Keep in mind some of Asimov's best-known works do not flatter the intellectuals or even technology: Foundation Trilogy -- 1) The Encyclopedia Foundation epito

Keep in mind some of Asimov's best-known works do not flatter the intellectuals or even technology: Foundation Trilogy -- 1) The Encyclopedia Foundation epitomizes ivory-tower (and mostly retrospective) intellectuals who find themselves outmaneuvered by a mere politician, Salvor Hardin. This same Hardin uses deceit and treachery to keep Terminus independent against menacing breakaway provinces. Hardin's successors oversee the hegemony of the Foundation, even as Terminus' government devolves into autocracy under the Indburs. 2) The savior of humanity Hari Seldon essentially keeps Terminus in the dark about crises he was able to predict decades / centuries in advance. Only the arrival of an aberration (The Mule) throws his predictive power to the wind. 3) Moreover, Seldon establishes a shadow group of telepaths, mathematicians, and psychologists, ostensibly to gaurd against aberrations such as The Mule, but whose ultimate goal is to eventually rule the galaxy on the blood and sweat of the First Foundation. Galatic Empire novels -- 1) Hyperspatial travel, once considered liberating, becomes the primary mechanism for inflicting human politics on an unsuspecting galaxy. Robots of Dawn novels -- 1) Robots initially free humanity from drudgery but eventually render the societies that use them vulnerable to a droid-phobic Earth. Earth wins the inevitable war between itself and the robot societies, but becomes uninhabitable. Considering his background, Dr. Asimov had a certain autocratic streak.