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Foundation and Empire Group Read

37 Comments


(Cover image by the incomparable Michael Whelan)

Though we are right in the middle of our two week group read of Isaac Asimov’s novel, Foundation, it is my hope/assumption that you will not want to stop now when there is still so much to discover. With that in mind I wanted to announce that I plan to host two more Asimov group reads to round out the original trilogy: Foundation and Empire, and Second Foundation.

Asimov’s tale of the collapse of the Galactic Empire and rise of the Foundation continues with Foundation and Empire. There are parts of this book that I remember with great affection from my first reading and I am truly excited to be able to experience it with all of you.

This group read is open to everyone, whether you were able to join in with us for the Foundation group read or not. I know there are a few of you in the process of catching up to us and I hope more will consider taking part.

I thought it best to give a little warning so that you will have time to track down a copy of the book.

The details are not wildly different from other group reads.

Given that it is hard to keep up with all the fantastic back and forth on everyone’s sites on a Monday when many of us have work/school/family responsibilities, I will be shifting the first day of posting discussions to Sunday with this round of group reads.

Although there is an “official” reading start date, you can begin and end reading Foundation and Empire at your leisure. Just please hold off on posting about your experience until the scheduled dates, which are:

Saturday, January 21st–-Saturday, January 28th–

Chapters 1 through 13

Questions for the first week’s discussion will be sent out by Thursday, January 26th with your answers to be posted no earlier than Sunday, January 29th.

Sunday, January 29th–Saturday, February 4th–

Chapters 14 through 26

Questions for the second week will be sent out on Thursday, February 2nd with your answers to be posted no earlier than Sunday, February 5th.

I will do a separate sign up post for the final book, Second Foundation, mid-way through this read, but for those who like to plan ahead we will again do the two week format starting Saturday, February 11th-Sunday, February 26th. That will work out nicely as it will take us right up to the end of The 2012 Science Fiction Experience.

Ooooo…there is such goodness in store for all of you. PLEASE: NO SPOILERS IN THE COMMENTS!!! The majority of our group read participants have never read the Foundation books so please don’t let anything slip that might taint their experience. Thank you!

Please sign up below so that I can know who to email discussion guideline questions to. Look forward to more fun Asimov talk with everyone.

37 thoughts on “Foundation and Empire Group Read”

  1. I will do my best to track down a copy of this one Carl! You got me hooked…by the way, any word on the next Sanderson book?

    1. According to the great font of knowledge that is Wiki, Sanderson has commented on Twitter that the release of the last Wheel of Time book will be this fall, so his next Stormlight Archive book won’t be released until 2013.

      I hope you can find it, let me know if you are having any trouble. Don’t forget to sign up in Mr. Linky.

      1. Well 2013 isn’t that far off. I’ll try to be patient, mainly since I don’t have choice.

        Once I find it, I’ll sign up with Mr. Linky. I love your group reads!

        1. I’m trying my hardest to be patient. I did get a boxed set of the Mistborn Trilogy for Christmas, so I’m hoping that it might help me wait… 😛

          1. I plan on picking up the boxed set of Mistborn for the Once Upon a Time Challenge that starts March 21st. So at the risk of group read overload, is the first Mistborn book one we want to try to group read together?

            1. You are killing me you two 🙂 I’m really tempted to join. At least I know that when I pass by a used bookstore I’ll be looking for copies.

                    1. Great! We’ll do some more planning when we get closer to March 21.

                2. I’m sure I will…and I’ll blame both of you when I hear, “what you are buying more books.”

            2. Oh, I’ve also got the first Mistborn book so I would be interested if you do something.
              Lynn 😀

    1. We are currently in the second week of reading Foundation, with the posts going up this coming Monday. Not sure if you want to try to catch up with us and answer the second part questions, but if you want please let me know. Otherwise, look forward to you taking part in Foundation and Empire.

    1. I’m glad I finally got a full set of the three with the Whelan covers. This is my first time reading these first two books with these covers and it has been fun. I’ve owned my copy of the third book, Second Foundation, because I LOVE that cover.

  4. You can’t beat a Whelan cover! This may be getting a little ahead of the discussion, but I found Asimov’s “prequel” FOUNDATION novels to be disappointing when compared to these classics. And the later ROBOT novels lacked something, too.

    1. I agree. Whelan covers are by and large incredible things.

      I have yet to read any of the prequels or any of the robot novels other than the Silverberg collaboration, The Positronic Man, which I really enjoyed.

  5. I am thinking I will probably join in. I am terrible with reading trilogies all at one time, but we will see how it goes. 🙂

    1. I think the Foundation ones are awful hard not to keep reading just because of the fact that they leave off without all the story being told.

      1. This. I finished “Foundation” last night, and I’m impatiently waiting to start the next one. 😛

        1. Me too. It is sitting there staring at me. But I’m going to be good!

  6. I am joining in. Just finished Foundation, and am greatly impressed. I need to read the next book to see where Asimov takes us.

    1. Cool! Glad to hear it. I’ve got about 40 pages left to read and I’ll be getting the next set of questions out.

  7. Hi Carl
    I’m in – really looking forward to where we go next with this! BTW – I really like your cover for this one! Mine will be from the library so anything could happen (wiggles fingers).
    Lynn 😀

    1. I just picked these two Whelan covers up late last year from ebay, I think.

  10. Not sure if I’ll have time to fully participate, but I will definitely be following along as much as I can!

    1. I hope you’ll join in on the conversations at any rate, but I do understand. So many books, so little time. 🙂

      1. I want that quote on my Tombstone Carl: ” So many books, so little time.” I was not that sure if I was going to join in for this book, SO i Figured why not, so I ordered the audiobook through the library.

  11. Pingback: Foundation Group Read, the Conclusion | Stainless Steel Droppings

  12. I’m in. The library copy in my town was returned early. I picked it up this morning. Wooohooo!

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