Trantor
The capital world of the Galactic Empire, a whole planet turned into one city.
Trantor is the central planet of the Galactic Empire in Isaac Asimov's Foundation universe, serving as both the Imperial capital and the administrative centre of the galaxy. Streeling University is located there. Asimov modelled his galactic empire on the Roman Empire, with Trantor standing in for Rome itself.
Quick Facts
- Type
- Planet (capital world)
- Role
- Imperial capital and administrative centre
Lore & Background
Trantor illustrates what could eventually happen to any urbanized planet. In Prelude to Foundation it is divided into some 800 sectors with very different cultures, among them the reclusive Mycogen, the working sector of Dahl with its heatsinks, and the powerful Wye at the south pole. That diversity is what finally gives Hari Seldon the idea of developing psychohistory with Trantor itself as the test case.
Reader's Guide
The Second Foundation turns out to be located on Trantor, the old seat of the Empire. In the Apple TV+ series, Trantor is where Gaal Dornick arrives to find Hari Seldon in conflict with the Cleonic dynasty.
In Foundation and Empire, after the Empire's last phase of decline and civil war, Trantor suffers the Great Sack by a barbarian fleet, and only a rump state of 20 agricultural planets remains. Its Great Library is where Ebling Mis searches for the Second Foundation; in Second Foundation, Arcadia Darell escapes to Trantor with the trader Preem Palver.
More in Galaxy & Locations
Elsewhere in Foundation
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