Foundation (Apple Series Tie-in Edition)

By: Isaac Asimov

Narrated by: Scott Brick

Length: 8 hrs and 37 mins

Publisher's summary

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

The epic saga that inspired the Apple TV+ series Foundation, now streaming. Nominated as one of America’s best-loved novels by PBS’s The Great American Read.

For 12,000 years the Galactic Empire has ruled supreme. Now it is dying. But only Hari Seldon, creator of the revolutionary science of psychohistory, can see into the future - to a dark age of ignorance, barbarism, and warfare that will last thirty thousand years. To preserve knowledge and save humankind, Seldon gathers the best minds in the Empire - both scientists and scholars - and brings them to a bleak planet at the edge of the galaxy to serve as a beacon of hope for future generations. He calls his sanctuary the Foundation.

The Foundation novels of Isaac Asimov are among the most influential in the history of science fiction, celebrated for their unique blend of breathtaking action, daring ideas, and extensive worldbuilding. In Foundation, Asimov has written a timely and timeless novel of the best - and worst - that lies in humanity, and the power of even a few courageous souls to shine a light in a universe of darkness.

Listen to all of Isaac Asimov's Foundation series, including (in chronological order):

Prelude to FoundationForward the FoundationFoundationFoundation and Empire Second FoundationFoundation's EdgeFoundation and Earth

©1982 Isaac Asimov (P)2010 Random House

Great book and great narrator.

Would you consider the audio edition of Foundation to be better than the print version?

I prefer to read books but audio books are a new found love of mine. Can't beat Asimov and I would likely listen to anything narrated by Scott Brick. With audio books, the narrator makes all the difference.

Still a good story after all these years

People in Hollywood think it's all about special effects, but it's not. It's about characters we can care about and relate to; it's about telling a good story. This is a sci-fi classic and will remain one, not because of the futuristic gadgets (although I think they still work) but because Isaac Asimov is a master story teller.

This is an okay story

I wanted to live this book, but I just couldn't. It started out very interesting, but after a while it feels like the same story over and over. If you prefer great character development, this is not the series for you.

Favorite SiFi Book

Sometimes heavy handed, but a beautiful story told through the ages and unique in its vision.

sci fi classic

A must read/listen if you're a sci fi fan. captured my imagination as a kid, keeps me dreaming as an adult.

An undeniable classic.

I almost didn't get this because of some of the negative opinions of the narrator, but I did and totally disagree with those opinions. I thing he did a great job. I only gave it 4 stars because there were some obviously bad editorial mistakes.

Confusing but entertaining

I did not expect story to be a bunch of stories at different tine periods.

Disappointing Performance

Foundation is a great book and the trilogy is a must-read for any sci-fi nerd. Star Wars, Star Trek, and Dune all owe a huge debt to Asimov in general and the Foundation series specifically. I would definitely recommend reading it instead of listening to this audio book though. The narrator uses pretty much the same voice and intonation for most of the characters, making it a little difficult to follow at times. Also making the performance a little boring. There were a few times where I even found it difficult to follow whether I was listening to dialogue or narration. I don't want to be overly critical though because the narrator does a good job otherwise and listening to this audio book is still better than not knowing the story at all. I just found the lack of significant vocal distinction between characters to be irritating and occasionally confusing.

What a classic!

Wonderfully entertaining and read well. Its hard to imagine that next year will be the 70th anniversary of its first publishing in 1951!

Brilliant story telling

I was originally going to give Brick 4 stars for his performance because he relied on minor inflection changes to signify the different characters rather than character voices. I got lost in the dialogue from time to time but I think he made that choice to keep Asimov's story pure.

At any rate, the story is wonderful. I love how Asimov explored the reasons an empire would fall and how a new empire might rise up.