Book Review: Foundation and Empire by Isaac Asimov

Foundation and Empire is the second book in the Foundation series and follows a few decades after its predecessor. It continues the epic journey of the Foundation across generations as it struggles to establish itself amidst a decaying Galactic Empire with threats from outside and inside.

Read on for my spoiler-free review.

Overall Impression

This is a bit of an odd book as it feels like two disconnected halves; a hallmark of the fact that it was published originally as two separate novellas. The first part naturally follows from the prior Foundation book, but the second introduced what will be the main point in the third, Second Foundation. That being said, it's still a fun book and continues exploring how psychohistory could work. There's also a few more characters since we tend to stay in the same time period for longer.

Plot

The plot is divided into two main arcs. The first explores the looming antagonist from the prior novel- the Galactic Empire itself. It's an interesting examination of just how irreparable the fall of the empire really is at this point. However, it also presents an interesting dilemma since the whole point of psychohistory is how individuals do not change the course of history as much as the aggregate mass of humanity. In light of that, the conflicts of the individual characters, while interesting, seem meaningless when we reach the conclusion of that arc, though the suggestion is there that if they had succeeded maybe events would have taken place faster.

The second arc of the story focuses on the mysterious entity of the Mule. This is one of the few things I remember from my original read-through and I was looking forward to this arc. It illustrates how precarious the psychohistorical model is and how an aberration like the Mule can start throwing things off. The book ends in a surprising fashion and really sets the stage for the followup.

Characters

As before, characters take a distant place in the Foundation series. In the first part we have Bel Riose, an ambitious general of the Empire that seeks to make his mark by conquering the rumored Foundation. He is ruthless, but capable, and that puts him at odds with the Emperor,  Cleon II. The second part is overshadowed by the Mule, though the Foundation has little idea who he is. Notable characters are the clown Magnifico Giganticus, who is fleeing the Mule, and Ebling Mis, a scientist and budding phsychologist with a very interesting pattern of speech (eg, expletives like ga-LAX-y and unprintable). Compared to the first novel, the characters are much stronger and more memorable.

Setting / World Building

This continues in the Foundation universe with the Foundation itself being more firmly cemented as a trade empire. The fall of the former Galactic Empire is much more obvious, especially as technology and ships are compared and while the Empire may have numerical advantage, at the end the internal politics of it dictate much of what it can do. It is fascinating to see how Asimov outlines the stagnation of the Empire and makes me want to keep an eye out to see if I can spot it in the real world as well.

The second part starts hinting at the great trouble behind the Mule. Early on we discover he is a mutant and while many naturally occur when considering the whole of humanity across the Galaxy, this one is particularly troublesome. His alluded to powers appear mental in nature, which naturally disrupt the psychology of those around him and thus the very principles of psychohistory.

Final Thoughts

This is a great book if you're already in the Foundation story and it really sets the stage for the series. The two parts feel a bit disjointed, but that is only superficial. The whole premise is whether psychohistory can be changed by individual action. The first part suggests no, the second suggests yes. In addition to the interesting premise, the story is strengthened by better characters that grow and act for much longer than in the prior novel. And the stage is set for a race to see who will reach the Second Foundation.