Book 2 of the first Foundation Trilogy
Rating: 3 out of 5
The Galactic Empire had been dying and they didn’t know it. And how could they? It was an empire so vast that it encompassed the Milky Way and had colonized worlds; the human population had reached an extraordinarily vast number. But one man saw the signs. That man was Hari Seldon. Using the science of psychohistory, Seldon was able to determine that the Galactic Empire would fall within three hundred years and would be followed by thirty thousand years of barbarism before a new and prosperous power would emerge from the ashes and restore order.
However, Hari Seldon, can plot a course that would control the events of the future and be able to reduce the age of barbarism to a mere one thousand years. He can do this also by using the science of psychohistory, because psychohistory is the science of the behavior of human masses, of mobs, of human society. And in the future, the number of human population has grown so vast that the actions of a single individual would become less significant when measured up to the action of the group as a whole. And by controlling the factors or stimuli that affect the probable reactions of a human society, psychohistory can plot that society’s future. Central to Sheldon’s plan is the establishment of two Foundations at “opposite ends of the Galaxy" and their existence is so devised so as it would bring about a new, powerful and stronger Second Empire within a millennium
Such was the premise of Isaac Asimov. And in his first book, Foundation, he tells the story of one of those Foundations in the first few centuries of its existence as they began simply as a settlement for scientists at one end of the galaxy, through how it was separated from the hegemony of a rapidly disintegrating Galactic Empire; to how they managed to maintain their independence from the emerging free “kingdoms” in the periphery, through being the only repository of knowledge and science in the area; to becoming the center of “religion”; to being the controller of trade; to being the most powerful state in its sector.
And now, in Foundation and Empire, the Galactic Empire, though reduced to a fraction of its original size was still the most powerful force to be reckoned with and has finally taken notice of what it perceived to be a challenge to its dominance, dwindling though it may be. An ambitious general has taken it upon himself to restore the glory of the empire by forcing a confrontation with the Foundation, destroy it once and for all, and assimilate its territory back under the Galactic Empire’s jurisdiction. And for the Foundation’s citizens, their hope rests upon on whether the events facing them were within the now-long-dead Hari Seldon’s plans and prophesies.
However, someone of extraordinary talent is emerging from the shadows: a mysterious individual known only as The Mule. And he seems to have the power greater than the might of whole planets, a power that may have been unseen in Hari Seldon’s plan. The power to unravel and spoil the well laid plans of psychohistory.
Isaac Asimov continues his brilliant exposition on the behavior of human society and expounds on the causes of its rise and fall. And through this book he presents various ideas on the course of humanity: (1) No matter how advanced or powerful a nation becomes, if it fails to grasp the lessons of history, it will sow the seeds of its own destruction from within, and (2) there are moments in history when an individual will emerge who has the capability/talent/charisma/character to change the course of nations, for better or for worse, an individual whose very life becomes a focal point in history, capable of controlling by sheer force of will the destinies of societies; individuals who are in themselves, for lack of a better term, sheer forces of nature, “mutants” of history.
Asimov presents his story in a crisp and clear way making the book an easy and fast read and, this time, he even placed a little feel of a mystery story into his work. However, as interesting as these themes may be, there are sure to be flaws. And this time, they are more visible than in the first book. As the format of Foundation and Empire has changed from a series of independent but related short stories with different central characters for each in the first book, to two sets of storylines with a definite set of characters that are constant to each plot, Asimov shows his weakness in characterization. His idea of character development is giving each character mannerisms or speech patterns that may sometimes become so repetitive and annoying. And it doesn’t help that his style of writing is so defined by the styles of his time that it has a sense of being dated. This might pull down the quality a bit for some.
Still, Foundation and Empire, along with the others of its series, is an interesting exploration into the profound ideas of one of the greatest thinkers of the 20th century and one of the cornerstones of modern-day science fiction. It is recommended for anyone interested not only in a good story but of understanding the story of humanity. And these are only small glimpses into the ideas of a great man. He has lots, lots more stories and ideas for readers. Who knows? This series might just get you interested in exploring the author more.
