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TIMELINE FOR THE ROBOTS AND FOUNDATION UNIVERSE

Isaac Asimov
The Foundation and Robot series of books, written by Isaac Asimov are one of my favorite
science-fiction series. Others favorites include The Rama Series [Clarke], Ender Series [Card],
Homecoming Series [Card], and the best of the best, The Gap Series [Donaldson]. However,
Asimov has a special knack for gripping your attention and holding it for a long period of time. I
think this is because all his novels are simple and straight forward; they tell a story instead of
explaining the theories behind the technologies and/or ideas in the story. That, in my opinion, is
where most writers falter. Asimov just tells a great, exciting, and interesting story.

The Second Foundation Trilogy, written by Bear, Brin, and Benford is a very good read too since
it explains a lot left to the imagination in the original Foundation books. However, they fail to
capture the essence of Asimov's Foundation books. I remember reading the first three Foundation
books and then discovering that Asimov has passed away and so the story will not continue. I
was sad.

Perhaps one of the reasons I really liked this series was R. Daneel Olivaw [R. = Robot]. He/It was
first introduced in The Naked Sun and he played a role in almost every Foundation novel. How can
one not help but love this eternal human servant who worked for humanity's sake from 3200 C.E
to 25251 C.E and onwards.

The Robot novels before The Naked Sun dealt with issues related to the Three Laws Of Robotics :
(1) A robot may not injure a human being, or through inaction, allow a human being to come to
harm, (2) a robot must obey orders given it by human beings except where such orders would
conflict with the First Law, and (3) a robot must protect its own existence as long as such
protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law. These three laws are deeply ingrained
and embedded into the positronic brains of each robot. They cannot be disobeyed. Daneel and
Giskard, another robot, introduced the Zeroth Law around 3700 C.E that states, 'A robot may not
injure humanity, or through inaction, allow humanity to come to harm.' This, naturally, led to a
modification of the First law as follows, 'A robot may not injure a human being, or through
inaction, allow a human being to come to harm, except where that would conflict with the Zeroth
Law.' These modifications, thought of as blasphemous by some, led to the Robotic Civil Wars
between the Calvinians, strictly adhering to the original three laws, and the Giskardians, robots
who had adopted the Zeroth Law.

I hope you can see how vast this Robots and Foundation universe is. I highly recommended
reading the entire series although I wonder which book would be the best to start off with =)

Date Events Related Books

Birth Of Susan Calvin. Incorporation of U.S. Robots and Mechanical
1982 C.E I, Robot
Men.
Susan Calvin begins to work for U.S. Robots. Later becomes chief
2007 C.E I, Robot
robopsychologist.
A social and technical renaissance flourishes on Earth. Development The Complete
of positronic robots, controlled by the Three Laws of Robotics. Robot
Early 21st
Hyperatomic Drive allows first successful interstellar journey. I, Robot
C
Through an accident, Joseph Schwartz is sent on a time journey Pebble In The
10,000 years into the future. Sky
Death of Susan Calvin. Humanity begins colonizing several planets
including Aurora. The first chaos outbreaks affect civilization, I, Robots
2064 C.E breaking down confidence. On Earth, citizens cluster underground, Foundation's
ban robots from cities. Spacers lose empathy. Relations between Triumph
Earth and Spacer Worlds deteriorate.
The planet Solaria [the last Space world] settled from the planet

