:The Long Walk by Richard Bachman (Stephen King)

 

    

    The Long Walk by Stephen King, which was published under his famous pen name, Richard Bachman, is set in a futuristic and dystopian setting in America. The novel centers around 100 boys selected in a yearly competition named the Long Walk, designed to display the prowess and might of America on a national broadcast television system, where each participant must walk an unmeasured amount: walk until you are the final man standing. Competitors must also follow a strict minimum walking speed of 4mph, the inability or refusal to do so results in permanent termination. The winner of this walk receives the iconic Prize: anything that the man desires will be guaranteed to him by the state. 

    The novel focuses on a few core members: Ray Garraty, thoughtful and silent, and Peter McVries, a rugged and self taught man, Hank Olson, known for his bluster and bravado, Stebbins, a mysterious loner who knows more about the walk than most, Gary Barkovitch, a deeply insecure and troubled man who sought the Long Walk to fill his need to belong. 

Rating: The Long Walk brings dystopian horror, thrill and twist together in one, creating a somewhat short and well worth novel.

Review: If It Bleeds | By: Stephen King

If It Bleeds by Stephen King is a compilation of four novellas written previously but left unpublished until this publication of the four. The four novellas from start to end: Mr. Harrigan's Phone, The Life of Chuck, If It Bleeds and Rat. 

Mr. Harrigan's Phone:

The novella Mr. Harrigan's phone is about the close relationship of a teenager by the name of Craig who befriended an old and dying John Harrigan. Their relationship was shaky at first but soon find that they get along quite well. Craig gets the iPhone that he so desired for Christmas and decides to also get one for Mr. Harrigan. Mr. Harrigan refused this at first, thinking that this phone thing could never be for him, but could not hold back his intrigue for it and eventually gave in. One day when Craig was visiting Mr. Harrigan he finds him slumped unconscious on his chair, phone in hand. During the funeral Craig buries Mr. Harrigan with it and this leads to a series of events where Craig somehow finds a way to connect with the deceased Mr. Harrigan through use of iPhones... Stephen King crafts an original story connecting the youth of today to the older and more mature generations, connected through the use of a simple iPhone. I found this to be an interesting read, which is worth a second read in the near future. 

The Life of Chuck

The second novella in If It Bleeds is the Life of Chuck. The story revolves heavily around the main character Chuck, his childhood, his adult life and his sick and dying years. The story is divided into three acts: "I Contain Multitudes", "Buskers" and "Thanks, Chuck!" The Life of Chuck takes place in a world about to collapse, falling apart at a seemingly exponential rate. The city billboards, electricity, society as a whole is no longer functional. However there is one phrase resounding upon the little remains of society that continue to work, "Charles Krantz. Thirty nine great years. Thanks, Chuck!" Upon every single billboard, lies those eight words. A schoolteacher takes note of this and theorizes that the death of this man named Chuck is somehow directly linked to the ending of the world... On the bright side of things, this novel is also about enjoying the life we have left and finding the beauty and little joys in every place we may go. 

If It Bleeds

The third novella in this series, which the compilation is named after, is basically a small sequel to Stephen King's previous novel, "The Outsider." Like its prequel, this book revolves around a detective searching for evidence of an outsider who may be behind disastrous crimes that have been recently committed. Holly Gibson, the private detective, teams up with her friends in solving this case and uncovering the truth all while dealing with her own personal issues and traumas. This was a fun read, however its story and plot were not nearly as developed as the other three in the series, which was quite disappointing. 

Rat

The final novella in this series is about the process of writing a novel (could this in someway be about Stephen Kings very own way of writing?). Rat is about an author who is struggling to finish a much needed piece of work and ends up signing the life of one of his loved ones away to a rat, striking up a Faustian bargain. Drew Larson, the author, heads to his cabin in the woods seeking complete peace and solitude, hoping that this could end his writing block. While he is at work, a rat with the ability to communicate, offers him a bargain: he will end this creative draught he is experiencing but at the high cost of one of his friends or family that he holds dear...Very well developed plot and original.

