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Synopsis: Hari Seldon, a young, provincial mathematical genius comes to the attention of the Emperor of the Galaxy after Seldon proves that it is theoretically possible to predict the future course of human society by statistical means.
But Emperor Cleon I is not the only powerful player interested in Seldon's new branch of Mathematics. Various other players realize they could better their position, even grab the Imperial Throne, by using Seldon.
Seldon will find himself dodging these adversaries across the underground maze of the city-world of Trantor, aided by two people who may not be entirely what they seem.
Comments: Although this is the next to last Foundation book writen, it is chronologically the first within the series. The first prequel to the series, if you will.
Should you read this one first and go in chronological order, or leave it for later and go in the writing order? I read the Foundation series in its writen order, so I will comment on that alone.
Given the choice I would rather have read the series in chronological order. For one thing, I already knew the ending of "Prelude," the fate of Seldon and even the identity of Demerzel (although that comes from reading a different Asimov series). I did not know how the events would unfold, and The Good Doctor did provide some fascinating situations for Seldon to get into --and out of, eventually. So I know where Seldon would end up and in what condition, but not which road he would take to get there. In other words, while I enjoyed this book, the suspense was totally lost for me.
This does not reflect badly on Dr. Asimov. People reading in chronological order will find the suspense well-written. But knowing what lies ahead does spoil some of the fun.
That aside, what about the content of the book itself? In a word: fascinating. The action takes place on Trantor, capital of the Galactic Empire. Trantor is a world covered with metal, all it's cities are underground (a grander version of Earth in The Caves of Steel). Asimov brings that bit of description off much better than he did on "Foundation" and "Foundation and Empire," which were writen earlier. He goes into great detail on the internal workings on the planet: how Trantorians handle earthquakes, where they get their food, how they rid of waste, etc etc.
Also, Asimov made Trantor a non-homogeneous world. That is to say, Trantorians from one sector are totally different from the Trantorians of other sectors. This seems obvious, doesn't it? After all, Mexicans have different customs from Americans, or Brittons or Spaniards. Yet such diversity of custom, culture, way of life and even ethnicity are often absent from most SF works.
There are reasons for Asimov to be so diverse. In fact, the diversty of Trantor has a lot to do with the story itself. Yet the Good Doctor goes beyond the call of duty. You will get a sense of knowing the various societies residing in Trantor.
The style of writing is the best Asimov ever managed, in my opinion. He has always been clear and easy to read, yet here he mannages to be so clear that you hardly notice you are reading.
All in all, Prelude to Foundation is a joy to read.
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