Encyclopedia Galactica is the name of a number of fictional or hypotheticalencyclopedias containing all theknowledge accumulated by agalaxy-spanningcivilization, most notably inIsaac Asimov'sFoundation series. The concept of a "future encyclopedia" has become "something iconic among many lovers of the science fiction", and has been reused by numerous other writers.^[1]

Encyclopedia Galactica first appeared inIsaac Asimov's short story "Foundation" (Astounding Science Fiction, May 1942), later republished as "The Encyclopedists" in the short-story collectionFoundation (1951). Asimov'sEncyclopedia Galactica was a compendium of all knowledge then available in theGalactic Empire, intended to preserve that knowledge in a remote region of the galaxy in the event of a foreseen galactic catastrophe. TheEncyclopedia is later revealed to be an element in an act of misdirection, with its real purpose being to concentrate a group of knowledgeable scientists on a remote, resource-poor planet namedTerminus, with the long-term aim of revitalizing the technologically stagnant and scientifically dormant empire. Originally published in a physical medium, it later becomes computerized and subject to continual change.

Asimov used theEncyclopedia Galactica as aliterary device throughout hisFoundation series, beginning many of the book sections or chapters with a short extract from theEncyclopedia asepigraphs, discussing a key character or event in the story.^[1][2] This provides the reader with a hazy idea of what is to come.

Theodore Wein considers theEncyclopedia Galactica as possibly inspired by a reference inH. G. Wells'sThe Shape of Things to Come (1933). The future world envisioned by Wells includes an "Encyclopaedic organization which centres upon Barcelona, with seventeen million active workers" and which is tasked with creating "the Fundamental Knowledge System which accumulates, sorts, keeps in order and renders available everything that is known". As pointed out by Wein, this Wells book was at its best-known and most influential in the late 1930s – coinciding with "the period of incubation" when the young Asimov became interested in science fiction, reading a lot of it and starting to formulate his own ideas.^{[3][verification needed]}

Patricio Manns analyzed theEncyclopedia Galactica as aparatextual element of Asimov's work, intended to contextualize the action, to bring the trilogy closer to thehistorical novel and to inform the reader about a possiblepalimpsestic reading.^[1]

Various authors have invoked theEncyclopedia Galactica in bothscience andscience fiction. The first may have been author Frank Holby's short story "The Strange Case of the Missing Hero" in the July 1942 issue ofAstounding Science Fiction which featured Sebastian Lelong, editor of theEncyclopedia. It was also a common fixture in previous incarnations of theLegion of Super-Heroes comic books, and has appeared in theStar Wars expanded universe^[4] andSuperman comics set in the future.^[5] The "Encyclopedia Galactica" was also mentioned as being a collection of all the knowledge of a galactic Empire in the 1989 science fiction short story "The Originist" by American novelistOrson Scott Card, and took place in Isaac Asimov's fictional "Foundation" Universe.

Inthe comic science fiction series by Douglas Adams, theGalactica is frequently contrasted with the apparently more popularHitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy:^[1][6]

In many of the more relaxed civilizations on the Outer Eastern Rim of the Galaxy, theHitchhiker’s Guide has already supplanted the greatEncyclopaedia Galactica as the standard repository of all knowledge and wisdom, for though it has many omissions and contains much that isapocryphal, or at least wildly inaccurate, it scores over the older, more pedestrian work in two important respects.First, it is slightly cheaper; and second, it has the words "DON'T PANIC" inscribed in large friendly letters on its cover.

— Douglas Adams,The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (1979)

Robert A. Heinlein mentioned theEncyclopedia in chapter three ofTo Sail Beyond the Sunset (1987): "... the computer that led the Lunar Revolution on time line three, code 'Neil Armstrong.' Let's skip the details; it's all inEncyclopedia Galacta (sic) and other books."

InArthur C. Clarke's andGentry Lee's novelRama II (1989), Nicole des Jardins says to Richard Wakefield, "Just think, the sum of everything all human beings know or have ever known might be nothing more than an infinitesimal fraction of theEncyclopedia Galactica."^[7]

Encyclopedia Galactica is mentioned by Charlie Sheen's character inThe Arrival (1996),^[8] and by Jodie Foster's character inContact (1997).^[9]

TheOrion's Arm worldbuilding project uses a fictional database called the Encyclopaedia Galactica as its primary framing device,^[10] each page presenting itself as an individual article of theEncyclopaedia and focusing on a specific aspect of the Orion's Arm universe.

There was a series of five video documentaries in 1993, collectively calledEncyclopædia Galactica, with the episode titles “The Inner Solar System”, “The Outer Solar System”, “Star Trekking”, “Discovery”, and “Astronomy and the Stars”. The videos were produced byYork Films of England and distributed by Encyclopædia Britannica (Australia).^[11] Other entities associated with the production of the video series wereEncyclopædia Britannica Educational Corporation,The Learning Channel (retitledAmazing Space),The Discovery Channel Europe,S4C Wales,System TV France andYleisradio Finland.^[12]

There was anEncyclopedia Galactica: from the Fleet Library aboard the Battlestar Galactica published in 1978. Aimed at ajuvenile audience, this was a tie in to theBattlestar Galactica television series being broadcast at the time.^[13]

The term has been used in non-fictional contexts as well. One example is its use byCarl Sagan (1934–1996) in his 1980 bookCosmos, and the 12th episode of his documentaryof the same name, to refer to a text where hypotheticalextraterrestrial civilizations could store all of their information and knowledge.^[1][14][15]

• Future history
• Interplanetary Internet
• Library of Trantor
• Recorded history
• Web archiving

• Encyclopedia Galactica - A Guide to Asimov'sFoundation Universe (Archived October 27, 2009, at theWayback Machine)
• Encyclopaedia Galactica - a guide to the Orion's Arm Universe