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.

A Christmas Carol (By Charles Dickens - 1843)

Charles Dickens was one of the most prolific writers of his generation, having written a number of books. Most of his books were on the subject of the society of Great Britain of that time, and he wrote about the horrors, the deprivation, the class challenges, and the poor condition of the poorer classes of that time (Charles Dickens, Oliver Twist, David Copperfield, and many others that contain some pretty grim descriptions of the conditions of most of England of that time). A Christmas Carol is different from many of those books - it also depicts the condition of society, especially the different conditions of the different social classes at that times, but it is also a novel that describes how a person can change himself if shown the right way. It is a book that is written for Christmas, a play on how the spirit of Christmas, of giving, can change even the most hard-nosed person and reform them.



A Christmas Carol was an incredibly successful novel, selling many copies right after release, and being popular ever since. When one thinks of the Christmas Spirit and of reform, the story of Ebenezer Scrooge comes to mind. It is a popular tale, and the concept of the redemption of a person when shown his own faults, and the vision of a horrible future that forces the person to confront his own inner self is a popular tale from the beginning of man.
A Christmas tale is the story of a miserable old miser, unwilling to recognize the suffering around him, unwilling to show pity to those around him. On the Eve of Christmas, he starts seeing various things of a paranormal nature, including visions of his former business partner Jacob Marley (dead for 7 years now). Finally, after all the bells of the house start ringing, and the ghost of Marley enters through the door and warns Scrooge that he has one chance of redemption, else his fate will be horrible - he would be doomed to wander the world after death, unable to make any amends for what he has done. He will see 3 spirits over the next 3 days that will allow him to change his fate.
And thus starts the journey:
He first sees the Ghost of Christmas Past, who shows Scrooge visions from previous Christmas Days, including how Scrooge's sister saved him from boarding school, and Scrooge does not treat her son Fred properly. The spirit reminds him of how others treated him, and takes him down the painful path of how he lost his love, Belle, due to his love for money. Scrooge gets angry and dismisses the spirit.
Next, he sees the Ghost of Christmas Present in the adjoining room, who takes him through how others are enjoying Christmas. His apprentice Bob Cratchit, with his lame son Tiny Tim are enjoying even though their celebrations are meager. Scrooge's other friends don't talk too much good about him either, with only his nephew seeing any good. Overall, the Ghost shows Scrooge how people enjoy the spirit of Christmas, no matter their circumstances. He admonishes Scrooge about 2 major causes of suffering in the world, 'Ignorance' and 'Want'. With that, the spirit vanishes.
Finally, in the most horrific experience, Scrooge is visited by the Ghost of Christmas Future, a grim black spectre. The spectre does not speak, only shows Scrooge future suffering, including a death where no one is with him, and even his attendants rob him. Scrooge is shaken by this vision, and promises to turn a new leaf.
With the 3 spirits gone, it is now Christmas morning; and Scrooge changes himself totally, becoming a kind-hearted person who cares for everyone around him. He starts using his wealth to improve the lives of those he touches.

A tale of 2 cities by Charles Dickens

One of the most brutal revolutions in Europe in recent times has been the French Revolution; it had many phases and can be taken to mean the period between 1789 and 1799, when the army finally took over in the form of its leader, Napoleon Bonaparte. In the interim period, there were many struggles, many twists and turns. A new instrument of murder, the guillotine, was the main execution tool. People condemned to death for anti-revolution fervor, for their thoughts, and because getting them condemned to death removed them from the scene, all would be brought to the public squares where they would be executed with the guillotine.
'A tale of 2 cities' was published in 1859, and is set during the time period of the French Revolution. It shows the sheer terror of those times, where you could be condemned to death for even sympathizing with the fate of an earlier executed 'enemy' of the revolution, where a person could be condemned based on the written statement of a person (even if the person wants to take the statement back). The terror of the French Revolution evolved during a complex stage in which the excesses of the nobility and the church had crushed the poorer part of the population (Wikipedia), and this was almost pay-back time.



The book led to a very remembered opening statement, starting with these incredible words, "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness". The book covers the conflicting story of many people, including arrogant aristocrats who were condemned, humble and good aristocrats who were also condemned, people taking revenge using the medium of the revolution, and how the revolution eventually also condemns those who were its proponents earlier. The book has been used as the base for a number of movies over the years, and was itself based on the book 'The French Revolution: A History' by Thomas Carlyle.
The novel covers the story of the following main characters:
- Dr Alexandre Manette: A prisoner in the Bastille for 18 years, and the father of the lady who is one of the main characters
- Lucie Manette: Young lady loved by both Charles Darnay and Sydney Carton, and also the daughter of Dr. Manette
- Charles Darnay: A young, and good-natured French nobel. He never liked the cruelty of his family towards the peasantry and abandons the family name (Evrémonde), and fled to England after assuming his mother's maiden name
- Sydney Carton: A complex, but depressed English barrister. Loves Lucie, and promises her that he will do whatever he can for her and her family. Eventually does so in the end with a supreme act of self-sacrifice.
- Monsieur Ernest Defarge: Took care of Dr. Manette, also a closet revolutionary
- Madame Therese Defarge: A dark-natured closet revolutionary and wife of Ernest. She is also bent of taking revenge for the extermination of her family at the hands of Darnay's uncle

Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens (1838)

Oliver Twist was the second book by Charles Dickens, and was the first one to portray a child in the main role. The book tells of the struggles of this boy, Oliver Twist, having been born in poverty and suffering through large sections of his life. The book also portrays an England of that time as a time of suffering for the poor (something that typically does not come through many historical books of that period, which concentrate on the richer class of society). Charles Dickens is acknowledged as an all-time great writer, with his portrayal of a life more than ordinary. His characters typically go through great suffering, physical and emotional; sometimes they come out trumps, and many times their condition does not really improve that much. Books by Charles Dickens are a must read for most English literature courses, and once you read the book (and get through the emotions, you realize that these are great books).



Many of Charles Dicken's books were serialized in magazines, with a chapter appearing in each issue of the magazine. Similarly, Oliver Twist was published in monthly installments in a magazine called 'Bentley's Miscellany' (starting in February 1837 and through to April 1839), with a steel etching by George Cruikshank for every installment. The book has 2 very famous phrases - 'Please, sir, I want some more', and 'The Law is a Ass'.
The story is about this poor orphan (his mother died in childbirth and father was absent) called Oliver Twist, who is forced to spend the first 9 years of his life at a 'baby farm' run by a lady called Mrs. Mann, done under the auspices of a law called the Poor Law. In reality, he is brought up in a life of few, with bad conditions and inadequate food. Around his 9th birthday, he is removed from the poorhouse and sent to work in a place with inadequate food. There, through a draw of lots, he utters a line that angers the folks running the establishment, 'Please, sir, I want some more'. They decided to send him off with anybody who is willing to pay 5 pounds; Oliver manages to avoid being sent off with a chimney sweep, instead he is sent off with Mr. Sowerberry (who is an undertaker for the local parish). Mr. Sowerberry treats Oliver well, and this angers his wife who treats Oliver badly. Similarly, another employee Noah Claypole and the maidservant Charlotte also mistreat Oliver.
Eventually, Oliver attacks Noah after one insult too many, and after being punished for this, Oliver runs away, wandering aimlessly for some time before heading towards London. in the journey, he encounters a gentleman by the name of Jack Dawkins, and this encounter is liable to cause him many problems; Jack Dawkins is not called the 'Artful Dodger' for no reasons, he lures Oliver to a lair called Saffron Hill that is the headquarters for the criminal called Fagin. He sets out with Dodger and another boy once for 'making handkerchiefs' and realizes too late that their mission is to do pick-pocketing. They are chased, and only Oliver gets arrested. He only escapes prison when a witness clears him. He is taken in by an elderly gentleman called Mr. Brownlow who cares for him.
However, this is shortlived as Fagin gets him back with the help of an accomplice called Nancy; and he is forced to take part in a burglary. The burglary goes bad and Oliver gets shot, however, he is again saved when the occupants of the house take him in and care for him. By this time, Nancy wants to save Oliver. Things start turning bad when a new person called Monks (who wants to destroy Oliver) joins Fagin's gang. Nancy manages to protect him till her secret of trying to protect Oliver is revealed and her lover Sykes kills her, and is himself killed while escaping.
And then the secret of Monks is revealed; he is Oliver's half-brother and is searching for Oliver in order to destroy him (not searching out of any love, but more to destroy him). Monks makes up with Oliver reluctantly, and moves to America where he eventually dies in prison after reverting to crime. Fagin is also arrested and sentenced to death. And then things turn out better for Oliver, with finding his mother's half-sister in the form of Rose. He eventually lives happily ever after with Mr. Brownlow.

1984 by George Orwell

This is an epic novel published in 1949 by George Orwell (real name, Eric Arthur Blair). The book is seen as a landmark work, used extensively for teaching, and also as an example of a Government and society heading on the totalitarian path. The book has had a tremendous effect on the mass culture dealing with the rights of individuals versus the tyranny of a Government that believes in keeping an eye on all its citizens, governing their thoughts and actions. The novel led to the popularity of many terms such as 'Big Brother', and 'Orwellian'. It depicted the horror of a society where the Government controlled all aspects of life, and knew everything about every citizen. Soon after, a state came into being where this concept was very close to being achieved. It was in East Germany, a state that had an extensive network of internal spies, and for whom it was claimed that fully a third of the population informed on other people.



