Second Foundation by Isaac Asimov (3.5 stars)

The final book in the original trilogy. I enjoyed this one more than the other books since there were more elements of suspense: who are the Second Foundationers, and where is their home base? My money was on the Second Foundation being distributed across many planets to enable maximum control, but I won't tell you if I was right. I picked some of the surprises, but I think it suffered from trying to be too clever in twist after twist.

There were some great technology predictions in this 1950s novel. I liked this one:

Actually, it was a complicated computer which could throw on a screen a reproduction of the night sky as seen from any given point of the Galaxy.

In today's world we don't really have a need for that since we're not trying to navigate through deep space using star references, but I think asimov would be amazed at seeing google sky on a mobile phone. It's funny that another prediction he makes, the death of the keyboard as an input device in favour of voice recognition:

Nobody but some old drips would use key machines

just hasn't happened to any significant extent. In the same example he has Arcadia dictating a complete document from a printed first draft, which is something that has changed significantly. Being able to jump back and forth in a document and make continual improvements is very different from running through a series of complete drafts, typewriter style.

There are some logic puzzles presented in the text that I loved:

"Have you a defense in case I am [calling you a traitor]?"
"Only the one I presented to the general. If I were a traitor and knew the whereabouts of the Second Foundation, you could Convert me and learn the knowledge directly. If you felt it necessary to trace me, then I hadn't the knowledge beforehand and wasn't a traitor. So I answer your paradox with another."
"Then your conclusion?"
"That I am not a traitor"
"To which I must agree, since your argument is irrefutable."

Hardly best all-time series, but a good read. Not sure if I'll continue with the later sequels and prequels.

3.5 stars