The Rebellion World is a planet from Isaac Asimov's Empire series.
About the Rebellion World[]
The "Rebellion World" was a legendary and much-sought-after planet within the Nebular Kingdoms during the era of Tyranni domination. It was widely believed to be a secret, fortified world where a massive fleet and army were being assembled to launch a full-scale rebellion and overthrow the Tyranni Empire. This belief was the central driving force behind the conspiracy that involved Biron Farrill, Artemisia oth Hinriad, and Gillbret oth Hinriad.
The characters' entire journey is a quest to find this world. However, the ultimate revelation is that the Rebellion World does not exist as a physical, military base. The true rebellion was not a single planet but an idea. The secret being guarded was a document—the original Constitution of the United States of America—discovered on Earth.
This document symbolized the concept of popular government and democratic freedom, representing a political ideology utterly opposed to the tyrannical rule of the Khan. The "rebellion" was the planned dissemination of this concept throughout the Nebular Kingdoms to inspire a widespread intellectual and political revolt against all tyrannies, including the Tyranni. The real power was not in warships, but in the revolutionary idea of a government of the people.
Appearances[]
Trivia[]
Isaac Asimov confessed in his memoirs (In Memory Yet Green, 1979) that the ending of The Stars, Like Dust—the revelation of the U.S. Constitution as the secret weapon—was included at the behest of editor John W. Campbell. Asimov never agreed with this ending and considered it one of the weakest of his career.
Therefore, Earth is indeed the "Rebellion World" in a metaphorical and ideological sense. It was the hiding place of the foundational document meant to inspire the rebellion, not a military stronghold. This is a key twist and the thematic climax of the novel.