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Second Foundation (1953), 1973 Panther paperback edition with cover art by Chris Foss. 187 pages

The Foundation Series is an epic science fiction series written over a span of forty-four years by Isaac Asimov. It consists of seven volumes that are closely linked to each other, although they can be read separately. The term 'Foundation Series' is often used more generally to include the Robot Series and Empire Series, which are set in the same fictional universe. In total there are fourteen novels and dozens of short stories written by Asimov, and six novels written by other authors after his death. The series is highly acclaimed, winning the one-time Hugo Award for "best all-time science fiction series" in 1965. Image File history File links Broom_icon. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 447 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (453 × 608 pixel, file size: 154 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Cover of Panther paperback edition of Isaac Asimovs science fiction novel Second Foundation, ISBN 0586017135, with artwork by Chris Foss. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 447 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (453 × 608 pixel, file size: 154 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Cover of Panther paperback edition of Isaac Asimovs science fiction novel Second Foundation, ISBN 0586017135, with artwork by Chris Foss. ... Example of Panther Science Fiction Examples of a Panther Book Panther Books Ltd is a UK publishing house made popular in the 1960s, specialising in paperback fiction. ... Christopher Foss (born 1946) is a British illustrator and science fiction artist, best known for his science fiction book covers and the illustrations for the original editions of The Joy of Sex. ... Science fiction is a form of speculative fiction principally dealing with the impact of imagined science and technology, or both, upon society and persons as individuals. ... Isaac Asimov (January 2?, 1920? – April 6, 1992, IPA: , originally Исаак Озимов but now transcribed into Russian as Айзек Азимов) was a Russian-born American author and professor of biochemistry, a highly successful and exceptionally prolific writer best known for his works of science fiction and for his popular science books. ... Isaac Asimovs Robot Series is a series of books by Isaac Asimov, both collections of short stories and novels. ... The Galactic Empire Series contains Isaac Asimovs three earliest novels and one short story: The Stars, Like Dust (1951) The Currents of Space (1952) Pebble in the Sky (1950), his first novel Blind Alley (1945), short story reprinted in The Early Asimov They are only loosely connected. ...

Foundation was originally a series of eight short stories published in Astounding Magazine between May 1942 and January 1950. According to Asimov the premise was based on ideas set forth in Edward Gibbon's History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire and was invented spontaneously on his way to meet with editor John W. Campbell, with whom he developed the concept.^[1] Astounding Stories was a seminal science fiction magazine founded in 1930. ... Edward Gibbon (1737–1794). ... The History of The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, a major literary achievement of the Eighteenth Century, was written by the English historian, Edward Gibbon. ... The cover of , volume 1, with a picture of Campbell drawn by Frank Kelly Freas John Wood Campbell, Jr. ...

The first four stories were collected, along with a new story taking place before the others, in a single volume published by Gnome Press in 1951 as Foundation. The remainder of the stories were published in pairs as Foundation and Empire (1952) and Second Foundation (1953), resulting in the "Foundation Trilogy", as the series was known for decades. In 1981, after the series had long been considered the most important work of modern SF, Asimov was convinced by his publishers to write a fourth book, which was Foundation's Edge (1982).^[2] He followed this with a sequel, Foundation and Earth (1983) and five years later prequels Prelude to Foundation and Forward the Foundation. During the lapse between sequels and prequels Asimov tied in his Foundation series with his various other series, creating a single unified universe of his most known works.

The premise of the series is that scientist Hari Seldon spent his life developing a branch of mathematics known as psychohistory, a concept devised by Asimov and Campbell. Using the law of mass action, it can predict the future, but only on a large scale; it is error-prone for anything smaller than a planet or an empire. Using these techniques, Seldon foresees the fall of the Galactic Empire, which encompasses the entire Milky Way, and a dark age lasting thirty thousand years before a second great empire arises. To shorten the period of barbarism, he creates two Foundations, small secluded havens of art and science, on opposite ends of the galaxy. The focus of the trilogy is on the Foundation of the planet Terminus. The people living there are working on an all-encompassing Encyclopedia, and are unaware of Seldon's real intentions (for if they were, the variables would become too uncontrolled). The Encyclopedia serves to preserve knowledge of the physical sciences after the collapse. The Foundation's location is chosen so that it acts as the focal point for the next empire in another thousand years (rather than the projected thirty thousand). Hari Seldon (cover art for Foundation, by Stephen Youll) Hari Seldon is the intellectual hero of Isaac Asimovs Foundation Series. ... Euclid, Greek mathematician, 3rd century BC, as imagined by by Raphael in this detail from The School of Athens. ... Psychohistory is the name of a fictional science in Isaac Asimovs Foundation universe, which combined history, psychology and mathematical statistics to create a (nearly) exact science of the behavior of very large populations of people, such as the Galactic Empire. ... For chemistry term, see law of mass action Mass action in sociology refers to the situations where large number of people behave simultaneously in similar way but individaully and without coordiantion. ... In Isaac Asimovs Robot/Empire/Foundation series of novels, the Galactic Empire is an empire consisting of planets settled by humans across the whole galaxy. ... It has been suggested that Andromeda-Milky Way collision be merged into this article or section. ... The Dark Ages (or Dark Age) is a metaphor with multiple meanings and connotations. ... Terminus is a fictional planet at the edge of the Galaxy in Isaac Asimovs Foundation Series, capital of the Foundation. ...

