Asimov: Foundation's Edge

Finally moving onto the sequels in the Foundation universe. It was captivating for sure, but I felt ambivalent about some ideas it builds upon from the original series.

SPOILERS

It happens around a century after the original trilogy. The universe still remembers the Mule, who was a psychic mutant that managed to take over both the Foundation and the remnants of the Empire. Because of him, the First Foundation knows about the Second one: a counterpart that uses mental powers to steer history and control people to nudge them into fulfilling Seldon's plan. They are still stationed on Trantor as was revealed in the original books. Because of an incident with local people, one of the senior Speakers (their leaders) suspects a different power that has psychic strength exceeding even the combined Second Foundation. This prompts a search mission, as he departs from Trantor, taking one of the local women as his companion.

In the meantime, a man from Terminus (a seat of the First Foundation) called Trevis is strategically exiled so that he can look for the Second Foundation that is believed to have been destroyed in the Mule's times. Joining him is a professor whose life ambition is to locate the original planet of humanity: Earth. Eventually they arrive at a planet called Gaia under the suspicion that it may be what they're after. At the same time, the Second Foundation ship comes there too. As they rendezvous in orbit, it is revealed that the whole planet is a group consciousness and has been awaiting them. It turns out Trevis has this incredible intuition that Gaia believes is necessary to decide the fate of the whole galaxy. His options are to let one of the Foundations rule, or to allow Gaia to expand and eventually form an intergalactic hivemind.

Was it interesting? Sure. Was I hooked? Yeah. I really wanted to know about the mystery surrounding Gaia, and what will come for the Foundations. But that whole psychic/mental theme is now dominant, and I am really not a huge fan.