a book

Foundation

Name: Foundation
Rating: 5 (18 reviews)
Author: Isaac Asimov
ISBN: 9780553293357

Isaac Asimov · 2004 · 320 pages

The first novel in Isaac Asimov’s classic science-fiction masterpiece, the Foundation series

THE EPIC SAGA THAT INSPIRED THE APPLE TV+ SERIES FOUNDATION • Nominated as one of America’s best-loved novels by PBS’s The Great American Read

For twelve thousand years the Galactic Empire has ruled supreme. Now it is dying. But only Hari Seldon, creator of the revolutionary science of psychohistory, can see into the future—to a dark age of ignorance, barbarism, and warfare that will last thirty thousand years. To preserve knowledge and save humankind, Seldon gathers the best minds in the Empire—both scientists and scholars—and brings them to a bleak planet at the edge of the galaxy to serve as a beacon of hope for future generations. He calls his sanctuary the Foundation.

The Foundation novels of Isaac Asimov are among the most influential in the history of science fiction, celebrated for their unique blend of breathtaking action, daring ideas, and extensive worldbuilding. In Foundation, Asimov has written a timely and timeless novel of the best—and worst—that lies in humanity, and the power of even a few courageous souls to shine a light in a universe of darkness.

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recommended by 18 people

sourced from public statements

Andrej Karpathy
“On the topic of sci-fi’s I really like books written by scientists turned writers because I find the world building to be much more compelling, interesting and logically consistent. Recently I enjoyed [this]. Especially the concepts of psychohistory and dark ages.”↗
Bill Gates
“When I was a kid, I was obsessed with science fiction. Paul Allen and I would spend countless hours discussing Isaac Asimov’s original Foundation trilogy.”↗
Naval Ravikant
“Matt Ridley, Neal Stephenson, Taleb, Borges, Ted Chiang, Anthony DeMello, Osho, J Krishnamurti, Harari, Asimov, Bradbury, Greg Egan, Feynman, Schrödinger, Bohr, Chris Alexander, the Durants, Darwin, Adam Smith, David Deutsch, Karl Popper, Douglas Hofstader, Douglas Adams”↗
Paul Graham
“I wish I could get as excited about anything I read now as I used to get about science fiction novels when I was 15. Books like The Moon is Harsh Mistress and Foundation used to take over my brain completely. It was like living in the future.”↗
Elon Musk
“It’s sort of a futuristic version of Gibbon’s Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. Let’s say you were at the peak of the Roman empire, what would you do, what action could you take, to minimise decline?”↗
Sahil Lavingia
“@elonmusk My #1 book recommendation.”↗
Demis Hassabis
“Some of the really formative things on me were Asimov's Foundation series, so interestingly, not the robotics books, I haven't really read any of his robot books, but the Foundation series was this really amazing series of sci-fi novels.”↗
Adam Gazzaley
“Life-changing for me as a kid, and have still read it multiple times throughout my life.”↗
Gabor Gurbacs
““It is the chief characteristic of the religion of science that it works.” -Isaac Asimov (Foundation) What a great book! Worth a re-read!”↗
Stewart Brand
Sam Altman
Lex Fridman
Matt Mullenweg
Austen Allred
Ryan Shea
Meltem Demirors
Delian Asparouhov
Cameron Winklevoss