Foundation (Apple Series Tie-in Edition)

By: Isaac Asimov

Narrated by: Scott Brick

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.

Critic reviews

Praise for Isaac Asimov and his Foundation series

“A true polymath, a superb rationalist, an exciting and accessible writer in both fiction and nonfiction, Isaac Asimov was simply a master of all he surveyed.”—Greg Bear

“Asimov served wondrous meals-of-the-mind to a civilization that was starved for clear thinking about the future. To this day, his visions spice our ongoing dinner-table conversation about human destiny.”—David Brin

“Isaac was still in his teens when I met him, a fan of mine before I was a fan of his. Writing for John W. Campbell back in the famous ‘golden age of science fiction,’ he became one of the founders of our field. With the Robot stories and the Foundation stories, he helped to shape science fiction as we know it.”—Jack Williamson

“I grew up on the ABC’s of science fiction—Asimov, Bradbury, Clarke. There’s a reason Asimov’s name comes first, and not just because of the alphabet!”—Janis Ian

“With his fertile imagination, his wit, and his prolific output, Isaac Asimov truly laid the foundation for all future generations of science fiction writers.”—Kevin J. Anderson

“If anything can be said to have been the launch pad for space-age science fiction, it has to be the Foundation trilogy. It’s a classic. And it’s unforgettable.”—Jack McDevitt

“The Foundation series is one of the masterpieces of science fiction. If you’ve never read these novels, then you’re in for a treat, and even if you’ve already read them, then you owe it to yourself to reread them, because they’re still great.”—Allen Steele

“Quite simply, Asimov got me started.”—Liz Williams

“Asimov’s Foundation trilogy was the pivotal touchstone of my life in creative fiction. His vision and scope spanned the galaxy across eons, and at the same time he told deeply personal stories of living characters. The writer I am sprang from the boy that these books touched back then. They continue to move me still. Thank you, Isaac, for opening my mind and my life to the possible.”—Tracy Hickman

“I’m sure there will be more Foundation stories, and more robot stories, and more science-fictional mysteries, because those are Isaac’s legacies to us. But reading them won’t be quite the same. There was only one Isaac Asimov; there will never be another.”—Mike Resnick

Classic but flawed

Asimov's Foundation series, based on the ideas from the "Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire," starts with a 12,000 year-old Galactic Empire. The great Hari Selden has mathematically proven that the Empire will soon fall and a 30-millennium Dark Age will follow, but Selden's Foundation can shorten that time by a factor of 30.

This is the story of the formation and first few centuries of Hari Selden's plan, showing the transition of the Foundation from an academic encyclopedia foundation to (cynical) religious leadership to commercial empire. All is well with Selden's plan.

The Foundation trilogy is a bit dry, and the characters are quite one-dimensional and cartoonish. It may be more enjoyable if you think of it as a history book from the distant future rather than an adventure story. The envisioned technology was typical for the 1940's (computing your course across the galaxy with a slide-rule), but seems rather quaint now. One other complaint: Asimov got pretty wordy in places, to the detriment of the story.

I like Scott Brick as a narrator and he does a pretty good job with this.

Poor copy

Any additional comments?

The story is great, but the quality of the audio is poor, skipping large chunks.

Wonderful writing, audio book not so sure

Wonderful book, awesome topics, wonderful incite. I think nuances of the writing get overshadowed by the narrators tone of voice, which comes across as condescending when describing character traits unnecessarily. he uses the same vocal intonation for parts or lines that would otherwise come to different vocal intonations that ould not only make it mpre interesting, but possibly highlight a more positive experience of listening.

Intriguing Classic Sci-Fi

This story is pretty phenomenal for what it is, a science fiction tale that spans several decades, occasionally jumping forward 10, 20, 50 years to older characters, evolving political factions, and constantly shifting histories. I did have a little difficulty settling into a 1950's idea of the distant future (petroleum powered space travel? Ummmmm...), and the character names desperately need more variation (Hari Seldon & Salvor Hardin, Jaim Orsy & Jaim Twer, etc.), but the story is imaginative and gripping.

I did not like Scott Brick's performance, I felt that he could have done more to distinguish the characters from one another. It seemed that he voiced each character with the same tone and speaking cadence, which made it extremely difficult to discern who was saying what, even in conversations between only two characters. Combined with the already perilous task of keeping track of several casts of characters spanning over 100 years, I had a very difficult time understanding the story.

Great Book!

Everything about this was really well done. But there were portions of audio missing and it would occasionally jump.