Hello dear friends! Today, not many are waiting for you, but a story about one of the most outstanding works in the genre of science fiction. We will talk about the cycle "foundation" Isaac Azimov. In different translations, he is also known as “Fund”, “Academy”, “Organization”, “Instruction”, “Foundation”. The word Foundation has a lot of meanings. The most interesting thing is that the names are the fund, the Academy and the foundation of some of the global ideas of the cycle. Moreover, each translation reveals these ideas on its part. But we will return to this. In 1966, the cycle was awarded the Hugo Award for the best fantastic series of all time. Although, to be precise, it is not the entire cycle, but its basic trilogy. Let’s figure it out. The fact is that the cycle can be conditionally divided into three parts. First, from 42 to 53, the basic trilogy was written, which consists of the following books: “Foundation”, “Foundation and Empire”, “Second foundation”. After that, after almost 30 years, two more books were published in 82 and 86, respectively: “The Crisis of the Development” and “Foundation and Earth”. They continued the basic trilogy, leading the cycle to logical resolution. After that, two more books were published in 88 and 93, namely the “Prelude to the base” and “On the way to the foundation”, which in turn described events before the beginning of the basic trilogy. As a result, the canonical cycle consists of seven books, you can read them in two ways:
The first method in the order of writing: “foundation”, “foundation and empire”, “second foundation”, “crisis of the foundation”, “base and earth”, “prelude to the base” and “on the way to the base”.
The second method in the order of chronology of events: “Prelude to the base”, “On the way to the base”, “foundation”, “foundation and empire”, “second foundation”, “crisis of foundation”, “base and earth”.
I personally read in the order of chronology and was wildly delighted. It is also noteworthy that the prequels to the “foundation” trilogy as well as its final books pave bridges to other works of Azimov, but I will tell about this in the spoilers zone.
What is this magnificent cycle about, ask me? This question cannot be answered monosyllables. Like any outstanding work, the “foundation” cycle offers quite a lot of ideas and meanings. At the base, sorry for the pun, the plot is the science invented by the brilliant scientist by the mathematician Gary Seldon called "Psychoistory". Representing a alloy of mathematics, psychology and history, this science can predict the future of mankind. Seldon understands that the Galactic Empire comes to decline and, guided by the psychoistory, is developing a plan of Seldon, as it will be called later. This plan is intended to save humanity from the centuries of chaos and anarchy and create a second galactic empire, on the ruins of the old. At the same time, the plan allows you to reduce the dark centuries of mankind from 30 thousand years, to one thousand, that you will agree in the scale of generations sounds like a worthy idea. There is a few explanations here. As I said earlier, the cycle can be divided into three parts. So, the first part of the cycle that was written later tells about the invention of psychostory. The second part of the cycle, it is also the basic trilogy tells how Seldon’s plan has developed over five hundred years. The last two books describe the search for answers, on the correct way of Seldon and put all points over "and".
The basic trilogy is strikingly different from two books of the beginning and two books of the end of the cycle. If in the prelude and the book “Foundation and Earth” the narrative is mainly conducted on behalf of the protagonist, then in the basic trilogy such a thing as the main character is blurred. The reader sees fragments of history, or rather key events that developed under the influence of the Seldon plan. Naturally, at the key moments of history, there were no key figures without key figures, but the main characters can be called with a big stretch – after several dozen pages they themselves become history, giving way to new generations. It seems that when reading the trilogy, you watch diaphyls, fragments, fragmented, but nevertheless folding into a whole picture. It is very difficult to create such a canvas and take into account the movement of time, especially with jumps of several dozen, or even hundreds of years, but the author coped at one hundred percent! A lot in the text of books pay attention to social and psychological mechanisms, the echoes of which are in the real world. A lot in the narrative is tied to dialogs. And here I would like to note that dialogs can radically differ from the book to the book and be both simple and uncomplicated, and married, filled with hidden subtexts and diplomatic game. Read such dialogs is a pleasure! Especially in this regard I remembered just the book "Foundation".
By the way, since the name has already been mentioned, let’s talk about it. Academy, foundation, fund – what to choose? Yes, it turns out that all the way. One of many motives in the cycle was to analyze the development and death of states and civilizations. By the way, the very real history of ancient Rome was taken as the basis for the death of the Galactic Empire. Now it is difficult to evaluate how much human civilization can exist in a relative balance of forces. Azimov constantly discusses on this topic, asking the characters of books various questions, starting from the evolutionary features of ecosystems, ending with the issue of preserving and transmitting information for millennia. The issue of storage of information, by the way, has an important role in the plot of the cycle. As you idea that after more than 20 thousand years, information about the finding of the ancestral home of mankind – the Earth will be lost? People colonized the Galaxy, setting up millions of stars. But time is merciless and only miserable grains remained about the Earth, which you have to look for on various planets. By the way, the last two books of the cycle tell about this. Therefore, the word "fund", as some translators called the cycle, carries a particle of this idea – the fund preserves the information and carries it through the centuries.
The second value is taken by the translation "Academy". Despite the fact that I read the books with this translation of the name, I still consider the most successful the use of the word "foundation". So, the Academy, as we know from the definition, is a united scientific institution. This definition characterizes another detail detail. Gary Seldon, when planning the prospects of the future, laid down the creation of two academies – future grains of the Second Galactic Empire. At the same time, the functions of these academies were radically different: one was guided by scientific and technological progress in the formation of the empire, the second used social, psychological mechanisms, developments of psychoistoria and even the genetic evolution of people, which made it possible to influence the human mind, adjusting possible deviations from the Sellers plan. The Academy themselves were specifically put in such conditions to minimize possible chaotic influences on the plan. The fact is that the psychoistory made it possible to predict the behavior of the masses of people, when enlarging the scale to certain groups of people or specific personalities, the error of the forecast grew exponentially.
In general, there is a lot of interesting things in the cycle. In addition to the not entirely standard submission of the plot through the description of different historical events, there are still many reasoning on various global topics. I have already talked about the information issue and the cycles of the existence of civilizations, but besides them, other issues are raised in the works. How human society is self -organized? What mechanisms work in maintaining stability, what is a decline in existence, what criteria affect the evolution and possible inhabitability of the planets and, in the end, how to use cosmic navigation and star maps if the stars are not standing still, but move inside the galaxy? This is just a small fraction of those who are paid to the pages of books.
Summarizing the first part of the review, I will say this way-it is not for nothing that this cycle is one of the best fantastic works ever written. Therefore, I definitely recommend you read it, you will not stay indifferent. In the meantime, I look closely at his novel, which is also considered one of the best – I’m talking about the "end of eternity". I will definitely get to it and maybe even with a review. The most curious, not afraid of the spoilers of people, as well as those who have already read the cycle, I invite to the second part of the review, where you can catch critical spoilers to the plot, and all that.

