Sticking up for Asimov: Foundation of the Rainbow

[George]

I have to agree that Asimov's prose is not the most graceful, but then, 
Asimov would have been the first to agree to this. He compared his 
prose to a plate glass window, while other more accomplished 
word-smiths produced the equivalent of a sparkling mosaic. But a plate 
glass window is ideal for showcasing things.

You can look into the plate glass window of the Foundation trilogy and 
see many grand themes. Look closer, and you notice the reflection of GR 
on the window, superimposed on these grand themes, a plane reflection 
being a reversed image of course.

The Foundation trilogy deals with an empire decaying, a man who sees this, 
and discovers a way to shorten the time of decay. With his followers, THEY 
start to influence the galactic empire, shaping it to THEIR plans for 
the future. While THEY started in secret, soon enough knowledge of THEM 
spreads, so that even the most innocent coincidence become attributed 
to THEM. Eventually, a superhuman is born, with amazing powers, but 
even this uberman falls to THEM in the end. Of course, being written in 
the Golden Age of science Fiction, THEY are a benevolent dictatorship, 
only interested in humanity's well-being, but in the reflection in the 
window... 

THEY pick a small world with scant resources to be THEIR physical 
counterpart. This world learns to do well with few resources, 
surrounded by enemies, and consequently become very advanced 
technilogically. In the reflection, we see the Rocketry group, isolated 
in Peenemunde, working with scant resources, knowing they are a 
solution when Germany becomes surrounded by enemies, and have only their 
technical profiency to save themselves.

I could go on, but my batteries are running low. 

george