Second Foundation (1953) - Author Isaac Asimov

The Second Foundation was the story that was the 3rd such published book in the Foundation Trilogy (although some later books were introduced that told the story before this book). The Second Foundation was published more than 50 years back (to be precise 55 years back, in 1953 by Gnome Press). The book was the sequel to the book - Foundation and Empire. I would not treat the book purely as science fiction, given that science is not the central theme of the book. The book weaves science in and out, but the book is all about human emotions, including the strongest ones, ambition. In the previous 2 books (Foundation & Foundation and Empire), Asimov had only given trace descriptions of the Second Foundation. It is this book which describes the Second Foundation in some detail, but not enough (more detail is revealed in the book, Foundation's Edge).



The actual novel is the combination of 2 separate stories separated by 55 years. Both are about searches for the Second Foundation, Search by the Mule, and Search by the Foundation. The Second Foundation was the Foundation set up by Hari Seldon to be composed of mentalists (people who can control and influence human thought) (although the initial novels never really clear as to how people came to develop these powers - it was only once you read the later novels such as 'Prelude to the Foundation' that reveal as to how all of this was a great plan).
The Mule had conquered everything that was visible, including the great Foundation itself (from its base on Terminus). He was searching for the Second Foundation, since they, the shadowy society of mentalists, were the only one who could break his plan (and he had started finding that some of his important people were getting modified, and could only be possible by the Second Foundation). It was important for him to find the Second Foundation, and it was this story that details his search, and how eventually, the First Speaker of the Second Foundation fulfills his duty by modifying the Mule to make him not care anymore about the Second Foundation (and eventually the Mule would die a natural death).
The Second Story, 55 years after the death of the Mule, was about the Foundation (the First one, the one that grew based on physical power) wanting to find the Second Foundation and destroy it. With the encounter with the Mule, it was clear that the Second Foundation existed. The Foundation and its leader could not stand to have the prospect of anybody but them being the center of the next Empire, and if the Second Foundation consisting of mentalics remained at large, the Foundation would never be the dominant power. And hence, driven by ambition, the search for the Second Foundation through the use of technology - this technology enables them to determine the way to disrupt the use of the telepathic powers of the Second Foundation and to cause harsh mental pain to any such agent of the Second Foundation. They eventually find agents on the same planet, Terminus (since the Second Foundation is at star's end, and circling the galaxy comes back to the original point).
However, have they really ended the Second Foundation ?

Foundation and Empire by Isaac Asimov (1952)

Foundation and Empire was the second book published in the Foundation series. The novel takes place in 2 parts (and were published as separate novellas), and form the 2 halves of the book. The 2 parts of the book follow on from the original 'Foundation' novel, and the story follows from the time when the First Foundation came up as a project of Hari Seldon on the planet Terminus way on the edge of the galaxy, and how the Foundation eventually reveals its true colors of setting up a power center that will start growing as the center of a new alternative to the Empire.
One of the attractions of the Foundation Series is a lot of societal information, and the turmoil and political activities inside a society, even if the society is way in the future. Both the stories of the book talk about societies under stress, and the actions of powerful people in these societies, in one case where the person finally lost the battle, and in the other case, managed to beat the problems.



The book covers 2 separate stories, both around the Foundation, one is a success story for the Foundation, and the other is a story where a single person is able to use his mutant powers to break the stronghold of the Foundation and take over planets one by one. The 2 stories are:
1. The General: This is the story of a time when the Empire is decaying, still powerful, but the Foundation is growing on power. A direct confrontation with the Empire, which has forgotten about the setting of a group of scientists on a remote planet Terminus on the edge of the galaxy (and which has now grown into a seemingly obscure but powerful entity known as the Foundation) is on the cards. The story talks about a society on the powerful central planet Trantor run by Emperor Cleon II (with his advisors and courtiers). A powerful and young general, Bel Riose is exploring the edges of the galaxy and coming up against the Foundation, and has started attacking parts of the Foundation already. How can he stopped ? The story takes a non-violent view of this approach, whereby the Foundation uses the insecurity of the Emperor against a powerful General (who is already very popular); the Emperor will be suspicious of the motives of a General who already controls the loyalty of a huge section of the armed forces.
2. The second story is about the 'Mule'. A mutant, who is able to control the emotions of people and is looking to take control over the galaxy. The Empire no longer effectively exists, with the capital planet, Trantor having been sacked. The Foundation is now much more powerful, but is no longer the vibrant and strong self, with an earlier upstart having instituted hereditary rule. The Mule emerges in this scenario, latching onto a set of Foundation newly-weds, and moving along with them. While doing this, he also manages to sway the leaders of various planets and break their resistance. The Seldon plan also fails to predict the Mule, since the Seldon plan and psychohistory work on massed numbers, and cannot predict the impact of an individual.