Foundation and Empire (Foundation Novels) (Mass Market Paperback)

by Isaac Asimov (Author)
Key Phrases: psychic probe, stun pistol, independent traders, Ebling Mis, Ducem Barr, Second Foundation (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
The Foundation has managed to preserve humanculture and shorten the period of chaotic barbarism after the Galactic Empire began to decay. But the Foundation still faces great challenges in its struggle to survive.

From the Publisher
Led by its founding father, the great psycho-historian Hari Seldon, and taking advantage of its superior science and technology, the Foundation survived the greed and barbarism of its neighboring warrior-planets. Yet now it must face the Empire--still the mightiest force in the Galaxy, even in its death throes. When an ambitious general determined to restore the Empire's glory turns the vast Imperial fleet toward the Foundation, the only hope for the small planet of scholars and scientists lies in the prophecies of Hari Seldon. But not even Hari Seldon could have predicted the birth of the extraordinary creature called the Mule-a mutant intelligence with a power greater than a dozen battle fleets. . .a power that could turn the strongest-willed human into an obedient slave.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Spectra (October 1, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0553293370
• ISBN-13: 978-0553293371
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (91 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #7,967 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #6 in	Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Authors, A-Z > ( A ) > Asimov, Isaac
  #34 in	Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Science Fiction > Series

• This is item 4 in The Foundation Series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

33 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Foundation trilogy is essential, October 6, 2002

By	"cloudia" (Seattle, WA United States) - See all my reviews

The trilogy is essential, but since Asimov also capitalized on his own genius by writing what seems to be hundreds of lesser Foundation stories, it can all get very confusing and a bit draining. This is the second book in the original trilogy, so it is from a science fiction point of view essential reading. The trilogy itself comes up with two highly memorable characters, Hari Seldon, the psycho-historian, who uses Mathematics to predict the future and establish a "Foundation" that will limit the dark ages after the fall of the "Empire" to a single millenium (as opposed to ten.) He reappears as a hologram at certain points in the story with more or less accurate takes on what is happening in "History" at that point.

The other very memorable character is the Mule. He represents the variable that makes predicting "History" mathematically a tricky business at least, not to mention impossible. He is a nasty totalitarian character who strangely in Asimov's hands manages to elicit some sympathy. Asimov is playing with the idea of predicting human behavior scientifically (or controlling it scientifically,) but this character is also a humanistic meditation on how masses of people get overwhelmed by evil social forces like fascism and soviet communism. You can see that Asimov lived through the era of Hitler, Mussolini, Franco and Stalin and that these cult of personality tyrants and the submission of masses of people to their destructive and sadistic wills profoundly affected his view of human nature. Foundation and Empire seems to be an attempt to come to terms with that experience, and so has something to say about the specifics of twentieth century history, as well as about historical philosophy.

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars MAGNIFICENT!, March 1, 2000

By A Customer

First I should say that this is a great book. It is the second book in the Foundation Trilogy. And if you need some help on the order of the books, here tis : 1)Prelude to Foundation 2)Forward the Foundation 3)Foundation 4)Foundation and Empire 5)Second Foundation 6)Foundation's Edge 7) Foundation and Earth. #s 3,4, and 5 are the original trilogy. I have reviewed all of them. They're all good. This particular book has two parts. In the first part the Foundation is faced with the dying but still strong Galactic Empire, and in the second, more interesting part, they face the rising Mule. A few words bout him, he's not what or who you might think he is. The next sentence might be considered a spoiler, so choose to read it or not. The Mule is actually Bobo( this word only appears once in the book, and might be missed). Well, have fun reading!

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a great book, October 30, 1999

By A Customer

I think asimov truly showed his ability in Foundation and Empire. Whether or not Foundation was better is debatable. But to create 2 knockout novels is pure gift. All the people who say it is bad are wrong. they say you should read a classic. It is a classic! A modern classic! the series deserves a place among Dune and other SF greats. The Mule was stroke of genius. The surprise ending was wonderful. whatever they charge you for this it is a deal.