Foundation Outline 6, The General = Dead Hand

The General

Written: 1944
Published: 1945
24 400 words
Date: 199-201 F.E.

1
SEARCH FOR MAGICIANS
The Imperial general Gel Riose visits Ducem Barr on Siwenna, who tells
him of Hari Seldon and the two Foundations; Riose decides to
investigate the Foundation himself personally (3100)

2
THE MAGICIANS
The four oligarchs of the Foundation, of whom Forell is the leader,
discuss their capture of Riose's ship (1800)

3
THE DEAD HAND
Upon his return, Riose consults Ducem Barr regarding the Foundation;
Barr assures him the Foundation cannot be beaten, but Risoe is
determined to attack it (1800)

4
THE EMPEROR
The Emperor Cleon II's interview with his favorite, Brodrig, regarding
Bel Riose's request for permission to attack the Foundation; Cleon
sends Brodrig to investigate (2000)

5
THE WAR BEGINS
Lathan Devers, an independent trader, is captured by Riose's forces and
interviewed by Riose and Ducem Barr; Barr and Devers make friends
(3900)

6
THE FAVORITE
Brodrig's interview with Riose: they discuss Devers and Barr, and Riose
announces that the Foundation is almost defeated (1400)

7
BRIBERY
Sergeant Mori Luk warns Devers and Barr of the arrival of Brodrig;
Brodrig is deceived by Devers as to Riose's motives for attacking the
Foundation; Brodrig joins forces with Riose; Devers and Barr escape
their imprisonment (4100)

8
TO TRANTOR
Ducem Barr and Devers flee on board Devers ship; Devers wants to use a
personal capusle that Barr has seized, in order to turn the Emperor
against Brodrig and Riose; Devers and Barr decide to go to Trantor
(2600)

9
ON TRANTOR
Devers and Barr on Trantor; They try to see the Emperor, but are
accused of being spies and assasins, and must flee for their lives;
Brodrig and Riose recalled and arrested; The Emperor ends the war
against the Foundation (2500)

10
THE WAR ENDS
The war over, Devers and Barr are entertained by Forell in celebration
of the end of the war; Devers expresses his resentment against the
oligarchs (1300)

Comments: This novella is scarcely less finely crafted than the last.
The language is one of the high points of modern American fiction, and
towers over other works of science fiction. Nevertheless, there are
difficulties. In this novella, the inevitable defeat of Riose is
emphasized so much by Barr that the reader grows restive - why all this
sound and fury if everything is pre-ordained? Asimov himself appears to
have been uncomfortable with this, and later assures that the Empire
_could_ have destroyed the Foundation, had the Second Foundation not
been at work in the background. Also, Asimov has still not learned to
introduce any real human feeling into his fiction.

Brodrig is another cardboard villain, with his 'playmates'. There are
definite sexual overtones here, which the prudery of the 40s (and
Asimov's own prudery) kept indefinite..

Asimov planned to follow this novella with another victory for the
Seldon Plan, wherein the independent traders would successfully revolt
against the oligarchs, but his editor Campbell (who wrote out the
checks) demurred, and ordered him to instead break the monotony by
introducing a mutant. This idea was, I think, unfortunate, but more on
that later.

virgiliopoeta wrote:

> The General
>
> Written: 1944
> Published: 1945
> 24 400 words
> Date: 199-201 F.E.
>
> 1
> SEARCH FOR MAGICIANS
> The Imperial general Gel Riose visits Ducem Barr on Siwenna, who tells
> him of Hari Seldon and the two Foundations; Riose decides to
> investigate the Foundation himself personally (3100)
>
> 2
> THE MAGICIANS
> The four oligarchs of the Foundation, of whom Forell is the leader,
> discuss their capture of Riose's ship (1800)
>
> 3
> THE DEAD HAND
> Upon his return, Riose consults Ducem Barr regarding the Foundation;
> Barr assures him the Foundation cannot be beaten, but Risoe is
> determined to attack it (1800)
>
> 4
> THE EMPEROR
> The Emperor Cleon II's interview with his favorite, Brodrig, regarding
> Bel Riose's request for permission to attack the Foundation; Cleon
> sends Brodrig to investigate (2000)
>
> 5
> THE WAR BEGINS
> Lathan Devers, an independent trader, is captured by Riose's forces and
> interviewed by Riose and Ducem Barr; Barr and Devers make friends
> (3900)
>
> 6
> THE FAVORITE
> Brodrig's interview with Riose: they discuss Devers and Barr, and Riose
> announces that the Foundation is almost defeated (1400)
>
> 7
> BRIBERY
> Sergeant Mori Luk warns Devers and Barr of the arrival of Brodrig;
> Brodrig is deceived by Devers as to Riose's motives for attacking the
> Foundation; Brodrig joins forces with Riose; Devers and Barr escape
> their imprisonment (4100)
>
> 8
> TO TRANTOR
> Ducem Barr and Devers flee on board Devers ship; Devers wants to use a
> personal capusle that Barr has seized, in order to turn the Emperor
> against Brodrig and Riose; Devers and Barr decide to go to Trantor
> (2600)
>
> 9
> ON TRANTOR
> Devers and Barr on Trantor; They try to see the Emperor, but are
> accused of being spies and assasins, and must flee for their lives;
> Brodrig and Riose recalled and arrested; The Emperor ends the war
> against the Foundation (2500)

From Cleon's point of view, he was right to get rid of Riose. If Riose had
conquered the Foundation, he would certainly have used Foundation
technology to take over the Empire!