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In January 1981, Doubleday apparently lost its teh O'Neill, then my editor there, said, "Betty Prashker wants to see you," and marched me into her office She was then one of the senior editors, and a sweet and gentle person

She wasted no ti to write a novel for us and you are going to sign a contract to that effect"

"Betty," I said, "I a science book for Doubleday and I have to revise the Biographical Encyclopedia for Doubleday and -"

"It can all wait," she said "You are going to sign a contract to do a novel What's ive you a 50,000 advance"

That was a stunner I don't like large advances They put e advance is so like 3,000 Why not? It's all out of royalties

I said, "That's way too much money, Betty"

"No, it isn't," she said

"Doubleday will lose its shirt," I said

"You keep telling us that all the time It won't"

I said, desperately, "All right Have the contract read that I don't get any un the novel"

"Are you crazy?" she said "You'll never start if that clause is in the contract You get 25,000 on signing the contract, and 25,000 on delivering a completed manuscript"

"But suppose the novel is no good"

"Now you're being silly," she said, and she ended the conversation

That night, Pat LoBrutto, the science-fiction editor at Doubleday called to express his pleasure "And remember," he said, "that e say 'novel' weelse And e say 'science-fiction novel,' weelse"

On February 5, 1981, I signed the contract, and within the week, the Doubleday accounting system cranked out the check for 25,000

I h O'Neill said, cheerfully, "That's right, and fro to call every other week and say, 'Where's the manuscript?'" (But they didn't They left ress report)

Nearly four s I had to do, but about the end of May, I picked up

I had to For one thing, I hadn't read the Trilogy in thirty years and while I reeneral plot, I did not re a new Foundation novel I had to immerse myself in the style and atmosphere of the series

I read it withto happen, and nothing ever did All three volumes, all the nearly quarter of a hts and of conversations No action No physical suspense

What was all the fuss about, then? Why did everyone want more of that stuff? - To be sure, I couldn't help but notice that I was turning the pages eagerly, and that I was upset when I finished the book, and that I wanted o by me

I was on the edge of deciding it was all a terribleback the money, when (quite by accident, I swear) I came across some sentences by science-fiction writer and critic, James Gunn, who, in connection with the Foundation series, said, "Action and roy - virtually all the action takes place offstage, and the romance is almost invisible - but the stories provide a detective-story fascination with the permutations and reversals of ideas"

Oh, well, if as needed were "permutations and reversals of ideas," then that I could supply Panic receded, and on June 10, 1981, I dug out the fourteen pages I had written ood to me I didn't remember where I had been headed back then, but I had worked out what seee 15 on that day, I proceeded to work toward the new ending

I found, toback into a "Foundation-, I had Foundation history at er-tips

There were differences, to be sure:

1) The original stories ritten for a science-fiction , and no y had at least two stories and lacked unity I intended to le story

2) I had a particularly good chance for developth, Isaac We don'tbook" So I planned on 140,000 words, which was nearly three tiave me plenty of elbow-room, and I could add all sorts of little touches

3) The Foundation series had been written at a tie of astronomy was prie of that and at least e of electronic coh with the series

The novel progressed steadily, and on January 17, 1982, I began final copy I brought the h O'Neill in batches, and the poor felloent half-crazy since he insisted on reading it in this broken fashion On March 25, 1982, I brought in the last bit, and the very next day got the second half of the advance

I had kept "Lightning Rod" as h finally said, "Is there any way of putting 'Foundation' into the title, Isaac?" I suggested Foundations at Bay, therefore, and that may be the title that will actually be used 1

You will have noticed that I have said nothing about the plot of the new Foundation novel Well, naturally I would rather you buy and read the book

And yet there is one thing I have to confess to you I generally e to tie up all the loose ends into one neat little bow-knot at the end of ht be In this case, however, I noticed that when I was all done, one glaring little item remained unresolved

I a no one else notices it because it clearly points the way to the continuation of the series

It is even possible that I inadvertently gave this away for at the end of the novel, I wrote: "The End (for now)"

I very much fear that if the novel proves successful, Doubleday will be at ain, as Campbell used to be in the old days And yet what can I do but hope that the novel is very successful indeed What a quandary!