From: utzoo!watmath!bstempleton
Newsgroups: net.sf-lovers
Title: Re: Speculation about FOUNDATION sequels (possible spoiler)
Article-I.D.: watmath.4170
Posted: Mon Jan  3 19:35:43 1983
Received: Tue Jan  4 00:16:59 1983
References: sdchema.339

I must admit (SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER) that I was surprised to find
Asimov leaving loose ends in Foundation's Edge.  After all the noise
he made about how much he did not want to write more science fiction and
in particular more Foundation, I was amazed to see him write a book
that demands a sequel.

As those of you have read it know (and will find out if you ignore my
SPOILER warning)  Earth is mentioned a lot in the book.  As soon as
I heard mention of this, I thought for sure that the people of Earth,
with enhanced minds, were the secret foundation keeping the Seldon plan
under control.   The fact that all Earth records had been wiped from the
Trantor library was a certain clue, and even more interesting was the
statement that the Synapsifier experiments were a failure.  If you read
Pebble in the Sky, they were NOT, and Earth's plan was to set up a secret
council of smart guys using the device.  Clearly they have done so.

Having read the foundation series, and knowing Asimov's habit of pulling
surprises like who the mule was and who the Second Foundationers were, it
was obvious to me that the Trantorian woman was not what she seemed.  I
was sure she was an Earthwoman, however, so Asimov did fool me in that
respect.  My bet is that somebody in that fray (perhaps the guy from the
sirius sector) is in fact from Earth.

I thought that the Gaia affair was a side-track, but I did find the planet
fascinating, and one of the best examples of a group-conciousness I have
read.  You have to hand it to old masters like Asimov, they did not get
their reputations for nothing.


I must also stronly suggest people read 2010.  It is a fine book, perhaps
better written than Foundation's Edge.  It leaves few loose ends, so there
is less to talk about.