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Foundation and Empire
A General’s Gambit in a Dying Empire
by Isaac AsimovScience FictionSpace Opera
Foundation
Originally in English1952
Story #227 chapters291 pages6½h read
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About This Book
As the mighty Galactic Empire crumbles, a brilliant young general named Bel Riose sets his sights on the mysterious and rising Foundation. With intrigue, strategy, and the shadow of legend hanging over every move, the fate of civilization itself hangs in the balance. Can Riose’s ambition overcome destiny, or will secretive forces shape the galaxy’s future?
Characters
View all 54 charactersAbout the Author
Isaac Asimov
1920–1992
Isaac Asimov (1920–1992) was a prolific Russian-born American writer and professor of biochemistry at Boston University. Born in Petrovichi, Russia, Asimov immigrated with his family to the United States at the age of three and grew up in Brooklyn, New York. He earned his degrees from Columbia University, receiving a Ph.D. in chemistry in 1948. While pursuing his academic career, Asimov began writing science fiction stories and quickly became one of the most recognized voices in the genre. Over the course of his life, he authored or edited more than 500 books, spanning topics from science fiction to history and popular science.
Places and Terms in this Book
Foundation— An entity established by Hari Seldon at the extreme ends of the Galaxy to preserve knowledge and shorten a coming barbarian interregnum.
Galaxy— The entire star system, which was once entirely encompassed by the Empire.
Kalgan— A semitropical planet recently conquered by the Mule without a battle. It is suggested as a destination for Toran and Bayta to gather information about the Mule.
Empire— The Galactic Empire, a powerful entity that the Foundation is wary of, having previously subsidized an attack against them.
Haven— A planet at the Galaxy's edge, described as a dull star and a "rock-world" with "cave-cities." It is home to Traders and considered a "dreg of a world" by Fran.
Siwenna— A planet on the Marches of the Galactic Empire, once a commercial center but now a semi-barbarian border province.
Vocabulary
psychohistory— A science developed by Hari Seldon that uses mathematical sociology to predict the future course of large populations.
parsecs— A unit of distance used in astronomy, equivalent to about 3.26 light-years, indicating the vast reach of the Foundation's Traders.
mutant— An organism that has undergone a genetic change, resulting in new and often extraordinary characteristics, as is the case with the Mule.
ENCYCLOPEDIA GALACTICA— A fictional, in-universe historical reference work, indicating a vast repository of knowledge.
blaster— A common energy weapon in the Galactic Empire.
Psychic Probe— A device used to extract information or read thoughts from a person's mind.
