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Isaac Asimov's Foundation series consists of the following books (listed in the order of the stories' chronology, with publication dates in brackets):
Overview
The original Foundation series, referred to as the Foundation
trilogy, consisted of the books 'Foundation', 'Foundation
and Empire' and 'Second Foundation'. Each of these
books is made up of short stories/novellas. These books have
links to Asimov's Galactic Empire novels 'The Currents of
Space' (1952), 'The Stars, Like Dust - ' (1951) and
'Pebble in the Sky' (1950).
In the 1980's and 1990's, Asimov added books to both his Foundation series, and his Robot Novel series, thus linking together two series which were previously independent. The Robot Novels are: 'The Caves of Steel' (1954), 'The Naked Sun' (1957), 'The Robots of Dawn' (1983) and 'Robots and Empire' (1985). These in turn follow on from the Robot short stories (1940-1976), which have been collected into 'The Complete Robot' (1982).
Isaac Asimov died in 1992, and 'Forward the Foundation' was the last book of this series written before he died.
The Foundation series begins on the planet Trantor, which is the capital of the Galactic Empire. Hari Seldon develops the science of psychohistory, which can predict the behaviour of society using mathematics. He predicts that the Empire will fall within a few centuries, but has a plan (afterwards known as the Seldon Plan) which will reduce the period of anarchy to only a thousand years, rather than the thirty thousand that would result otherwise. This plan involves the establishment of a colony on the planet Terminus (the Foundation), on the edge of the Galaxy, to preserve technological knowledge, and to be the seed of the eventual Second Galactic Empire.
At various times during the Foundation's history, crises would occur. Each time such a crisis (a 'Seldon Crisis') occurred, the people of the Foundation would know that Seldon had predicted it, and the key figure involved would discover that there was only one obvious choice to be made. Thus history would be guided according to the Seldon Plan. At the resolution of each crisis, the image of Seldon would appear in a Vault, explaining the situation.
Seldon also set up the Second Foundation, whose location was unknown, and whose members had mental powers (telepathy and mind-control), to continue the development and application of the science of psychohistory, thus protecting the Plan.
The books written later put the series in a different context, which some people may think spoils the series' original concept.
The source of the dates is given in brackets after the date:
JP = Johnny Pez
Date - internal chronology |
Story and publishing date |
12020 GE (JP) |
Prelude
to Foundation (1988) |
| 12028 - 12069 GE (JP) | Forward the Foundation
(1993) Hari Seldon, having formed the basics of psychohistory, attempts to develop it into a more useful science, at the Streeling University on Trantor. Several decades are covered in this story. Gradually over the years, psychohistory takes shape, and with it, the Plan. In the meantime, Trantorian and Galactic society is starting to collapse, and Seldon attempts to slow and control the deterioration. On several occasions his life is in danger. He is assisted by his colleagues, his wife Dors Venabili, his foster-son Raych, and later by his granddaughter Wanda. Johnny Pez has given dates for the different parts of this book. When I get a chance, I may write reviews of each part. |
| 12028 GE (JP) | "Eto Demerzel" (Forward the Foundation (1993)) |
| 12038 GE (JP) | "Cleon I" (Forward the Foundation(1993)) |
| 12048 GE (JP) | "Dors Venabili" (Forward the Foundation(1993)) |
| 12058 GE (JP) | "Wanda Seldon" (Forward the Foundation(1993)) |
| 12067 GE (JP) | Foundation
(1951) Part I. The Psychohistorians The mathematician Gaal Dornick arrives on Trantor to work for Hari Seldon, but immediately Gaal and Seldon are arrested. They are put on trial for Seldon's predictions that Trantor will fall. When Seldon explains that all he wants is a scientific community to write an encyclopedia, and thus preserve scientific knowledge, he and his group are exiled to the planet Terminus, on the edge of the Galaxy. |
| 12069 GE (JP) | Epilogue (Forward the Foundation(1993)) |
| 49-50 FE (12117-12118 GE) (JP) | Foundation (1951) Part II. The Encyclopedists The Encyclopedia Foundation has been proceeding with its work on Terminus for 50 years, with its Board of Trustees governing the planet. In the meantime provinces at the periphery of the Galaxy are starting to break away from the Empire. Anacreon, one of four Kingdoms neighbouring Terminus, wants to take possession of Terminus. The Encyclopedists believe the Imperial Charter will protect them, but Salvor Hardin, Mayor of the Terminus community, decides he must take action himself, to protect his world. |
| 79-80 FE (12147-12148 GE) (JP) | Foundation (1951) Part III. The Mayors Mayor Salvor Hardin now governs Terminus. He has kept the Four Kingdoms at bay by mutual jealousy, and by appeasing them with high technology, atomic power and scientific services. This has become a religion for the uneducated citizens of the Kingdoms, with the technicians as priests. But Anacreon intends to attack again, and Hardin is also getting opposition from within his own council. |
| 134 FE (12202 GE) (JP) | Foundation (1951) Part IV. The Traders Traders are spreading the influence of the Foundation to surrounding worlds, and with it the religion with which the Foundation can control them. Trader Limmar Ponyets learns that a fellow trader has been imprisoned on the planet Askone, for trying to sell atomic devices, which the Askonians consider abominations. Ponyets must rescue his friend, and also persuade Askone to accept atomic devices. Perhaps a machine which turns iron into gold will help. |
