Mind games and mysteries abound in Isaac Asimov’s Second Foundation
The Mule has disrupted Hari Seldon’s plan, and nothing can save the Foundation. Unless — yes! There’s another Foundation, hidden away at Star’s End. Or is there? Let’s find out, as we dig into Second Foundation, by Isaac Asimov. Welcome to day three of Foundation Week, brought to you by Blogging the Hugos. On Monday,…
William S. Burroughs’ Wild Ride with Scientology
In 1959, the same year Olympia Press published his most famous novel Naked Lunch, the writer William S. Burroughs visited the restaurant of his friend and collaborator, Brion Gysin, in Tangiers. There, Burroughs met John and Mary Cooke, a wealthy American hippie couple who were interested in mysticism. Burroughs recalled, “There was something portentous about…
In which events take a generally darker turn: Foundation and Empire by Isaac Asimov
Hari Seldon’s plan is working perfectly, and thanks to psychohistory, the Foundation is well on its way to saving what remains of Galactic civilization. And then Isaac Asimov throws a wrench or two into the works, in Foundation and Empire. It’s day two of Blogging the Hugos’ Foundation Week. Your hosts are Alasdair Wilkins and…
Architeuthis on Ice: Discovering The Giant Squid
In this excerpt from Wendy Williams’ Kraken: The Curious, Exciting, and Slightly Disturbing Science of Squid, the author describes an amazing discovery: a rare giant squid. Here’s the story of how it happened, and the scientists who discovered it. The morning of June 25, 2008, wasn’t a good one on Monterey Bay . . .…
Isaac Asimov’s Foundation: The little idea that became science fiction’s biggest series
On the planet Terminus, a group of academics struggles to survive as the Galactic Empire crumbles. With no weapons, all they can rely on are the predictions of a dead genius named Hari Seldon. That’s right – it’s time to discuss Isaac Asimov’s Foundation! Welcome to Foundation Week, a Blogging the Hugos special event. In…