A timeless masterpiece

The era of the Galactic Empire is coming to an end. Yet the signs of Zefalls the old order are still recognizable for a few. To speak of a possible decline of the reign of Emperor on Trantor, the heart of the Empire, frowned upon anyway. But Hari Seldon psychohistorian has recognized the signs of the times and is planning to respond to the coming age of barbarism and bloodshed ...

- If ancient history science fiction writing -

What if ... If it were possible to predict human history or someone would have recognized the demise of the Western Roman Empire and react? Isaac Asimov's Foundation legendary cycle created by the impressions which won the author of Edward Gibbons' The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire ". And the story of Rome's downfall ends with the slow disintegration of the Roman Empire, the rise of the barbarians, the loss of entire regions, and ends finally in the dark Middle Ages.

The ancient times as a source of inspiration for science fiction is a fruitful topic. Under the title 'detours into the past' the Innsbruck Classicist Otta Wenskus adopted a few years even the example Star Trek, and the Greco-Roman antiquity before. What in Star Trek partly obviously reflected, such as the establishment of appropriate planets togatragender Alien, is hidden in other sci-fi works. So one might compare the Foundation cycle also Rome with Trantor and the last emperor goes much deeper with child emperors as the brothers Honorius and Arcadius, but the reference. Asimov explored in Foundation a scenario of how a dark Middle Ages not turn away, but could shorten. Real science fiction are the methods Hari Seldon, the history of mankind, however, borrowed from the political-historical events around the foundation.

- Foundation: Foundation and Foundation -

The double meaning of the word Foundation is also an element that gives the original short story cycle some of its excitement. The Foundation is a foundation of the Empire, but actually just a front behind which is to be the future foundation of a new empire hide.

The encyclopedists are practically ancient scribes who are banished from the capital as far as possible for their political views and as the world comes to them to reason, they have preserved the remains of ancient culture in their possession. It has been even their duty to preserve the old and now they are the last representatives of a goldeneren age.

The fate of the Encyclopedists is somewhat reminiscent of the early monastic communities. These preserved the literacy and ancient writings. Only through them and thanks to them, a renaissance became possible. Nevertheless, equipped with land ecclesiastical foundations also saw repeatedly exposed to hostility and the desire of secular rulers, even if Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire might be regarded as patrons.

The Foundation, however, is different. Hari Seldon has brought together scientists and no devout monks. The community grows and develops along the grand plan the psycho historians had projected for it. Seldon Foundation thrives on the science and raises these later become the dominant religion.

- Seldon Crisis -

Foundation has also coined a slogan, with whose backgrounds are very well versed in the History. Important events and turning are often moved in any historical work in the center of a chapter. The great crises of an empire around. So also in Foundation, where the aim is to treat the produced viewed from Seldon crises and turning points in the history of the Foundation.

Although the Prophet Seldon can initially still to appear at the right time and in a manner issue a warning, but Asimov reflects the reality behind scientific projections into account and so Seldon appears in later chapters even too late. Even Hari Seldon is despite all the scientific foresight unable his heirs predict exactly how they have to solve a crisis. He describes them only the approximate conditions that have calculated he and his contemporaries. The calculation of the future is therefore a science of variation. It will be the case only in Foundation and Empire, that Seldon will even be wrong, because unexpected factors appeared. Seldon as a prophet is nevertheless a fascinating chapter in itself and emphasizes Isaac Asimov's importance as a science fiction author.

- Timelessness despite obsolescence -

The passage of time has not passed also on Foundation. To Asimov's lifetime still pioneering technologies seem obsolete today. The Atomic Energy of Foundation would today probably fusion energy and the overall relapse-issue (as the new kingdoms again began to work with coal and oil) would also make something else (such as the loss of technologies such as lithium-ion batteries) , But the typewriter with voice input acts today hopelessly to Steampunk. Exactly what happens when science fiction comes in the year. Still, it's the idea that counts and sensible readers know Asimov's reasoning behind all of these things to appreciate.

- Originally a short story cycle -

Critique of a science fiction classic? The course there is. But this often arises also in that it was not informed in detail about the work and access, because it just is considered a classic.

So some criticism of Foundation lies in the fact that the work was composed of a series of short stories, which is associated with certain obvious limitations. If character is not explored in depth as desired, then this is due entirely to the original medium. If the stories often seem only loosely connected is also the result of a Constitution as short stories. Also many stylistic variations, which can be "with free eye" hardly perceive, are due to the different constitutional times of each chapter. Accusations against the author or work based on the just described problem areas are well founded for the most part also in false expectations disappointed readers.

- By Trantor to Coruscant: Asimov's influence -

Ironically Asimov's Foundation has made historical in nature in my eyes a timeless work. The intercepted by Asimov topics and aspects of human history have in the form of his work perhaps even more people reach than the corresponding history. So it is not clear whether some of Asimov or the actual source was inspired.

Things that created Asimov have anyway even decades later still great influence on active science fiction stories. If you think you experience a deja vu to Foundation repeatedly in George Lucas Star Wars movies that might not even farfetched. Lucas Coruscant is by name, although a creation of the author Timothy Zahn, but the idea to the town center and planets of the Galactic Empire dates back probably quite by Asimov. Likewise, Tatooine could as most equate the center of the galaxy distant planet with Terminus and also there watching a Foundation in the form of Obi-Wan Kenobi about the future hope of the galaxy. During a second in the form of Luke's sister insisted. Even the reappearance of Obi-Wan's mind as a power at crucial turning points of Luke's life story recalls the holographic messages Hari Seldon. In an early draft of the script George Lucas would have even contemplated a Galactic Empire, which existed even for thousands of years, in this version of the story of the Emperor would not have been bad, but just disinterested and a reminiscent of Trantors geothermal energy sources section Coruscant would have to in Episode VI can place the showdowns.

However, Ocular is the competition position of devised by Asimov Encyclopedia Galactica for Hitchhikers Guide of the Galaxy, in the accompanying book series penned Douglas Noel Adams. This took a very different aspect of Foundation as an inspiration and also created a legendary contribution to science fiction.

The Encyclopedia entries on each capital beginning have since Asimov also deeply rooted in the science fiction genre and although its origin may be found in very different places, by Asimov this stylistic device certainly obtain the greatest popularity boost for its dissemination.

- Summary -

One of the most influential science fiction ranged 20th Century. Still worth reading because timeless and full of inspiration promising ideas. A collection of short stories that should have read.