Prelude to Foundation

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Prelude to Foundation

By: Isaac Asimov

Narrated by: William Hope

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About this listen

WINNER OF THE HUGO AWARD FOR BEST ALL-TIME SERIES

The Foundation series is Isaac Asimov’s iconic masterpiece. Unfolding against the backdrop of a crumbling Galactic Empire, the story of Hari Seldon’s two Foundations is a lasting testament to an extraordinary imagination, one that shaped science fiction as we know it today.

In a time before the Foundations, psychohistory’s creator Hari Seldon is made to stand before the Emperor of the crumbling Galactic Empire to present how his scientific theory of predicting the future might be applied to the real world.

However, Hari refuses to deploy his theory for political gain, setting off instead with reporter Chetter Hummin in quest of a place to safely apply his theory: Earth, the original home of humanity.

All records of Earth have been lost to time. Hari will therefore have to look back into the past, in order to seal the future of humanity for ever.

Fiction

First Contact

Hard Science Fiction

Science Fiction

Space Exploration

Space Opera

Interstellar

Star Wars

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This prequel proceeds the excellent original Foundation trilogy by thrusting a younger Hari Seldon into the role of main protagonist for a longer form tour of Trantor as he attempts to understand the beginnings of psychohistory.

For the most part the book feels as if no major time gap had taken place between the writing of the previous book and this prequel. The major difference being that the trilogy books are a series of contained story vignettes whereas this book is one longer continuous story of a more relaxed pace.

We visit and explore much more of Trantor, which is fleshed out in much greater detail than the original trilogy. Hari Seldon gets some degree of character development through his growing relationship with Dors Venabilli who accompanies Seldon throughout the book.

I give Asimov an 'A' for effort by trying to include character development, but as with most Asimov books the ideas and concepts are much better executed than people.

William Hope continues to be a top narrator, with excellent performance and delivery well suited to bring Asimov's work to life.