Mother Earth (Asimov)
Encyclopedia
"Mother Earth" is a science fiction
novelette
by Isaac Asimov
. It was written from September 1 to October 10, 1948, and published in the May 1949 issue of Astounding Science Fiction. It is considered part of the Robot Series
, and was republished in Asimov's 1972 short story collection The Early Asimov
.
, this tale seems to bridge the gap between the early robot stories and The Caves of Steel
. Aurora is also described as having begun as a "Sirian sector colony", pointing to the later Galactic Empire. No individual robots appear, but positronic robots are part of the background.
However, the short-story ending does not seem consistent with situation in The Caves of Steel
. The reader might view it as a "first draft" of sorts, with ideas that were later changed. Asimov would re-shuffle ideas at times — the short story Victory Unintentional
has a non-human civilisation on Jupiter, which is incompatible, even though the story features positronic robots obeying the Three Laws. In Mother Earth, the latest of the Spacer worlds is Hesperus, settled from Faunus, although this does not necessarily contradict the history of Solaria
provided in The Naked Sun
— at one point in the story itself, the number of Spacer worlds is literally given as "some fifty worlds," not a firm, even fifty. The problem can be easily reconciled by supposing that at the period depicted in the later novels, Solaria had only recently (as in the past few centuries) been settled by mankind. This in fact would seem to be the case according to later books as Solaria was said to have been founded as a colony of one of the pre-existing spacer worlds not by colonists from Earth. Later in Foundation and Earth
when the protagonists find the remnants of Aurora they find a memorial to the spacer worlds consisting of seven columns each with the names of seven spacer worlds carved into them (which would make 49 worlds), except for the last column where it was clear that an eighth planet, Solaria had been added after the fact.
Asimov himself is ambiguous about the link, saying:
, who was born in the village of Petrovichi
in Smolensk Oblast
, Russia
. When he was three, his parents were able to emigrate to the USA
, shortly before severe restrictions were placed on the immigration of Russian and East European Jews. He did not forget the link, and in fact remained fluent in Yiddish as well as English 2.
got permission to "introduce positronic robots into their community life." No date is given, but fifty years before the story starts, the Outer Worlds established an immigration quota against incoming Terran citizens. The balance of power then tipped. Now war appears likely, and there are rumors that Earth has developed an unknown weapon, code-named the "Pacific Project."
On Aurora, there is also concern, but the Aurorans decide that the threat cannot be serious. They use authoritarian methods to suppress Ion Mereanu and his Conservatives, who wish to help Earth. They then call a gathering on Hesperus, one of the Outer Worlds, to unite them against Earth.
There is some rivalry from two other planets, Rhea and Tethys. "All three planets were identically racist, identically exclusivist. Their views on Earth were similar, and completely compatible... But Aurora was the oldest of the Outer Worlds, the most advanced, the strongest militarily... Rhea and Tethys served as a focal point for those who did not recognize Auroran leadership." But Earth unexpectedly sends a threatening message to all of the worlds, uniting them against Earth.
War follows (later termed the "Three-Week War" by historians), and Earth swiftly loses. Trade is ended — the Outer Worlds have no need of Earth's exports, which are mostly agricultural. Earthmen are not allowed to journey beyond the Solar System
.
The war was planned in the expectation of defeat — that was what the "Pacific Project" was all about. This is in part to force Earth to make necessary reforms, the use of robots, hydroponic agriculture, and population control. But the Outer Worlds will also weaken and split, because their worlds are biologically ill-suited to long-term human cultures. Several consequences for Earth are predicted from the entire conflict:
This fits with Asimov's wider themes, but is not easy to reconcile with the situation found in The Caves of Steel
. Possibly the reforms failed, and the Spacers learned enough biology to remain healthy and united. But no later work says anything concrete about the matter.
