Review of 'Foundation and Chaos (Second Foundation Trilogy)' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
A broad and diverse cast of characters, expertly portrayed.
Paperback, 448 pages
Published July 15, 1999 by Orbit.
Foundation and Chaos (Second Foundation Trilogy)
by Greg Bear
4 stars
(30 reviews)
Isaac Asimov's renowned Foundation trilogy pioneered many of the familiar themes of modern science fiction and shaped many of its best writers. With the permission and blessing of the Asimov estate, the epic saga left unfinished by the Grand Master himself now continues with this second masterful volume.
With Hari Seldon on trial for treason, the Galactic Empire's long-anticipated migration to Star's End is about to begin. But the mission's brilliant robot leader, R. Daneel Olivaw, has discovered a potential enemy far deadlier -- and closer -- than he ever imagined: one of his own kind.
A freak accident erases the basic commandments in humaniform robot Lodovik Trema's positronic brain. Now Lodovic's service to humankind is no longer bound by destiny, but by will. To ensure his loyalty, Daneel has Lodovic secretly reprogrammed. But can he be trusted? Now, other robots are beginning to question their mission -- and Daneel's …
Isaac Asimov's renowned Foundation trilogy pioneered many of the familiar themes of modern science fiction and shaped many of its best writers. With the permission and blessing of the Asimov estate, the epic saga left unfinished by the Grand Master himself now continues with this second masterful volume.
With Hari Seldon on trial for treason, the Galactic Empire's long-anticipated migration to Star's End is about to begin. But the mission's brilliant robot leader, R. Daneel Olivaw, has discovered a potential enemy far deadlier -- and closer -- than he ever imagined: one of his own kind.
A freak accident erases the basic commandments in humaniform robot Lodovik Trema's positronic brain. Now Lodovic's service to humankind is no longer bound by destiny, but by will. To ensure his loyalty, Daneel has Lodovic secretly reprogrammed. But can he be trusted? Now, other robots are beginning to question their mission -- and Daneel's strategy.
Stirrings of rebellion, too, are infecting their human counterparts. Among them is a young woman with awesome psychic abilities, a reluctant leader with the power to join man and robot in a quest for common freedom. Or mutual destruction.
The Foundation Saga continues. Read Gregory Benford's "Foundation's Fear", the first novel in this bold new series and "Secret Foundation", the concluding volume from David Brin.
ManyRoads reviewed Foundation and Chaos by Greg Bear
Review of 'Foundation and Chaos' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
An excellent and intriguing addition to Asimov's legacy. Greg Bear's contribution to this second trilogy carries Hari Seldon to the very cusp of the future. His writing skills most certainly do not disappoint. The plot and characters bob & weave through the eddies of time and history. I hope that the trilogy's final novel by David Brin brings this saga to a satisfying close.
Review of 'Foundation and Chaos (Second Foundation Trilogy)' on 'Goodreads'
2 stars
Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear. Well, this was definitely better than Benford's entry in the Foundation series in that at no point while reading this did I want to gouge my eyes out. However, I can't really say it was a good or necessary part of the Foundation saga. I wouldn't call it a complete waste of time (again, unlike Foundation's Fear)...but I was pretty glad to finish it. I did gain a healthy respect for Bear's writing (he's one of my wife's favorites) and am interested in reading something else. I just hope it has more of a plot than this had.
Manzabar reviewed Foundation and Chaos by Greg Bear (Second Foundation (2))
Review of 'Foundation and Chaos' on 'Goodreads'
3 stars
Mostly rather meh but the last 100 or so pages sucked me in, as evidenced by me staying up till 3:00 AM reading the end.
Review of 'Foundation and Chaos (Second Foundation Trilogy)' on 'Goodreads'
3 stars
Foundation and Chaos is book two of the Second Foundation Trilogy is rather different to book one. For a start Bear sticks more faithfully to the Foundation universe as described by Asimov. How important that is will vary depending on the reader. More importantly, the plot of this book feels more cohesive, resulting in a more entertaining read.
The Second Foundation Trilogy covers the life of Hari Seldon, his invention of psychohistory and his setting up of the two Foundations. This particular book concentrates on the period of his life when he was put on trial by the crumbling Empire. Although Hari Seldon is the main character of the trilogy (and thus this particular book) large parts of it are witnessed through the eyes of other characters. This is both interesting and frustrating at the same time.
On the one hand we get to explore Trantor from various perspectives. On …
Foundation and Chaos is book two of the Second Foundation Trilogy is rather different to book one. For a start Bear sticks more faithfully to the Foundation universe as described by Asimov. How important that is will vary depending on the reader. More importantly, the plot of this book feels more cohesive, resulting in a more entertaining read.
The Second Foundation Trilogy covers the life of Hari Seldon, his invention of psychohistory and his setting up of the two Foundations. This particular book concentrates on the period of his life when he was put on trial by the crumbling Empire. Although Hari Seldon is the main character of the trilogy (and thus this particular book) large parts of it are witnessed through the eyes of other characters. This is both interesting and frustrating at the same time.
On the one hand we get to explore Trantor from various perspectives. On the other, I found Seldon to be one of the most interesting characters and wanted to spend more time in his head. There is an overarching plot to this trilogy, the exact nature of which is not clear yet. In the first book, there were sections which seemed totally irrelevant to the main thrust of the book. During this book, the various strands become rather more entwined. Even so the significance is not at all clear. Plotwise, perhaps the most significant change from book one to book two is the portrayal of R Daneel Olivaw. In this book he seems less human. A not unnatural condition for a robot as old as he is by this point. His obsession with “protecting” the human race while still genuine goodwill on his part, seems less healthy now and maybe counterproductive. He also seems a little too free at manipulating people.
As I mentioned this book is more faithful to the Foundation Universe. No more wormholes, we’re back to hyperships again. This book reads and feels more like an Asimov Foundation story. The themes are very much those which Asimov used throughout his Foundation writing too. Unfortunately there is still something missing. The book is well written, the characters interesting and the setting well developed. Its good, its just not quite Foundation.
Subjects
- Science Fiction