Foundation
Mathematician Hari Seldon develops psychohistory, a science that predicts the future of large populations. Foreseeing the fall of the Galactic Empire, he establishes a Foundation at the edge of the galaxy to preserve knowledge and shorten the coming dark age.
Where Foundation keeps showing up
Eight of our editors' lists feature this novel.
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A few of the closest reads from our full list.
What you might want to know about Foundation
The questions readers send us most often, answered without spoilers.
Hari Seldon, a mathematician who has predicted the fall of the Galactic Empire, sets up a colony at the rim to preserve human knowledge. The novel follows the Foundation through its first existential crises.
Isaac Asimov wrote seven main Foundation novels, plus prequels and connections to his Robot and Galactic Empire series. The original trilogy (Foundation, Foundation and Empire, Second Foundation) is the most-recommended starting point.
Yes. Apple TV+ released a Foundation series starting in 2021, with multiple seasons across years. The show takes significant liberties with the novels but draws from the original Foundation universe.
Foundation was written by Isaac Asimov, published in 1951 by National Geographic Books.
Foundation is 240 pages in standard print editions, though page counts vary slightly between hardcover, paperback, and large-print formats.
At an average reading pace of about 250 words per minute, Foundation takes most readers 4 to 5 hours to finish.
Foundation is a standalone novel by Isaac Asimov, not part of a series.
Foundation is available in hardcover, paperback, ebook, and audiobook formats from Amazon, Bookshop.org, ThriftBooks, and most major bookstores.
