"Foundation" by Isaac Asimov

So, I finally got around to reading this seminal work (actually a trilogy) in science fiction, and literature in general. The vision of Asimov is breath-taking! Thousands of years, hundreds of parsecs, millions of light years, galactic empire (all human), psychohystory... what else could one ask for? The book has very interesting plot twists and surprises, but the vision itself is what is astounding. It consists of five shorts stories, all of which excepts the first have been published before. With the first story 'Psychohistorians' Asimov establishes the universe and the underlying theme of the entire series, and then adapts his previously published stories (already in a similar universe) to fit the Foundation timeline.

The idea of Psychohistory, that the future of large masses of population could be predicted with mathematical precision, is definitely original and thought-provoking. Hari Seldon, the founder of psychohistory figures as a living person only in part of the first story, his other appearances being in the form of hologram with messages left for the Foundation people after they've gone through one of the many 'Seldon Crises' he predicted. Using his own psychohistorical mathematchial methods, Seldon predicted with 98% probability that the Galactic Empire, in existence for 12,000 years, will come to an end in the next 500 years. With the same methods, Seldon discovered that 30,000 years of barbarism will ensue before another empire arises. To shorten this period down to 'only' 1,000 years of barbarism, Seldon organizes 'The Foundation', an organization that will catalog all available knowledge and publish it in the form of Encyclopedia Galactica, thus shortening the period of barbarism.

Unbeknown to all, Seldon did not care much about the encyclopedia, but wanted the 'Encyclopedists', the scientists and learned men that are going to write the encyclopedia, and their planet 'Terminus', to become the nucleus of the new galactic empire and thus shorten the interregnum of barbarism. This was to be presented to all on the 50th anniversary of the Foundation, when the first edition was supposed to be published, and also the time of the first 'Seldon Crisis' where the scientists and their families and support staff populating Terminus are faced with their first major independent decision and all-threatening situation.

The other stories in the book describe several more 'Seldon Crisis' or turning points where the very existence of the Foundation and the future of human civilization with that is in danger and also parallels major developments in the past of the human civilization, especially the rise and fall of the Roman Empire, which was inspiration for Asimov in writing this book. The first crisis emphasizes the importance of managing your enemies instead of trying to defeat them directly. The second crisis shows that it is always much easier to control people and entities through religion and spiritual means, than through direct force and confrontation. The third crisis shows that at a certain level of civilization development religious control becomes undesirable as most civilizations start to see through it and its real purposes. At this time control through trade, supply and demand, and simply - money, is to be introduced.

Different characters realize the different Seldon Crisis and they are always universally opposed by the old regime and the old timers who want to keep the status quo, however the changes cannot be stopped and are always implemented according to Seldon's original plan and psychohistorical predictions, ultimately for the greater good of a species, even if to the detriments of certain (powerful) individuals. Amazing book, and very captivating, even without ANY trace of sex, love or amorous interest and with great emphasis on non-violent resolution of conflicts (Seldon's favorite quote is "Violence is the last resort of the incompetent").