Prelude to Foundation

De: Isaac Asimov

Narrado por: Scott Brick

This daring story of humanity’s future introduces one of the great masterworks of science fiction: the Foundation novels of Isaac Asimov. Unsurpassed for their unique blend of nonstop action, bold ideas, and extensive world-building, they chronicle the struggle of a courageous group of people to save civilization from a relentless tide of darkness and violence - beginning with one exceptional man.

It is the year 12,020 GE and Emperor Cleon I sits uneasily on the Imperial throne of Trantor. Here in the great multidomed capital of the Galactic Empire, 40 billion people have created a civilization of unimaginable technological and cultural complexity. Yet Cleon knows there are those who would see him fall - those whom he would destroy if only he could read the future.

Hari Seldon has come to Trantor to deliver his paper on psychohistory, his remarkable theory of prediction. Little does the young Outworld mathematician know that he has already sealed his fate and the fate of humanity. For Hari possesses the prophetic power that makes him the most wanted man in the Empire...the man who holds the key to the future - an apocalyptic power to be known forever after as the Foundation.

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

©1988 Isaac Asimov (P)2011 Random House

Enjoy it for the ride.

An excellent example of Isaac Asimov’s great skill at story telling.

The foreshadowing makes the eventual conclusion obvious about half way through the book, but the ride remained enjoyable to its predictable ending.

Much like trip where you know the destination, but are there for the joy of the journey.

Better the second time around!

I read this book about twenty years ago and remembered how much I enjoyed it. Thankfully for me my memory is a bit faded and I was able to enjoy Asimov's amazing prose once again as if it were brand new. A couple of things are different now. In the 21st century, with instant texting and cellphones everywhere I found it rather amusing that the citizens of Trantor had not gotten very far with their communication devices, or their travel options. In 1988 we were just getting our teeth sharpened on personal computers -- to have a "286" was top of the line, and only text pilots and geeks were on the world wide web. AOL was not even born yet and dial-up was the way to go and SO expensive. Who knew that technology would leap so far so fast!

So, tongue in cheek, I retread Hari Seldon's path as he postulated his theory of psychohistory, so much more enjoyable with Scott Brick's spot-on narration. As the story unfolded I had a germ of remembrance about the ending which I shoved to the back of my mind as I listened happily to Hari and Dors' travel experiences. In the end it was as I suspected and so utterly perfectly delivered I enjoyed it thoroughly again.

This was a perfect listen. I am ready now to re-experience the rest of the Foundation series. I hope that Scott Brick will be my storyteller.

I’ve red it twice and now listened to it. Still great!

Not much character development but a great story line and fits perfectly with the rest of the books

A pillar of modern science fiction

It is rare that a series can continue to get better, but I do believe this is the best so far(I haven’t done forward to foundation yet but I surely will soon). This works more as an action/mystery novel in the vein of da Vinci code more than a typical sci fi work and I was always dying to see what happened next. hari seldon will be a character that I never forget.

Also of note, it is refreshing to have the voice from the first 4 novels back. Not really sure why the 5th was someone else.

Great reading of a classic Asimov tale

Got my marathon badge over this. Excellent reading. The story is thrilling and sophisticated.
Imagined technology different in year 20,000, but heaving a planet living inside a dome with an artificial climate may actually be our reality at some point.

Robots+ Foundation = win

I don't care for Scott Brick, but if I speed up the playback just a smidgen I can forget who it is. I've read all the Asimov robot and foundation books and I'm enjoying working through the whole lot again in audio form.

Very good, but definitely a prequel

Prelude to Foundation is a fun, adventurous book that is structurally more similar to “Robots” than to “Foundation.” Though it is not as essential Foundation, Foundation and Empire, and Second Foundation, it is a thoroughly enjoyable (if somewhat less cerebral) read, and a necessity for Asimov Completists. As for the reading, Scott Brick gives yet another excellent performance here. Any book narrated by Brick is guaranteed to be a joy to listen to.

MODERATE SPOILERS AHEAD ——————




Prelude to Foundation functions as connective tissue between the two series (Robots and Foundation) by carrying over the beloved R Daneel, and making him instrumental in the destiny of Harry Selden, but it has to do a lot of legwork to do so, and ultimately might function better were it not a foundation book. All that said, it does an admirable job not getting bogged down in continuity. Issues such as the lack of robots in the foundation series are left to mystery, rather than being the subject of a strenuous explainer. All in all, as long as you don’t mind the prequel flavor, go ahead and give it a listen. If you liked “Second Foundation” or “The Naked Sun”, You won’t be disappointed.

Asimov and Brick!

Excellent prequel to the Foundation series and great tie in with the Robot series. Cool plot twist at the end. Oh and it’s narrated by Scott Brick. Enough said.

Prelude Is A Worthy Prequel

What a wonderful story! This puts so much of the foundation series into better context if that was possible. It is no wonder why Isaac Asimov is The grandmaster of science fiction. We learn more about both Asimov and Hari Seldon in this work than in any other.

The reading was superior and certainly worth the time invested.

Great intro to the series

I enjoyed this book. Watched foundation on  tv+ and decided to ✔️ out the book. I was not disappointed.