Foundation

Foundation is a science fiction novel by American writer Isaac Asimov. It is the first book in the Foundation Trilogy. The novel consits of five interrelated short stories. Collectively they tell the early story of an institute founded by Hari Seldon to preserve civilization after the collapse of the Galactic Empire. Asimov drew direct inspiration from the fall of the roman empire, transposing the slow decay of Rome onto a galactic scale. Foundation proved enormously influential, helping establish the genre of epic science fiction and directly inspiring Frank Herbert's Dune.