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    Foundation's Fear
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    Foundation's Fear
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    Foundation's Fear
    Ebook690 pages11 hours

    Foundation's Fear

    By Gregory Benford

    3/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this ebook

    Isaac Asimov's Foundation Trilogy is one of the high-water marks of science fiction. It is the monumental story of a Galactic Empire in decline, and the secret society of scientists who seek to shorten the inevitable Dark Age with the science of psychohistory. Now, with the permission -- and blessing -- of the Asimov estate, the epic saga continues.

    Fate -- and a cruel Emperor's arbitrary power -- have thrust Hari Seldon into the First Ministership of the Empire against his will. As the story opens, Hari is about to leave his quiet professorship and take on the all but impossible task of administering 25 million inhabited worlds from the all-steel planet of Trantor. With the help of his beautiful bio-engineered "wife" Dors and his alien companion Yugo, Seldon is still developing the science that will transform history, never dreaming that it will ultimately pit him against future history's most awesome threat.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperCollins
    Release dateOct 13, 2009
    ISBN9780061793608
    Unavailable
    Foundation's Fear
    Author

    Gregory Benford

    Gregory Benford is a physicist, educator, and author. He received a BS from the University of Oklahoma and a PhD from the University of California, San Diego. Benford is a professor of physics at the University of California, Irvine, where he has been a faculty member since 1971. He is a Woodrow Wilson Fellow and a Visiting Fellow at Cambridge University. He has served as an advisor to the Department of Energy, NASA, and the White House Council on Space Policy. He is the author of over twenty novels, including In the Ocean of the Night, The Heart of the Comet (with David Brin), Foundation’s Fear, Bowl of Heaven (with Larry Niven), Timescape, and The Berlin Project. A two-time winner of the Nebula Award, Benford has also won the John W. Campbell Award, the British Science Fiction Award (BSFA), the Australian Ditmar Award, and the 1990 United Nations Medal in Literature. In 1995 he received the Lord Foundation Award for contributions to science and the public comprehension of it. He has served as scientific consultant to the NHK Network and for Star Trek: The Next Generation.

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    Reviews for Foundation's Fear

