hen The Foundation Trilogy was originally written by Isaac Asimov, it outlined the scheme put forth by fictional psychohistorian Hari Seldon to retain the accumulated wisdom of a rapidly crumbling Galactic Empire. The Encyclopedia Galactica Web site chronicles essentially every element of not only that plan but also the characters and worlds mentioned in those three novels, their sequels and prequels, and sundry associated stories.
A brief preface introduces the main segments of this Web site. These sections include glossaries of the people, planets, robots and starships mentioned in the various tales. An explanation of psychohistory, which is the method Seldon developed to predict the dissolution of the Galactic Empire, is also available. Details of important battles are presented, as are various time lines listing significant events from 1564 AD to Foundation 202FE and beyond. A chimerical chapter, which allows fans to post fictive events not actually documented by Asimov, completes the primary portion of the encyclopedia.
The history and purpose of the Encyclopedia Galactica is offered in a separate area, along with a brief biography of Asimov, a page listing recent updates, a roster of pertinent novels and a guest book. Space is also reserved for a search engine, which during a recent visit had yet to be integrated into the site.
A marvelous memorial to Asimov
It's somehow fitting that so many elements from Asimov's canon have been collected in the Encyclopedia Galactica, since the plan initially sketched in The Foundation Trilogy called for a similarly comprehensive documentation of humanity's intellectual output. Whether or not Seldon was a literary doppelganger for the author is arguable, but there is little question that this electronic endeavor is a viable and valuable memorial to Asimov.
Site creator Mike Carlin does a workmanlike job synthesizing and presenting the data, providing the depth and attention to detail that is interesting to both avid Asimov followers and casual readers. Cross-referenced entries and internal links help visitors navigate across subjects and sections, while the time lines and glossaries assist folks in putting important incidents and personae in proper chronological order. This sequential presentation is especially helpful for readers who may have been introduced to the Foundation saga in a piecemeal manner.
Creating this document was undoubtedly a colossal undertaking, and although much information has been cataloged, the site is, as Carlin freely admits, nowhere near complete. A few novels have yet to be fully indexed and most non-Asimov creations that tie into the Foundation mythos are altogether absent. Despite these shortcomings, the Encyclopedia Galactica remains an invaluable archive and a remarkable resource for fans of Asimov and his prescient prose.
