engleski

The Future Is Nuclear. Energy Weapon in Isaac Asimovʼs Foundation

Combining concepts, theories, and methods from literary studies, international relations, and energy humanities, the chapter examines the role and uses of nuclear energy in Isaac Asimov’s science-fiction novel Foundation (1951). While offering a textual analysis of the novel, the chapter uses the concept of energy weapon to explore the different ways in which nuclear energy is used in the narrative as a foreign policy tool. It relies on a two-part textual analysis of Foundation, which first discusses the applicability of the energy weapon concept to the novel by examining whether it meets the four preconditions identified by Smith Stegen (2011). It then identifies three uses of nuclear as energy weapon in the novel: deterrence, ideology, and trade. Finally, the chapter applies this typology to current energy policy relations, using Russia as a case study. By drawing links between the fictional world of Asimov’s novel and the current situation within the international arena, the chapter highlights the potential of literature in general and science fiction in particular to help us (re)consider our present and imagine our (energy) futures.

Energy weapon ; Foundation ; Isaac Asimov ; Nuclear energy ; Science fiction

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