The trilogy

Hari Seldon was the founder of the First and Second Foundations and inventor of Psychohistory (cover art for Foundation, by Stephen Youll)

The early stories are derived from Edward Gibbon's The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire (Asimov said he did "a little bit of cribbin' from the works of Edward Gibbon" when describing the influence of that work on the Trilogy). Picture of Hari Seldon from cover of novel Foundation This work is copyrighted. ... Picture of Hari Seldon from cover of novel Foundation This work is copyrighted. ... Hari Seldon (cover art for Foundation, by Stephen Youll) Hari Seldon is the intellectual hero of Isaac Asimovs Foundation Series. ... Psychohistory is the name of a fictional science in Isaac Asimovs Foundation universe, which combined history, psychology and mathematical statistics to create a (nearly) exact science of the behavior of very large populations of people, such as the Galactic Empire. ... Paul and Stephen Youll are brothers and artists. ... Edward Gibbon (1737–1794). ... // The History of The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, a major literary achievement of the 18th century published in six volumes, was written by the celebrated English historian Edward Gibbon. ...

In many ways, the Foundation series is unique as a science fiction novel. The focus of the books are certainly the trends through which a civilization might progress, specifically seeking to analyze how they might progress over time using history as a precedent. Although many science fiction novels such as Nineteen Eighty-Four or Fahrenheit 451 do this, they typically do so by how current trends in society might come to fruition, and act as a moral allegory on the modern world. The Foundation series, on the other hand, typically looks at the trends in a wider scope, not necessarily looking at what the societies change into, but how they change and adapt. Furthermore, the concept of psychohistory, which gives the events in the story a sense of rational fatalism, leaves little room for moralization, as events are often treated as inevitable and necessary rather than deviations from the greater good. For example, the Foundation slides gradually into oligarchy and dictatorship prior to the appearance of the Mule, but, for the most part, the book treats that change as being necessary in Hari Seldon's plan, rather than mulling over whether it is on the whole positive or negative. This article is about the Orwell novel. ... Fahrenheit 451 is a dystopian soft science fiction novel by Ray Bradbury that was published in 1953. ... The Mule is a fictional character from Isaac Asimovs Foundation Series. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with The Foundation Series. ...

The book also wrestles with the idea of individualism. Hari Seldon's plan is often treated as an inevitable mechanism of society, a vast mindless mob mentality of quadrillions of humans across the galaxy, and many in the series struggle against it only to fail. However, the plan itself is reliant upon cunning individuals like Salvor Hardin and Hober Mallow to make wise decisions, and capitalize on the trends. The Mule, a single individual with remarkable powers, topples the Foundation and nearly destroys the Seldon plan with his special, unforeseen abilities. In order to repair the damage the Mule inflicts, the Second Foundation deploys a plan which also turns upon individual reactions. Hari Seldon himself hopes that his Plan will "reduce 30,000 years of Dark Ages and barbarism to a single millennium." Psychohistory is based on group trends, and cannot predict with sufficient accuracy the effects of these individuals, and the Second Foundation's true purpose was to counter this flaw. The fictional Salvor Hardin is a mayor of Terminus, location of the Foundation created by Hari Seldon in Isaac Asimovs fictional Foundation series. ... This article is in need of attention. ... Second Foundation Second Foundation is the third novel of the Foundation series written in 1970. ...

Sequels

Asimov unsuccessfully tried to end the series at the end of Second Foundation. But, because of the predicted thousand years until the rise of the next Empire (of which, only a few hundred had elapsed), the series lacked a sense of closure. For decades, fans pressured him to write a sequel. Second Foundation Second Foundation is the third novel of the Foundation series written in 1970. ...

Foundation and Earth

In 1982, following a thirty-year hiatus, Asimov gave in and wrote what was at the time a fourth volume: Foundation's Edge. This was followed shortly thereafter by Foundation and Earth. Foundation and Earth (which takes place some 500 years after Seldon) ties up all the loose ends, but opens a brand new line of thought in the last dozen pages. As a result, some fans (wanting a tidy end to the series) consider this finale to be a failure. According to his widow Janet Asimov (in her biography of him, It's Been a Good Life), he had no idea how to continue after Foundation and Earth, so he started writing the prequels. Download high resolution version (400x671, 93 KB)Scan I made of the cover of Foundation and Earth (Isaac Asimov) - fair use claimed This image is a book cover. ... Download high resolution version (400x671, 93 KB)Scan I made of the cover of Foundation and Earth (Isaac Asimov) - fair use claimed This image is a book cover. ... Foundation and Earth Foundation and Earth (1986) is a science fiction novel by Isaac Asimov, the fifth novel of the Foundation Series and chronologically the last in the series. ... 1982 (MCMLXXXII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Foundations Edge Foundations Edge is a novel by Isaac Asimov, the fourth book in the Foundation Series. ... Foundation and Earth Foundation and Earth (1986) is a science fiction novel by Isaac Asimov, the fifth novel of the Foundation Series and chronologically the last in the series. ... Janet Asimov (maiden name Janet Opal Jeppson) (born 1926 in Ashland, Pennsylvania) is an American science fiction author and psychoanalyst. ... Its Been a Good Life Its Been a Good Life (2002) is a book by Janet Asimov. ...