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
novelette
Novelette
A novelette is a piece of short prose fiction. The distinction between a novelette and other literary forms is usually based upon word count, with a novelette being longer than a short story, but shorter than a novella...
by Isaac Asimov
Isaac Asimov
Isaac Asimov was an American author and professor of biochemistry at Boston University, best known for his works of science fiction and for his popular science books. Asimov was one of the most prolific writers of all time, having written or edited more than 500 books and an estimated 90,000...
. It was written from September 1 to October 10, 1948, and published in the May 1949 issue of Astounding Science Fiction. It is considered part of the Robot Series
Isaac Asimov's Robot Series
Isaac Asimov's Robot Series is a series of short stories and novels by Isaac Asimov featuring positronic robots.- Short stories :Most of Asimov's robot short stories are set in the first age of positronic robotics and space exploration...
, and was republished in Asimov's 1972 short story collection The Early Asimov
The Early Asimov
The Early Asimov or, Eleven Years of Trying is a 1972 collection of short stories by Isaac Asimov. Each story is accompanied by commentary by the author, who gives details about his life and his literary achievements in the period in which he wrote the story.-Contents:* "The Callistan Menace" *...
.
Context within Asimov's universe
With fifty Spacer worlds led by AuroraAurora (planet)
Aurora is a fictional planet in Isaac Asimov's Robot Series. It was the first world settled by the Spacers, originally named 'New Earth'; it was located 3.7 parsecs from Earth.-Origins & development:...
, this tale seems to bridge the gap between the early robot stories and The Caves of Steel
The Caves of Steel
The Caves of Steel is a novel by Isaac Asimov. It is essentially a detective story, and illustrates an idea Asimov advocated, that science fiction is a flavor that can be applied to any literary genre, rather than a limited genre itself. Specifically, in the book Asimov's Mysteries, he states that...
. Aurora is also described as having begun as a "Sirian sector colony", pointing to the later Galactic Empire. No individual robots appear, but positronic robots are part of the background.
However, the short-story ending does not seem consistent with situation in The Caves of Steel
The Caves of Steel
The Caves of Steel is a novel by Isaac Asimov. It is essentially a detective story, and illustrates an idea Asimov advocated, that science fiction is a flavor that can be applied to any literary genre, rather than a limited genre itself. Specifically, in the book Asimov's Mysteries, he states that...
. The reader might view it as a "first draft" of sorts, with ideas that were later changed. Asimov would re-shuffle ideas at times — the short story Victory Unintentional
Victory Unintentional
Victory Unintentional is a humorous science fiction short story by Isaac Asimov, originally published in the August 1942 issue of Super Science Stories and included in the collections The Rest of the Robots and The Complete Robot...
has a non-human civilisation on Jupiter, which is incompatible, even though the story features positronic robots obeying the Three Laws. In Mother Earth, the latest of the Spacer worlds is Hesperus, settled from Faunus, although this does not necessarily contradict the history of Solaria
Solaria
Solaria was a fictional human-inhabited planet in Isaac Asimov's Foundation and Robot series.It was the last of fifty Spacer worlds colonized by humans in a first wave of interstellar settlement. Occupied from approximately 4270 AD by inhabitants of the neighboring world Nexon originally for summer...
provided in The Naked Sun
The Naked Sun
The Naked Sun is an English language science fiction novel, the second in Isaac Asimov's Robot series.-Plot introduction:Like its famous predecessor, The Caves of Steel, it is a whodunit story, in addition to being science fiction...
— at one point in the story itself, the number of Spacer worlds is literally given as "some fifty worlds," not a firm, even fifty. The problem can be easily reconciled by supposing that at the period depicted in the later novels, Solaria had only recently (as in the past few centuries) been settled by mankind. This in fact would seem to be the case according to later books as Solaria was said to have been founded as a colony of one of the pre-existing spacer worlds not by colonists from Earth. Later in Foundation and Earth
Foundation and Earth
Foundation and Earth is a Locus Award nominated science fiction novel by Isaac Asimov, the fifth novel of the Foundation series and chronologically the last in the series...
when the protagonists find the remnants of Aurora they find a memorial to the spacer worlds consisting of seven columns each with the names of seven spacer worlds carved into them (which would make 49 worlds), except for the last column where it was clear that an eighth planet, Solaria had been added after the fact.
