Recently I read two first parts of Foundation series (Foundation & Foundation and Empire) and while I liked the overall idea, I was quite disappointed by the execution. The characters are not memorable, writing is dry, lot of 'deus-ex machina' moments hidden as psychohistory and too obvious plot twists (especially in second book).
At the same time, I realize how challenging it is to write a novel that spans over so many years. Each episode is essentially a short story and creating more memorable characters is difficult.
That's why I wonder if anyone has managed to do it better. I prefer Sci-Fi suggestions as it will be more comparable to Foundation, but feel free to suggest also other genres.
by HenrykKwinto