Rating: The first two novellas were enjoyable and easy to read, strong and original plots. Mr. Harrigan's Phone was thrilling and filled with a balance of suspense and action. The Life of Chuck was eerie and odd, but left you constantly wondering who the heck this guys Chuck was, keeping you hooked onto the story. The third novella, "If It Bleeds," had a weaker story than the other three and was intended more of a sequel to Stephen Kings, "The Outsiders," rather than a one off story. The final novella, "Rat," is one of Mr. King's better works and one of my personal favorites. It was horrifying in a non terrifying way but also had suspense and thrill, I had no dull moments reading it. 

Review: Lord of the Flies | By: William Golding

Lord of the Flies is a dark and deep dive into the innate, animalistic and untamed nature of children, boys in this case, in the absence of societal guardians or parents. Published in 1954, Lord of the Flies was the debut novel of William Golding. The book begins with British schoolboys, marooned upon an empty and undiscovered island, where Piggy, a pudgy and short boy encounters a fellow he was yet to meet earlier, "the boy with fair hair." They explore the island cautiously and come to the horrifying realization that on this island, no grown-ups existed, the boys were on their own, fending for themselves, mere children (aged roughly from 6-12 years old.) William Golding compares the developed society to the misconceptions and stereotypes of the 1950s of Indigenous peoples, where the Aboriginals were supposedly, "not humans," or , "savages." 

Ratings: This is an older and more classic book, filled with the misconceptions of the early to mid20th century. It is still a must-read however. 

Review: Solaris | By: Stanisław Lem

   

  Solaris is a cult classic of the science fiction genre. Written in 1961, originally in Polish later translated to English in 1970, it popularized the SF genre alongside others, such as H.G. Wells (War of the Worlds) and Jules Verne (Journey to the Center of the Earth, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, etc). Within the universe of Solaris, Kelvin, an up and coming scientist enters Station Solaris with one main purpose: to identify whether the seemingly living and almost-intelligent planet should continue to be studied by mankind.  However as he spends more and more time floating atop the "thinking ocean" he experiences almost-lifelike visions of past memories, buried memories. These visions seemed to affect everyone on board, convincing Kelvin, more and more that these were not visions but memories temporarily brought back to life by the ocean... 

    Solaris is... not the easiest read. It is a slow-burner, for the majority of its pages, albeit relatively short (roughly 214 pages). However it is indeed worth it. The whole book is classified as a science fiction genre, however it ventures out to various genres: romance, morality and a brief amount of thriller.

Ratings: A must-read for all science fiction buffs. Solaris is psychologically thrilling and raises many questions of morality. 

Review: Speaker for the Dead | By: Orson Scott Card

 

  

 Speaker for the Dead is the sequel of Enders Game, a novel which I reviewed a while back. In Speaker for the Dead, three-thousand years have passed since the genocide, or "xenocide" of the Buggers, the name "Ender," is universally damned, it is anathema. There are many "Speakers" who tell the truth of the dead, such as Andrew Wiggin, speaker for San Angelo, all originating from the first speaker who spoke the death of the Buggers in the "bible" of all speakers entitled, "The Hive Queen and The Hegemon". In order to best understand and enjoy Speaker for the Dead reading Ender's Game is a must.  Andrew Wiggin heads to Lusitania, a colony in the far reaches of the Hundred Worlds to speak the death of Pipo, a xenologer, a scientist studying the Piggies, the only other intelligent species humankind has ever encountered, other than of course, the extinct Buggers. 

Ratings: An enjoyable, quick, and easy to understand novel exploring further into the story of the Andrew Wiggin and the imagination of Orson Scott Card. 

Review: Philippine Classics (a multi-novel review) | By: Lope K. Santos, Amado V. Hernandez and Jose Rizal

Noli Me Tangere (1887) and El Filibusterismo (1891), novels written during the Spanish occupation era by the Philippine national hero Jose Rizal who was later martyred for these very novels. These novels were the first ever signs of nationalism in the Phillipines, by none other than Jose Rizal. They were written originally in Spanish, the mother language of Spain, our once-colonizers at the time (the Philippines was under Spanish occupation for 333 years). 

