Foundation
By Mary Eisenhart,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Hugely influential classic mostly for sci-fi fans.
Add rating
A Lot or a Little?
What you will—and won't—find in this book.
Where to Read
Community Reviews
What's the Story?
Tens of thousands of years into the future, humans have colonized planets throughout the Galaxy, and the colossal Empire reigns supreme. Foreseeing that the Empire will soon collapse under its own weight, leading to millennia of chaos and misery, scientist Hari Seldon develops a plan to minimize the damage and bring about a restored Empire in a relatively short period. Part of this plan is gathering the Empire's knowledge into the Encyclopedia Galactica by what becomes known as the FOUNDATION on the planet Terminus. Another part of the plan involves a mysterious Second Foundation, location unknown. In the centuries following Seldon's death, he periodically appears as a hologram to advise leaders of their proper course; meanwhile, patriots, opportunists, warlords, religious zealots, and entrepreneurs look for ways to guide things their way as the Empire disintegrates.
Is It Any Good?
While there's enough interesting conversation to evoke a spacefaring My Dinner with Andre, many young readers may find Foundation long on talk, but short on action and intriguing characters.
Science fiction is the turf of big ideas; Asimov, with a genius IQ and a broad range of interests, had more big ideas than most, many of them on display here: Is it possible to predict and/or manipulate the future? What about free will? What's the relationship of science, religion, politics, and money? Who's really in control here? Who should be? The downside is that characters, many of whom appear only briefly, are almost exclusively defined by their wise sayings and long speeches, and don't so much develop as tenaciously hold their positions as events unfold.
Hugely influential, the Foundation Trilogy (Foundation, Foundation and Empire, and Second Foundation) received science fiction's Hugo Award for Best All-Time Series in 1966, the only year the award's ever been presented.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about why Foundation is regarded as such a classic of science fiction. How does it compare with other science fiction you've read?
Why do you think there are no significant female characters, and also no non-human ones, in Foundation? How do you think this affects the story?
What was the world like when Asimov wrote these stories in the 1940s? How do the issues of his day influence futuristic tales?
Book Details
- Author: Isaac Asimov
- Genre: Science Fiction
- Topics: Magic and Fantasy , Adventures , History , Science and Nature , Space and Aliens
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Spectra
- Publication date: April 29, 2008
- Available on: Paperback, Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Audiobook (abridged), iBooks, Kindle
- Last updated: June 25, 2015
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.
Suggest an Update
Where to Read
Our Editors Recommend
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate