Jimmy Brewster

In the fall of 2023 after watching the second season of the Foundation show on Apple+, I began reading Asimov's books (robot/empire/foundation) in the order which he suggested in an author's note in Prelude to Foundation.

Finally, after almost 2 years I have finished the titular book.

I enjoy the overall story of Foundation, however, the writing is not my favorite from Asimov. The entire book is essentially men having conversations about ruling the galaxy and how to manipulate the future for the good of mankind. Using dialogue to advance the plot is a device that Asimov uses a lot in his writing, and Foundation is the quintessential example. For the most part, nothing really happens, but there are a lot of conversations about things that have happened or are happening.

Also, where are the women? Asimov's women characters are sparse and often poorly written stereotypes. The single woman who gets a few lines of dialogue in Foundation would rank high as one of the worst examples.

If you want to read a single Asimov book, I would not recommend Foundation. If you are trying to complete the entire Foundation series, well, I guess you have no choice.

Earthlings by Sayaka Murata is about fitting into society, and the struggles that accompany living with childhood trauma and other mental health issues.

I wanted to read this book because I previously enjoyed The Convenience Store Woman by the same author. I am sure that everyone who enjoyed TCSW will not enjoy Earthlings. Earthlings is like the dark, twisted, horrific cousin of The Convenience Store Woman.

I liked this book a lot because of the elements of darkness and the absurdity of the characters. I also found the questions about society and the pressure to fit in to be relatable.

If you enjoy authors like Chuck Palahniuk you will probably like this book.