Foundation (novel series)
A science fiction series about psychohistory and a Galactic Empire's fall.
Isaac Asimov, an American author, wrote the Foundation series of science fiction novels. The series began as short stories and novellas published between 1942 and 1950, then was collected into three novels released from 1951 to 1953: *Foundation* (1951), *Foundation and Empire* (1952), and *Second Foundation* (1953). For nearly three decades it was known as The Foundation Trilogy, and in 1966 it won the Hugo Award for "Best All-Time Series," a one-time prize. Asimov later added more books: two sequels, *Foundation's Edge* (1982) and *Foundation and Earth* (1986), and two prequels, *Prelude to Foundation* (1988) and *Forward the Foundation* (1993).
The stories are set during the decline of a future Galactic Empire that spans the entire Milky Way. Mathematician Hari Seldon creates psychohistory, a mathematical sociology that uses statistical laws of mass action to predict the future of large populations. Seldon foresees the Empire's inevitable collapse and a dark age lasting 30,000 years before a second empire can arise. Since the Empire's fall cannot be stopped, Seldon devises a plan to "deflect the onrushing mass of events just a little," aiming to shorten the interregnum to only one thousand years. The novels depict dramatic events over those centuries as they are shaped by the political and social mechanics of Seldon's Plan.
The original trilogy collected eight stories from *Astounding Science-Fiction* magazine, published between May 1942 and January 1950. Asimov said the premise was inspired by Edward Gibbon's *History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire* and came to him spontaneously on his way to meet editor John W. Campbell, with whom he developed the concepts of the collapsing Empire, the Foundations, and psychohistory. He wrote these early stories in his West Philadelphia apartment while working at the Philadelphia Naval Yard.
The first four stories, plus a new introductory story, were published by Gnome Press in 1951 as *Foundation*. The remaining stories were released in pairs as *Foundation and Empire* (1952) and *Second Foundation* (1953), forming the trilogy. In 1981, Asimov's publishers convinced him to write a fourth novel, *Foundation's Edge* (1982).
Quick Facts
- Author
- Isaac Asimov
- Country
- United States
- Language
- English
- Genre
- Science fiction
- Publisher
- Astounding Science Fiction (Street & Smith), Gnome Press, Spectra, Doubleday
- Pub Date
- 1942–1993
- Media Type
- Italic Title
- no
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The Foundation series originated from eight short stories and novellas published in Astounding Science-Fiction magazine between May 1942 and January 1950. Asimov based the premise on ideas in Edward Gibbon's History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, developing the concepts of the collapse of the Galactic Empire, the civilization-preserving Foundations, and psychohistory with editor John W. Campbell. The early stories were written in Asimov's West Philadelphia apartment while he worked at the Philadelphia Naval Yard. The first four stories, along with a new introductory story, were collected as Foundation (1951), followed by Foundation and Empire (1952) and Second Foundation (1953), forming the 'Foundation Trilogy.'
Reader's Guide
The Foundation series is significant for its innovative use of psychohistory, a fictional mathematics of sociology that predicts the future of large populations, and for its focus on societal evolution and adaptation rather than individual characters. It won the one-time Hugo Award for 'Best All-Time Series' in 1966, reflecting its lasting impact on science fiction. The series influenced later works by examining historical trends through a wide lens, following models like Thucydides' The History of the Peloponnesian War. Asimov later added sequels and prequels, tying the Foundation universe to his Robot and Empire series, creating a single unified universe. The series also addressed the impact of women on geopolitics, more than most contemporary science fiction, though it followed 1950s social trends. Its legacy includes decades of fan pressure for sequels, leading to Foundation's Edge (1982) and Foundation and Earth (1986), which tied up loose ends and introduced the concept of Galaxia.
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