From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Hober Mallow is a fictional character in Isaac Asimov's The Foundation Series of stories and novels. He is the central protagonist of "The Merchant Princes," the final short story comprising Asimov's Foundation.

Mallow is a master trader in the Foundation and pilot of the Far Star. Originally from Smyrno, one of the Four Kingdoms which borders Terminus, Mallow is a freelance trader and considered among the best of his class. He is sent to Korell on a mission to discover the fates of several Foundation cruisers lost in that sector, as well as to investigate the possibility that Korell has developed nuclear technology.

As soon as Mallow's mission lands on the central planet of that system, a Foundation missionary seeks protection aboard the Far Star. A Korellian mob awaits the monk outside the vessel and demands that he be turned over to them for trial. Mallow, suspecting a ruse, turns him over gladly and continues with his mission, opening trade with The Commdor of Korell. Mallow profits greatly from this deal and becomes one of the richest men on Terminus and in the course of trade discussions, discovers that the Korellians have in fact gained nuclear technology.

When he returns to Terminus, he is accused of being a traitor for not spreading the Foundation's nuclear-based pseudo-religion and for allowing a Foundation missionary to be killed. He defends himself successfully at trial, exposing the "missionary" as a member of the Korellian Secret Police. On the back of the resultant publicity, he then wins the mayoral election, becoming the leader of Terminus.

As Mayor, Mallow leads the Foundation through its third Seldon Crisis. In this instance, the crisis involved an impending war with Korell and those remnants of the Empire which back them. Mallow's solution, remniscent of Salvor Hardin's years before, is to make the Korellian economy dependent on Foundation merchandise. The war ends three years later as one of "the least fought wars in Galactic History", as quoted in the Encyclopedia Galactica, and Mallow transforms the power and influence of the Foundation from chiefly religious to primarily economic, turning Terminus into a successful plutocracy.

In centuries after, Mallow is remembered as the first of the Merchant Princes, and as a culture hero of Terminus myth. A Foundation Battle cruiser is named for him, and Golan Trevize is given a ship named Far Star at the beginning of Foundation's Edge.

Mallow had a number of mistresses throughout his life, with a number of illegitimate children. One, Sennett Forell, was widely known as being Mallow's son, but was officially only a 'collateral relative.' Forell played a part in the war against Bel Riose.