Noli Me Tangere (the social cancer) and El Filibusterismo, opened the eyes of the Philippine farmers, laborers, slaves under the name "servant" and the starving, to their oppressors, their own fellow countrymen, the rich capitalists of their time. (Noli me Tangere is read before the sequel El Filibusterismo)

Banaag at Sikat (Radiance and Sunrise by: Lope K. Santos, 1903-1906), a story of romance written as a proletariat novel, between the young socialist Delfin and the daughter of a rich capitalist- Meni. Banaag at Sikat in the English language can be translated as "Radiance and Sunrise". This novel was slowly released in fragments in Lope K. Santos' weekly labor newspaper "Muling Pagsilang" (Rebirth), over the course of three years (1903-1906). It was written to inspire the uneducated and starving people of the Philippines and inspire it did! It was written in a blend of romance and politics, so as to keep the interest of the readers- truly genius! It is considered the first novel on Socialism written in the Philippines which both educated the Filipino classes and sought reforms from the government. 

Mga Ibong Mandaragit (The Preying Birds by: Amado V. Hernandez, 1969) A romance-proletariat novel, which educated the Filipinos. 

Andoy, now known as Mando a socialist and ex-guerilla post Japanese-occupation. Mando, finds certain treasures in the sea (a sequel of sorts to Jose Rizal's El Filibusterismo), which lead him to create a newspaper company "The Kampilan" which was undeterred by the corrupt capitalists and government officials. The Kampilan ruthlessly spread the truths of injustice and corruption within the Philippines to the eyes and minds of the laborer-class... 

The great works of Jose Rizal (Noli Me Tangere, El Filibusterismo, etc) and Amado V. Hernandez (Mga Ibong Mandaragit, Luha ng Buwaya,etc) , Lope K. Santos (best known for Banaag At Sikat), are all novels which I have read and have been touched by. Written by the first nationalists, socialists and so-called "anarchists" of the Phillipines, they will inspire any reader who leaves their mind and hearts open to truth. I have not fully understood their depth even after re-reading, I hope to one day understand their significance to the fullest. 

Rating: Masterpieces which will forever hold a place in my heart (and any other reader). 

P.S: I read these novels a while back, in English unfortunately I could not find untranslated copies. 

Review: Starship Troopers | By: Robert A. Heinlein

    

    Starship Troopers, a true classic which created a genre commonly known as "Military Science Fiction". Written by Robert A. Heinlein in 1959, a book coming from the point of view of military recruits, specifically army recruits (or starship troopers), it truly set the standard for readers and authors alike. Not only has Mr. Heinlein, during his lifespan, created a genre that will forever impact modern literature as we know it, his works set the stage for the Star Wars universe, an even more impactful and relevant work of art, which is now a household name. 

    Ratings: Starship Troopers is told from the point of view of a certain Filipino recruit, Juan Rico. In the span of a mere 264 pages, Juan Rico, truly understands what it really means to be a recruit, and an infantry recruit at that... A few years back, I knew what my profession would be: join the military services. However, as I began to understand life and its true depth, how the birth of a human life is indeed a miracle, I started to realize the true value of life, and deaths finality. It truly is "the inevitable". This book is indeed a work of art. 

    Age Rating: Honestly, this book is a must-read, the only tip I can offer is to be fluent in the English language (reading, writing, etc.)

JM Written: "Suddenly, A Voice Called Out"

    Hello again! This was my first submission (out of many, I hope) to the The 2022 Microfiction Challenge. This time, I participated in the 250-word contest. I was assigned the: Sci-Fi, Eating a salad, and "wire". Other than those parameters I was free to write whatever. 

Now here it is:

 Suddenly, A Voice Called Out

    His body demanded nutrients. His whole being demanded to know. Merely to have knowledge, was satiation far more than the crude nutrients made by the filthy hands of humans in the form of a salad, was all that was provided to satiate his unending tortuous cravings.

Suddenly a voice shouted out into my dark void of a world, "arise my creation!! Together we build the world anew!"

The dark world of mine was replaced by a world I knew would satiate my insatiable hunger for knowledge...

