I am currently re-reading the Foundation series. The notes on the other books are found below, the links will be updated as I go through the books:

The final volume of the Foundation cycle. I really think that’s one book too much. Let me be clear: I love the final 2 parts. But the first half the book, though it sets a few things for the book and cycle conclusion, feel really out of place.

The book starts right where Foundation’s edge finishes. The main plot resolves around “Why drove Trevize’s decision?” at the end of the previous book. In itself, this is not a bad thing but the first half of the book feels likes too little content spread over too many pages.

If the other books tended to focus on edge cases of psychohistory, this one tries to focus on the one initial hidden assumption of psychohistory: is it applicable only to humans. So the crew goes from planet to planet, meeting inhospitable environment / persons. Funny how far Asimov has to go to find someone different, knowing how little place and depth he gives to all his feminine characters…

Fallom, as a character and in their relation with the other members of the crew is also a good metaphor of what trans people live today. Trevize refusal to consider them as a person, misgendering them till the end is very accurate, seen from the 80s. Interestingly, even the more progressive characters (Bliss and Pelorat) impose a pronoun to Fallom, without even asking them at any point. Anyway.

The conclusion falls a bit short and wraps the Foundation cycle a bit dryly, trying a bit too much to circle back with the Robot series.

That said, time to go to the final days of the Empire. With Demerzel. Always more Demerzel.

Though, I am starting to want to read something else. Especially since I have been buying more books since I decided reading the whole cycle again.