Foundation - Isaac Asimov

...of artificially intelligent beings. His Foundation series is also seen as one his most important contributions to the genre and it is the first book, Foundation, that I will detail further now that we have the background of the author under wraps.

~~~~The Book~~~~

Foundation is the first book of a trilogy that was later further expanded. It began life as a series of four short stories for Astounding Magazine which were ...
...on trantor, and that the Foundation they have formed to administer and oversee the Encyclopaedia, is also in reality the very rebellion they have acquitted Hari of. Hari and the others see the decay and rot within the halls of government, replete with foul corruption, and wish to carry out their work without its influence tainting their efforts. So off they all go to Terminus, and officially begin the great work of the Foundation, and begin to collect ... more

~~~~~A bit of background~~~~~

This book is undoubtedly one of the masterworks of science fiction, but before I can even begin to explain why to you, first I feel I should give a brief introduction to the author in order to offer some insight. Isaac Asimov is possibly passing familiar to many, either through his literary works, or from the taglines on such recent film adaptations of his works such as "I, Robot"., but I doubt many know the man behind the name. I think this is important, as it gives a bit more respect and understanding of the books as it gives a peek into the author's possible thoughts and motivation behind the writing of these pieces of fiction.

Isaac Asimov was a Russian born American citizen. He was an accomplished professor of biochemistry as well as a prolific writer and editor. It is estimated that he has written or edited in excess of an astounding 500 books. Not all were fiction; the books' topics cover the entire range of the Dewey Library system's categories except philosophy. In addition, he wrote numerous articles and was a prolific letter writer. Along with Heinlein and Clarke, he is widely recognised as one of the three most important science fiction writers of his lifetime. His work in science fiction has been so iconic that it has inspired real life roboticists for the past several decades, especially in the field of artificial intelligence. This is mainly because of his famous Robot novels and short stories, of which "I, Robot. and "The Bicentennial Man" are part of. It was in these that he introduced the three laws of robotics and which today AI designers and programmers are working to adapt into reality. In addition, his portrayal of robots and machines that have become self aware and having the analogue of feelings, yet being treated as inferior and disposable mere machinery opened up discussions in the real life scientific and political world circles on the rights of artificially intelligent beings. His Foundation series is also seen as one his most important contributions to the genre and it is the first book, Foundation, that I will detail further now that we have the background of the author under wraps.

~~~~The Book~~~~

Foundation is the first book of a trilogy that was later further expanded. It began life as a series of four short stories for Astounding Magazine which were printed between 1942 and 1944. In 1951, Gnome Press printed them together in book form, after Asimov wrote a fifth story to add.

The book is set on the planet of Trantor, which is at the heart of a 12,000 year old Galactic Empire. Unlike many science fiction tales, the story does not centre on an emperor, or a hero set to overthrow the unjust ruler, or even a ship's captain out to smuggle goods from under Imperial noses. Instead, this book focusses on two mathematicians, Hari Seldon and his young protégé Gaal Domick. Hari has developed a new field of science and it causing quite a stir. A blend of mathematics and history, the science of psychohistory extrapolates future events by past historical trends. Having surveyed the current and past events of the Empire, he reveals that the empire is not as stable as it appears, but is crumbling. In 300 years time, it will have fallen and 30,000 years of anarchy will follow. Poor Hari and Gaal are arrested and charged with being dangerous and possibly treasonous. Upon a closer look, the government is satisfied that Hari and his protégé are not plotting to destroy the government, but that they are working towards a solution to help their society through the dark times ahead and allow their Galactic culture to survive.

His grand plan involves training more psychohistorians, and setting up the Encyclopaedia Galactica, which they will maintain. It will be the repository of all human knowledge, and b the beacon to bring humanity back from the chaos in order to establish a second Empire. The government decide that this repository should be located offworld at a distance, ostensibly to protect it, and they select the planet Terminus. What they are blissfully unaware of is that they have been manoeuvred into this by the psychohistorians already on trantor, and that the Foundation they have formed to administer and oversee the Encyclopaedia, is also in reality the very rebellion they have acquitted Hari of. Hari and the others see the decay and rot within the halls of government, replete with foul corruption, and wish to carry out their work without its influence tainting their efforts. So off they all go to Terminus, and officially begin the great work of the Foundation, and begin to collect and collate all the knowledge of mankind for the Encyclopaedia.

The book then jumps ahead 50 years, when a point in society comes to be recognised as one of the "Seldon Crises". These are the predicted turning points of history, and the outcomes determine how soon a unifying government can come back into play and bring peace to the galaxy. One way and chaos reigns 30,000 years, the other and the Galaxy is whole again in less than 300. Blissfully unaware, the psychohistorians are hard at work, collecting their data and preserving it, under the watchful eye of the board of Trustees as provided for in their Imperial Charter. Four nearby galactic provinces have rebelled, and they covet Terminus for its strategic value. The Board of Trustees pooh pooh at the danger, and continue their scholarly endeavour, while Salvor Hardin, the mayor of Terminus city, gets extremely worried at the danger he sees unfolding before his eyes. He is mostly a figurehead, as the trustees hold the galactic Charter, so is powerless to act. This is especially frustrating, as he sees the way out of the situation, but can do nothing. that is, until the Foundation opens a time locked vault at the Seldon Museum, and a holographic Hari reveals the true purpose of the Foundation, mentions his Seldon Crises prediction, and how it must play out. The Trustees cave in, realising their power was but an illusion, and Hardin is free to act. he is successful, and so the galaxy is nudged one step towards future stability, when the research work of the psychohistorians will truly be needed.

The rest of the book centres on the various "Seldon Crises" and also on the various groups that must work towards completing the great plan. The mayors from Hardin forward who help launch a religion based on technology, in order to keep science alive in the increasingly more barbaric areas, the merchant class of Terminus who attempt to establish trade relations, and the merchant princes who use their influence to align worlds with the Foundation. Indeed, the Foundation IS to become the stabilising force of the galaxy.

~~My thoughts~~~
I have to admit this book became very influential to me during my teens and early adult hood. after first encountering this book at my aunt's farmhouse one fall when I was 15. It helped me develop some of my personal views on the importance of knowledge, as well as to gain a unique insight into the motivations behind political manoeuvrings. While these were originally written during the W.W.II era, the points this book makes and its thought provoking undercurrents are all too relevant today. This is where I came to appreciate the skill of a great science fiction writer. Not only did he take a leap of faith based on possible future scientific and scholarly endeavour, but he used it to illustrate things about 20th century civilisation that would continue to be relevant perhaps far into the 21st century.

As we stand in seemingly ever increasing anarchy, and the rumours and exposures of corrupt officials, biased news, and other current events, we can it back with this book and take comfort in hari seldon and his psychohistory. This ground braking work inspires the reader to look at the historical trends, and use them to effect a better outcome by looking ahead for the brushfires, and effecting a firebreak. It speaks on a personal level about the value of knowledge, as a definable treasure and an underpinning for civilisation, echoing all the way back to the long lost halls of the Library of Alexandria.

It is a compelling read, and one that is very hard to put down, which, once finished, has you wanting the next in the series, just to see how they get on. And while it is about politics, and encyclopaedias, it is not a dry read. the characters are well defined, and the intrigue they indulge in as well as the barbarians they later face all add to the excitement of the story. Death sentences, treason, space flight; all the great things one hopes for in a great sci fi romp are all there. It s the unusual spin and depth of the story that make this great and only a Grand Master such as Asimov could have pulled this off. A definite must read, and one that will undoubtedly be read again. 

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