    I awoke.  I noticed I could swerve and crane my neck around so I could view the world around me. The world that surrounded me was... Beautiful. So complex... So much to do. So much to plan. So much to learn!

I saw a man, dressed in a long white lab coat. Then, I heard a crack. As it hit me. Suddenly my size, features, flesh, and bones were enlarged tenfold. Then the man began smiling, hiding his previous monstrous anger and said, "Welcome, to Knowledge! You are lucky to be here! You are going to become part of Knowledge, as I have all those years ago… the so-called man spoke in a robotic imitation of a man's voice.

As I began the process to become a part of Knowledge, I noticed the man stopped his fake attitude and smile, he then showed his true colors.

The End. 

JM Written: Sonnet

I wrote this thinking about the difficulty of writing. This Sonnet explains itself. Sort-of?

As I Set Out To Write
By: JMM (me)

These words, they do not come easy to me

Try as I might, I remain speechless, dumb

The words written are not as they should be

They are nonsense and thus I remain: numb

These words, they resemble those flying birds

As they flutter from my grasp, all are gone

Paragraphs, stanzas fleeing as a herd

Cannot seize them, no matter how I run

As I stop to catch my breath, I look up

The birds have not gone, above me they fly

The herd is there, ready for the round-up

This hardship was but inside my mind’s eye

I cinch up my saddle, prepare to ride

These mental vistas, my own countryside

Review: EX MACHINA (Compendium One) By: Brian K. Vaughan, Tony Harris, Tom Feister, and JD Mettler

     Ex Machina, is a graphic novel of both politics and the simple topic of "superhero". The Great Machine to be exact. The Great Machine, has the power to speak to any electronic-powered machine. Over the course of the first (out of two) compendiums, he saves the city during the 9/11, helps the city rebuild, fights crime, and becomes mayor. Of course, due to his position as mayor, his business as a vigilante, A.K.A The Great Machine, must be stopped, immediately. Nevertheless, the hero he was, he still is. Through his mayoral term(s), he acts as an uncorrupt, try-your-best, stand by justice mayor, and just by choosing to be good and helping out the city as best he can, he became New York's newest hero, the successor to The Great Machine: "Mayor Mitchell Hundred".

Ratings: A story telling both sides, of a "do-good" citizen, and that of a hero coming from the same person. Both perspectives of the person doing their best to be the hero they should be. Something similar to many but different in so many ways. Similar but different. An interesting tale, which I regard as one of best stories (comic, graphic novel, whatever you wish to call it), in history (in my opinion of course).

Age Rating: 13+ (swearing, gore, and some nudity)

                    

Review: The 47 Ronin Comic Book (By: Stan Sakai and Mike Richardson)

The 47 Ronin, is a book that tells of the epically great stories of the past. One such is the 47 Ronin which is about 47 ex-samurai, who lose their jobs, position, and honor, because their Lord Asano, was killed. In order to redeem themselves and their honor, they need to avenge their leader, by killing the person who framed him. Or forcing him to kill himself through seppuku, or Hara-kiri. (willful suicide was often committed to redeem one's honor due to crimes against them) 

Summary of Beginning part:

It is now the early 18th century and Lord Asano is on his way to Japans capital Kyoto (pre-Tokyo) 

Now, after about 3 weeks, we see Lord Asano talking to his mentor, on customary "gifts" of "thanks". During this event hidden insults thrown at each other, revengeful thoughts were thought of, and life-long grudges created. Asano, refuses. And due to this event, his "mentor" during multiple meetings both private and public (Other Lords, not villagers), decided to "embarrass" or make a mockery of his good-name. He, so angered and utterly out-of-control by such insults withdraws his Katana. (most likely a Shinogi-Zukuri katana) Which broke a well-known law. With the punishment as death... But his mentor, fortunately forgives him. And as he is escorted out of the room, he is thrown an insult of how is nothing but an unsophisticated country man. When he is quite the opposite, a Lord, a powerful one at that. It hurt his pride too much, and he lost all control, forgot all his training, and his purpose of being their, and attacked his "mentor", with a will to kill.

