Paul Allison

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Paul is Currently Reading

Paul Allison is currently reading

The Seed of Earth

by Robert Silverberg

bookshelves: currently-reading

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Jan 01, 2026 02:20AM

Paul Allison rated a book it was amazing

Foundation (Foundation, #1)

by Isaac Asimov

bookshelves: top-10, top-100, top-25, currently-reading, ai, science-fiction, space-opera, top-200, top-50

read in May 1984

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Paul Allison said: " Yes, I am re-reading FOUNDATION again! Why? Just for sheer enjoyment, at this point this book infiltrates my fabric, it's in my blood. The strange thing is Asimov didn't set out to write a novel here, this book is a fix-up, assembled in 1951 from ear Yes, I am re-reading FOUNDATION again! Why? Just for sheer enjoyment, at this point this book infiltrates my fabric, it's in my blood. The strange thing is Asimov didn't set out to write a novel here, this book is a fix-up, assembled in 1951 from earlier stories published in the forties plus one written specially for the book. The original story "Foundation" ("The Encyclopedists" in the book) won a retro HUGO award for Best Novelette 1943.

When I watched Star Wars in early 1978 at my local cinema I was totally blown away. A modern generation experiencing Star Wars in 2025 for the first time will likely have a totally different experience I guess and this is the same for FOUNDATION, I first read FOUNDATION in 1975! So modern readers will have a different experience. As I am re-reading it now I try to imagine it as if it was 1975, I ignore the last 50 years (well I try to). It's a shame I couldn't have read it in 1943 that would be something!

Asimov's writing is different from modern writers of course, much more innocent and optimistic (even though he is writing here about the decline of a Galactic Empire). Also while there is some scientific exposition there isn't dull and lengthy info dumps, his style is light and conveys so much in the world building with so few words. Partly this is due of course to the fact that this is fundamentally a collection of shorter works of fiction but even in his novel length writings his style is similar.

Also by re-reading this again I can disentangle and re-fresh my memory of the original work which over time can become mixed up with TV shows, Prequels, etc. I hope one day there is more faithful interpretation of the original work in movie/TV format. I would stick to the original but just open up some of the gaps between stories and expand on it (add to it seamlessly) but not change it.

I am so enjoying my re-reading of this, looking forward to continuing with the rest of the series but I don't want to rush it, I want to savour it, but then I can always re-read it again! ...more "

Dec 22, 2025 04:17AM · see review