Merging with other series

The series is set in the same universe as Asimov's first published novel, Pebble in the Sky, although Foundation takes place approximately ten thousand years later. Pebble in the Sky became the basis for the Empire Series. Then, at some unknown date (prior to writing Foundation's Edge) Asimov decided to merge the Foundation/Empire series with his Robot series. Thus, all three series are set in the same universe, giving them a combined length of 15 novels and a total of about 1,500,000 words. The merge also created a time span of the series of approximately 20,000 years. Pebble in the Sky - science fiction novel by Isaac Asimov, published in 1950. ... The Galactic Empire Series contains Isaac Asimovs three earliest novels and one short story: The Stars, Like Dust (1951) The Currents of Space (1952) Pebble in the Sky (1950), his first novel Blind Alley (1945), short story reprinted in The Early Asimov They are only loosely connected. ... Isaac Asimovs Robot Series is a series of books by Isaac Asimov, both collections of short stories and novels. ...

Timeline inconsistencies

Early on during Asimov's original world-building of the Foundation universe, he established within the first published stories a chronology placing the tales approximately some 50,000 years into the future from the time they were written (circa 1940 AD). This precept was maintained in the pages of his later novel Pebble in the Sky, wherein Imperial archaeologist Bel Arvardan refers to ancient human strata discovered in the Sirius sector dating back "some 50,000 years." However, when Asimov decided decades later to retroactively integrate the universe of his Foundation and Galactic Empire novels with that of his Robot stories, a number of changes and minor discrepancies surfaced — the character R. Daneel Olivaw was established as having existed for some 20,000 years, with the original Robot novels featuring the character occurring not more than a couple of millennia after the early-21st Century Susan Calvin short stories. Also, in Foundation's Edge, mankind was referred to as having possessed interstellar space travel for only 22,000 years, a far cry from the fifty millennia of earlier works. This article does not cite its references or sources. ... Pebble in the Sky - science fiction novel by Isaac Asimov, published in 1950. ... Bel Arvardan is a fictional character in Pebble in the Sky, a part of Isaac Asimovs Foundation Series of stories and novels. ... R. Daneel Olivaw is a fictional robot created by Isaac Asimov. ... Dr. Susan Calvin, from a cover to I, Robot. ... Foundations Edge Foundations Edge is a novel by Isaac Asimov, the fourth book in the Foundation Series. ...

In the spring of 1955, Asimov published an early timeline in the pages of Thrilling Wonder Stories magazine based upon his thought processes concerning the Foundation universe's history at that point in his life, which vastly differs from its modern-era counterpart in terms of stories included — many would later be jettisoned from the late-period chronology, or would experience temporal relocation by the author — and in terms of the aforementioned lengthier scope of time. (For example, in the original 1950s timeline, humanity does not discover the hyperspatial drive until approximately 5000 AD, whereas in the reincorporated Robot universe chronology, the first interstellar jump occurs in 2029 AD, during the events of I, Robot.)[1] 1955 (MCMLV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Wonder Stories was a science fiction pulp magazine which published 66 issues between 1930 and 1936, edited by Hugo Gernsback. ... Five thousand (5000) is the natural number following 4999 and preceding 5001. ... 2029 (MMXXIX) will be a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ... I, Robot is a collection of nine English language science fiction short stories by Isaac Asimov, first published by Gnome Press in 1950 in an edition of 5,000 copies. ...

Ultimately, the revised, retconned historical timeline implemented by Asimov during the 1980s is considered to be the canonical one, with the previous references serving as quaint anachronistic gaffes by the characters (perhaps due to in-universe reasons, such as the inevitable distortion of accurate historical recordkeeping over the gulf of tens of thousands of years). This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

Prequels

Forward the Foundation, the last novel Asimov wrote, continues the story of Hari Seldon and his family