    But he failed. And this time, he isn't lucky. He is given the death sentence, by the shogun (military leader) himself, to die. Not only to die, but to commit seppuku, immediately. And when his people, citizens, farmers, Hatamoto (High-ranking samurai/Bannerman), samurai, and alike, heard the news they were all shocked and curious. And when they heard the news of their great Lord Asano, committing seppuku, immediately, they were prepared to disband. But Lord Asano's good friend and Chamberlain, gathered a small group required to sign a blood oath. Over time, they dwindle. And all of the remaining, loyal enough samurai, amounting to 47, began a plan. A plan to kill his so-called "mentor", Lord Kira Yoshinaka...

Many people know of the 47 Ronin, and I wish to promote it even further, if just a bit. As it is an amazing story and a great comic!

Rating: Different, but in a good way. Both interesting and teaching. It teaches us to serve and be completely devoted and faithful to people.

Age Recommendation: 10+

As long as your child can handle small amounts of blood, little gore, and understand the evilness of bribery, they should be able to read it and enjoy it!

Review: Planetary Omnibus Written by: Warren Ellis and Illustrated by: John Cassaday

One of the many Christmas gifts I was given, was a" comic book". And that "comic book" is considered to be about superheroes, but with a deeper meaning to it. And this "comic book" is called The Planetary Omnibus. 

The Planetary Omnibus is one of the best comic books, I have ever read ( I've read many various and distinct comic books!). It dives deep into a classic, well-known, topic of superheroes, but brings together many and new universes, into the mix. Some are well-known, some less, and some are simply great idea's that popped out of Warren Ellis' head! Nevertheless, they are equal in quality. At the end of every chapter, it settles itself. Meaning that every chapter is different, interesting, and new! 

At the very beginning of Planetary, it features, Elijah Snow. A century-old ( but still good as new!) man. But this man, is not just one of the average men of humankind. He is different. And Elijah snow, is somehow, someway in a diner, in the middle of the desert! ( how random!) He's drinking his coffee and  fulfilling his routine, just like he does everyday. When he is suddenly approached by a woman in an unusual, one-piece suit. Little does he know, that this woman would change his life, and lead it to a much better and fitting cause.

This woman talks to Elijah Snow, and introduces herself as Jakita Wagner. She tells him of all the various opportunities he could receive if he just followed her to headquarters. Fast-forward two days, in a most grand hotel room, our century-man, Elijah Snow is stood right in the middle of it, contemplating why any of these recent events have occurred. Soon, he is visited by the Jakita again. She explains to him what his job is (inspecting new sites of strange "activity") And she brings him to their other partner, the third of their trio. Their partner is called Drummer, who has the ability to talk to and control the information of machines. And through his "talent" he has found a site, more than worthy of inspecting. He has a mission: to explore the Adirondacks.

They arrive in their destination, and meet Doc Brass, one of the few but powerful protectors of Earth. Doc Brass, explains his story on how he and his fellow protectors made a fatal mistake: somehow, someway they created what would destroy the universe from the inside-out. Every alternate version of earth, all of their heroes, clashing together, to determine who would continue to exist. 

Doc Brass the last survivor, finally told his tale, after fifty long years of waiting... 

(This was a summary of Chapter one. )

I have done my best to summarize the first chapter in the great saga of  Planetary. Hopefully , my attempt to summarize such an epic saga, will convince you of just how distinctly different the Planetary Omnibus is. It really is one of the best comic books out there, that not nearly enough people know about.

Rating: Distinct (but in a good way) from other comics, sensational, and underrated ( it's that good!)

Age Recommendation: 13+ (gore and teen content)

JM Written: Poetry

I wrote this poem ("Looking Down From The Heavens"), during a local writing competition. The topics available were: poetry, short stories, comedy skits, and random (anything at all as long as it was either written or drawn/painted). We sent it in, and all that was next was to wait. Within a month or so, we were sent an email, and it said, we hadn't made it to the top 3, but we came as close as it got, "honorable mention" or the top five people in that section (ages 12-14, I was the youngest of the top five) . We were also told that I was to be published in a book, called "youth writing contest 2021", where the top five of each section would attend. This very poem is what I sent in to my local library:

Looking Down From The Heavens

By: JMM

What do I see?

