As hard as it is to believe, the county fair has rolled around again. The atmosphere, the food and the rides are all pretty much the same which I suppose is why they continue to be such a draw. They provide some sense of continuity in a world that pretty much chews up continuity for breakfast each day. I’ve written before about my ambivalent feelings about county fairs. They’ve always been a celebration of summer and good times that seemed to be tinged around the edges with a touch of melancholy. Like a Brian Wilson song come to life.

The interesting backstory as to how Prelude to Foundation came about is that one day, as Asimov was sharing an ...