Foundation and Earth

By: Isaac Asimov

Narrated by: Larry McKeever

Length: 18 hrs and 44 mins

Publisher's summary

The Foundation novels of Isaac Asimov are among the great masterworks of science fiction. An ingenious blend of nonstop action, daring ideas, and extensive world-building, they chronicle the struggle of a courageous group of men and women determined to shield enlightened humanity from a ceaseless threat of darkness and ultimate annihilation.

Golan Trevize, former councilman of the First Foundation, has chosen the future, and it is Gaia. A superorganism, Gaia is a holistic planet with a common consciousness so intensely united that every dewdrop, every pebble, every being, can speak for all - and feel for all. It is a realm in which privacy is not only undesirable, it is incomprehensible. But is it the right choice for the destiny of mankind? While Trevize feels it is, that is not enough. He must know.

Trevize believes the answer lies at the site of humanity’s roots: fabled Earth...if it still exists. For no one is sure where the planet of Gaia’s first settlers is to be found in the immense wilderness of the galaxy. Nor can anyone explain why no record of Earth has been preserved, no mention of it made anywhere in Gaia’s vast world-memory. It is an enigma Trevize is determined to resolve and a quest he is determined to undertake, at any cost.

Listen to all of Isaac Asimov's Foundation series, including (in chronological order):

Prelude to FoundationForward the FoundationFoundationFoundation and Empire Second FoundationFoundation's EdgeFoundation and Earth

©1986 Nightfall, Inc (P)2011 Random House Audio

Read with all the emotion of a medical text!

Is there anything you would change about this book?

A different reader would help tremendously. The reading was dispassionate, almost mechanical. Like reading a text book.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Bliss

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Larry McKeever?

Scott Brick

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

Yes

Any additional comments?

no.

Emotion missing?

Would you consider the audio edition of Foundation and Earth to be better than the print version?

No

What did you like about the performance? What did you dislike?

Honestly, the voice of the narator was fine, but the delivery lacked the emotional quality that I have come to expect. Also, the sound of the narators voice remided me vividly of the voice of the narator that I used to hear accompanying film strips when I was a kid in grade school.

Slow Story Slow Reader

I listened to this on fast, I cold not take the drowning pace. The story was OK it closed to series and provided insight as to the gaps in the saga. The story was true Asimov mystery style, But the book is a bit long winded, the bickering with bliss and Trevise was annoying. I read the book 20 years ago and liked it then, so much of it may be related to the performance. All in all must read to finish the story line started in I Robot. I love all the stories, but this was so so. The Story written in the 1980's still likens to Classic 1950's SCIFI that Isaac Asimov was the master of.

I would return this book if I could...

I would return this book if I could due to poor, robotic sounding narration. Since I doubt there is an alternate narration of this title available, I will suffer through it. Audible should re-produce and re-release this title with Scott Brick as the narrator. Narrated by: Larry McKeever will a red flag for my future purchases.

Terrible Narration

Great story. The narrator sounds like a computer. Not worth the money. I have many Audible books and two of the have this narrator. Check to make sure this guy isn’t the narrator before you buy!

Narration makes this a bad listen

I have loved the Foundation series as narrated by Scott Brick. His performance is wonderful, full of life and keeps you interested. I cannot say this of Mr. Larry McKeever. He is so monotone that I can barely stand to listen. I only do so because of the great story created by Asimov. McKeever has no emotion in his performance. He is flat and lifeless. The difference in his character voices is painfully thin and hardly discernible. This recording should be re-done with Scott Brick behind the mic so people can enjoy the end of a great series.

Great author, great book, worst narration

I was really looking forward to finishing the Foundation series. I had been meaning to read Asimov for a long time and ripped through the first four books in a couple of months. Scott Brick brought those books to life.

The narrator sounded computerized. No matter what speed it never improved. He barely changed the voices for characters and added almost no variance in tone or pitch. I couldn’t even finish it. Please re-record.

Great book, terrible narrator

The story is fantastic. The narrator sounds mono tone and computer generated. No emotion. No change in pitch or tone. Makes listening to the book boring and nearly unbearable. I will be requesting a refund.

Great story, slow narrator

I enjoyed the story greatly, but the narrator was terrible. His voice was slow and tedious, and did nothing to bring the characters to life.

Asimove Lover

If you could sum up Foundation and Earth in three words, what would they be?

The final chapter

What other book might you compare Foundation and Earth to and why?

The complete Foundation Collection. All were top notch studies of the way man thinks and behaves

Have you listened to any of Larry McKeever’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Yes. Always great.