Foundation (Foundation, #1)

I enjoyed Foundation, though it proved remarkably different from the Apple TV adaptation. The first three-quarters held my attention firmly, but the final quarter lost some momentum for me. Despite this pacing issue, I’m committed to continuing the series.

What struck me most was Asimov’s deliberately impersonal approach to history. Individual characters and their specific choices matter far less than the inexorable societal forces that propel the narrative forward. This inversion of typical storytelling—where the hero shapes destiny—instead shows us how psychohistory reduces even the most consequential decisions to predictable variables in a larger equation.

Equally fascinating was how Asimov structures pivotal moments: intimate conversations between two people in a room, whose ramifications ripple outward to reshape the entire galaxy. These small-scale dialogues serve as pressure points where massive historical forces crystallize into action. It’s an interesting narrative device that makes the epic feel simultaneously grand and claustrophobic.

The novel reads more like a chronicle than a traditional story, which explains both its brilliance and why that final section dragged for me. But I’m intrigued enough by Asimov’s vision of deterministic history to see where he takes the Foundation next.