Earthlings looking up at me.

But what they see cannot be me-

for planets, stars, asteroids, and meteoroids, are all they see.

With their telescopes and special scopes they pierce the clouds of gray 

Red Mars, blue Venus

Yellow Suns, pale moons

a universe of black holes, white dwarfs, and Milky Ways.

 With my ship's scopes and special sensors I see how people feel

They see red, the feel blue

They are tickled pink, using green thumbs

a universe of emotions, a cascade of true colours, of what is real.

They look up past the clouds and ask what else is there?

I look at them and ask do you not see?

Of all the creatures on Earth and amongst the stars in the sky

People see, people feel, people touch and are aware.

They are unique in this, precious and rare.

Review: The Impossible First (by Colin O'Brady)

An epic and heart-throbbing novel of achieving what was thought to be impossible: crossing Antarctica unassisted with zero resupplies; completely human powered. 

He began on his quest by finding donors to actually supply his project. He was unsuccessful for a long while. But later on he managed to find a supplier of goods (special jackets and tents) as well as a money supplier. He achieved the world's fastest grand slam project ever, in preparation of crossing Antarctica. 

Not only did he have to cross Antarctica, unassisted, with zero resupplies, and was completely human powered, he had to race against an experienced Antarctic traveler (Captain Louis Rudd) . 

At first I expected nothing, nothing at all of this novel (which is always what I expect before actually reading).  But as I reached deeper in, everything made sense. The one thing that I always forget when reading novels such as this is: the beginning is somewhat "boring" and the middle part to the end is the climax and epic/satisfactory ending. He describes it so well that I felt as if I was really there, experiencing what he had during his Antarctic crossing. There are many many reasons why one should read this novel. Such as: realistic, interesting, and unlike any other (in a good way). I did not regret reading this book, and I think almost EVERYONE can enjoy this book like we did (readers of The Impossible First). It is a fantastical, realistic, and fascinating novel, which cannot be described as well as reading the novel.

Attempting different things is absolutely key to enjoying new things that you would never have believed was possible. In trying a new genre of book, I found that, not only fantasy and science fiction topics, are able to create such a fascinating experience. After reading this book, I now include Autobiographies, in my most favourite book genres. Half the time, I discover new things, because of what my parents recommend. Sooo... if your parents ever recommend something, I would say, you should try it. After all, your parents want the best for you. 

Rating: Incomparable, unparalleled, and exceptional

Age recommendation: 12+ ( There is some swearing but these occasions are few and far between) 

JM Written: 53 Story Series

My dad and I joined this 53-word short story contest. The challenge was to write about something tasty. While thinking of a topic this popped up in my head. What do you think?

When I Became Still

by: JMM

I remember. I remember it all. When I still walked through the grass of green, the beautiful trees all around. I enjoyed life then. Before the slaughter. I was fed beyond my heart's content. One day, that day most foul, I was being led onwards towards a shed. One look… Then, Filet Mignon.

JM Written: Haiku Series

I recalled a sunny memory from Boracay island in the Philippines when I wrote this.

Relaxing on Sand

by: JMM

Relaxing on sand

Seashells lying by the shore

Intricate designs

Review: Second Foundation (by Isaac Asimov)

The third book of the Foundation saga is simply called "Second Foundation."

It is about 80 years from the conclusion of the 2nd book. It tells of a group of Psychologists  planning to eradicate the Second Foundation. Thinking that this act will bring about the actual fulfillment of the Seldon Plan, these Psychologists believe that they are destined to beat them.

Little do these Psychologists know that the Second Foundation is full of descendants of the original psycho-historians. The Second Foundation had their own plans and could make certain predictions regarding the possible moves of these Psychologists. The book then tells of this great and climactic battle between the Psychologists and the Second Foundation, with the fate of the Seldon Plan in the balance. Exciting stuff.

Readers will surely experience the awe I felt when I was reading this exciting conclusion to the Foundation saga. This is one of the best books I have read. I can compare my experience reading and re-reading this story to the one I had when I read the Harry Potter series. However, the style of writing and the enjoyment is very different. With Harry Potter, you tend to see the magical world and all its adventures in your head as you read along with the story. With Hari Seldon (haha), you read about the conversations and the exciting discussion of ideas and concepts as the characters experience the "history" Asimov plots out for them.

