Blissenobiarella
Encyclopedia
Blissenobiarella, known informally as Bliss, is a character in Isaac Asimov
's Foundation series. She is from planet Gaia, and she appears in the novels Foundation's Edge
and Foundation and Earth
.
, to be received to Gaia. Bliss, like all Gaians, has an enormous affinity for life and can't bear to see life destroyed. She is for long distrusted by Trevize while his partner Pelorat is quickly fascinated, until they become lovers.
Particularly in Foundation and Earth Bliss serves partly as way of exploring the narrative, as she and Trevize engage in frequent debates. In particular Bliss acts as an advocate for Gaia/Galaxia while Trevize, still somewhat uncomfortable with the decision he makes in Foundations' Edge, argues for individuality. As both an individual and an extension of the Gaia group-mind Bliss is extremely intelligent and easily able to debate with Trevize despite his skills as a politician.
In Foundation and Earth, Bliss leaves Gaia with the two men helping them in their search for Earth
. Because Bliss is a Gaian, she possesses considerable mentallic powers, which are often used as a plot device in Foundation and Earth to help her companions escape from dangers that they encounter during their quest. She commonly uses her empathic and telepathic
powers to help deal with dangerous people and creatures. In addition, she also exhibits psychokinetic
abilities as well as the power to help purge others of disease organisms. At the climax of Foundation and Earth she, as an avatar of Gaia, bears witness to Trevize's explanation of why he decided in favor of Galaxia as humanity's best option for future survival.
. Indeed, R. Daneel Olivaw
built several humanoid robots, one of them being Dors Venabili
, Hari Seldon
's wife, and Olivaw himself was disguised as human throughout Prelude to Foundation
. In Foundation's Edge
Trevize accuses her of being a robot guiding her planet Gaia
to live by the Three Laws of Robotics
. She replies, "But what if I am? I admit nothing, but I am curious. What if I am?", failing to deny the accusation. It is quite clear from Asimov's Liar!
that a mind-reading robot could lie to protect its human companions. She may have been motivated to lie for the sake of Janov Pelorat
, with whom she was in a relationship. However, this does not explain the implied and completely voluntary denial in Foundation and Earth when she refused to comment under direct and forceful questioning in the previous book. In both instances, the conversation was between Bliss and Trevize in Pelorat's absence.
In Foundation and Earth
, she implies that she is not a robot and certain events seem to bear this out. Most notably, Bliss uses her telepathic powers to kill the Solaria
n Sarton Bander. Although his death was not her intent, the First Law might in theory have incapacitated her if she were, in fact, a robot. Yet despite being quite upset about Bander's death, she quickly regains her composure, and is even able to begin using her powers again immediately. It is notable that even R. Daneel Olivaw was incapable of inflicting serious harm to humans despite his vast powers. This was in fact what had prevented him from more directly controlling human history to achieve his goals throughout his approximately 20,000 year existence. That Bliss was able to kill, even accidentally, and not be disabled for violating the First Law suggests that she may not have actually been a robot. The Solarians had evolved so far as to possibly no longer be considered human; they might also have come from a separate galaxy, as Trevise's thoughts at the end of the series suggest. In either case, the First Law would hold less sway in the matter.
At the end of Foundation and Earth, Bliss states that she hopes to someday bear a child. Childbirth would not at first seem a capability which robots, even recently designed ones such as Dors Venabili, would possess, though its possibility should not be ruled out, nor should it be considered impossible that a robot could hope for it.
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...
's Foundation series. She is from planet Gaia, and she appears in the novels Foundation's Edge
Foundation's Edge
Foundation's Edge is a science fiction novel by Isaac Asimov, the fourth book in the Foundation Series. It was written more than thirty years after the stories of the original Foundation trilogy, due to years of pressure by fans and editors on Asimov to write another, and, according to Asimov...
and 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...
.
Character
Bliss is first introduced in Foundation's Edge as the escort for two Foundation men, Golan Trevize and Janov PeloratJanov Pelorat
Janov Pelorat is a character in the Foundation Series of books by Isaac Asimov. The two books in which he appears are Foundation's Edge and Foundation and Earth....
, to be received to Gaia. Bliss, like all Gaians, has an enormous affinity for life and can't bear to see life destroyed. She is for long distrusted by Trevize while his partner Pelorat is quickly fascinated, until they become lovers.
Particularly in Foundation and Earth Bliss serves partly as way of exploring the narrative, as she and Trevize engage in frequent debates. In particular Bliss acts as an advocate for Gaia/Galaxia while Trevize, still somewhat uncomfortable with the decision he makes in Foundations' Edge, argues for individuality. As both an individual and an extension of the Gaia group-mind Bliss is extremely intelligent and easily able to debate with Trevize despite his skills as a politician.
In Foundation and Earth, Bliss leaves Gaia with the two men helping them in their search for Earth
Earth (Foundation universe)
This article is on the history of Earth, as presented in Isaac Asimov's Foundation Series, Robot Series, and Empire Series.- Ancient :* 1982: Susan Calvin born...
