When Hari Seldon established the Foundation here, it was for the ostensible purpose of producing a great Encyclopedia, and for fifty years we followe… - Isaac Asimov

" "

When Hari Seldon established the Foundation here, it was for the ostensible purpose of producing a great Encyclopedia, and for fifty years we followed that will-of-the-wisp, before discovering what he was really after. By that time, it was almost too late. When communications with the central regions of the old Empire broke down, we found ourselves a world of scientists concentrated in a single city, possessing no industries and surrounded by newly created kingdoms, hostile and largely barbarous. We were a tiny island of atomic power in this ocean of barbarism, and an infinitely valuable prize. 'Anacreon, then as now, the most powerful of the Four Kingdoms, demanded and actually established a military base upon Terminus, and the then rulers of the City, the Encyclopedists, knew very well that this was only a preliminary to taking over the entire planet. That is how matters stood when I … uh … assumed actual government. What would you have done?

English
Collect this quote

About Isaac Asimov

Isaac Asimov (c. 2 January 1920 – 6 April 1992) was a Russian-born American biochemist who was a prolific writer of both fiction and non-fiction, his works include the Foundation series and I, Robot.

Biography information from Wikiquote

Also Known As

Alternative Names: Isaak Osimov Paul French Asimov Isaak Ozimov Itzhak Ozimov
PREMIUM FEATURE
Advanced Search Filters

Filter search results by source, date, and more with our premium search tools.

Related quotes. More quotes will automatically load as you scroll down, or you can use the load more buttons.

Additional quotes by Isaac Asimov

In part because of a man named Elijah Baley, an Earthman."
Pelorat put in excitedly, "He is the culture-hero I mentioned some time ago, Golan."
"A culture-hero, sir?"
"What Dr. Pelorat means," said Trevize, "is that he is a person to whom much was attributed, and who may have been an amalgamation of many men in actual history, or who may be an invented person altogether."
Daneel considered for a moment, and then said, quite calmly, "That is not so, sirs. Elijah Baley was a real man and he was one man. I do not know what your legends say of him, but in actual history, the Galaxy might never have been settled without him.

Todo aquello era un gran aliciente en la vida de Harlan. Tenía alguien con quien hablar, alguien con quien podía discutir su vida, sus preocupaciones y sus pensamientos. Era como si ella fuese una parte de él mismo, pero una parte diferente, con la que necesitaba comunicarse hablando, en vez de pensar a solas.

PREMIUM FEATURE
Advanced Search Filters

Filter search results by source, date, and more with our premium search tools.

Loading...