The year is 1984, the place is called "chief city of Airstrip One", a part of the large region known as 'Oceania' (the place where the protagonist works is actually London, but a London that has been wracked by civil war after World War 2 and was eventually made a part of Oceania). Oceania is one of the 3 totalitarian states, the other 2 being that which was formed by the USSR, and the third from East Asia. Oceania is a territory or a country that runs through terror and a deep desire to control every citizen. Photos of the leader called 'Big Brother' are everwhere with the caption 'BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU'. Every place has a two-way television (the telescreen) in order to make suer that nothing is secret, and there can be no voices raised against the state (people believed to be working against the state are first re-educated so that they start to love the Big Brother, and then they are executed). In addition, society is divided into 3 separate classes: (i) the Inner Party, (ii) the Outer Party, and (iii) the Proles (upper, middle and lower classes, respectively).
The members of the Inner Party and Outer Party were subjected to a thorough control (with the Proles being deemed to be the worker class, with not much worry being given to whether they needed to be indoctrinated). In the midst of all this, you had the protagonist, Winston Smith. Winston works in the aptly named Ministry of Truth where his job is to modify all records such that the Government is always shown to be true (and this includes removing people from photos once a person is deemed to be a unperson). Winston had lost his parents in the civil war, and the English Socialism Movement ("Ingsoc") had raised him up. However, he was beginning to have his doubts about the system (even while knowing that if these thoughts ever got out, he would be re-educated and then executed).
He meets Julie, a mechanic in the Ministry of Truth. He feels in her a partner in his feelings, and they start having a secret affair (hopefully away from the watchings of the Ministry, which would have believed this affair to be a betrayal and akin to treason). However, they are soon caught, and sent off to re-education in the dreaded Ministry of Love. There, Winston is subject to monologues from O'Brien, a functionary of the Ministry. There you come face to face with the true horror - the Party has only one aim; it has to keep itself in power, and the only way it can do that is by breaking the traditional friend and family bonds a person has. The person can only have a bond with the party and with Big Brother.
In the despairing end, both Winston and Julia are re-educated. You get to feel the absolute sense of despair when you read about when they meet again, with no feelings for each other (not even anger at each other's betrayal). They are well and truly successful citizens of Oceania now.

Kane and Abel by Jeffrey Archer

For those of you who have not read this novel, but the name sounds somewhat familiar, worry not. You are indeed correct, with the name being similar to the biblical 'Cain and Abel'. The novel was released in 1980, with was an international bestseller. It remains on the popular list, being among the more famous, if not the most famous, book of Jeffrey Archer. It has been made into a 1985 television mini-series as well. The book is essentially a life story of 2 men, born into 2 entirely different societies and circumstances, but sharing the same date of birth, April 18, 1906. This book is the story of William Lowell Kane, and Wladek Koskiewicz (later to be called Abel Rosnovski), and truth be told, is a great book.



These are 2 men with an entirely different start in life, with one thing in common; both are extremely confident and self-starters. They have built up whatever they currently own in life, and are willing to take a fight all the way to the end.
Kane is born in a rich family, but loses his wealth and inheritance after a series of misfortunes. His father dies in the Titanic disaster, and his mother marries a man who does nothing but squander his wealth and waste it away. Eventually, after his mother dies in a miscarriage, Kane throws his step-father out.
Abel, on the other hand, lives a life of poverty. He is born in a forest, and only gains some hope of a better life due to his intelligence; the local Baron recognizes his intelligence and seeking to get a good companion for his son, adopts Abel. However, soon after, with the First World War breaking out, the Russian Army kills the Baron and his son, rapes Abel's sister, and takes Abel to Siberia (However, Abel also discovers that the Baron was actually his father, since both of them have only one nipple each). Abel manages to escape from Siberia, and after almost getting his hand amputated in Turkey for stealing, he manages to reach the US.
And this is where the battle between the 2 starts to germinate. After Abel starts to rise by dint of ability, his benefactor suffers because Kane's bank refuses to lend funds during the depression, and actually commits suicide. Blaming Kane for this, Abel has two ambitions, how to become a successful and rich man, and how to defeat Kane. He has one option, if he can get enough shares of Kane's bank, he can get Kane kicked off the board (he does not know that Kane was the one who had actually helped him in the past and Kane cannot tell him also).
This rivalry takes a strange turn when the children of both of them meet, fall in love, and marry over the massive objections of both of them. What happens next ? Do these 2 bitter enemies forgive their children and each other, and reconcile with their grandchild ? Read the whole novel, it is a great work of fiction.