Foundation’s Triumph

You are every challenge humanity faced, and eventually overcame, as we grew just a little mightier and wiser with each triumph. You are the test of our confidence…our ability to persist and prevail.

I was justified in fighting you…and yet, without your opposition, humanity would be nothing, and there could never be a victory.

Chaos, he now realized, was the underlying substance out of which his equations evolved. As well as life itself.

Anyway, it would be pointless to resent it now. Soon, his molecules would join Chaos in its everlasting dance.

But up there, amid the stars, his lifelong dream still lived.

We will know. We will understand and grow beyond all limits that imprison us.

In time, we will be greater than we ever imagined possible.

Acknowledgments

Among the “Asimov experts” who offered wisdom and advice were professors Donald Kingsbury, James Gu

The quotation in Part 6, about theGospel of Uniformity, is from Alfred North Whitehead’s book,Science and the Modern World, 1925.

Afterword

It is never easy to write in a universe that was created by another (in this case brilliant} writer. Especially when that writer is lamentably no longer around to consult by letter, or phone, or over a glass of beer. One must study his works in order to forge a new episode that has consistency with the original stories, and yet contribute fresh insights that he might have enjoyed reading. In this case, all three authors of THE SECOND FOUNDATION trilogy-Greg Bear, Gregory Benford, and I-felt compelled by the logic of Isaac Asimov’s universe to add the key element ofchaos- ahorrible disease of the mind, afflicting all of humanity. Isaac left plenty of clues to this very thing, allowing our i

I could go on about the reasons why I wrote this new layer the way I did, but at this point I’ll forgo any further comments, except to say that I don’t see the story of Hari Seldon being quite finished! As Isaac did habitually, I lacedFoundation’s Triumph with clues that others might take up someday, if they choose. Hints that culminate in two wry pages that I considered including as a denouement to this book. But instead of muddying the waters, perhaps I’ll just post them elsewhere sometime. They are not so much a part ofFoundation’s Triumph as a dream of what just might happen next.

That is what’s so much fun about our ongoing di

Timeline for the Robots and Foundation Universe

1982 C.E.Birth of Susan Calvin. Incorporation of U.S. Robots and Mechanical Men.[I, Robot]

2007 C.E.Susan Calvin begins to work for U.S. Robots. Later becomes chief robopsychologist [I,Robot]

Early 21st CenturyA social and technical renaissance flourishes on Earth. Development of positronic robots, controlled by Three Laws of Robotics.[The Complete Robot] Hyperatomic Drive allows first successful interstellar journey. [I,Robot].Through an accident, Joseph Schwartz is sent on a time journey 10,000 years into the future.[Pebble in the Sky]

2064 C.E.Death of Susan Calvin. [I,Robot]Humanity begins colonizing several planets including Aurora. The first chaos outbreaks affect civilization, breaking down confidence. On Earth, citizens cluster underground, ban robots from cities. Spacers lose empathy. Relations between Earth and Spacer worlds deteriorate.[Foundation’s Triumph]

300 years before events in The Caves of SteelThe planet Solaria (the last Spacer world) settled from the planet Nexon.[The Naked Sun] Decline of the robot-dependent Spacer culture. Later, Han Fastolfe of Aurora creates the humaniform robot, R. Daneel Olivaw.

appr. 3500 C.E.Spacetown is established near New York City. R. Daneel Olivaw is assigned to work with Earthman detective Elijah Baley.[The Caves of Steel]

1 year laterElijah Baley and Daneel Olivaw pursue an investigation on Solaria.[The Naked Sun] Fastolfe becomes influential in Auroran government and supports new Earth emigration.

Opponents led by Kelden Amadiro want Spacers to terraform and populate new planets. [The Robots of Dawn]

2 years laterBaley carries out investigation on Aurora accompanied by Daneel Olivaw and Giskard Reventlov-a telepathic robot. Aurora lets Earth colonize new planets. Giskard suggests Earthfolk must build their new worlds completely without robots.[The Robots of Dawn]

2 years laterThe second wave of emigration from Earth begins, led by Ben Baley. First Settler planet is named Baleyworld.[Robots and Empire] Number of Settler planets grows fast. Relations between Settler and Spacer worlds grow tense.[Robots and Empire]

37 years after the events in The Caves ofSteelDeath of Elijah Baley on Baleyworld.[Robots and Empire]

196 years after the events in The Caves ofSteelKeldon Amadiro and Levular Manamus begin planting nuclear amplifiers throughout Earth to take revenge for their earlier defeat [Robots and Empire]

200 years after the events in The Caves ofSteelDeath of Han Fastolfe. Population of Solaria vanishes. Daneel Olivaw andGiskard Reventlov formulate the Zeroth Law of Robotics, to override original Three Laws. Giskard pro vides Daneel with telepathic abilities. Amadiro and allies turn on amplifiers to make the Earth radioactive and uninhabitable. Giskard permits this for Zeroth Law reasons, in order to encourage human dispersal then dies because of First Law conflicts.[Robots and Empire] The Great Diaspora (final emigration) begins. A majority of robots split into two camps. Giskardians led by Daneel follow the new Zeroth Law religion. Calvinians think this an outrage. Robotic civil war ensues, mostly unseen by humans fleeing poisoned Earth. Meanwhile robot ships operating under Auroran programming cruise the galaxy ahead of the spreading Settlers, terraforming and preparing planets for colonization. Meme entities will later claim that this devastated existing races. Memes escape to the Galactic Core.[Foundation’s Fear, Foundation and Chaos]

301 years after the events in The Caves ofSteelSpacer-colonized planet Inferno is doomed by ecological and cultural catastrophe. Robots are built to operate under New Laws, giving them greater flexibility and freedom. Settler specialists help terraform the planet.[Caliban] Hostility toward New Law robots grows evident.[Inferno] Comet crashes into the planet. Merging of Spacer and Settler cultures prevents social collapse.[Utopia] The interstellar robot civil war eventually reaches Inferno. New Law robots are destroyed or go into hiding.[Foundation’s Triumph]