At the start of the thirteenth millennium, the Empire has never been so powerful, so extended throughout the galaxy. It was in its capital, Trantor, that the eminent scholar Hari Seldon invented psychohistory, a new science making it possible to predict the future. Thanks to her, Seldon predicts the collapse of the Empire within three centuries, followed by an era of darkness lasting thirty thousand years. Reducing this period to a thousand years is perhaps possible, provided that its project: the Foundation, responsible for bringing together all human knowledge, is completed. A visionary company that encounters many powerful detractors... Awarded the Hugo Award for "best science fiction series of all time", The Foundation Cycle is the foundational work of modern S-F, the one that all fans of the genre have read or will read one day. [back cover]