Well, you are ready to find out about the work a little more? To begin with, Azimov, when he wrote the last two books of the cycle, as well as the first two did a very interesting thing. By and large, he thus paved the bridges to his other famous works, including the “end of eternity” mentioned earlier. Thus, he united the events of “foundations” with his other cycles, such as the “Galactic Empire” and “I Robot” building all his written works into one hypercycle, called “History of the Future”. The topic of robots is also affected in books about the foundation. At the same time, it turns out that the robots were directly related to those events that took place in the observed cycle. I will call two characters who personally got acquainted with robots. This is really a wild spoiler, but you knew what you were going. The first is Gary Saldon himself, the second is Glan Treviz, the hero of the last two books of the cycle. But who these robots were – perhaps let it remain a secret. It should be at least something sacred in the review?
You can slightly affect the development of psychoistoria. If at first Servon himself did not believe that it was possible to practically apply mathematical calculations, then over time he was able to state the basic principles of its work and create the main radiant on its basis. The invention that showed time in the context of variations and probabilities of global social events. I described it chaotic, but this thing has always attracted my interest when the author decided to devote this amazing book to this amazing thing. It was with this main radiant that the Second Academy monitored the deviation from the general line of the plan. By the way, another global and key spoiler in the cycle I will not tell you. I will limit myself to the fact that this spoiler was so good that he threatened the fulfillment of the Seldon plan, making significant deviations into it, putting a dead end as a second academy, following the plan, and some other than some other. But this is also a spoiler.
I also really liked the structure of the cycle itself, which I already talked about. But I did not say her main charm. Each part of the cycle, of which I highlight three complements each other and allows you to look at the events of the cycle from completely different points of view. Almost like the first dish, the second and dessert. Different general ideas, pace and even the manner of narrative expand this cycle and make it truly epic. The first two books are well shown the inside out of self -filled prophecies. What is it – Google to help. If briefly, these are prophecies, which by the very fact of their existence model their performance. In the prelude to the foundation, the influential people of the empire announced a mathematician hunt, since he can make the right (in quotation marks) predictions in their favor and the people will believe.
In the latest books, the role of one person in history and its contrasting the role of communities is well considered. By and large, the driving power of the plot is being built on this conflict.

