The Foundation Trilogy (published as a single volume by Barnes & Noble) collects Isaac Asimov’s groundbreaking science fiction series: Foundation (1951), Foundation and Empire (1952), and Second Foundation (1953). This seminal work, originally serialized in Astounding Magazine, unfolds over centuries as mathematician Hari Seldon’s psychohistory predicts the fall of the Galactic Empire and charts the rise of a new civilization through his two Foundations.
Asimov’s cerebral storytelling—devoid of aliens or space battles—revolves around political intrigue, societal collapse, and the tension between free will and determinism. Iconic twists (the Mule’s mutant rebellion, the Second Foundation’s secret role) redefine the saga’s scope.
A cornerstone of “Big Idea” SF, the trilogy won a Hugo for “Best All-Time Series” in 1966.
In 1966, the Foundation trilogy received a Hugo Award for Best All-Time Series, and it remains the only fiction series to have been so honored. More than fifty years after their original publication, the three Foundation novels stand as classics of thrilling, provocative, and inspired world-building.
