Book Review: Foundation's Edge by Isaac Asimov - The Next Chapter in the Foundation Saga
Foundation's Edge is a science fiction novel in the Foundation Series. It is the fourth book, but it was written more than 30 years after the original Foundation Trilogy. For those who haven't read the original trilogy, you can still read and understand this novel like a standalone book. Of course, it is better to read the first three books first, but Foundation's Edge still provides a short summary of what is going on in the Foundation Universe.
Book Review: Foundation’s Edge by Isaac Asimov (Foundation Series - Book 4)
Imagine a Galactic Empire. One scientist comes forward and says he has calculated with psychohistory that the empire will collapse. Naturally, nobody believes him. An empire so strong and extended to all corners of the galaxy can't collapse. He predicts that after the collapse, there will be 30,000 years of turmoil before a second empire can be built. He suggests establishing a foundation on a remote planet, which will help humanity to bring stability to the universe in just 1,000 years. This is Hari Seldon's plan.In the first two books, we see the Foundation and what it does. The third book reveals that there is a secret Second Foundation. Now, we have the First Foundation and the Second Foundation, both working to guide humanity through the turbulent times following the collapse of the Galactic Empire.
“And yet it was the Second Foundation, under himself and his predecessors, who held the real power. The First Foundation was supreme in the realm of physical power, of technology, of war weapons. The Second Foundation was supreme in the realm of mental power, of the mind, of the ability to control. In any conflict between the two, what would it matter how many ships and weapons the First Foundation disposed of, if the Second Foundation could control the minds of those who controlled the ships and weapons?”
The First Foundation thought they were following Seldon's plan, but it was actually the Second Foundation's duty to maintain and provide continuation of Seldon's plan. The Second Foundation is a group of telepaths who use their mental powers to guide humanity through the turbulent times following the collapse of the Galactic Empire.
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But this book reveals that there is a greater power in the universe than the physical power of the First Foundation or the mental power of the Second Foundation. It all starts with a historian, Janov Pelorat, who is searching for the planet where humanity originated, which he believes will hold the key to understanding this greater power.
It is very interesting how an American writer, Asimov, describes a country as "so foolish" for using nuclear bombs as a weapon. But in human history, only his own country, the United States, has used nuclear weapons. As an American writer, he was well aware that the United States was the only country to have ever used nuclear weapons in a war. This knowledge likely influenced his portrayal of the "foolish" country in his fiction.
Pelorat and Trevize's search leads them to a planet named Gaia, which is very mysterious. The First Foundation, with its advanced technology, does not know of its existence. The Second Foundation, with all its knowledge, is also in the dark about Gaia. Once Pelorat and Trevize find the location of Gaia, they see some things about it that are not human.
The first time Asimov mentions robots, the Three Laws of Robotics, and the Eternals in the Foundation Series, he advises readers to read his robot stories, short stories, and two novels: The Caves of Steel and The Naked Sun. For more information about the Eternals, who adjusted the galaxy for humans to live, Asimov advises readers to read his novel The End of Eternity.
The origin planet - Earth
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Janov Pelorat and Golan Trevize's ship Stardust |
"The conclusion is that one world in the Galaxy-one world-is different from the rest. Tens of millions of worlds in the Galaxy-no one knows exactly how many-have developed life. It was simple life, sparse life, feeble life-not very variegated, not easily maintained, and not easily spread. One world, one world alone, developed life in millions of species-easily millions-some of it very specialized, highly developed, very prone to multiplication and to spreading, and including us. We were intelligent enough to form a civilization, to develop hyperspatial flight, and to colonize the Galaxy-and, in spreading through the Galaxy, we took many other forms of lifeforms related to each other and to ourselves-along with us."
So Janov Pelorat and Golan Trevize, a member of the Council in the First Foundation, take a spaceship to find this origin planet, Earth. Trevize's secret mission is to find the Second Foundation, which he believes can be on Earth because it is the only planet that has the technological and scientific knowledge to create such a powerful group of telepaths.
While they travel and research for Earth, they find out that the second name for this planet is Gaia, which is a planet-wide consciousness. Another story is that Earth was destroyed by nuclear wars, but this story is only a legend and there is no evidence to support it.
“I mean, suppose nuclear explosions took place on Earth?”
“On Earth’s surface? Impossible. There’s no record in the history of the Galaxy of any society being so foolish as to use nuclear explosions as a weapon of war. We would never have survived.
It is very interesting how an American writer, Asimov, describes a country as "so foolish" for using nuclear bombs as a weapon. But in human history, only his own country, the United States, has used nuclear weapons. As an American writer, he was well aware that the United States was the only country to have ever used nuclear weapons in a war. This knowledge likely influenced his portrayal of the "foolish" country in his fiction.
Asimov's critique of nuclear weapons is still relevant today. Nuclear weapons are still a threat to humanity, and we must work to prevent their use.
Mysterious planet - Gaia
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| Planet Gaia |
Pelorat and Trevize's search leads them to a planet named Gaia, which is very mysterious. The First Foundation, with its advanced technology, does not know of its existence. The Second Foundation, with all its knowledge, is also in the dark about Gaia. Once Pelorat and Trevize find the location of Gaia, they see some things about it that are not human.
“It’s all very inhuman. The more than twenty thousand years of human history in space has been an uninterrupted tale of expansion and attempted expansion. Just about every known world that can be inhabited is inhabited. Nearly every world has been quarreled over in the process and nearly every world has jostled each of its neighbors at one time or another. If Gaia is so inhuman as to be so different in this respect, it may be because it really is—inhuman.”
The first time Asimov mentions robots, the Three Laws of Robotics, and the Eternals in the Foundation Series, he advises readers to read his robot stories, short stories, and two novels: The Caves of Steel and The Naked Sun. For more information about the Eternals, who adjusted the galaxy for humans to live, Asimov advises readers to read his novel The End of Eternity.
Related post: Book Review: Foundation and Earth by Isaac Asimov (Foundation Series Book 5)
In my opinion, Asimov's Foundation Series is one of the best science fiction novels and series of all time. So if you haven't read it yet, it's never too late.
Spoiler Alert - Gaia
So what is Gaia? It is related to robots, which existed before on Earth, the Three Laws of Robotics, and the Eternals. Gaia is a planet-wide consciousness, which means that all of the life on the planet is connected. This is how Gaia is described in the Foundation Series:“And the ground. And those trees. And that rabbit over there in the grass. And the man you can see through the trees. The whole planet and everything on it is Gaia. We’re all individuals—we’re all separate organisms—but we all share an overall consciousness. The inanimate planet does so least of all, the various forms of life to a varying degree, and human beings most of all—but we all share.”
In my opinion, Asimov's Foundation Series is one of the best science fiction novels and series of all time. So if you haven't read it yet, it's never too late.
Related post: Book Review: I, Robot by Isaac Asimov (Robot Series - Short Stories)
And last, one quote got my attention from the book. Here it is:
Foundation’s Edge
by Isaac Asimov
Foundation Series - Book 4
First published in 1982
Doubleday Publishing
Genre: Science fiction / novel / series / space
Image by O12 from Pixabay
And last, one quote got my attention from the book. Here it is:
“The closer to the truth, the better the lie, and the truth itself, when it can be used, is the best lie.”
by Isaac Asimov
Foundation Series - Book 4
First published in 1982
Doubleday Publishing
Genre: Science fiction / novel / series / space
Image by O12 from Pixabay
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