One of the great masterworks of science fiction, the Foundation novels of Isaac Asimov are unsurpassed for their unique blend of nonstop action, daring ideas, and extensive world-building.
The story of our future begins with the history of Foundation and its greatest psychohistorian: Hari Seldon. For twelve thousand years the Galactic Empire has ruled supreme. Now it is dying. Only Hari Seldon, creator of the revolutionary science of psychohistory, can see into the future--a dark age of ignorance, barbarism, and warfare that will last thirty thousand years. To preserve knowledge and save mankind, Seldon gathers the best minds in the Empire--both scientists and scholars--and brings them to a bleak planet at the edge of the Galaxy to serve as a beacon of hope for future generations. He calls his sanctuary the Foundation.
But soon the fledgling Foundation finds itself at the mercy of corrupt warlords rising in the wake of …
One of the great masterworks of science fiction, the Foundation novels of Isaac Asimov are unsurpassed for their unique blend of nonstop action, daring ideas, and extensive world-building.
The story of our future begins with the history of Foundation and its greatest psychohistorian: Hari Seldon. For twelve thousand years the Galactic Empire has ruled supreme. Now it is dying. Only Hari Seldon, creator of the revolutionary science of psychohistory, can see into the future--a dark age of ignorance, barbarism, and warfare that will last thirty thousand years. To preserve knowledge and save mankind, Seldon gathers the best minds in the Empire--both scientists and scholars--and brings them to a bleak planet at the edge of the Galaxy to serve as a beacon of hope for future generations. He calls his sanctuary the Foundation.
But soon the fledgling Foundation finds itself at the mercy of corrupt warlords rising in the wake of the receding Empire. And mankind's last best hope is faced with an agonizing choice: submit to the barbarians and live as slaves--or take a stand for freedom and risk total destruction.
The story of how Hari Seldon's Psychohistory is used to try to cushion the fall of the galactic empire. Actually a collection of short stories, I enjoyed the intersection of politics and religion.
Some of the psychological aspects are interesting, particularly the Heisenburg-like repercussions of psychohistory (if people know you've made a certain predition about their behavior, that can AFFECT their behavior and change the outcome).
Review of 'The Foundation Trilogy (Foundation, #1-3)' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
I wanted to read the three books Asimov wrote in his early twenties first. The most amazing thing to me is how the writing, even as it stretches imagination and creativity with almost shocking vastness, still reflects early 50's American culture in every nuance. The galaxy is populated from end to end with humans who ply themselves with alcohol and tobacco, push the boundaries of microfilm and nuclear technology, and are nearly unaware of computers. Women remain primarily homemakers throughout. It's quite wonderful though, a grandiose future filled with insightful allegories and always-relevant queries into human nature that ultimately reveal as much about the writer and his environment as the futuristic subject matter. I'm really looking forward now to the remaining books, which Asimov wrote decades later.
