Foundation's Edge

Isaac Asimov returns to the Foundation series some 30 years later, bringing with him some good twine to reel in his other series (Robots and Empire). He also brings with him the authorial respect and catalog he lacked early on, and that led Foundation's Edge to the NY Times Bestseller list. But was it good?

The first three books were told in pairs of stories, and this has only one, though with two distinct points of view (one for each Foundation). Schemes of both are brought together near Gaia, a great decision point, and a somewhat abrupt ending, likely leading to the next book.

Mostly dismissed were the original Seldon plan (Hari Seldon couldn't foresee the technology, so his plan is no longer important) and free will (with the exception of one character, who thankfully is the protagonist of the next book). The original trilogy was modeled after Gibbon's Decline and Fall, and that connection is also lacking. I found the schemes inferior to the earlier trilogy, and some of the connections to Robots tenuous.

I can completely understand Asimov's fans and publishers clamoring to hear more of the 1000 year interregnum period - the original trilogy covered less than 400 of those years. Unfortunately this book alone is not sufficient, and I worry that the following (and final) book won't add much more.