Foundation by Isaac Asimov – Review
TL; DR: The greatest sci-fi series which paved the way for all the masterpieces that followed, such as Dune and Star Wars. Asimov explores determinism, sociology, politics, and economics against the backdrop of the OG space opera theme. A page-turner with really clever characters and politics inspired by Roman history. The first book in a 7-part series. {5/5}
An aging scientist foretells the decline of a sprawling galactic empire followed by thirty-thousand years of barbaric struggle, using the mathematical calculations of ‘psychohistory’ - the science of accurately predicting the future of large populations using historical data. He concludes that it is too late to prevent the decline, but it is the right time to set a plan in motion to reduce the thirty-thousand-year period of suffering to just one-thousand, by establishing two Encyclopaedic Foundations, tasked with preserving all the scientific knowledge of the galaxy.
The first instalment consists of 5 parts, each centred around a civilizational theme such as scientism, religion, economics and trade. Each theme is emphasized by a character who uses its principles to deal with external and internal threats.
If you are interested in world history and civilizations, this piece of fiction mirrors the sociopolitical cycles that have shaped human history. Foundation is easily my favourite sci-fi novel of all time.
Fun fact: A copy of the Foundation trilogy was burned onto a nearly indestructible quartz storage disk and launched into orbit around the sun on SpaceX’s 2018 Falcon Heavy flight.