    3/5

    283 ratings14 reviews

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    • 3/5
      The main aspect of this book are AI realisations of Joan of Arc and Voltaire and the ongoing thoughts and descriptions of what is intelligence and humanity. These concepts are interesting and possibly may be seen as a continuation of Asimov's treatment of robots. However, I couldn't see the theme as presented by Benford tying in with my view of the Asimov Foundation Universe. The explanation on how aliens had made themselves into some form of AI beings and infected the human "internet" was again an interesting idea but I felt it undermined the Foundations created by Asimov - being possibly "trumped" by these secret alien beings created by Benford. I found it a hard read and only recommended for the keen Foundation reader. It has put ne off reading the other 2 books of the trilogy authorised by the Asimov estate.
    • 1/5
      Well, guess this trilogy too deep/profound for me or something -- not a good story. Too much philosophy and not enough story (or even a good job carrying the what-if theme of everything in Asimov's original vision). Take away name of title, places and characters and I would never have suspected this had anything to do with Foundation novels.
    • 4/5
      This book is the first in a trilogy of books written in the late 90s to extend the Foundation novels originally started by Isaac Asimov in the 40s and continued by Asimov himself in the eighties and early 90s.In his introduction, Benford warns us that these books, while set in the Foundation Universe, are not intended to be written in the same style as Asimov's work, and indeed, this would have been hard to do but Benford's story manages to twist the background near to breaking point with the introduction of a couple of 'characters' and a lot of babble stuff about human development
    • 1/5
      This is the most dreadful book. Allegedly continuing the Foundation stories of Isaac Asimov, it does nothing of the sort, introducing a lot of intrusive elements inimical to the Foundation universe, and is basically a Benford book using some of Asimov's names. The Voltaire/Joan sequences are unbelievably tedious, being nothing but cod-philosophical noodling, and the chimpanzee plot was just ridiculous. It left the other authors charged with the second Foundation series brief an almost impossible mess to try and clear up. Avoid.
    • 3/5
      This is the first of a trilogy billing itself as the second foundation trilogy based on Isaac Asimov's Foundation Trilogy. Although a three-book set, each can stand on its own very well. The author explores some elements left up in the air by Isaac Asimov, and fills with more current knowledge and philosophy, such as addressing why there are no non-humans in the galaxy. Some of the topics he addresses include expanding on Dor, who she is and giving her a little background. Her character is expanded, and perhaps changed a bit, at least from what I may have imagined. In general, he adds a lot about computers and robotics that Asimov didn't go into, or couldn't because the technology wasn't available. Philosophically, he approaches the topic of computer intelligence and what could constitute life. In this, Hari creates two simulated people, Voltaire and Jean of Arc, to help him understand society and to help further his psychohistory, Voltaire and Jean of Arc act as a yin and yang, who's arguments are designed to answer questions. But they evolve their own desires and take on life beyond their programming. I found the book difficult to work through at times, but still an interesting addition to the Asimov series. I believe those fond of the Asmiov trilogy will enjoy this and find it interesting. It adds background to the trilogy and brings it a little more into the present. Otherwise I don't think it may not be worth the effort.
    • 1/5
      I couldn't finish this. I didn't find it well integrated with the original Foundation series books by Asimov.
    • 1/5
      I approached this with some optimism, Benford has a good reputation, but not this. It has been some time since I read the novel, but I remember it to be scattered, even silly, and it makes a mess of Asimov's universe. I forced myself to finish, but not sure I should have made the effort.
    • 2/5
      Foundation's Fear by Gregory Benford is the first book in a trilogy that follows Isaac Asimov's acclaimed Foundation series. Gregory Benford's background in physics comes through in overwrought detail when describing the technology and science of the Trantorian Empire. The pacing is uneven and stultifying in some sections but his action scenes move swiftly and you get a true sense of the breadth of the galaxy that Asimov painted so beautifully in his original works. I think clearly, Benford tried to remain true to the characters but sometimes took liberties which could be interpreted as his own writing style. While every writer has his or her own style (a fact which should be celebrated, of course), I could only feel that Benford had a story in his head that had nothing to do with the Foundation series and adapted it, somewhat clumsily at times.
    • 3/5
      This first entry into the Foundation (2) Trilogy by other authors is a mess. I would not have finished it except that I wanted to read the additional entries in the series. I had read reader reviews before I started this book, so I was prepared for it to have problems.There are three major strands in the story. One is the attempt by the Emperor to nominate Hari as first minister. Cleon knows of Hari's work on psycohistory. This story winds its way through the 578 pages and is a relatively cogent, and readable story for most people, I think. There is intrigue and violence and plots and counter plots all involved in Hari attempt to be confirmed in the position. A second story involves simulated intelligences inside of computer systems named Voltaire and Joan of Arc. This begins in a big way around page 100 and continues on and off until the end of the book. I found this storyline uninteresting and distracting from the Foundation premise and story. I did not understand a purpose or point to this storyline. The author explains after another couple of hundred pages why the sims are important to the plot of this book. But by then I had lost all interest in them, and I think they could be removed entirely from the book, with no loss of coherence or plot development. The third major storyline involves Chimpanzees. This storyline about pans as they are called in the book starts around page 327. I was actually looking forward to this storyline since I had read that the author introduced them as a tool for Hari's development of psycohostory. Although we see a connection between the pan episodes and Hari's theory development, here again I found this storyline distracting and merely an interlude away from the main story. Again here is a major section, which I feel could have been completely excised with a resulting improvement to the plot flow. I give this book 3 stars, because of my strong interest in Asimov world and the other two entries in this trilogy. Also, as I mentioned I found one of the storylines interesting and worth my time. But if I did not have an ulterior motive in reading this book I would not have finished it, and it would have earned less stars from me.
    • 4/5
      Cleon I, the galactic emperor, needs a new First Minister. He eyes Hari Seldon. However, Seldon does not desire the job, per se, as it would take him away from his work with Psychohistory. Additionally, High Council member, Betan Lamurk, opposes the offer, as he would prefer it for himself.All the while, sims of Joan of Arc and Voltaire argue (for the purpose of Presevers vs. Skeptics Society debate) whether AIs should be built, and if so, whether they should be given equal rights.Seldon, facing threats from Lamurk, escapes his home world, Trantor, with his robot wife, Dors. The two visit vast, new worlds that help Seldon better formulate Psychohistory. Likewise, Joan and Voltare escape into the trantor Internet, called the Mesh, and there encounter something long forgotten/Recommended for fans of Foundation wishing to read more books (albeit by different authors). Not recommended for readers expecting to read another posthumous Asimov book. Those readers will hate it.
    • 3/5
      The first of three commissioned by Asimov's estate, this one chronicles some of the other adventures of Hari Seldon and Dors on Trantor, also explaining the absence of aliens in the Foundation universe and more about R. Daneel.
    • 2/5
      Sorry for the brevity of this review, but I've blacked out most memories of this book. What I do remember is that the protagonist Hari Seldon felt incompatible with how I (fondly) remember Asimov's character, and that the prolonged storyline about AI realizations of Joan of Arc and Voltaire seemed utterly unrelated to the Foundation world of Asimov and completely boring, to boot. Other raters have clearly liked this book, but it left me with zero interest in reading any farther in the series.
    • 4/5
      Massively enjoyable remake of FOUNDATION at the hands of a modern master.
    • 4/5
      I'd avoided reading Benford, particularly Benford-written sequels to Golden Age authiors, after hating "Beyond the Fall of Night".I think I might have been missing out on something great. This "Killer B" Foundation prequel fits seamlessly into the tone and themes of Asimov's latter additions to the Foundation series. So if you liked those, read this.