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3200 C.E Nexon. Decline of the robot-dependent Spacer culture. Later, Han The Naked Sun
Fastolfe of Aurora creates the humaniform robot,R. Daneel Olivaw.
SpaceTown is established near New York City. R. Daneel Olivaw is The Caves Of
3500 C.E
assigned to work with Earthman detective Elijah Bailey. Steel
Elijah Bailey and Daneel Olivaw pursue an investigation on Solaria.
The Naked Sun
Fastolfe becomes influential in Auroran government and supports
3501 C.E The Robots of
new Earth emigration. Opponents led by Keldon Amadiro want
Dawn
Spacers to terraform and populate new planets.
Baley carries out investigation on Aurora accompanied by Daneel
Olivaw and Giskard Relentlov - a telepathic robot. Aurora lets The Robots Of
3503 C.E
Earth colonize new planets. Giskard suggests Earth folk must build Dawn
their new worlds completely without robots.
The second wave of emigration from Earth begins, led by Ben Baley.
Robots And
3505 C.E First Settler planet is named BaleyWorld. Number of Settler planets
Empire
grows fast. Relations between Settler and Spacer worlds grow tense.
Robots And
3537 C.E Death of Elijah Bailey on BaleyWorld.
Empire
Keldon Amadiro and Levular Manamus begin planting nuclear Robots And
3697 C.E
amplifiers throughout Earth to take revenge for their earlier defeat. Empire
Death of Han Fastolfe. Population of Solaria vanishes. Daneel
Olivaw and Giskard Relentlov formulate the Zeroth Law of
Robotics, to override original Three Laws. Giskard provides Daneel
with telepathic abilities. Amadiro and allies turn on amplifiers to
make the Earth radioactive and inhabitable. Giskard permits this for
Robots And
Zeroth Law reasons, in order to encourage human dispersal, then
Empire
dies because of First Law conflicts. The Great Diaspora (final
Foundation's
3700 C.E emigration) begins. A majority of robots split into two camps.
Fear
Giskardians led by Daneel follow the new Zeroth Law religion.
Foundations And
Calvinians think this an outrage. Robotic civil war ensues, mostly
Chaos
unseen by humans fleeing poisoned Earth. Meanwhile robot ships
operating under Auroran programming cruise the galaxy ahead of the
spreading Settlers, terraforming and preparing planets for
colonization. Meme entities will later claim that this devastated
existing races. Memes escape to the Galactic Core.
Spacer-colonized planet Inferno is doomed by ecological and cultural
catastrophe. Robots are built to operate under New Laws, giving Caliban
them greater flexibility and freedom. Settler specialists help terraform Inferno
3801 C.E the planet. Hostility toward New Law robots grows evident. Comet Utopia
crashes into the planet. Merging of Spacer and Settler culture Foundation's
prevents social collapse. The interstellar robot civil war eventually Triumph
reaches Inferno. New Law robots are destroyed or go into hiding.
Planet Rhodia and the Nebular Kingdoms led by the noble Hinriad The Stars Like
family shake off rule by planet Tyrann and rediscover democracy. Dust
Decadent Spacer worlds slowly die out. Colonization of Galaxy Foundation And
completed. R. Daneel Olivaw formulates the Encoding Laws, setting Earth
11300 C.E
limits to artificial intelligence. Damping effects such as historical Foundation's
amnesia, brain fever, and Giskardian mentalic persuasion devices are Fear
introduced to fight chaos, Human mind, society and technology Foundation's
stagnate. Some human and robot groups fight the amnesia. Triumph
Trantorian Republic of five worlds becomes Trantorian Confederation,
The Currents Of
12000 C.E then later the Trantorian Empire. R. Daneel Olivaw uses early "laws
Space
of humanics" to guide it. Human origins forgotten.
Half of the inhabited worlds of the Galaxy are part of Trantorian
The Currents Of
12300 C.E Empire. Trantor supports rebellion of planet Florina against
Space
oppression by planet Sark.
12500 C.E Trantorian Empire becomes the Galactic Empire. Start of Galactic
1 G.E Calendar.
Arrival of Joseph Schwartz (thrown forward in time during the early
Pebble In The
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Pebble In The
21st Century). A radioactive sparsely populated Earth tries to revolt
Sky
