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Season finale. Gaal, Salvor, and Hari chart a new path forward on Ignis. Demerzel heads to Trantor, taking actions that will change Empire forever.
posted by Kyol on Sep 16, 2023 - 31 comments

Dusk and Enjoiner Rue learn Demerzel's origin and true purpose. Tellem's plans for Gaal take a dark turn. On Terminus, Day confronts Dr. Seldon. [more inside]
posted by jjderooy on Sep 7, 2023 - 23 comments

Enjoiner Rue confides in Dusk about her distrust of Demerzel. Hober Mallow pulls a daring move. Day sets course for Terminus and the Foundation.< [more inside]
posted by jjderooy on Aug 31, 2023 - 14 comments

Salvor begins to question the Mentalics' motives. Hober Mallow's proposal to the Spacers meets resistance. Brothers Constant and Poly stand trial.
posted by Kyol on Aug 25, 2023 - 14 comments

Day and Queen Sareth make an announcement. Tellem sows seeds of distrust between Gaal and Hari. Hober Mallow reaches his destination.
posted by Kyol on Aug 19, 2023 - 12 comments

Gaal, Salvor and Hari arrive on Ignis and meet the source of a strange signal they've been tracking. Dawn and Dusk are suspicious of Day.
posted by Kyol on Aug 13, 2023 - 10 comments

Queen Sareth and Dawn share a moment as she tries to learn more about Day. Brothers Constant and Poly bring Hober Mallow to Terminus.
posted by Kyol on Aug 5, 2023 - 6 comments

The Empire recruits Bel Riose to investigate the resurgent Foundation. Hari leads Gaal and Salvor to a desert planet.
posted by Kyol on Jul 30, 2023 - 12 comments

Gaal has a disturbing vision. Day's bond with Queen Sareth grows stronger. The Vault opens and reveals a cryptic message.
posted by Kyol on Jul 21, 2023 - 8 comments

Hari finds himself trapped in a mysterious prison. An assassination attempt leaves Day shaken. Gaal and Salvor devise an escape plan.
posted by Kyol on Jul 15, 2023 - 15 comments

An unexpected ally helps Salvor broker an alliance. A confrontation between the Brothers leads to unthinkable consequences.
posted by Gary on Nov 19, 2021 - 14 comments

On Terminus, the null field has become even more powerful. Brother Dawn makes a daring choice.
posted by Gary on Nov 12, 2021 - 33 comments

Brother Day embarks on a journey that no other Cleon has ever attempted. Salvor prepares to make the ultimate sacrifice to return home.
posted by rodlymight on Nov 5, 2021 - 28 comments

The Anacreons and their hostages board the fabled Invictus warship. The bond between Brother Dawn and Azura intensifies.
posted by rodlymight on Oct 29, 2021 - 24 comments

Brother Day meets Zephyr Halima—a would-be leader who opposes the Empire. Brother Dusk grows suspicious of Brother Dawn.
posted by rodlymight on Oct 22, 2021 - 24 comments

A flashback reveals the origin of Gaal’s conflict between faith and science. The standoff on Terminus takes an unfortunate turn.
posted by rodlymight on Oct 15, 2021 - 16 comments

Salvor faces off with an enemy of the Empire. Brothers Day and Dusk are at odds, while Brother Dawn wrestles with his truth. [more inside]
posted by rodlymight on Oct 8, 2021 - 13 comments

Brother Dusk reflects on his legacy as he prepares for ascension. The Foundation arrives on Terminus and finds a mysterious object. [more inside]
posted by rodlymight on Oct 2, 2021 - 19 comments

In the imaginary science of 'Pataphysics there's the concept of the "clinamen", or "swerve". As method in the arts, it can be roughly paraphrased as: "To create art you must first create a system. Once you have the system, you must introduce an anomaly which brings the system into a state of chaos. Then you have art." To put it bluntly, until writing "The Mule", Asimov's Foundation series was a perfect system, described by the imaginary science of psychohistory. Things were moving predictably to a predicted end. But then there came a swerve, in the form of "The Mule", a warlord not predicted by Hari Seldon. And in the titular character, Asimov created one of the most interesting anti-heroes of early science fiction. [more inside]
posted by Kattullus on Nov 14, 2015 - 9 comments

"The General" is the last of the classic Foundation stories. In it Asimov tackles the central dynamic head on, setting the "living will" of a single human being against the "dead hand" of psychohistory. It should be no surprise, and indeed is no surprise to modern readers, that the long arc of history doesn't bend around brilliant individuals. There are other characters than the titular general, but Bel Riose is the only one that matters. He knows exactly what he's up against, and backs himself to win. He's undoubtedly the purest example of a tragic hero in the series. [more inside]
posted by Kattullus on Nov 10, 2015 - 5 comments

The next jump forward in the Foundation storyline takes us well into the second century of the 1000 year plan (which, incidentally, was the original name of the the first book). A merchant from the Foundation on a trading mission to a distant planet runs afoul of local laws and customs. Another trader, Linmar Ponyets, is sent to save him. [more inside]
posted by Kattullus on Oct 27, 2015 - 4 comments

Compared to the previous story, there's a lot more going on in "The Mayors". While "The Encyclopedists" is a bit bare bones, this story is painted on a much bigger canvas. Political intrigue, deluded mobs and huge warships flying through space all feature. All of this is familiar from space opera, both modern and contemporary to the Foundation series. But in this story, it isn't the most destructive weapon that wins the day, but the soft power of religious authority. [more inside]
posted by Kattullus on Oct 24, 2015 - 3 comments

Science fiction fandom was introduced to the Foundation and psychohistory in a 1942 short story called "Foundation". When it was collected in a book, it was renamed "The Encyclopedists". It is the story of a library on a worthless planet on the far edge of a collapsing empire. And it's the story of a small city mayor who rises to the occasion presented to him by history, becoming one of the most beloved heroes of science fiction, Salvor Hardin. [more inside]
posted by Kattullus on Oct 22, 2015 - 10 comments

The Foundation Trilogy is the space epic's space epic. It follows the history of The Foundation for centuries, from its beginnings as a library on a rinky dink planet on the edge of the Milky Way, to burgeoning galactic empirehood. But before there's a Foundation, there's one guy with a plan, Hari Seldon. [more inside]
posted by Kattullus on Oct 21, 2015 - 14 comments