Foundation and Empire by Isaac Asimov
Rating – 9 / 10
The Foundation was growing powerful and the remains of the First Galactic Empire decide to attack the Foundation and destroy it. Under a good General, Bel Riose, the Empire attacks the Foundation and the Foundation begins to loose. But the king of the Empire calls the general back and executes him. This part clearly shows that for an empire in decay, there is no way anyone can help. A weak emperor will feel threatened by a good general. A good emperor will be too busy with internal affairs that he will never think of annexation. So, the fall of the Galactic Empire was inevitable. And also the fact that the Foundation now no longer needs great leaders like Hardin and Mallow and that it is almost inevitable that they will form the Second Galactic Empire.
But Seldon’s plan did not calculate a special variable, i.e. a Mule, a single person who has the power to control minds and who can easily beat the Foundation and the Empire to take complete control. The Mule spread despair amongst his enemies and then finally attacks them to defeat them. So, Ebling Mis, a scientist of the Foundation sets out to find the Second Foundation and asks them for help. But as soon as he locates it, the Mule tries to read that information directly from Ebling’s mind. But Bayta Darell kills Ebling so that the secret of the Second Foundation can be kept safe. But still the Mule is able to take control of a huge part of the Galaxy.
The second book was a little grim in the end, i.e. with the Foundation defeated and the feeling that the Mule is going to capture the whole of Galaxy, I felt very disappointed. I imagined the Second Foundation to be just like the First Foundation only to be deceived later in the third book.
The Foundation was growing powerful and the remains of the First Galactic Empire decide to attack the Foundation and destroy it. Under a good General, Bel Riose, the Empire attacks the Foundation and the Foundation begins to loose. But the king of the Empire calls the general back and executes him. This part clearly shows that for an empire in decay, there is no way anyone can help. A weak emperor will feel threatened by a good general. A good emperor will be too busy with internal affairs that he will never think of annexation. So, the fall of the Galactic Empire was inevitable. And also the fact that the Foundation now no longer needs great leaders like Hardin and Mallow and that it is almost inevitable that they will form the Second Galactic Empire.
But Seldon’s plan did not calculate a special variable, i.e. a Mule, a single person who has the power to control minds and who can easily beat the Foundation and the Empire to take complete control. The Mule spread despair amongst his enemies and then finally attacks them to defeat them. So, Ebling Mis, a scientist of the Foundation sets out to find the Second Foundation and asks them for help. But as soon as he locates it, the Mule tries to read that information directly from Ebling’s mind. But Bayta Darell kills Ebling so that the secret of the Second Foundation can be kept safe. But still the Mule is able to take control of a huge part of the Galaxy.
The second book was a little grim in the end, i.e. with the Foundation defeated and the feeling that the Mule is going to capture the whole of Galaxy, I felt very disappointed. I imagined the Second Foundation to be just like the First Foundation only to be deceived later in the third book.
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