Foundation and Chaos

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Foundation and Chaos - Wikipedia

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Foundation and Chaos
The Second Foundation Trilogy: Foundation and Chaos
Author	Greg Bear
Cover artist	J.P. Targete
Language	English
Series	The Second Foundation Trilogy
Genre	Science fiction
Publisher	Harper Prism
Publication date	February 1998
Publication place	United States
Media type	Print (hardback & paperback)
Pages	352
ISBN	978-0-06-105242-2
OCLC	37993248
Dewey Decimal	813/.54 21
LC Class	PS3552.E157 F65 1998
Preceded by	Foundation's Fear
Followed by	Foundation's Triumph

Foundation and Chaos (1998) is a science fiction novel by Greg Bear, set in Isaac Asimov's Foundation universe. It is the second book of the Second Foundation trilogy, which was written after Asimov's death by three authors, authorized by the Asimov estate.

Plot summary

The novel is the second part of the Second Foundation Trilogy and takes place almost entirely in the same time frame as "The Psychohistorians", which is the first part of the novel Foundation. In addition to telling a more expanded version of Hari Seldon's confrontation with the Commission of Public Safety, it also interweaves R. Daneel Olivaw's struggle against a sect of robots who oppose his plans for humanity.

While covering the same period as in Asimov’s "The Psychohistorians", Foundation and Chaos focuses more on paternal super-robot R. Daneel Olivaw than on Hari Seldon. Olivaw’s 20 millennia of machinations and contrivances are questioned by “Calvinian” robots who do not observe Olivaw’s Zeroth Law (“No robot may harm humanity or, through inaction, allow humanity to come to harm”) developed in Asimov’s Robots and Empire. Olivaw’s actions dampen human intellectual growth and variation until the human species matures. The novel’s primary issue is whether Olivaw’s ends justify his means.^{[original research?]} Does the ancient Auroran robot really serve humanity’s greater good? Should Olivaw decide this for himself?

Seldon seems unaware of Olivaw’s role in perpetuating brain fever and other dampeners. But Seldon would probably approve,^{[original research?]} considering his quarantining of the New Renaissance worlds when Seldon served as Imperial 1st Minister.

Foundation and Chaos portrays the rise of mentalics (telepaths who can influence other’s thoughts) such as Wanda Seldon and Stettin Palver, who will form the Second Foundation. Twisted rogue mentalic Vara Liso even foreshadows the mutant Magnifico’s spectacular rise 310 years later. Powerful Public Safety Commissioner Linge Chen again plays a prominent role as the true Imperial power behind fatuous playboy Emperor Klayus. Reconstructed super-robot Dors Venabili appears as well.

Reviews

Review by Gary K. Wolfe (1998) in Locus, #446 March 1998
Review by Thomas Marcinko (1998) in Science Fiction Age, May 1998
Review by Curt Wohleber (1998) in Science Fiction Weekly, 1 June 1998
Review by Mark L. Olson (1998) in Aboriginal Science Fiction, Summer 1998
Review by Nigel Brown (1998) in Interzone, #138 December 1998
Review by Steven H Silver (1998) in SF Site, Mid-April 1998, (1998)
Review by Darrell Schweitzer (1999) in Aboriginal Science Fiction, Fall 1999
Review by Gary Wilkinson (1999) in Vector 208^[1]

References

^ "Title: Foundation and Chaos". www.isfdb.org. Retrieved 2022-11-27.

v t e Isaac Asimov's Foundation series
Asimov writings	Foundation Foundation and Empire Second Foundation Foundation's Edge Foundation and Earth Prelude to Foundation Forward the Foundation
Others' writings	Foundation's Fear Foundation and Chaos Foundation's Triumph Foundation's Friends Psychohistorical Crisis The Originist
Other media	Radio programme TV series
Foundation universe	Characters Cleon Demerzel Gaal Dornick Salvor Hardin Hober Mallow The Mule R. Daneel Olivaw Bel Riose Hari Seldon Encyclopedia Galactica Psychohistory
Preceded by: The Robot series and The Empire series

v t e Works by Greg Bear
Darwin	Darwin's Radio (1999) Darwin's Children (2003)
The Forge of God	The Forge of God (1987) Anvil of Stars (1992)
Songs of Earth and Power	The Infinity Concerto (1984) The Serpent Mage (1986)
Quantico	Quantico (2005) Mariposa (2009)
Quantum Logic	Queen of Angels (1990) Slant (1997) Heads (1990) Moving Mars (1993)
War Dogs	War Dogs (2014) Killing Titan (2015) Take Back the Sky (2016)
The Way	Eon (1985) Eternity (1988) Legacy (1995) The Way of All Ghosts (1999)
Contributions to series	Second Foundation series: book 2 Foundation and Chaos (1998) Man-Kzin Wars The Man Who Would Be Kzin (with S.M. Stirling) (1991) Halo Forerunner Saga (trilogy) Halo: Cryptum (2011) Halo: Primordium (2012) Halo: Silentium (2013) Star Trek: The Original Series Corona (1984) Star Wars Rogue Planet (2000) Foreworld Saga The Mongoliad (2012–2013)
Non-series novels	Hegira (1979) Psychlone (1979) Beyond Heaven's River (1980) Strength of Stones (1981) Blood Music (1985) Dinosaur Summer (1998) Vitals (2002) Dead Lines (2004) City at the End of Time (2008) Hull Zero Three (2010) The Unfinished Land (2021)
Short stories	Hardfought (1983) Collections The Wind from a Burning Woman (1983, vt The Venging 1992) Early Harvest (February 1988) Tangents (1989) Bear's Fantasies (1992) The Collected Stories of Greg Bear (2002) W3: Women in Deep Time (2003) Sleepside: The Collected Fantasies (November 2005)
Anthologies	New Legends (1995, with Martin H. Greenberg) Multiverse: Exploring Poul Anderson's Worlds (2014, with Gardner Dozois) Nebula Awards Showcase 2015 (2015)

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