Second Foundation

Second Foundation is third book of original Foundation trilogy. There are more Foundation books but those are written later. This book concentrates of Second Foundation. When Foundation was founded second hidden foundation was founded same time. First Foundation was formed publicly having all kinds of scientists except people who understood psychohistory. Those people were sent to second Foundation which was meant to work in secret.

Both stories tell about searches of Second Foundation. First continues the Mule’s story. The Mule wants to find mysterious Second Foundation. Second story happens after The Mule’s time. Foundation have recovered and start take interest of search for Second Foundation it sees as threat to it. There are rumors of Second Foundation stopping the Mule.

Second Foundation returns to tones of first book where the goal was to outsmart the opponent. Foundation and Empire told there is nothing you can do to change history. Maybe limits of psychohistory came at the end of first book when First Foundation didn’t social scientist to review it. Mental control of The Mule is also here. Unlike The Mule Second Foundation want to stay hidden and not to rule. Just set things moving to correct direction.

Goal of Foundations was to shorten dark age to thousand years. Original trilogy doesn’t end at end of dark age. It ends at point where there is little to tell without telling same stories again. First book was like history of Europe from fall of Rome to modern day. That road was taken to its end. So second book took different approach which ended fall of Foundation under mental powers of the Mule. Third book is about secret society of mental supermen working behind the scenes. It tells what there is to tell about that. Original trilogy ends when there is nothing more to tell without repeating what was told before. There is one element which reminded lot about one story from the first book. Maybe that was sign to end the trilogy.

I am not familiar of later Foundation books. Don’t know if they get to end of dark age or not. They were written because fans and publisher wanted more Foundation. Those who read the books when they were published had to wait for thirty years for next book. I won’t wait that long but I will have break from Foundation. There are other worlds to explore before I get back to Foundation.

Foundation and Empire

Foundation and Empire is second book in Isaac Asimov Foundation trilogy. He wrote more Foundation books later making series longer than trilogy. When I wrote about Foundation I didn’t know it was collection of previously released stories. It explains structure which had several stories with beginning and end. Foundation and Empire has two such stories. Both have Foundation members visiting what is left of Empire.

Foundation felt like it told European history. Some of which was to happen when stories were written. Foundation and Empire’s stories took more direct inspiration from fall of Roman Empire. Foundation was first act introducing the world. Foundation was victorious. Psychohistory predicted what will happen. Psychohistory is science fiction science predicting future from large momentums.

First story hints individuals may change history in way psychohistory might not handle it. Events of last story of Foundation catch eye of strong general of Empire. He starts successful campaign against Foundation. Story takes inspiration from time when Constantinople captured Rome after Fall of Rome.

Second story takes inspiration from Attila the Hun. In it mutant the Mule shows limits of psychohistory. During crisis Hari Sheldon has had video message predicting what has happened and will happen based on psychohistory. Best moment of the book is when Hari Sheldon’s video message is shown during the Mule crisis. I won’t go deeper into it.

Foundation and Empire is darker middle act. In Empire men took control of events and helped Foundation to survive. In Foundation and Empire men are not able to turn the tide of history same way.

Isaac Asimov: Foundation

“Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent.” I started listening this without knowing almost anything about it. I knew it was on epic scale which made me expect grand space battles. I was wrong. This is about surviving during time of declining empire with diplomatic means. More Star Trek than Star Wars. I have to say old Star Trek because in new one violence is one of the first options.

Scientist Hari Sheldon has invented psychohistory which can calculate probabilities of future events so well he can predict accurately what will happen in upcoming centuries. He predicts empire will collapse in next 300 years which will cause dark age for humanity. To shorten the time of dark ages Sheldon wants to create library of human understanding. This project is called Foundation. Scientists go to far away planet on outskirts of galaxy to collect the library. Book tell how Foundation survives collapse of Empire by adapting and finding diplomatic ways to stop more powerful foes.

If you know some history you get flashback to European history from Fall of Roman Empire to beginning of European Union. First Empire just disappears and Foundation find themselves on their own. From that it takes different steps and ends up finding same principles which started development towards European Union. First treaties which lead to European Union were signed same year Foundation was published.

Foundation is 70 years old this year. Only thing dating it was importance of atomic energy. Nowadays it would have been replaced by other science fiction technology. I didn’t expect Foundation to be about politics and diplomacy. It made politics and diplomacy interesting by making it a game where starter person can win more powerful person.