Foundation and Empire – Book Review

Posted by Samuel Walters

Foundation and Empire is the second book in Isaac Asimov’s Foundation series. With the Foundation firmly established as a strong entity – in terms of both economic and military might – there’s seemingly only one thing to stand in its way: The remnants of the original Galactic Empire. This book, then, chronicles the fate of the Foundation in the face of seemingly unstoppable force. But there is a twist. Foundation and Empire is split into two shorter novellas. The first, titled “The General,” is about what happens when General Bel Riose of the Empire decides to conquer the Foundation. The second, titled “The Mule,” is about a mutant, wholly unforeseen in the Seldon Plan, who threatens the entire future of the Foundation.

The General

What is most interesting about this novella is the connections it makes back to “The Merchant Princes.” In that story, Hober Mallow made a temporary excursion into an Empire-controlled system called Siwenna and met a local outcast named Onum Barr. In “The General” we learn that Siwenna has continued to suffer under Imperial control. And the son of Onum Barr, Ducem Barr, figures prominently as Bel Riose tries to learn as much about the Foundation as possible before he invades.

It’s this “mystical” description of the Foundation which is the most enjoyable element to the story. Much of the rest of the tale is one of inevitability. The story is told in such a way that it lacks any real sense of mortal danger to the Foundation. No matter how bad things get, Ducem is always there to explain that the “Dead Hand of Seldon” will ensure victory for the Foundation. And he’s right. The more success Riose experiences, the more of a threat he becomes to an Empire which has already seen countless warlords overthrow emperors. So just when Riose seemed assured of victory against the Foundation, he is summarily arrested and executed.

The whole tale makes sense from a “psychohistorical” standpoint. But the truth is, by this time, the tale of the Foundation has become a bit stale. Because the Foundation is *supposed* to win, there’s seemingly no danger whatsoever – even when it faces the greatest military might in the galaxy. Fortunately, Asimov seems to have recognized this dramatic flaw and introduced a true Wild Card for the second novella of the book.

The Mule

The character of The Mule is a mutant. As such, his ascendency could not have been anticipated by the Seldon Plan. What’s more, his existence reveals a fatal flaw in psychohistory: Individuals really can completely alter the course of history. And so with the arrival of this mutant, everything is reset and the Foundation must fight on its own merits, and not simply with the inevitability of the Seldon Plan. That the Mule is able to adjust the emotional makeup of people is also a very interesting element to the story. It allows him to not only be unaccounted for in the Seldon Plan, but it also allows him to swiftly conquer worlds – including Terminus.

Most of the real drama from this novella is centered on the quest to find the mysterious Second Foundation – hinted at in “The Psychohistorians” but since overlooked. And the story makes prominent use of the characters Bayta Darrell, Ebling Mis, Toran Darrell and Magnifico (who presents himself as the Mule’s jester). It’s their quest which takes up the biggest portions of the story. And for the most part, it works, especially when they arrive at Trantor to search the Galactic Library for references to the Second Foundation.

But whether or not the whole story works for readers will entirely depend on the final confrontation with the Mule. Some may guess at it early enough to remove much of the suspense. Even so, what makes “The Mule” so important is that it corrects a severe oversight in not only Seldon’s Plan, but also in Asimov’s view of humanity. Yes, broad sweeps of history can be predicted — but at any given moment, individuals can often radically alter the course of history (something Seldon himself proved by designing the plan to begin with).

Overall Grade: B+

I liked “The Mule” for the fact that it utterly challenged our preconceptions for the Foundation series. I mean, by this time, we’re used to The Foundation finding a way to win no matter what. Heck, “The General” makes the galaxy feel like “choices” do not matter anymore. “The Mule” puts everything back into perspective — that even with the awesome scope of psychohistory, individual choice is still the most powerful determining factor in the direction of civilization.

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Topics: Book Reviews, Sci-Fi
Filed under: Foundation