Something like that! On this I finish the story about this wonderful cycle and extremely recommend that you read it! Ahead of you will be an overview to the Joe Abercrombi cycle "First Law". Until new meetings!

The best comments

Everything is fine, but it is worth a little break the wall of the text. Pictures (which can probably be found on the Internet) or just empty lines.
Although if this is just a text version of the video … I liked the video or text, although you can argue with some "accents"-accondrations.
If about the work itself, then I like the “foundation” more, especially since it was with this translation of the name that I first met.
Yes, the original "initial" trilogy about the base was a self -sufficient work. And … written after the author of the "bridge" to other works of Azimov, read by me after the original trilogy, and the creation of a general galactic story or the history of the future, I liked less.

If a rather free continuation of the base is interesting, then it is worth reading the book of Donald Kingsbury “Psychological Crisis”. Azimov wrote the foundation for a long time, with an understanding of the science and progress of his time, maybe very optimistic. This is a bright representative of the classics of the NF. Now science and technology have changed a lot.
And then a mechanistic approach to history, and in general to the humanities, and the construction of the Universe, which goes, seems from Descartes, reducing everything to the formulas and numbers … Now it’s not that not so fashionable. He will be rejected and impossible. It is impossible to reduce history, psychology by the development of society to formulas, since humanity is subject to accidents, all kinds of emotions.
But once I was read out by this book, but then I realized that such a psychoistoric approach to history is impossible. But the book is magnificent as science fiction and, in general, as just a literary work.

But now I looked at the review.
As rolling-slots.co.uk a person who read Azimov, probably 20 (and what are you ready for, when you do not have the Internet, a cool mobile phone, computer and often electricity during the day?), perhaps I will express an unpopular opinion, but, personally, I sincerely recommend that at least once (or even in the first), stock up on time and read the chronologically following books, which are generally tied to the megacule of the “History of the Future”. I guarantee you that after the end, you will understand what real NF is.
According to the list. The spoilers will be tough, I’m not a saint :), and I will hide them.
1. The end of eternity. Short. A book about an organization that controls the time within the framework of planet Earth. The megapoyler is that the very fact of its existence is completely castrated (yes, here it is precisely this unpleasant word) the opportunity for humanity to ever get into space. The end is a little predictable, and therefore, (possible! I am not the truth in the last instance) The earth passes to the future described in further books.
2. Cycle "I am a robot". Here you can do without spoilers in general. In fact, the cycle is a kind of matan, so that the reader begins to understand what local robots are, how they think, and what “jackets” they can have. The analysis of the fan of robots, by the way, is a feast for any person who loves logic with a capital letter.
3. Cycle "About robots". But I call it a detective-robotic. As part: steel caves, naked sun, dawn robots, robots and empire. There is still a short story, but I honestly did not even read it, some of it is more likely to be “fan” written. Actually, from the "bangs" of robots, to specific crimes with these very robots.
Actually, in the very unification of these books, there is a nuance into the cycle. It is detective only the first three books. The protagonist of Ilaid/Elijah/Elijah/Ilai Bailey (as soon as he was not called).Daniel/Denis Oliv/Oliv (and he, too, a couple of rags in translations) investigate crimes in which robots are involved in one way or another. And the confrontation of earthlings and cosmonites (earthlings who flew from their homeland and so genetically modified that they barely reached a separate species is stablely involved in the actual confrontation.The fourth book is as it were expressed. Though Loeva to help call comparisons for comparisons. In general, three books built rails, the train rides along them, and the rails ended without reaching the desired point. Therefore, it was required to build a little more. Enough years have passed since the third book, so that the detective three times “putting on the ears” (this is not an exaggeration) the human part of the galaxy quietly retreated to another world. The plot differs in that you immediately know who the main bastard is here and who his henchmen. Moreover, the book is very, very fatly hints that it will not work out to prevent the villain. But, at the same time leaves the philosophical question – is it really bad that the villains have achieved their?
The connection serves just p.Daniel Olno. This robot will be ahead of time many times, and you will hear about it.
4. Cycle "Galactic Empire".
Stars like dust, cosmic currents, pebbles in the sky.
To someone, but I have the names from this cycle as capacious phrases in memory sunk forever, but the cycle itself always seemed quite filler.
The first book.
The only useful conclusion, the heart of the future Galactic Empire will be a trainer. And there will be the US Constitution. This constitution looks so ridiculous that it has been thoroughly entrusted to memory. Firstly, the very name of the Galactic Empire with the emperor does not fit with democracy in any way. Secondly, during the time that has passed since the Constitution, this document is unlikely to fit into modern realities. And, according to Wikipedia, this constitution was imposed by editors. Otherwise, in fact, such an adventure novel without a highlight.
The second. Similarly, the first. The trainer is growing. And then with a couple of planets the problem arose. Problems are solved, the trainer is stronger, move on.
But the third is another booze. EMNIP, chronologically this is the first book where a telepath man appears, whose species will play an important role in the second academy in the future. By the way, this man came into the future straight from his native XX century. Given the fact that the “end of eternity” was written 5 years after the “pebble” is likely that two books can also be tied for these threads.

