Foundation and Empire
$0.00
Price: $0.00
(as of Aug 08, 2025 08:30:17 UTC – Details)
The second novel in Isaac Asimov’s classic science-fiction masterpiece, the Foundation series.
Led by its founding father, the psychohistorian Hari Seldon, and utilizing science and technology, the Foundation survived the greed and barbarism of its neighboring warrior-planets. Now cleverness and courage may not be enough. For the Empire – the mightiest force in the Galaxy – is even more dangerous in its death throes. Even worse, a mysterious entity called the Mule has appeared with powers beyond anything humanly conceivable. Who – or what – is the Mule? And how is humanity to defend itself against this invulnerable avatar of annihilation?
Filled with nail-biting suspense, nonstop action, and cutting-edge speculation, Foundation and Empire is the story of humanity’s perpetual struggle against the darkness that forever threatens to overwhelm the light – and of how the courage of even a determined few can make all the difference in the universe.
Customers say
Customers find this book to be a worthy read for sci-fi fans, with an exciting storyline that weaves and paces well, and they consider it a great piece of a classic series. The writing style receives positive feedback, with one customer noting the best word play they’ve read, and the characters are well-defined. While customers find the book thought-provoking, with one review highlighting its sociological insights, the pacing receives mixed reactions, with several customers finding it slow-paced.
Ritesh Laud –
The continuation of an epic series
Foundation and Empire is the second of the original Foundation trilogy written in the 1950s. The first book is Foundation and the last is Second Foundation. I enjoyed Foundation but I liked F&E quite a bit more! Foundation consists of five disconnected short stories, too short for adequate development of the settings or characters. F&E is much more focused, containing only two stories, the second of which really impressed me.A quick refresher on the background: The psychohistorian Hari Seldon was able to mathematically foresee the future of human society in the Milky Way. It wasn’t pretty. Socio-economic forces were to cause the total collapse of the Trantorian Empire and lead to 30,000 years of anarchy and barbarism before a new empire restored peace and order. However, Seldon saw an “alternate path” that could reduce the duration of the Dark Ages to a single millennium. He established two societies (called Foundations) to bring this change about.In Foundation, we learn how the fledgling First Foundation established itself after Seldon’s death and how it grew powerful. In F&E, Seldon is long dead and the First Foundation faces much more serious threats: a war with the dying but still powerful Trantorian Empire and a war with a mutant leader called The Mule who possesses incredible powers. The part about the war with the Empire is a straightforward narrative with a couple interesting twists. The second part about The Mule takes place a few decades later and is written in the style of a mystery, sort of like the first two Robot novels.Since The Mule is an individual of extraordinary power, Seldon’s psychohistorical predictions for the First Foundation are in jeopardy because they deal only with masses of people and large scale socio-economic forces. Hence the second part is a more exciting read. 🙂 Also, until the end of the second part the Second Foundation is a mysterious society on the other side of the Galaxy about whom we know next to nothing. Although I guessed the nature of The Mule’s powers, I did not guess his identity and it was a great surprise for me when it was revealed at the end. The events of the last two chapters are stunning and really make you want to rip into the third book. Yet F&E doesn’t end on a cliffhanger and is quite satisfying in and of itself. This unique blend is a testament to Asimov’s genius as an author. Also, you’ll learn why the mutant calls himself The Mule and it’s quite enlightening!With novels written later, Asimov tied together three series into one huge one! I recommend reading the entire 14-book series in the following order: the four Robot novels, the three Empire novels, and the seven Foundation novels (the original trilogy plus two prequels and two sequels). So far I’ve yet to read the last three Foundation books (Second Foundation, Foundation’s Edge, Foundation and Earth), but so far most have been excellent and all have been well above average.
