That is what’s so much fun about our ongoing dinnertable conversation about destiny. We get to poke away at the future. Explore it with experiments and fantasies. Discover mistakes to avoid. And uncover possibilities that our grandchildren may take for granted.
Timeline for the Robots and Foundation Universe
1982 C.E.Birth of Susan Calvin. Incorporation of U.S. Robots and Mechanical Men.[I, Robot]
2007 C.E.Susan Calvin begins to work for U.S. Robots. Later becomes chief robopsychologist [I,Robot]
Early 21st CenturyA social and technical renaissance flourishes on Earth. Development of positronic robots, controlled by Three Laws of Robotics.[The Complete Robot] Hyperatomic Drive allows first successful interstellar journey. [I,Robot].Through an accident, Joseph Schwartz is sent on a time journey 10,000 years into the future.[Pebble in the Sky]
2064 C.E.Death of Susan Calvin. [I,Robot]Humanity begins colonizing several planets including Aurora. The first chaos outbreaks affect civilization, breaking down confidence. On Earth, citizens cluster underground, ban robots from cities. Spacers lose empathy. Relations between Earth and Spacer worlds deteriorate.[Foundation’s Triumph]
300 years before events inThe Caves of SteelThe planet Solaria (the last Spacer world) settled from the planet Nexon.[The Naked Sun] Decline of the robot-dependent Spacer culture. Later, Han Fastolfe of Aurora creates the humaniform robot, R. Daneel Olivaw.
appr. 3500 C.E.Spacetown is established near New York City. R. Daneel Olivaw is assigned to work with Earthman detective Elijah Baley.[The Caves of Steel]
1 year laterElijah Baley and Daneel Olivaw pursue an investigation on Solaria.[The Naked Sun] Fastolfe becomes influential in Auroran government and supports new Earth emigration.
Opponents led by Kelden Amadiro want Spacers to terraform and populate new planets. [The Robots of Dawn]
2 years laterBaley carries out investigation on Aurora accompanied by Daneel Olivaw and Giskard Reventlov-a telepathic robot. Aurora lets Earth colonize new planets. Giskard suggests Earthfolk must build their new worlds completely without robots.[The Robots of Dawn]
2 years laterThe second wave of emigration from Earth begins, led by Ben Baley. First Settler planet is named Baleyworld.[Robots and Empire] Number of Settler planets grows fast. Relations between Settler and Spacer worlds grow tense.[Robots and Empire]
37 years after the events inThe Caves ofSteelDeath of Elijah Baley on Baleyworld.[Robots and Empire]
196 years after the events inThe Caves ofSteelKeldon Amadiro and Levular Manamus begin planting nuclear amplifiers throughout Earth to take revenge for their earlier defeat [Robots and Empire]
200 years after the events inThe Caves ofSteelDeath of Han Fastolfe. Population of Solaria vanishes. Daneel Olivaw andGiskard Reventlov formulate the Zeroth Law of Robotics, to override original Three Laws. Giskard pro vides Daneel with telepathic abilities. Amadiro and allies turn on amplifiers to make the Earth radioactive and uninhabitable. Giskard permits this for Zeroth Law reasons, in order to encourage human dispersal then dies because of First Law conflicts.[Robots and Empire] The Great Diaspora (final emigration) begins. A majority of robots split into two camps. Giskardians led by Daneel follow the new Zeroth Law religion. Calvinians think this an outrage. Robotic civil war ensues, mostly 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.[Foundation’s Fear, Foundation and Chaos]
301 years after the events inThe Caves ofSteelSpacer-colonized planet Inferno is doomed by ecological and cultural catastrophe. Robots are built to operate under New Laws, giving them greater flexibility and freedom. Settler specialists help terraform the planet.[Caliban] Hostility toward New Law robots grows evident.[Inferno] Comet crashes into the planet. Merging of Spacer and Settler cultures prevents social collapse.[Utopia] The interstellar robot civil war eventually reaches Inferno. New Law robots are destroyed or go into hiding.[Foundation’s Triumph]
appr. 1200 B.G.E. (Before Galactic Era)Planet Rhodia and the Nebular Kingdoms led by the noble Hinriad family, shake off rule by planet Tyrann and rediscover democracy.[The Stars Like Dust] Decadent Spacer worlds “slowly die out. Colonization of Galaxy completed.[Foundation and Earth] R. Daneel Olivaw formulates the Encoding Laws, setting limits to artificial intelligence.[Foundation’sFear] Damping effects such as historical amnesia, brain fever, and giskardian mentalic persuasion devices areintroduced to fight chaos. Human mind, society and technology stagnate. Some human and robot groups fight the amnesia.[Foundations Triumph]
appr. 500 B.G.E.Trantorian Republic of five worlds becomes Trantorian Confederation, then later the Trantorian Empire.[The Currents of Space] R. Daneel Olivaw uses early “laws of humanics” to guide it. Human origins forgotten.
200 B.G.E.Half of the inhabited worlds of the Galaxy are part of Trantorian Empire. Trantor supports rebellion of planet Florina against oppression by planet Sark.[The Currents of Space]
1 G.E.Trantorian Empire becomes the Galactic Empire. Start of galactic calendar.
(12500 C.E. = appr. 8,000 years after the Great Diaspora.
827 G.E.Arrival of Joseph Schwartz (thrown forward in time). A radioactive and sparsely populated Earth tries to revolt against the Empire by using a bioweapon. Rebellion fails, thanks partly to Schwartz and a mentalic amplifier. Empire initially helps Earth recover, then effort is mysteriously abandoned.[Pebble in the Sky, Foundation’s Triumph]
appr. 900 G.E.Forced evacuation of inhospitable Earth. Establishment of colony on planet Alpha.[Foundation and Earth]
975 G.E.An alien race is discovered on a desert world and moved to Cepheus 18. Later they mysteriously escape beyond the Galaxy.[BlindAlley]
appr. 2000 G.E.Daneel Olivaw and R. Yan Kansarv establish a robot production and repair facility on distant Eos.[Foundation and Chaos] The great Ruellis helps establish principles of good paternalistic government, augmenting the stability of an unchanging society against chaos.[Foundation’s Triumph]
appr. 3000 G.E.During a chaos outbreak, ancient personality simulations Voltaire and Joan of Arc debate about machine intelligence.[Foundation’s Fear] With support of Calvinian robots, the Empress Shoree-Harn tries to introduce anew calendar and shake up social rigidity without success.[Foundation and Chaos]
8789 G.E.A new “renaissance” begins on planet Lingane. Falls into chaos eight years later.[Foundation’s Triumph]
11865 G.E.Humanoid robot Dors Venabili is constructed on Eos.[Foundation’s Fear]
11867 G.E.The only extragalactic human colony is abandoned in the Greater Magellanic Cloud. All data is suppressed.[Foundation and Chaos]