The prequels, written last in the series but chronologically first, tell the life story of Hari Seldon and (simultaneously) the development of Psychohistory. The first prequel, Prelude to Foundation, starts with a young Hari Seldon presenting a paper outlining the possibility of psychohistory, and ends about a year later. The second novel, Forward the Foundation, takes place at intervals starting about ten years after Prelude to Foundation. It tells how psychohistory becomes functional, all while Hari loses loved ones and the Galactic Empire continues to break apart. Forward the Foundation ends just as Hari finishes recording the messages to be played throughout the original trilogy. Forward the Foundation was the last Foundation novel Asimov completed before his death. Download high resolution version (400x674, 76 KB)Scan I made of the cover of Forward the Foundation (Isaac Asimov) - fair use claimed This image is a book cover. ... Download high resolution version (400x674, 76 KB)Scan I made of the cover of Forward the Foundation (Isaac Asimov) - fair use claimed This image is a book cover. ... Forward the Foundation Forward the Foundation is a novel written by Isaac Asimov. ... Isaac Asimov (January 2?, 1920? – April 6, 1992, IPA: , originally Исаак Озимов but now transcribed into Russian as Айзек Азимов) was a Russian-born American author and professor of biochemistry, a highly successful and exceptionally prolific writer best known for his works of science fiction and for his popular science books. ... Hari Seldon (cover art for Foundation, by Stephen Youll) Hari Seldon is the intellectual hero of Isaac Asimovs Foundation Series. ... Prelude to Foundation Prelude to Foundation is a novel written by Isaac Asimov. ... Forward the Foundation Forward the Foundation is a novel written by Isaac Asimov. ...

Other authors

Asimov's novels covered only 500 of the expected 1,000 years it would take for the Foundation to become a galactic empire. After his death, the Asimov estate at the request of Janet Asimov approached Gregory Benford and asked him to write another Foundation story. He agreed, and at that same time suggested that it should form part of a trilogy with Greg Bear and David Brin writing the other two books, which they agreed to do. All three take place between Asimov's two prequels. These three books are now known collectively as the Second Foundation Trilogy. Many fans, eager for the second trilogy to fill in the gap, were disappointed. Gregory Benford (born January 30, 1941 in Mobile, Alabama) is an American science fiction author and physicist who is on the faculty of the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of California, Irvine. ... Gregory Dale Bear (born August 20, 1951) is a science fiction author. ... Glen David Brin, Ph. ... A prequel is a work that portrays events which include the structure, conventions, and/or characters of a previously completed narrative, but occur at an earlier time. ...

Also, shortly before his death in 1992, Asimov approved an outline for three novels, known as the Caliban Trilogy by Roger MacBride Allen, set between Robots and Empire and the Empire Series. The Caliban Trilogy describes the terraforming of the Spacer world Inferno, a planet where an ecological crisis forces the Spacers to abandon many long-cherished parts of their culture. Allen's novels echo the uncertainties that Asimov's later books express about the Three Laws of Robotics, and in particular the way that a thoroughly roboticized culture can degrade human initiative. 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday. ... Roger MacBride Allen (born September 26, 1957) is a US science fiction author. ... Robots and Empire is a 1985 science fiction novel written by Isaac Asimov. ... In Isaac Asimovs Foundation/Empire/Robot series, the Spacers were the first humans to emigrate to space. ... This cover of I, Robot illustrates the story Runaround, the first to list all Three Laws of Robotics. ...

Science Fiction authors such as Orson Scott Card paid tribute to the Foundation series in the collection of short stories Foundation's Friends

The Foundation universe was once again revisited in Foundation's Friends, a collection of short stories written by many prominent science fiction authors of today. Orson Scott Card's "The Originist" clarifies the founding of the Second Foundation shortly after Seldon's death; Harry Turtledove's "Trantor Falls" tells of the efforts by the Second Foundation to survive during the sacking of Trantor; and George Zebrowski's "Foundation's Conscience" is about the efforts of a historian to document Seldon's work following the rise of the second Galactic empire. Download high resolution version (400x671, 108 KB)Scan I made of the cover of Foundations Friends (Various authors) - fair use claimed This image is a book cover. ... Download high resolution version (400x671, 108 KB)Scan I made of the cover of Foundations Friends (Various authors) - fair use claimed This image is a book cover. ... It has been suggested that Saintspeak be merged into this article or section. ... Foundations Friends Foundations Friends, Stories in Honor of Isaac Asimov was a collection of short stories set in Asimovs universes, particularly the Robot/Empire/Foundation universe. ... Foundations Friends Foundations Friends, Stories in Honor of Isaac Asimov was a collection of short stories set in Asimovs universes, particularly the Robot/Empire/Foundation universe. ... It has been suggested that Saintspeak be merged into this article or section. ... Second Foundation Second Foundation is the third novel of the Foundation series written in 1970. ... Harry Norman Turtledove (born June 14, 1949) is an American historian and prolific novelist who has written historical fiction, fantasy, and science fiction works. ... Trantor is a fictional planet in Isaac Asimovs Foundation series and Empire series of science fiction novels. ... George Zebrowski (born December 28, 1945) is a science fiction author who has written Macrolife (1979) and The Omega Point Trilogy (1983). ...