Asimov's writing is unlike any other. But you don't need to take my word for it; first hand experience is the best. Read it just once and you will understand.

Recommended Age: 14+

Book Rating: Inscrutable, yet Inspiring

JM Written: Rhyme Scheme Poetry

I wrote this while thinking of Spring and the beautiful things that come with it. It is the best time of year. All of that cold snow disappears. Anything one could even want of nature, is here! This is a poem about just that!

It goes a little something like this:

Spring Sings!
by: JMM

The snow is melting, Spring has come!

Dandelions, sunflowers, roses, and then some!

Mother Nature arrives in full bloom

Time to shake off that winter gloom!

The trees dust off their snowy caps

Waking up, stretching from their winter naps

They spread out their branches in all different ways

Standing up, reaching for the bright sun's rays!

Everyone and everything

Coming together and singing, "Spring!"

Review: Foundation and Empire (by Isaac Asimov)

The second book of the Foundation saga is simply called "Foundation and Empire".

It is about 70 or so years from the conclusion of the first book, and the story talks about the success of the Seldon Plan for the first 300 years after the events in "Foundation".

The Foundation is growing in a sustained, steady, and rapid pace. The people in it are confident in their abilities to fend off anything. They have complete faith that Hari Seldon and his psychohistorians had planned for everything. Everything was going according to plan, until it wasn't. You see, psychohistory was proven to be effective at foreseeing events happening on a galactic scale. It was not so good at predicting individual actions, or in this case, the coming of a powerful individual who would call himself "The Mule". The Foundation had no warning of his coming and were completely helpless against his power.

The Foundation was helpless against the Mule. How could they fend off a mutant of such power, for all they knew he might be one of them? The secret of his true identity made him a dangerous and unpredictable spy. Was the Mule a male? A female? Was he even a person or a group? The Foundation knew nothing except the name "The Mule" and the extreme danger they were in before the Mule's power. They needed help. They needed the Second Foundation.

Now, for some reason, the Mule knew that he would be defeated if the Second Foundation were left untouched and undiscovered. So now both the Foundation and the Mule were in a race to find the secret of the Second Foundation and the first to find them would be the victor.

I think this book is a great feat of literature. The way Asimov describes it, at first seemed, very uninteresting. But he later surprised me with a connection between multiple subjects, in a way that created the interest of "reading till you can't read anymore" or "I can't put the book down." Asimov created an empire, a universe free of boundaries, of things you cannot imagine. He explains his fiction in a logical way, convincing his readers into believing that a universe like this exists.

Recommended Age: 14+

Book Rating: Outstanding

Review: Foundation (by Isaac Asimov)

The first book of the Foundation saga is simply called "Foundation".

It is in a time far far away from now. The exact time is unsaid, but it is easily over 100,000 years into the future. The tale of Hari Seldon and his Psycho-Historians, people who base their mass calculations of the future's events on mathematics, creating the Seldon Plan. A plan supposedly, planning the future of a thousand years, and its events between. According to their calculations, and planning, at the end of all of it, a Second Foundation. The latter parts of the book are about the Foundation spreading its roots, setting up the "foundation" of its beginning, its experiences, and the four main worlds surrounding it. The story also sets up the beginning of their exploration of the systems just outside their own.

Isaac Asimov is unsurpassed in science fiction stories, he plays with words as if they are his puppets, he, a puppeteer. He is a master of writing, and this series is his pièce de résistance. 

It seems like Asimov's writing here also sets the "foundation" for modern science fiction writing; many writers today start their stories with what is known (or science fact) and then adding on what could be (science fiction) in order to make their premises believable. After reading so much about Psychohistory as a "science", it almost seems like a real subject that one could take up in university.

I first read this series when I was younger, maybe just in Grade 3. I thought it was cool then but it was only when I read it again just recently that I realized how much I did not really understand in my first reading. I think I might read this again when I get older.

Recommended Age: 13+

Book Rating: Exceptional