| 154-160 FE (12222-12228 GE) (JP) | Foundation (1951) Part V. The Merchant Princes Three Foundation trade ships have disappeared in the territory of the Korellian republic. This can only mean Korell is getting atomic technology from somewhere. Hober Mallow, Master Trader, is sent to investigate. Korell is aware that the Foundation controls other worlds through religion, and will therefore not buy atomic equipment from the Foundation. However, Mallow manages to establish a trading relationship with Korell, for atomic-powered domestic appliances, factory tools and luxury items, but without the religious pricetag. In the process, he discovers that Korell is getting armaments from an outer province of the Empire. When Korell declares war against the Foundation, Mallow (having by now won the seat of mayor on the council) withdraws trade, and seems to be relying on economic forces to protect the Foundation. Will this be enough? |
| 195-196 FE (12263-12264 GE) (JP) | Foundation
and Empire (1952) Part I. The General Bel Riose is the last strong general of the Empire. When he discovers the Foundation, he perceives it as a rival power, and sets out to conquer it. Trader Lathan Devers of the Foundation and Ducem Barr from the Imperial planet Siwenna (a world with no love for the Empire) are prisoners in Riose's ship. Can they escape to help the Foundation? |
| 310-311 FE (12378-12379 GE) (JP) | Foundation and Empire (1952) Part II. The Mule Three hundred years after the beginning of the Foundation, the Empire has collapsed, and the Foundation is a significant power in its quadrant of the Galaxy. The Foundation government has become despotic, bureaucratic and unjust. The Independent Trader worlds, rebel worlds within the Foundation sphere of influence, plan a civil war against the Foundation. When news comes of a new warlord, the Mule, who is conquering world after world, they wonder whether they should ally with him against the Foundation. Toran and Bayta, from the Independent Trader world Haven, take a honeymoon trip to the planet Kalgan, hoping to contact the Mule, but instead get into trouble when they rescue the Mule's runaway court jester Magnifico, and flee to Terminus. When the Mule's forces conquer Terminus, the Foundation, and the Independent Trader worlds, it seems that Hari Seldon's Plan has failed. Toran, Bayta, Magnifico, and the psychologist Ebling Mis flee to Trantor, hoping to find information in the Imperial Library on the location of the Second Foundation, who seem to be their only hope. |
| 316 FE (12384 GE) (JP) | Second Foundation
(1953) Part I. Search by the Mule The Mule, having conquered the Foundation, and set up his own Union of Worlds, concludes that the only remaining threat is the Second Foundation. But for 5 years his forces have searched without finding it. He finally sends out two men: General Han Pritcher, loyal to the Mule as a result of the Mule's mind-control, and Bail Channis, whose mind is his own, and therefore has additional drive and motivation (but can he be trusted?). This leads to the final confrontation between the Mule and the Second Foundation. |
| 376-377 FE (12444-12445 GE) (JP) | Second Foundation (1953) Part II. Search by the Foundation Four hundred years after the beginning of the Foundation, the Mule has been dead for a generation, and the Foundation has achieved its former glory. The Second Foundation's confrontation with the Mule had revealed its existence and power. Several Foundation men, suspicious and resentful of the Second Foundation's control, meet secretly with plans to locate and destroy it. Fourteen-year-old Arcadia eavesdrops on their meeting. When one of the group sets off for the planet Kalgan, to look for evidence in the Mule's palace, Arcadia stows away on board his ship, and so arrives on Kalgan with him. Lord Stettin, ruler of Kalgan, has hopes of regaining the Mule's empire, and declares war against the Foundation. Arcadia takes refuge with a farmer and his wife returning to Trantor. But Arcadia has discovered a clue to the Second Foundation's location. Can she get a message to her father on Terminus before the Second Foundation takes action? (Or have they been involved all along?) |
| 498 FE (12566 GE) (JP) | Foundation's Edge
(1982) Five hundred years after the beginning of the Foundation, the Foundation Federation now occupies a third of the Galaxy. Foundation Councilman Golan Trevize has concluded that the Second Foundation must still exist, as the Seldon Plan is too precisely on track. The Mayor sends Trevize and historian Janov Pelorat on a mission to locate the Second Foundation if it exists. Meantime, on the world of the Second Foundation (I won't tell you where it is), Stor Gendibal, one of the Speakers (the ruling group) of the Second Foundation, concludes that there must be some other powerful group controlling events, because the Seldon Plan is more precisely on track than the Second Foundation can make it. The Speakers send him, with the farmwoman Sura Novi, to locate this group. Trevize and Pelorat discover the planet Gaia, a world that experiences a group consciousness between all people, animals, plants and inanimate objects, including the planet itself. There is a final showdown between the Foundation, the Second Foundation and Gaia, over which of these will control the developing Second Galactic Empire. Trevize must make the choice. |
| 498 FE (12566 GE) (JP) | Foundation and
Earth (1986) Having made the choice, Trevize wants to be sure it was the correct one, and concludes that the missing information he needs is on Earth. But no one knows where Earth is, or whether it is more than a myth. He leaves Gaia, with his friend Pelorat and the Gaian woman Bliss, and they travel through space to various planets, picking up clues to the location of the old Spacer worlds (as described in the Robot novels). They experience several dangers before reaching their final destination. (A note of uncertainty and foreboding is introduced on the last page: I would like to know what the author had in mind for a continuation of the series.) |
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