Most recently, the Asimov Estate authorized publication of another trilogy of robot mysteries by Mark W. Tiedemann. These novels, which take place several years before Asimov's Robots and Empire, are Mirage (2000), Chimera (2001) and Aurora (2002). These were followed by yet another robot mystery, Alexander C. Irvine's Have Robot, Will Travel (2004), set five years after the Tiedemann trilogy. Mark W. Tiedemann is an American author. ... 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ... For album titles with the same name, see 2002 (album). ... Alexander C. Irvine is an American fantasist and science fiction writer. ... shelby was here 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

There are novels by various authors (Asimov's Robot City series, Isaac Asimov's Robots and Aliens series, and Isaac Asimov's Robots in Time series) loosely connected to the Robot Series, but they contain many inconsistencies with Asimov's books, and are not generally considered part of the Foundation Series. Isaac Asimovs Robot City is a series of novels written by various authors and loosely connected to Isaac Asimovs Robot Series. ... Robots and Aliens is a series of novels written by various authors and loosely connected to Isaac Asimovs Robot Series. ... Written by William F. Wu, Isaac Asimovs Robots in Time was the first series set in Isaac Asimovs universe after his death. ...

Cultural impact

An eight-part radio adaptation of the original trilogy, with sound design by the BBC Radiophonic Workshop, was broadcast on BBC Radio 3 in 1973 — one of the first BBC radio drama serials to be made in stereo. A BBC 7 rerun commenced in July 2003. Asimovs The Foundation Trilogy was adapted in eight hour long episodes by the BBC, first broadcast in 1973, and repeated in 1977 and 2002. ... The BBC Radiophonic Workshop, one of the sound effects units of the BBC, was created in 1958 to produce effects and new music for radio, and was closed in March 1998, although much of its traditional work had already been outsourced by 1995. ... BBC Radio 3 is a domestic UK BBC radio station, which devotes most of its schedule to classical music. ... 1973 (MCMLXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday. ... Label for 2. ... BBC 7 is a digital radio station broadcasting comedy, drama, and childrens programming 24 hours a day. ... Rerun van Pelt is the name of Linus and Lucys younger brother in the comic strip Peanuts. ... 2003 : January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September - October - November - December A timeline of events in the news for July, 2003. ...

In 1965, the Foundation Trilogy beat several other science fiction and fantasy series (including The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien) to receive a special Hugo Award for "Best All-Time Series." It is still the only series so honored. Asimov himself wrote that he assumed the one-time award had been created in order to honor The Lord of the Rings, and he was amazed when his work won. 1965 (MCMLXV) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1965 calendar). ... The Lord of the Rings is an epic high fantasy novel written by the British academic J. R. R. Tolkien. ... John Ronald Reuel Tolkien CBE (January 3, 1892 – September 2, 1973) was an English philologist, writer and university professor, best known as the author of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. ... The 2005 Hugo Award with base designed by Deb Kosiba. ...

Satirical parodies, such as Douglas Adams' The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and Harry Harrison's Bill, the Galactic Hero, often display clear Foundation influences. For instance The Guide of the former is clear spoof of the Encyclopedia Galactica, while the latter also features the ultra-urbanized Imperial planet Helior, often parodying the logistics such a planet-city would require, but that Asimov's novel downplays. Douglas Noël Adams (11 March 1952 – 11 May 2001) was an English author, comic radio dramatist, and musician. ... The cover of the first novel in the Hitchhikers series, from a late 1990s printing. ... At the 63rd World Science Fiction Convention in Glasgow, August 2005 Harry Harrison (born Henry Maxwell Dempsey, March 12, 1925 in Stamford, Connecticut) is an American science fiction author who has lived in many parts of the world including Mexico, England, Denmark and Italy. ... Bill, the Galactic Hero is a satirical science fiction novel by Harry Harrison, first published in 1965. ... An entry about the Sirius Cybernetics Corporation (Marketing Division) from the Encyclopaedia Galactica as featured on the BBC TV series The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. ...

In the Star Wars universe, Coruscant — the urban-covered Imperial capital world — is a direct borrowing of Asimov's Trantor. (Visually, they are not exactly similar: Trantor is covered in domed cities, while Coruscant's buildings are open to the air.) Also George Lucas's Empire bore a close resemblance to the Empire described in Foundation Series. This article is about the series. ... Coruscant (pronounced //) is the name of a fictional planet in the Star Wars universe. ... Trantor is a fictional planet in Isaac Asimovs Foundation series and Empire series of science fiction novels. ... The domed city is a recurring concept in science fiction. ... It has been suggested that Amanda Lucas be merged into this article or section. ... The Galactic Empire is the main antagonist in the Star Wars universe. ... In Isaac Asimovs Robot/Empire/Foundation series of novels, the Galactic Empire is an empire consisting of planets settled by humans across the whole galaxy. ...

