Title: Foundation and Earth

Author: Isaac Asimov

Publisher:

Genre: Science Fiction

Pages: 423

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Perpetual - NPR Scif/Fan

Golan Trevize, former Councilman of the First Foundation, has chosen the future, and it is Gaia. A superorganism, Gaia is a holistic planet with a common consciousness so intensely united that every dewdrop, every pebble, every being, can speak for all—and feel for all. It is a realm in which privacy is not only undesirable, it is incomprehensible.

But is it the right choice for the destiny of mankind? While Trevize feels it is, that is not enough. He must know.

Trevize believes the answer lies at the site of humanity’s roots: fabled Earth . . . if it still exists. For no one is sure where the planet of Gaia’s first settlers is to be found in the immense wilderness of the Galaxy. Nor can anyone explain why no record of Earth has been preserved, no mention of it made anywhere in Gaia’s vast world-memory. It is an enigma Trevize is determined to resolve, and a quest he is determined to undertake, at any cost.

I fear that I cannot say too much about this book without spoiling it or at least the books that come before. What I can say is that I was completely into this book right from the first page. We begin moments after the last book ended and continue at a fast pace until the final reveals. We visit multiple planets (some we’ve been to before and some new-to-us) and face many dangers. Asimov sprinkles in a ton of callbacks throughout the story. To really understand it all, you have to read the entirety of the series starting with I, Robot. It is a daunting task I admit, but I am so glad that I read them all. The payoff is amazing. I only guessed the ending right before it gets revealed. So satisfying!

Next up on the TBR pile: