerned. "
— Konrad, 1/12/2014 -
" Read this after Prelude. Not as good, but entertaining. "
— Lmhill2, 1/9/2014 -
" It's a little sad that the last entry in this amazing series added so little. "
— Charles, 1/1/2014 -
" More stories of the rise of Hari Seldon. I didn't feel that this story really needed to be told, as it didn't really add much to the entire mythos. Can probably be skipped. "
— Benjamin, 12/31/2013 -
" The best SF series ever. "
— Robert, 12/27/2013 -
" A bit meandering at times, but serves as a nice prequel for the greater Foundation stories. It's also one of the most touching descriptions of the emotions one feels as they grow into old age. A nice way to thematically finish the Foundation series/ "
— Patrick, 12/8/2013 -
" One of the follow-up novels written 30 some years later after Asimov's 9 educational books & it shows. This was stale cake. I had to wash it down with a Berserker novel to get the aftertaste from my brain. "
— J.R., 11/25/2013 -
" Not a review, just a note: This book #2, and a sequel, not the second prequel. There is only one prequel. "
— Paul, 11/25/2013 -
" I doubt I'll ever finish reading this. It was ok. "
— benebean, 10/17/2013 -
" Gotta read 'em all! "
— Gerald, 8/21/2013 -
" It was a well done wrap of the life of a major character in the series. One of Asimov's best as far as human characters goes. I found the story a little rambling though. "
— Tim, 8/9/2013 -
" Bueno, pero el anterior me parece mejor. A ver como sigue la saga... "
— Sente, 4/7/2013 -
" Oh my gosh, this has got to be at least my 2nd fav of the whole series! Next to "Prelude to Foundation". The climaxes throughout the book were quite sad though. "
— Serena, 10/30/2012 -
" It was fun to go back and see what happened to Seldon and the other characters we met in Prelude to Foundation. "
— Cassi, 9/11/2012 -
" 4.0 to 4.5 stars. Excellent book and another good installment to the Foundation series. Not quite up to the level of the original trilogy, but still an excellent read. Recommended!!! "
— Stephen, 3/22/2012 -
" I remember this being good. Asimov's books generally got better as he got older and this was the last he wrote before his death. "
— Owen, 10/3/2011 -
" A story of the events leading to the development of the Foundation and the efforts to predict the future.. It tells the life story of Hari Sheldon. "
— Fredrick, 10/2/2011 -
" A bit forced and pat in too many places, but then he was piecing together his Foundation canon. Still, it was more enjoyable than his earlier books, despite its shortcomings. "
— Jim, 9/25/2011 -
" It's a little sad that the last entry in this amazing series added so little. "
— Charles, 8/21/2011 -
" A resounding triumph, and a fit end to the Foundation saga. Just a great shame it was the last thing he ever wrote, his life sadly being cut short. "
— Mark, 8/14/2011 -
" The worst of Asimov's foundation novels (this one is the second prelude to Foundation) presents more backstory on Hari and Dors, but this is much more predictable and not nearly as interesting as the later novels. Disappointing but still worth reading for fans of the Foundation Series. "
— Chris, 7/30/2011 -
" after having the books for about 11-12 years,i finally finished the foundation series! "
— Nicole, 5/28/2011 -
" Entertaining and intriguing, but only if you've read the other Foundation books before. "
— Pablo, 4/29/2011 -
" A bit meandering at times, but serves as a nice prequel for the greater Foundation stories. It's also one of the most touching descriptions of the emotions one feels as they grow into old age. A nice way to thematically finish the Foundation series/ "
— Patrick, 4/19/2011 -
" Better than the last book, but that one really sucked. "
— Christopher, 3/20/2011 -
" It was a well done wrap of the life of a major character in the series. One of Asimov's best as far as human characters goes. I found the story a little rambling though. "
— Tim, 1/1/2011 -
" I really enjoyed this book. It was definitely one of the better Asimovs that I've read. "
— Mike, 1/1/2011
About Isaac Asimov
Isaac Asimov (1920–1992) was born in the Soviet Union and came to the United States in 1923. He earned his PhD in chemistry in 1948, and in 1958 became a full-time writer. His writings include the Foundation Trilogy; I, Robot; Tomorrow’s Children; and numerous works of nonfiction touching on a range of scientific topics. Among his accolades are six Hugo awards, a SFWA Grand Master Award, and high praise from such luminaries as Kurt Vonnegut, Arthur C. Clarke, and Gene Roddenberry.
About Larry McKeever
Larry McKeever has narrated a number of audiobooks, including several by James A. Michener and Isaac Asimov.