Second Foundation by Isaac Asimov

Blurb:

The third novel in Isaac Asimov’s classic science-fiction masterpiece, the Foundation series

THE EPIC SAGA THAT INSPIRED THE APPLE TV+ SERIES FOUNDATION

The Foundation lies in ruins—destroyed by a mutant mind bent on humanity’s annihilation. But it’s rumored that there’s a Second Foundation hidden somewhere at the end of the Galaxy, established as insurance to preserve the knowledge of mankind. Now a desperate race has begun between the survivors of the First Foundation and an alien entity to find this last flicker of humanity’s shining past—and future hope. Yet the key to it all might be a fourteen-year-old girl burdened with a terrible secret. Is she the Foundation’s savior—or its deadliest enemy?

Unforgettable, thought-provoking, and riveting, Second Foundation is a stunning novel of adventure and ideas writ huge across the Galaxy—a powerful tale of humankind’s struggle to preserve the fragile light of wisdom against the threat of its own dark barbarism.

Review:

I started reading this one mere minutes after finishing Foundation and Empire. With the way ‘The Mule’ ended, I just couldn’t help myself. I wanted to know what the Mule would do next, and how the Second Foundation would deal with this threat that has basically disrupted the Seldon Plan.

Like both of its predecessors, this one is also two novellas edited into one novel. So, I’ll be reviewing both separately.  

Spoilers Ahead!

Part 1: Search by the Mule [originally published as ‘Now You See It…’]

I was most excited to read this part, especially because the Mule is such an interesting character. He’s the one who actually defeated the Foundation. 

Sadly, the Mule remains a mostly passive player in this story. The main protagonists are General Pritcher (the Converted Foundation Captain) and Bail Channis (Not converted by the Mule’s powers yet). They are both tasked with locating the Second Foundation. While the First Foundation consisted of physical sciences, the Second deals with psychological sciences, making them capable of fighting the Mule.

As interesting as this idea is, the way the protagonists find the Second Foundation felt a little underwhelming. The Mule’s absence and his lack of interference were very much apparent. While the idea of a barren planet like Rossem existing under the secret rule of the Second Foundation was quite an interesting visual, the overall narrative felt rather flat compared to the rollercoaster journey that led to the Mule’s conquering of the galaxy. 

In addition to that, the finale of this story, with its multiple twists that came in rapid succession, sort of pulled away from the gravity of the original conflict. The whole story, as a result, felt a little too simplistic a resolution to the problem of the Mule. A better, more satisfying resolution would have done justice to the stakes that the Mule raised by derailing Seldon’s Plan, but that’s not what we get in this story. 

Plus, the story is too short to even count as a novella. 

Part 2: Search by the Foundation [originally published as ‘…And Now You Don’t’]

I’m starting with the one element that made the least sense to me. The protagonist is a 14-year-old girl. While there have often been young protagonists in SFF literature, something about Arkady just didn’t work for me. She doesn’t really act her age, which begs the question, why not just make her an adult? Plus, some of the decisions she takes feel a little too far-fetched, making the entire narrative feel a tad ridiculous.

However, apart from Arkady, almost everything else that transpires, especially the ending, was brilliant. In this story, every chapter ends with an interlude, where we get a hint of what the Second Foundation is plotting. The overall conflict between Foundation and the Mule’s Empire feels like a natural progression, something that I only now realize was missing from the previous story, as well as ‘The General’. 

We see a lot more of the Second Foundation, without too much explanation. While their psychic powers feel a tad too weird, their employment in the narrative serves a purpose that makes itself clear by the end. And that tying up of all loose ends is what I believe Asimov did a fantastic job of. This satisfying conclusion was the exact finale we needed for the original Foundation Trilogy. 

I won’t spoil it for you, but the catharsis is worth the journey.  

In Conclusion:

Despite some strange choices and a few dated elements, Second Foundation beautifully and satisfactorily wraps up Isaac Asimov’s original Foundation trilogy.

TL;DR: 

What I liked: Most of the second part of the book, the ending where everything gets tied up satisfactorily.

What I didn’t like: The absence and passive nature of the Mule in the first story, Arkady and some of her actions in the second.