S. Newton –
Classic in so many ways
If you’ve read any Asimov books before, you’ll appreciate the depth and breadth of his imagination, if not then you’re in for a treat!The Foundatuion series, of which this is the first novel, is set in the distant future. Man has colonised most of the galaxy and it is headed by an Emporer and administered by a huge beauracracy. However, one man is able to see the coming fall of the empire and the dark age to follow. He plans to set up a repository of knowledge from which a new civilisation can rise.What we have here is a spin on the fall of the Roman empire on a galactic scale. Asimovs strength is his ability to speculate about future social structures and mores. His weakness is in character development. So what you get is classic space opera, but with a 1950s undertone to it.This is an enjoyable, light read and will doubtless lead you onto the rest of the series.I hope this helps 😀
Steve Carlisle –
Worth reading to the end
This is a brilliant work, of course, but there was a period around half way through when I almost gave up. I grew tired of the repeat pattern and lost the point. I went looking for others’ opinions of whether these books were worth reading these days. It was through that that I decided to keep going. I’m glad I did. Stick with it. It is worthwhile.
J. S. HYDER –
Recommended
20 years ago I gave my son my copy of the 3 original foundation books in one volume to read. He told me they were great. ( needless to say its on his library shelf still ð ) have now replaced with these volumes and reread again, classic.
Adam L. Kopcinski –
Solid Science Fiction
The second book in the Foundation series continues the narrative of the first; it chronicles the defeat of the decaying Galactic Empire by the Foundation, and its subsequent defeat by the mutant intelligence that is the Mule. Asimov’s books are an almost perfect blend of suspense, action, dialogue, character-building, world-building, narrative, and plot. He knows how to keep the pages turning. Even the less interesting half of the book (the first-half) is still enjoyable – it’s just that the second part is so much more interesting; the twist at the end is especially something to be savored. Like all his books, the joy comes from not just the narrative itself, but the situations that Asimov places his characters in, and how they ingeniously improvise solutions to their dilemmas. The Foundation series is, irrefutably, classic science fiction, and it makes one wonder why Hollywood hasn’t taken these literary gems and processed them into something less fine and lacking luster.One minor grievance; some phrases seem to reappear in multiple books of the series. Asimov seems particularly fond of the adjective “sardonically” – but this can scarcely be deemed a flaw, just something that one might notice.
Joao –
Correu tudo na perfeição. Simples. Barato. Rápido.
Pedro Pablo Downey Fernandez –
Ok
Alex –
Amazing book! Interesting plot, good storytelling – best of Isaac Asimov!Absolutely recommend!
Magron Starr –
I have read and re-read the stories of Asimov many times and they never fail to entertain.I am sure I shall read them again in the future.
The Fantasy Review –
SPOILER FREEThe second entry to Isaac Asimovâs Foundation Trilogy had a slow start but soon picked up. I found that after the introduction of Foundation, the plot of Foundation and Empire was far more concise.I love a good puzzle, and Isaac Asimov delivers more than one. Who is the Mule and what does he want? What is the Second Foundation, where is it, and why is there one there?I wonât go into spoilers in this bit, but I will say that the answers to those questions are not only satisfying but exciting, and they had me tearing through the second half of this science fiction book. Obviously, not all questions are answered, but who doesnât like to speculate?This was a great sequel â I hope the final entry of the trilogy lives up to the promises given in this book.SPOILER SECTION BELOWâThe GeneralâDespite the attack on the Foundation from the Galactic Empire, I found this part of Foundation and Empire to be quite slow. It promises action and we are left with political manoeuvres. Not that I donât like politically driven plotlines, but thatâs not what I was promised!With the Empire calling off its attack, the members of the Foundation work to figure out what they were supposed to do. This does hint at something going wrong with Hari Seldonâs psychohistory, as he makes no mention of this event.âThe MuleâThis part was incredible and is the main reason anyone who finds the first part difficult to get though should read on.The Mule himself is an interesting villain due to the powers he seems to have, however all he seems to want is power for powerâs sake, and that sort of ruins him for me. Perhaps we will see more of him in the third entry that will explain his motivations.The ending with the reveal of the Second Foundation was so good that I couldnât stop reading. I think it was because Iâd forgotten completely about this second Foundation (from the first book), but also it might have been Hari Seldonâs plan all along.Distract the villain with the Foundation to allow the second Foundation to flourish and prepare in time for his attack. I have so many questions and thatâs what SF is all about!