In 1995, Donald Kingsbury wrote "Historical Crisis", which he later expanded into a novel, Psychohistorical Crisis. It is not set in the same fictional universe as the Foundation series, but the universe described in it is very much similar to that of the Foundation series, being a clear and conscious borrowing. The novel explores the ideas of psycho-history into a number of new directions, inspired by more recent developments in mathematics and computer science, as well as by new ideas in science fiction itself. 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Donald MacDonald Kingsbury (born 12 February 1929) in San Francisco, California is an American–Canadian science fiction author. ... Psychohistorical Crisis is a science fiction novel by Donald Kingsbury, published by Tor Books in 2001. ... Computer scaence, or computing science, is the study of the theoretical foundations of information and computation and their implementation and application in computer systems. ...

The oboe-like holophonor in Matt Groening's animated television series Futurama is based directly upon the "Visi-Sonor" which Magnifico plays in Foundation and Empire. (See the DVD commentary for the series' final episode, "The Devil's Hands are Idle Playthings.")The "Visi-Sonor" is also mirrored in an episode of Special Unit 2 where a child's television character plays an instrument that induces mind control over children. The oboe is a double reed musical instrument of the woodwind family. ... Fry playing the holophonor in the episode The Devils Hands Are Idle Playthings. ... Matthew Abram Groening (born February 15, 1954[2] in Portland, Oregon;[3] his family name is pronounced ) is an Emmy Award-winning American cartoonist and the creator of The Simpsons,[4] Futurama and the weekly comic strip Life in Hell. ... Futurama is an animated American cartoon series created by Matt Groening (creator of The Simpsons) and David X. Cohen (also a writer for The Simpsons). ... The Mule is a fictional character from Isaac Asimovs Foundation Series. ... DVD (also known as Digital Versatile Disc or, incorrectly, Digital Video Disc) is an optical disc storage media format that can be used for data storage, including movies with high video and sound quality. ...

There is a quick lyrical reference to "The Foundation Series" in the song "And You and I" by English Progressive rock band Yes. The lyric reads, "As the Foundation left to create the spiral aim." And You and I is the second track from progressive rock band Yess album Close to the Edge. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ...

List of books

Prelude to Foundation contains Asimov's suggested reading order/chronology for his science fiction books in the introduction. [2] This recommended reading order for the books is listed below. However, many critics argue that the books should be read in publication order. Specifically, the argument is made that reading the Foundation prequels prior to reading the Foundation Trilogy fundamentally alters the original narrative structure of the Trilogy by spoiling plot surprises. Prelude to Foundation Prelude to Foundation is a novel written by Isaac Asimov. ...

Robot short stories

• I, Robot (1950), the first collection of Asimov's robot stories, which were all included in The Complete Robot, though it also contains interesting binding text (Mind and Iron), no longer in The Complete Robot.
• The Complete Robot (1982), Collection of Asimov stories written between 1940 and 1976.
• Robot Dreams (1986), Anthologized in a book with the same title.
• Robot Visions (1990), Anthologized in a book with the same title.
• The Positronic Man (1992), A novel based on Asimov's short story The Bicentennial Man, co-written by Robert Silverberg

I, Robot is a collection of nine English language science fiction short stories by Isaac Asimov, first published by Gnome Press in 1950 in an edition of 5,000 copies. ... 1950 (MCML) was a common year starting on Sunday. ... The Complete Robot is a collection of science fiction short stories by Isaac Asimov written between 1940 and 1976, which were previously collected in books I, Robot, The Rest of the Robots, and other anthologies. ... 1982 (MCMLXXXII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... 1976 (MCMLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Thursday. ... Robot Dreams (1986) is a collection of Isaac Asimovs short stories, intended largely to show a series of Asimov robot-inspired drawings by Ralph McQuarrie. ... 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... This book is a collection of short stories and essays by Issac Asimov listed bellow. ... MCMXC redirects here; for the Enigma album, see MCMXC a. ... The Bicentennial Man is a novella by Isaac Asimov. ... 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday. ... The Bicentennial Man is a novella in the Robot Series by Isaac Asimov. ... At the 63rd World Science Fiction Convention in Glasgow, August 2005 Robert Silverberg (January 15, 1935, Brooklyn, New York) is a prolific American author best known for writing science fiction, a multiple winner of both the Hugo and Nebula Awards. ...

The Robot novels

• The Caves of Steel (1954)
• The Naked Sun (1957)
• The Robots of Dawn (1983)
• Robots and Empire (1985)

The Caves of Steel is a book by Isaac Asimov. ... 1954 (MCMLIV) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Naked Sun is the second novel in Isaac Asimovs Robot series. ... 1957 (MCMLVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Robots of Dawn is a whodunit science fiction novel by Isaac Asimov, first published in 1983. ... 1983 (MCMLXXXIII) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Robots and Empire is a 1985 science fiction novel written by Isaac Asimov. ... 1985 (MCMLXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The Caliban trilogy

• Isaac Asimov's Caliban (1993) by Roger MacBride Allen
• Isaac Asimov's Inferno (1994) by Roger MacBride Allen
• Isaac Asimov's Utopia (1996) by Roger MacBride Allen

Isaac Asimovs Caliban (1993) is a science fiction novel by Roger MacBride Allen, set in Isaac Asimovs Robots/Empire/Foundation universe. ... 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar and marked the Beginning of the International Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination (1993-2003). ... Isaac Asimovs Inferno (1994) is a science fiction novel by Roger MacBride Allen, set in Isaac Asimovs Robots/Empire/Foundation universe. ... 1994 (MCMXCIV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated as the International Year of the Family and the International Year of the Sport and the Olympic Ideal by United Nations. ... Isaac Asimovs Utopia (1996) is a science fiction novel by Roger MacBride Allen, set in Isaac Asimovs Robots/Empire/Foundation universe. ... 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. ...

