Paperback. Orange cover with white title.

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Although the original Foundation trilogy (1950s) laid the groundwork for Asimov’s universe, I’ve always found it rather bland. When Asimov returned to the series in the 1980s with Foundation’s Edge, the leap in storytelling quality felt far greater than the thirty years that separated them. Growing up, I listened to Prelude to Foundation on cassette and loved it. Published just six years after Foundation’s Edge (with Foundation and Earth in between), it cemented for me how much richer and more engaging Asimov’s later entries were compared to the original trilogy.

The mystery, the twists, and the separate timelines that converge all give the story a grand space-opera feel. The characters resonated with me, and the depiction of spaceships and hyperspace travel felt believable – perhaps because Asimov wisely avoids overexplaining how hyperspace works. Some of his characteristic sexism remains, though it’s far less pronounced than in the earlier books. Overall, it stands as a solid work of science fiction with a wide enough scope to feel expansive without losing focus.

NOTE: This is an original  book from the library gathered by the famous Cambridge Don, computer scientist, food and wine connoisseur, Jack Arnold LANG. Note: Jack founded the Michelin Guide ‘Midsummer House’- Cambridge’s paramount restaurant. This dining experience is hidden amongst the grassy pastures and grazing cattle of Midsummer Common and perched on the banks of the River Cam. The Midsummer House experience is imaginatively curated to delight and amaze, so the surprise set menu changes regularly and is ‘Midsummer’s’ playground to showcase.

In 2008, Jack was one of the co-founders of the Raspberry Pi Foundation, alongside other members of the Department, and acted as the Foundation’s Chair. The project’s original goals were modest: to build and distribute low-cost computers for prospective applicants to our Computer Science degree. Initially the project was a “success disaster”, as Jack would say, as demand far outstripped the low-scale manufacturing plans. Ultimately the Raspberry Pi became the UK’s most successful computer with more than 60 million sold to date. Jack was drawn to the educational possibilities of the Raspberry Pi, its potential uses in emerging economies and the way it could support self-directed learning.