series "Foundation" is a series of Science Fiction novels written by Isaac Asimov . It consists of seven titles (ie a heptalogía ) written irregularly from 1941 until 1992, of his death. This series, along with the stories and novels of robots are the most important works of this prolific author CF. Perhaps the reader may seem a little strange the veneration with which this writer is treated. Well, besides being a Science Fiction writer best known for the general public, and one of the most important classical CF (also known as the "Golden Age of Science Fiction" ), it is recognize that their assumptions and theories have been marked in any way scientific research branches of this century. A good example is robotics (including his three laws ). But another example is the sociology and it has a lot to this series. The cornerstone of the series "Foundation" is the psychohistory, science devised by the mathematician Hari Seldon late First Galactic Empire (approximately within about 40,000 Earth years). This science is sociology taken to its extremes: the social reactions reduced to mathematical equations based on the statistics of the 40 billion people that populate the universe.
Psychohistory: The branch of mathematics that deals with the reactions of human conglomerates to certain social stimuli and economic. Implicit in all these definitions is the assumption that human numbers is large enough for valid statistical treatment. It means that all unknown man psychohistorical analysis.
In the argument of the series, with this tool, Hari Seldon can do predictions on historical trends and social, rather than a charlatan rate to predict the future. The Psychohistory will serve to realize the near future collapse of Galactic Empire, and the subsequent hardships 30,000 years of humanity to the emergence of a Second Empire. This is when Seldon and his group devised a plan, the Seldon Plan to minimize the effect of the fall of the Empire . It established two Foundations at opposite ends of the galaxy that, by their calculations, expected to form the core of the Second Empire in only a thousand years. His order to preserve human knowledge. From here, they will usually happens several eras, whose coming will be marked by so many crises, known as "Seldon crisis" - provided by psychohistory, which will change the visible heads of power and forms of exercise, but in which the First Foundation (The second will have no news to the last part of the third book) will expand and deepen their growing influence on the galaxy.
The first book, which concerns us, is entitled: "Foundation" to dry. It comprises the first four stories ( The Encyclopedists, Mayors, traders and merchant princes ) published since 1941, plus a fifth story ( The psychohistorians ) added in 1949 and serves as a prologue to history . Are the first to talk about the Foundation and which is initially the concept of psychohistory (invented by Campbell and Asimov). Are fundamental stories in Asimov's biography, as part of their initial fame came from them.
The argument of this first book is basically a narrative history, where after the collapse of the Empire era "feudal" period gives way to the "Renaissance." Seldon planned the First Foundation on the planet Terminus . It was established as a scientific foundation under the auspices of the ailing Empire, to collect all human knowledge known as the "Encyclopedia Galactica." In this new era "feudal", site of the church is occupied by science. Over the decades the knowledge scientist is in the hands of a few that exploit it for their own benefit the Foundation. As the people of Terminus is becoming aware of their rights is shifting to this "scientific religion" (known as the Galactic Spirit ) with a new materialist conception dominated by traders in the galaxy. The Seldon Plan develops guided by intelligent men who later become the myths of the emerging Foundation, the group of Mayors Salvor Hardin highlights that the government get Terminus is not an exclusive to the and conceiving Encyclopedists the concept of science as a religion by exporting it to neighboring planets to consolidate Terminus as pseudo-religious leader of that part of the galaxy. A few decades later, the side of traders, appears Hober Mallow making for not only Foundation and mystical control over other planets but economic power. So you get the "Renaissance."
Asimov poses a future with a humanity composed of billions and billions of people spread throughout the space, where each planet becomes a sort of village. Technical advancement exists (very small as discussed later) but not the advancement social and political. The planets and planet systems become autarchies kingdoms and with kings and dictators of operetta, where ships replaced the knights. Concepts such as democracy and parliamentarism not exist. Asimov presents a future that, by removing the art, seems to have become the past.
In the first volumes of the series, is curious Asimov technology ingenuity in it (because of the early period in which they were written, I must say). Leaving aside the idea of \u200b\u200bhyperspace travel necessary to maintain a united Galactic Empire, the most advanced technological apparatus shown is a calculator!. There are other interesting things such as the absence of aliens or the common use of hyperspace to navigate through the universe.
In short, those looking at this book, a book purely science fiction is not going to find. Rather, we speak of a political novel in the distant future. And as a proper conclusion would put his hand in the fire to George Lucas read this book for a certain series of movies.
book rating: 3.75 / 5
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