Foundation

First published in 1951, Isaac Asimov’s space saga Foundation tells the story of a secretive science institute that tries to save a galactic empire from the worst effects of its coming collapse. Four of the five interrelated stories comprising the novel appeared in Astounding Science Fiction between 1942 and 1944. The book and its sequels set a high standard for speculative fiction and exerted a major influence on later science fiction works, including the Star Wars and Dune novels and films. Asimov added two books of two novellas each to complete the Foundation trilogy, and later completed two sequel and two prequel novels. Additional entries to the Foundation series were authorized by Asimov’s estate.

Asimov (1920-1992) is considered one of the most important science fiction writers of the 20th century. Extremely prolific, Asimov published some 500 fiction and nonfiction books along with hundreds of stories and essays. His works include mysteries, fantasies, children’s books, popular science, history, and religion. Asimov won many awards, including multiple Hugo and Nebula prizes for science fiction writing; the first three books of the Foundation series also won a Hugo for Best All-Time Series. Some of his works have been made into films, including I Robot, Bicentennial Man, and Nightfall.