The Galactic Empire series

• The Stars, Like Dust (1951)
• The Currents of Space (1952)
• Pebble in the Sky (1950)

The Stars, Like Dust is a book by science fiction writer Isaac Asimov. ... 1951 (MCMLI) was a common year starting on Monday; see its calendar. ... The Currents of Space is a 1952 novel by science fiction author Isaac Asimov. ... 1952 (MCMLII) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Pebble in the Sky - science fiction novel by Isaac Asimov, published in 1950. ... 1950 (MCML) was a common year starting on Sunday. ...

The Foundation novels

• Prelude to Foundation (1988)
• Forward the Foundation (1993)

Prelude to Foundation Prelude to Foundation is a novel written by Isaac Asimov. ... 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Forward the Foundation Forward the Foundation is a novel written by Isaac Asimov. ... 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar and marked the Beginning of the International Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination (1993-2003). ...

The Foundation Trilogy

• Foundation (1951)
• Foundation and Empire (1952)
• Second Foundation (1953)

Psychohistorian: Hari Seldon Foundation is the first book in Isaac Asimovs Foundation Trilogy (later expanded into The Foundation Series). ... 1951 (MCMLI) was a common year starting on Monday; see its calendar. ... Foundation and Empire is a novel written by Isaac Asimov in 1952. ... 1952 (MCMLII) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Second Foundation Second Foundation is the third novel of the Foundation series written in 1970. ... 1953 (MCMLIII) was a common year starting on Thursday. ...

The Second Foundation Trilogy

• Foundation's Fear (1997) by Gregory Benford
• Foundation and Chaos (1998) by Greg Bear
• Foundation's Triumph (1999) by David Brin

Foundations Fear (1997) is a science fiction novel by Gregory Benford, set in Isaac Asimovs Foundation universe. ... 1997 (MCMXCVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Foundation and Chaos (1998) is a science fiction novel by Greg Bear, set in Isaac Asimovs Foundation universe. ... 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean by UNESCO. [1]. // Coated in ice, power and telephone lines sag and often break, resulting in power outages. ... Foundations Triumph (1999) is a science fiction novel by David Brin, set in Isaac Asimovs Foundation universe. ... 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ...

Asimov's final chronological Foundation books

• Foundation's Edge (1982)
• Foundation and Earth (1986)

Note that this list corrects several mistakes found in the list in Asimov's Prelude to Foundation. It also adds six novels that were published after Asimov's death in 1992, and another which was entering publication at the time of his death. Foundations Edge Foundations Edge is a novel by Isaac Asimov, the fourth book in the Foundation Series. ... 1982 (MCMLXXXII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Foundation and Earth Foundation and Earth (1986) is a science fiction novel by Isaac Asimov, the fifth novel of the Foundation Series and chronologically the last in the series. ... 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Tangential books

While not mentioned in the above list, some consider the books The End of Eternity (1955) and Nemesis (1989) part of the series. The End of Eternity by Isaac Asimov is a science fiction novel, with mystery and thriller elements, on the subjects of time travel and social engineering. ... 1955 (MCMLV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Nemesis is a science fiction novel by Isaac Asimov. ... 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The End of Eternity is vaguely referenced in Foundation's Edge, where a character mentions the Eternals, whose "task it was to choose a reality that would be most suitable to Humanity". (The End of Eternity also refers to a "Foundation" within its story.) In Forward the Foundation Hari Seldon refers to a twenty-thousand-year-old story of "a young woman that could communicate with an entire planet that circled a sun named Nemesis," an obvious reference to Nemesis. In Foundation and Earth there is also a reference to a tale about a sun that approached the Earth, possibly referring to Nemesis as well. Reality in everyday usage means the state of things as they actually exist. ...

On the other hand, these references might be just jokes by Asimov, and the stories mentioned could be just those really written by himself. Furthermore, Asimov himself did not mention The End of Eternity in the series listing from Prelude to Foundation. As for Nemesis, it was written after Prelude to Foundation, but in the author's note Asimov explicitly states that the book is not part of the Foundation series, but that some day he might tie it to the others.

Nemesis also touches on a pair of short stories published in Asimov's collection, Gold. They deal with the Fifty Settlements, orbital space stations that form a state. Nemesis tells the story of a renegade station that leaves Earth, and begins the story of the Spacers.