Asimov himself is ambiguous about the link, saying:
Themes
A major theme of the story is the way in which the Spacers have closed their thinly-populated worlds to Earth's crowded inhabitants. This was not an abstraction to Isaac AsimovIsaac Asimov
Isaac Asimov was an American author and professor of biochemistry at Boston University, best known for his works of science fiction and for his popular science books. Asimov was one of the most prolific writers of all time, having written or edited more than 500 books and an estimated 90,000...
, who was born in the village of Petrovichi
Petrovichi
Petrovichi is a village in Shumyachsky District of Smolensk Oblast, Russia, located about 400 kilometers southwest of Moscow and 16 km east of the border between Belarus and Russia.It is the birthplace of Isaac Asimov...
in Smolensk Oblast
Smolensk Oblast
Smolensk Oblast is a federal subject of Russia . Its area is . Population: -Geography:The administrative center of Smolensk Oblast is the city of Smolensk. Other ancient towns include Vyazma and Dorogobuzh....
, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
. When he was three, his parents were able to emigrate to the USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, shortly before severe restrictions were placed on the immigration of Russian and East European Jews. He did not forget the link, and in fact remained fluent in Yiddish as well as English 2.
Plot summary
Earth faces a confrontation with its colonies, the "Outer Worlds." A historian looks back and sees the problem beginning a century-and-a-half earlier, when AuroraAurora (planet)
Aurora is a fictional planet in Isaac Asimov's Robot Series. It was the first world settled by the Spacers, originally named 'New Earth'; it was located 3.7 parsecs from Earth.-Origins & development:...
got permission to "introduce positronic robots into their community life." No date is given, but fifty years before the story starts, the Outer Worlds established an immigration quota against incoming Terran citizens. The balance of power then tipped. Now war appears likely, and there are rumors that Earth has developed an unknown weapon, code-named the "Pacific Project."
On Aurora, there is also concern, but the Aurorans decide that the threat cannot be serious. They use authoritarian methods to suppress Ion Mereanu and his Conservatives, who wish to help Earth. They then call a gathering on Hesperus, one of the Outer Worlds, to unite them against Earth.
There is some rivalry from two other planets, Rhea and Tethys. "All three planets were identically racist, identically exclusivist. Their views on Earth were similar, and completely compatible... But Aurora was the oldest of the Outer Worlds, the most advanced, the strongest militarily... Rhea and Tethys served as a focal point for those who did not recognize Auroran leadership." But Earth unexpectedly sends a threatening message to all of the worlds, uniting them against Earth.
War follows (later termed the "Three-Week War" by historians), and Earth swiftly loses. Trade is ended — the Outer Worlds have no need of Earth's exports, which are mostly agricultural. Earthmen are not allowed to journey beyond the Solar System
Solar System
The Solar System consists of the Sun and the astronomical objects gravitationally bound in orbit around it, all of which formed from the collapse of a giant molecular cloud approximately 4.6 billion years ago. The vast majority of the system's mass is in the Sun...
.
The war was planned in the expectation of defeat — that was what the "Pacific Project" was all about. This is in part to force Earth to make necessary reforms, the use of robots, hydroponic agriculture, and population control. But the Outer Worlds will also weaken and split, because their worlds are biologically ill-suited to long-term human cultures. Several consequences for Earth are predicted from the entire conflict:
This fits with Asimov's wider themes, but is not easy to reconcile with the situation found in The Caves of Steel
The Caves of Steel
The Caves of Steel is a novel by Isaac Asimov. It is essentially a detective story, and illustrates an idea Asimov advocated, that science fiction is a flavor that can be applied to any literary genre, rather than a limited genre itself. Specifically, in the book Asimov's Mysteries, he states that...
. Possibly the reforms failed, and the Spacers learned enough biology to remain healthy and united. But no later work says anything concrete about the matter.