I
read somewhere that Foundation
by Isaac Asimov is one those books that many have claimed to read but actually
haven't read at all. Well guess what? I bought it and read it so you can't
count me among those lying douchebags trying to show off their intellectual
prowess by claiming to have read the book simply to impress people at parties.
Believe it or not these losers do actually exist and I have seen them in
the action. I take great pride in chopping down the massive fraudulent
tree that is the human ego.
Anyway,
the Foundation
novels by Isaac Asimov are widely regarded as they greatest science fiction
novels ever written. Starship
Troopers by Robert Heinlein and The
Forever War by Joe Haldemann are right up there. I could go on for
quite a long time about the first book in the
Foundation series; well actually it is the third book as there are
two prequels. There have been many essays written about the books and I could
go on for quite a bit but I won't be doing that as quite frankly I am not in
the mood.
So,
basically here it is. Hari Seldon is a psychologist and mathematician. He
operates out of Trantor which is the capital city of the Galactic Empire. Mr.
Seldon thesis is about a new area of study he calls "Psychohistory". He is the most
intelligent and fluent in "Psychohistory"
and this new area of study gives him the ability to predict the future using
advanced mathematical algorithms. It is very much a macro study not a micro
study. If you are looking for Mr. Seldon to predict if you are going to win the
lottery or if you are going to find love "Psychohistory"
is not going to be able to help you all that much.
Mr.
Seldon presents his idea to the higher-ups of the Empire and pretty much scares
the crap out of them because he informs them that the Empire is headed for a
complete and total destruction, once that happens mankind will be stuck in a
period of barbaric darkness that could last up to 30,000 years. Mr. Seldon believes
that there is nothing that can be done about the collapse of the Empire but the
period of darkness can be cut down to only a thousand years if all
scientific knowledge and culture is kept hidden from destruction and only
brought public again to trim the dark era down and plant the seed for the
coming of the second Empire. The Emperor is terrified at this news but instead
of ordering Mr. Seldon to be executed he instead exiles him to a remote planet
called Terminus where Mr. Seldon can begin his work of creating an "Ark" of sorts
of the best minds to preserve all knowledge.
The
intro to the book is very fascinating and grips the reader for what you are
hoping to be a thrilling adventure. Instead the rest of the book is really just
a political thriller minus the thrilling parts. Various individuals’ battle for
power for the Mayor position of Terminus City and pretty much lead the "Foundation Project"
that Hari Seldon has set-up. The book is low on action but high on political
debates, backstabbing, trade negotiations, and stroking of various egos. Mr.
Seldon makes a few appearances via a holographic representation to indicate
what other knowledge he has to share regarding future steps through "Psychohistory". Keep
in mind Hari Seldon is long dead and only shows up through a time vault that
opens every so often a crisis is about to happen and trigger a milestone event
that he predicted.
I
can now say that I have read
Foundation well at least part three of series. There are other
parts and I hear the sequels kick the action and excitement into high gear. I
hope I am not disappointed otherwise I won't have anything to impress people
with parties and after all isn't that what it is all about? What is the point
of success if you can't flaunt it?