Major characters

• Hari Seldon, the founder of the Foundation
• R. Giskard Reventlov, the first robot able to alter humanity
• R. Daneel Olivaw, also Chetter Hummin, Chancellor Eto Demerzel
• The Mule, Originally Gaian, Controlled emotions
• Dors Venabili, Seldon's wife
• Yugo Amaryl, Seldon's colleague, from the sector of Dahl
• Emperor Cleon I
• Salvor Hardin, First Mayor of Terminus
• Gaal Dornick
• Hober Mallow
• Bel Riose, General of the Galactic Empire
• Golan Trevize, Councilman of Terminus
• Janov Pelorat, Historian, Accompanies Trevize
• Arkady Darell
• Blissenobiarella (Bliss), a being of the superorganism Gaia
• Bayta Darrell, grandmother of Arkady Darell
• Raych Seldon, Hari Seldon's adopted son
• Wanda Seldon, Raych Seldon's daughter
• Preem Palver, First Speaker of the Second Foundation
• Ebling Mis, Thought to be first person to discover the location of the Second Foundation.

Hari Seldon (cover art for Foundation, by Stephen Youll) Hari Seldon is the intellectual hero of Isaac Asimovs Foundation Series. ... Giskard from the cover of The Robots of Dawn. ... R. Daneel Olivaw is a fictional robot created by Isaac Asimov. ... R. Daneel Olivaw is a fictional robot created by Isaac Asimov. ... R. Daneel Olivaw is a fictional robot created by Isaac Asimov. ... The Mule is a fictional character from Isaac Asimovs Foundation Series. ... In Isaac Asimovs Foundation Series, Dors Venabili is a good friend, protector and future wife of Hari Seldon, the primary character of Prelude to Foundation and Forward the Foundation. ... Yugo Amaryl is a fictional character in Isaac Asimovs Foundation series. ... An emperor is a (male) monarch, usually the sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. ... In the fictional universe of The Foundation Series, Cleon I (11,988 GE - 12,038 GE) was the last Emperor of the Entun dynasty. ... The fictional Salvor Hardin is a mayor of Terminus, location of the Foundation created by Hari Seldon in Isaac Asimovs fictional Foundation series. ... Gaal Dornick is a fictional character in Isaac Asimovs Foundation Series. ... This article is in need of attention. ... In Isaac Asimovs Foundation series, the fictional character Bel Riose was the last strong General of the Galactic Empire, Commander of the legendary Twentieth Fleet, who eventually came to be known as the Last of the Imperials, and earned this title well. ... Golan Trevize is a fictional character, a major figure in two books in Isaac Asimovs Foundation Series: Foundations Edge and Foundation and Earth. ... Terminus is a fictional planet at the edge of the Galaxy in Isaac Asimovs Foundation Series, capital of the Foundation. ... Janov Pelorat is a character in the Foundation Series of books by Isaac Asimov. ... Arkady Darell from the cover of Second Foundation. ... Bliss from the cover of Foundations Edge. ... A group of organisms, such as an insect colony, that functions as a social unit. ... Gaia is a fictional planet described in the book Foundations Edge, by Isaac Asimov. ... Toran and Bayta Darrell are fictional characters in Isaac Asimovs The Foundation Series of stories and novels. ... Raych Seldon is a fictional character in Isaac Asimovs Foundation Series. ... Wanda Seldon Wanda Seldon is a fictional character in Isaac Asimovs Foundation series. ... Preem Palver is a fictional character, part of of Isaac Asimovs Foundation Series. ... Second Foundation Second Foundation is the third novel of the Foundation series written in 1970. ... Ebling Mis is a fictional character from Isaac Asimovs Foundation Series. ...

See also

• List of Foundation planets
• Timeline of Asimov's Foundation Series

A list of planets featured or mentioned in books set in the Foundation Universe (Robot series, Empire series, Foundation series), a fictional universe created by Isaac Asimov. ... Below is a summarized timeline for events detailed in Isaac Asimovs Foundation Series. ...

External links

• Early Timeline for Asimov's Foundation Universe
• books.guardian.co.uk: Terrorism and the Foundation series
• The Isaac Asimov Wiki for the Foundation Universe
• 15-Book Reading Order as Suggested by Asimov From "Author's Note" of Prelude to Foundation Doubleday (1988 hardcover edition)

The Galactic Empire Series contains Isaac Asimovs three earliest novels and one short story: The Stars, Like Dust (1951) The Currents of Space (1952) Pebble in the Sky (1950), his first novel Blind Alley (1945), short story reprinted in The Early Asimov They are only loosely connected. ...

References

1. ^ Asimov, Isaac. La edad de oro II. Plaza & Janes. 1987. P 252-253 (Spanish language translation of The Early Asimov) See afterword for the "Legal Rites" story.
2. ^ ISAAC ASIMOV. Foundation and Earth. Halmstad: Spectra. ISBN 0-553-58757-9.