827 G.E against the Empire by using a bio-weapon. Rebellion fails, thanks
Foundation's
partly to Schwartz and a mentalic amplifier. Empire initially helps
Triumph
Earth recover, then effort is mysteriously abandoned.
Forced evacuation of inhospitable Earth. Establishment of colony on Foundation And
900 G.E
planet Alpha. Earth
An alien race is discovered on a desert world and moved to Cepheus
975 G.E Blind Alley
18. Later they mysteriously escape beyond the Galaxy.
Daneel Olivaw and R. Yan Kansarv establish a robot production Foundation And
and repair facility on distant Eos. The great Emperor Ruellis helps Chaos
2000 G.E
establish principles of good paternalistic government, augmenting the Foundation's
stability of an unchanging society against chaos. Triumph
During a chaos outbreak, ancient personality simulations Voltaire Foundation's
and Joan of Arc debate about machine intelligence. With support of Fear
3000 G.E
Calvinian robots, the Empress Shoree-Harn tries to introduce a new Foundation And
calendar and shake up social rigidity without success. Chaos
A new "renaissance" begins on planet Lingane. Falls into chaos eight Foundation's
8789 G.E
years later. Triumph
Foundation's
11865 G.E Humanoid robot Dors Venabili is constructed on Eos
Fear
The only extragalactic human colony is abandoned in the Greater Foundation And
11867 G.E
Magellanic Cloud. All data is suppressed. Chaos
Birth of Hari Seldon and Cleon I. Daneel Olivaw knows the Empire
Prelude To
is destabilizing, partly due to frequent chaos outbreaks. He is forced
Foundation
11988 G.E by the Zeroth Law to actively interfere, first as Chief of Staff, then
Foundation's
as First Minister. His secret genetic experiments lead both to Hari's
Triumph
mathematical genius and the appearance of human mentalics.
Prelude To
12010 G.E Cleon I becomes Emperor.
Foundation
Hari Seldon lectures on possibility of psychohistory. Daneel
persuades him to develop a practical science to help save the Prelude To
12020 G.E
Empire. Dors Venabili becomes Seldon's wife. They adopt a boy, Foundation
Raych. Seldon and Yugo Amaryl begin to flesh out psychohistory.
Calvinian robots, led by R. Plussix, move to Trantor and find
historical documents dating from era of Shoree-Harn, as well as the
sims Voltaire and Joan of Arc. They help seed a new "renaissance" Foundation's
on planet Sark. Seldon helps remove Laskin Joranum from politics. Fear
12028 G.E Daneel resigns his post. Cleon I makes Seldon First Minister. Eto Demerzel
Voltaire and Joan get into the Trantorian Mesh where they meet Foundation's
the ancient memes, triggering a rebellion among "tiktok" robots who Fear
kill many of Daneel's positronic companions. Seldon strikes a deal to
get the memes off Trantor. Sark renaissance falls into chaos.
Death of Cleon I. A military junta seizes power. Seldon resigns as Cleon I
12038 G.E
First Minister. Dors Venabili
Dors Venabili
Birth of Wanda Seldon, daughter of Raych. A new "renaissance"
12040 G.E Foundation And
begins on planet Madder Loss. Its collapse rocks galactic society.
Chaos
"Death" of Dors Venabili and Fall of the junta. Puppet Emperor Agis Dors Venabili
XIV ascends the throne. Real power is in the hands of the Wanda Seldon
12048 G.E
Commission for Public Safety. Daneel brings Dors to the Eos base Foundation And
for repair. Chaos
Birth of Bellis Seldon. Hari Seldon discovers Wanda's metal
abilities. He tries to find others, without success. Psychohistorical
12052 G.E equations predict the unavoidable collapse of the Empire. Seldon Wanda Seldon
team works out plan to save human knowledge and create a Second
Empire via the Foundation. Death of Yugo Amaryl.
Raych, Manella, and Bellis move to Santanni where a New
Renaissance has begun. Anacreon Province seeks independence.
12058 G.E
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12058 G.E
Chaos breaks out on Santanni, Raych dies, and his family is lost in
space. Stettin Palver, another mentalic joins the Seldon Project.
Puppet Emperor Klayus I sits on the throne. Hari Seldon is put on
trail and Commission for Public Safety exiles the Encyclopedia
Foundation
12067 G.E Foundation to Terminus. Beginning of the Foundation Calendar. Vara
Foundation And
1 F.E Liso, a strong mentalic, gets entangled in Farad Sinter's hunt for
