{4.5\/5} “A good psychohistorian was as much a composer as he was a seer. Rigid musicians made bad music. Could Nejirt tell the difference between the traditions that actually buttressed the foundations of society and the thousands of trivial traditions, mere baroque decorations?”<\/p>\n
Psychohistorical Crisis<\/strong> by Donald Kingsbury, published in 2001<\/p>\n Eron Osa used to be a psychohistorian but he did something so horrible that they destroyed his fam. Now he doesn’t have a job and he doesn’t know why — but he will find out. Psychohistory is working as usual, but it has enemies — including the secret Smythosonians, who have been around for thousands of years.<\/p>\n We go back 20 years to see how Eron became a psychohistorian. As in Asimov’s books the crisis is resolved with talking rather than fighting.<\/p>\n The prose is a bit dense, but perseverance is rewarded. You feel like you’re in a universe with a lot of history. Unfortunately it wasn’t officially authorized so Kingsbury has changed all the names.<\/p>\n It’s about the role of stasis in galactic affairs. The characters are terrific and it builds to a splendid conclusion.<\/p>\n This is the 1st book by Kingsbury I’ve read.<\/p>\n