. Because Bliss is a Gaian, she possesses considerable mentallic powers, which are often used as a plot device in Foundation and Earth to help her companions escape from dangers that they encounter during their quest. She commonly uses her empathic and telepathic
Telepathy
Telepathy , is the induction of mental states from one mind to another. The term was coined in 1882 by the classical scholar Fredric W. H. Myers, a founder of the Society for Psychical Research, and has remained more popular than the more-correct expression thought-transference...
powers to help deal with dangerous people and creatures. In addition, she also exhibits psychokinetic
Psychokinesis
The term psychokinesis , also referred to as telekinesis with respect to strictly describing movement of matter, sometimes abbreviated PK and TK respectively, is a term...
abilities as well as the power to help purge others of disease organisms. At the climax of Foundation and Earth she, as an avatar of Gaia, bears witness to Trevize's explanation of why he decided in favor of Galaxia as humanity's best option for future survival.
Robot Controversy
It is suggested that Bliss is a humaniform robotRobot
A robot is a mechanical or virtual intelligent agent that can perform tasks automatically or with guidance, typically by remote control. In practice a robot is usually an electro-mechanical machine that is guided by computer and electronic programming. Robots can be autonomous, semi-autonomous or...
. Indeed, R. Daneel Olivaw
R. Daneel Olivaw
R. Daneel Olivaw is a fictional robot created by Isaac Asimov. The "R" initial in his name stands for "robot," a naming convention in Asimov's future society...
built several humanoid robots, one of them being Dors Venabili
Dors Venabili
In Isaac Asimov's Foundation Series, Dors Venabili is a good friend, protector and later wife of Hari Seldon, the primary character of Prelude to Foundation and Forward the Foundation. At face value, Dors is an attractive woman, two years younger than Seldon...
, Hari Seldon
Hari Seldon
Hari Seldon, a fictional character, is the intellectual hero of Isaac Asimov's Foundation Series. In his capacity as mathematics professor at Streeling University on Trantor, he developed psychohistory, allowing him to predict the future in probabilistic terms...
's wife, and Olivaw himself was disguised as human throughout Prelude to Foundation
Prelude to Foundation
Prelude to Foundation is a Locus Award nominated 1988 novel written by Isaac Asimov. It is one of two prequels to the Foundation Series. For the first time, Asimov chronicles the fictional life of Hari Seldon, the man who invented psychohistory and the intellectual hero of the series.-Plot...
. In Foundation's Edge
Foundation's Edge
Foundation's Edge is a science fiction novel by Isaac Asimov, the fourth book in the Foundation Series. It was written more than thirty years after the stories of the original Foundation trilogy, due to years of pressure by fans and editors on Asimov to write another, and, according to Asimov...
Trevize accuses her of being a robot guiding her planet Gaia
Gaia (Foundation universe)
Gaia is a fictional planet described in the book Foundation's Edge and referred to in Foundation and Earth , by Isaac Asimov. The name is derived from the Gaia hypothesis, which is itself eponymous to Gaia, the Earth Goddess....
to live by the Three Laws of Robotics
Three Laws of Robotics
The Three Laws of Robotics are a set of rules devised by the science fiction author Isaac Asimov and later added to. The rules are introduced in his 1942 short story "Runaround", although they were foreshadowed in a few earlier stories...
. She replies, "But what if I am? I admit nothing, but I am curious. What if I am?", failing to deny the accusation. It is quite clear from Asimov's Liar!
Liar!
"Liar!" is a science fiction short story by American writer Isaac Asimov. It first appeared in the May 1941 issue of Astounding Science Fiction and was reprinted in the collections I, Robot and The Complete Robot . It was Asimov's third published positronic robot story...
that a mind-reading robot could lie to protect its human companions. She may have been motivated to lie for the sake of Janov Pelorat
Janov Pelorat
Janov Pelorat is a character in the Foundation Series of books by Isaac Asimov. The two books in which he appears are Foundation's Edge and Foundation and Earth....
, with whom she was in a relationship. However, this does not explain the implied and completely voluntary denial in Foundation and Earth when she refused to comment under direct and forceful questioning in the previous book. In both instances, the conversation was between Bliss and Trevize in Pelorat's absence.
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...
, she implies that she is not a robot and certain events seem to bear this out. Most notably, Bliss uses her telepathic powers to kill the 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...
n Sarton Bander. Although his death was not her intent, the First Law might in theory have incapacitated her if she were, in fact, a robot. Yet despite being quite upset about Bander's death, she quickly regains her composure, and is even able to begin using her powers again immediately. It is notable that even R. Daneel Olivaw was incapable of inflicting serious harm to humans despite his vast powers. This was in fact what had prevented him from more directly controlling human history to achieve his goals throughout his approximately 20,000 year existence. That Bliss was able to kill, even accidentally, and not be disabled for violating the First Law suggests that she may not have actually been a robot. The Solarians had evolved so far as to possibly no longer be considered human; they might also have come from a separate galaxy, as Trevise's thoughts at the end of the series suggest. In either case, the First Law would hold less sway in the matter.
At the end of Foundation and Earth, Bliss states that she hopes to someday bear a child. Childbirth would not at first seem a capability which robots, even recently designed ones such as Dors Venabili, would possess, though its possibility should not be ruled out, nor should it be considered impossible that a robot could hope for it.