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A Firm Foundation

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(Cover for Isaac Asimov’s Foundation, image by Michael Whelan)

I first experienced the concept of the ‘group read’ as it exists in the blogging community earlier this summer when a group reading of Frank Herbert’s Dune was just the spark I needed to finally read this excellent novel for myself. Outside of required school readings I had never participated in this kind of question-directed, structured discussion of a novel. I enjoyed it a great deal and it made a nice contrast to the also enjoyable free-form discussions of books that takes place on the Classic Science Fiction Book Club site as well as across the blogosphere. I promptly hosted and/or participated in several more during the autumn months.

After a two-month hiatus, I am happy to be returning to the group read format by hosting a group read of Isaac Asimov’s seminal work, Foundation.

If you are interested, please make the leap.

I read the Foundation Trilogy for the first time back in January of 2008. At the risk of over sharing, I was committed to spending a day or two relaxing in my comfy leather chair, a bag of frozen peas being my constant companion while recovering from “man surgery”. In planning my reading for those days I had determined that it was high time I overcame decades of feeling intimidated about these books. I had (mistakenly, I was to discover) developed the idea in my pre-teen years that this series of novels was far too advanced for me. On one hand I was correct. I was cutting my science fiction teeth on the grown up versions of boys adventure stories by authors like Harry Harrison and the subject matter for the Foundation books seemed quite different. This is true, but what I also discovered in 2008 was that Asimov’s novels were as accessible as the science fiction that sparked my first love. I also discovered a trilogy of books that gripped me in a sort of reading mania and wouldn’t let go. A couple of friends of mine, Jeff and Cameron, read them around the same time and we had some very interesting discussions of the books at the local comic shop.

Over the past 4 years I have often had thoughts of returning to these books, and I was thrilled to see that the January ‘classic’ selection for the Classic Science Fiction Book Club was Foundation. I decided to host an additional group read of the book for those of who do not belong (although membership is always open) but would also like to discover, or revisit, this famous classic work of science fiction.

Foundation is composed of five “parts”, with each part having chapters within. It is a relatively short book (my paperback copy is 278 pages) and my plan is to divide the reading over a two week period. The reading for the book can of course begin at any time, although the “official” start date is January 1st. The plan will be:

January 1st-8th–

Read beginning with Part 1 through chapter 4 of Part 3.

Questions for the first week will be sent out on Friday, January 6th with your answers to be posted no earlier than Monday, January 9th.

January 9th-15th–

Read starting with chapter 5 of part 3 through the end of the book.

Questions for the second week will be sent out on Friday, January 13th (ooo, ominous date) with your answers to be posted no earlier than Monday, January 16th.

Questions are meant to be guides. The intention is not to lock you into what I or anyone else thinks the topics of discussion should be. Hopefully the questions will spark ideas of what you personally want to say about the book and your experience with it.

As Foundation is classified as Science Fiction, you can also participate in The Science Fiction Experience 2012 and in the Vintage SF Month by reading along with us.

In order to be able to contact you with the questions, please sign up if you intend to participate in the boxes below.

There will also be Mr. Linky widgets in each of my Foundation posts so that you can link your posts. After all, the fun of this sort of thing is to be able to visit each other and carry the conversation across many platforms. If you do not want to blog on this, or don’t have a blog, you can participate by posting your answers in the comments section of my post.

I do hope you’ll consider joining us for this event. I am curious about what my own reactions will be on a second reading and am even more curious about what the reactions of others might be.

39 thoughts on “A Firm Foundation”

  3. I can’t believe it’s been that long since we read it the first time. It sure doesn’t seem that long. Count me in!

    1. I know, it does seem wild that it has been that long. Glad you are reading it again with me.

  4. Do you go straight on to FOUNDATION AND EMPIRE and then finish up with SECOND FOUNDATION? It is a trilogy, you know.

  5. Well, yes you did mention that it is. So the question is, will you read just the first book, or go on and read all three?

    Oh, and MERRY CHRISTMAS to all, and to all a good read.

    1. I’m planning on re-reading the entire trilogy and am hoping there will be enough interest to group read all three as we go forward. We’ll see.

  8. Totally in. I’m jealous that my copy isn’t by Michael Whelan. I’m becoming a fan of his work as well. This book has been sitting at my desk for over a week and it has been hard not to open it. Very soon!

    1. The first time I read it I didn’t have the Whelan cover either. In fact I checked both it and the second book out from the library. But this time I’ll be reading my used Whelan copy and I’m going to enjoy doing so.

    1. No kidding. Who else could put an old guy in a chair with a blanket on his lap and make it look cool?

  12. It would be great if everyone scanned the cover of the copy they read so we can see the variety.

    1. That would be fun, because I’m sure there are a ton of different covers over the years.

  14. Ok, very new at this… I do not have a URL, have never blogged, but love reading. I would like to give this a try. Am I still able to participate?

    1. Oh yes, most definitely. I’ll email you both rounds of questions same as everyone else and you can just answer them and add any discussion you want to about the book right in the comments of each of my posts where I answer the questions. My friend Jeff, a participant here, does the same thing.

      Wonderful to have you!

  16. I’m in. It will be like visiting an old friend. I don’t have a blog URL so I’ll be following the discussion(s) wherever.

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  19. Count me in. My copy of this book has just been picked up from the library. Last minute decision to jump in and read this book. This will be my first experience with Asimov.

    1. Awesome to hear, Ibeeeg! I hope you enjoy it. I’ve grown more and more fond of Asimov with each book I’ve read.

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