Chaos
robot "eternals." Calvinian robots foiled in a plot to ruin Seldon
Project and stymie Daneel's control over human history.
Reign of puppet Emperor Semrin. Members of the Encyclopedia
Foundation exiled to Terminus. Daneel plans using human mentalics
to design an overmind Gaia. Millions of ancient archives destroyed. A Foundation's
2 F.E
New Renaissance on planet Ktlina is devoured by chaos. A heretic Triumph
robot tries to send Seldon into the future but is foiled by Daneel.
Mors Planch dives into the future.
Death of Hari Seldon. Chief Commissioner Linge Chen dies.
3 F.E Replacement pays attention mostly to Trantor and vicinity. The Originist
Psychohistorians provoke succession at Empire's Periphery.
Anacreon declares independence, separating Terminus from the
The
Empire. Seldon's hologram explains the true purpose of the
50 F.E Encyclopedists
Foundation. Terminus offers scientific support for neighboring
The Mayors
kingdoms, balancing their powers.
The Mayors
80 - 195 Foundation develops quasi-religious sway over neighboring kingdoms. The Traders
F.E Foundation then relies more on economic influence. The Merchant
Princes
Under Cleon II, Imperial General Bel Riose campaigns against the
195 F.E Foundation, conquering large territories. But Cleon recalls the fleet, The General
as predicted by psychohistory.
Dagobert VIII rules remnant Empire. The rebel Gilmer's troops sack
260 F.E Trantor. Second Foundation protects the Galactic Library, then signs Trantor Falls
a peace treaty with Gilmer.
Empire of Dagobert IX has shrunk to twenty worlds centered on
Neotrantor. The Mule, a mutant with strong mentalic power, The Mule
300 F.E conquers the Foundation, knocking Seldon Plan off course. The Mule Search By The
establishes the Union of Worlds and searches for the Second Mule
Foundation.
Members of the Second Foundation mentalically alter the Mule, who Search By The
305 F.E
then gives up further conquest. Mule
Death of the Mule. The Foundation regains strength, but also begins
Search By The
310 F.E studying neglected mental sciences, further endangering Seldon
Foundation
Plan.
The Foundation searches for the Second Foundation, fearing its
mentalic rule. Diverting this search with a ruse, the Second Search By The
376 F.E
Foundation continues operating secretly on Trantor (Star's End). Foundation
Daneel Olivaw unleashes his Gaia overmind.
The Gaia overmind offers Golan Trevize ("the man who is always
right") a choice between an Empire built by physical force, one rules
by Second Foundation mentalics, or a galaxy-sized version of Gaia.. Foundation's
498 F.E
Galaxia. No other options are presented and no other humans Edge
consulted. Trevize chooses Galaxia. Preparations being for gradual
assimilation of humanity into the collective overmind.
Trevize embarks on a journey, seeking to explain his choice. On
Solaria he finds the planet's vanished folk have become a new race.
Reaching Earth, he meets R. Daneel Olivaw, whose actions to this
Foundation And
499 F.E point were compelled by the Zeroth Law. Trevize realized any real
Earth
solution must take into consideration robots, Solarians, memes,
mutants, and any other kind of intelligence. The right answer may
not be to simplify.

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First Galactic Coalescence Investigation Commission convenes on
planet Pengia. The subsequent Great Destiny Debates rage on for
Foundation's
520 F.E 180 years, interrupted by waves of violence, amnesia, and chaos.
Triumph
Robotic civil ward reignite. Foundation civilization approaches
ultimate confrontation with both Gaia and Chaos.
1020 F.E 116th Edition of the Encyclopedia Galactica published. Foundation
1054 F.E Foundation's
117th Edition of the Encyclopedia Galactica published.
25621 C.E Triumph

Compiled by Attila Torkos, 1998

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Notes:
C.E = Common Era = AD
G.E = Galactic Era
F.E = Foundation Era
Bold RelatedBooks = I have not read these books... yet

May 20th 2003

Colby Coutou was kind enough to inform me of another Foundation related novel. This one is
called Psychohistorical Crisis and is written by Donald Kingsbury. You can read a review here.

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