5. Actually cycle "Foundation". 7 books. They told about him in the video.
Actually communication.
1. P.Daniel Olno. Who read Pratchetta? There is death that climbs into every work. And p.Daniel lasted 20,000 years old to make the world better. Not bad for the robot, and?
2. The second Academy is steamed by people-telepathies. And one of these Lyudyov, in no way connected with this very academy, almost diluted the entire psychoistoric plan to restore the galaxy after the collapse of the empire.
3. Actually, the planet is a trainer. The center of the world, damn it. And I took it. 🙂
If you delve, then you can find all kinds of references.

If you read quickly, then all these 1+1 (we calculate all the stories for one book)+4+3+7 = 16 books can be easily overpowering in a week. And after that you suddenly find that the topic of robots did not actually go away from Azimov. 🙂 Joke. Maybe not.
Here is such a stream of consciousness.

Probably a favorite series of books.

Is r. Daniel Olo is a spoiler? =)
But the fact that there is a second fund and it is busy with psychoistory a huge spoiler. =)

You can score for eternity, it is awesomely self -sufficient, and if you missed it then.
But I would get acquainted with the robot cycle, it would be more interesting to read the Academy and Earth then. 🙂
Galactic Empire still at will. I ran a briefly after the post, well, very filler.

Heh, well, at least someone slowly begins to remind you that there is such a seasoned type as Isaac Azimov.
The very hand did not reach the blog (curvature apparently interferes).
So that you understand how cool he is – the entire cycle of the academies (sorry, I have paper books of the Academy) I read at the age of 14. You can’t even imagine how much Azimov’s most works are easily read.
The author of the blog (and I didn’t even read it :)) Immediately pluses in karma!

But the third book is about this. Moreover, throughout the entire cycle it can be seen that the psychostory has a huge error. =)

As it was correctly indicated above, it is worth diluting the blog with pictures, since the walls of the text are not good. I don’t know if it would be appropriate, but perhaps just filed quotes from the work would come up. Visual diversity is not enough in general.
And the blog itself, alas, read only until the middle. I was interested in the cycle and now I do not want to catch a spoiler. Thanks for the discovery/reminder of Azimov’s work

If you read starting with a prelude, then the second base is not a spoiler, if from the “foundation” then yes, I agree.
But the Olno spoiler, since this is a fat connection with another cycle and events are perceived in general in different ways because

Just finished the robot and moved to the base. Is it worth stopping and reading the cycles in the indicated order? Eternity-robots- Empire and further?

Then what is your pickup, that Azimov is outdated? =)
Yes, and I would not call it an optimist.
Become a grain and abandon robotics with almost eternal life ambiguous solutions. Rather, he is dominated by "gray morality", as it is now fashionable to say.

Rather, to the fact that the faith itself in the "psychoistory" in people of the future looks very tense. In general, there are several more points in the book, where Azimov simply tries to transfer the period of “dark centuries” immediately after the fall of the Roman Empire into space (for example, a description of the provincial planet in the first part of the second base).

Thank you for the tip, I’ll see! Regarding the wall of the text and pictures – an important remark, in the next review I will take into account.