Month: June 2009

I am perhaps one of the last of “my era” reading Asimov’s Foundation series. Finished reading Second foundation yesterday and some very obvious errors in his writing caught my eyes.

Chapter 6 – One man, The mule and another – Mule suspects Channis to be a second foundationer and incapacitates him. When he comes to his senses : “It ended wth a cracking sensation that was like the jagged glare of a lightning flash, and Channis came slowly to earth while sight returned painfully in blurry transmission through tear-drenched eyes”

Chapter 18 -Ghost of a world – Arcadia has run away from Kalgan to her birthplace Trantor. Her emotions on reaching her birthplace “She had left, clangingly – running until her feet pounded softly on earth once more”

Chapter 18 -Ghost of a world – Arcadia is trying to persuade Preem Palver to go to war struck Terminus with food supplies – “The foundation traders in the old days used to do that all the time. There’d be war, so they’d sell whatever was needed bad and take their chances. Golly they use to make as much as two million dollars out of one trip – profit”

Chapter 21 -The answer that satisfied – Dr. Toran Darell uses the mind static device on Pelleas Anthor “with an unearthly shriek Pelleas Anthor sank to the floor”

While the use of words earth and unearthly can be attributed to the language per se (though I feel usage of term ground in first two instances and an adjective like eeire, ghostly or nightmarish would suit better). The usage of word dollars in chapter 18 however is totally incorrect as the foundationers used foundation credits as currency and not dollars.

Disclaimer: These nitpicks are for the purpose of academic interest only. I am totally in love with Issac Asimov’s Foundation series books.