Gina's Book #9: Foundation by Issac Asimov

A few weeks ago I was at Barnes & Noble with Holly and I randomly chose this book from the classics section. The book was wrapped in plastic with nothing written on the back. I truly was judging the book by the cover. The cover was purple with a picture of a strange old man, sitting in what looks to me like a wheel chair. He is wearing a white suit coat and his legs are covered by a funny blue blanket with gold moons and stars over it. Behind him are tall purple structures that are clearly of a different planet.

I had never really thought of science fiction novels being considered classics so I was interested. I also liked the idea of reading a book I had never heard of and hadn't even read a summary on. Even when I opened the book there was no description anywhere.

I have been putting off writing this review because I am not sure how to summarize it without giving away too much. I think it will suffice to say that the book revolves around the plot line of a scientist who develops a science which is able to predict the future by looking at actions of mass mobs of people. Through this science he is able to foresee a collapse of the current empire, a collapse that will lead the universe into 30,000 years of barbarism and a loss of scientific knowledge. By the time he realizes this it is too late to prevent the collapse, but he puts a plan in action to shorten the period of universal anarchy to only 1,000 years. This is all given away in the first chapter.

The story line is fascinating as a whole, but the book itself is a little dry. Each chapter jumps continuously forward into the future so you are constantly meeting new characters and leaving old ones behind. Still, it was a good book and part of a trilogy that I will finish.