Foundation and Chaos is the second in a trilogy of books written after Isaac Asimov’s death by distinguished Science Fiction writers. The first was Foundation and Fear, which was okay but included lengthy passages concerning Voltaire and Joan of Arc which I didn’t really follow. This book is much better and centres on the growing populations of mentalics, humans with an assortment of mental powers (like persuasion). It also includes Hari Seldon’s trial as a traitor against the Empire (his prediction of the fall of the Empire being seen as treachery). The debate between rival bands of robots (the Giskardians led by R Daneel and the Calvinians), differentiated by their adoption of the zero’th law or otherwise, is fascinating.
musingstudio 