We talk about chapters 13 through 16 of Foundation’s Edge.
“The Podcast is a Powerful Dispenser of Odors”
We’re finally up to the episode where we reveal that Apple TV’s Foundation has been renewed for season 3! Not exactly ripped from the headlines.
Also, the Great and Glorious Az wants us to know that, like spaceships, other planets have their own distinctive odors.
It’s true! Captain Kirk could have faced the Gorn on the Moon as astronauts tell us that moondust smells like gunpowder. The atmospheres of Venus and Mars contain hydrogen sulfide, which smells of rotten eggs. Ew. Lucky for you if you took off your helmet on either planet you’d be too busy suffocating or bursting into flames to notice the stench. You get the idea.
Still, I’m just happy that this olfactory dissertation doesn’t overlap with the exhaustive explorations of restrooms.
So we talk about “University,” “Forward,” “Gaia-S,” and “Convergence” from Foundations Edge. There’s a nice bit about The Five Sisters, a pentagonal constellation as seen from Sayshell, that plays an important part in the plot. It reminded Joseph of “Constant as the Northern Star” one of Asimov’s science essays from the Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction. It was collected in Of Matters Great and Small. And we go on a bit of a lengthy, but fun. digression.
Join us!
Stars End: A Foundation Podcast 
I think I must be liking this book a lot more than you all are. I never read it before, so it’s all new to me, and for me the writing so far is very strong, much better than any of the Foundation originals. (It’s at least on a par with the 2nd foundation book, anyway).
There is actual character development. The women are driving the story. There is great science mumbo-jumbo – even some sort of ok maybe astronomy. And some humor? Janov is Asimov, isn’t he? He’s parodying himself. The neo-sexist sailors at liberty in the Seychelles is perfect (& then back to the stinky space cruiser). (I can’t get the murderous ship’s computer out of my mind from the last block.) The story is breaking down into total chaos as the characters begin to realize that they can’t trust their thoughts and why they are doing and not doing different things, there’s the tang of manipulation in the air. Except Gendibal, who is so arrogant clueless. Or is he arrogant? Why is he so soothing? And there are a few unaffected bystanders like that ambassador with the loopy name Littoral who know everybody here must be taking crazy pills, but he has to do what Madame Stalin orders, or else. Madame Stalin may (or may not) be right, but never in doubt, as chapter 16 ends.
Gaia … that’s an interesting choice of non-randomized name. I am sure Asimov knew about Lovelock & Margulis’ Gaia hypothesis, which was a hot controversy ca 1980. Clearly we are going to find out what’s up with this in the next ….
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