Foundation and Empire
Isaac Asimov's Foundation books are considered one of the greatest works of science fiction. They chronicle the battle of a brave group of men and women to maintain humanity's light against an unstoppable tide of evil and violence, and they are unsurpassed for their unique combination of constant action, bold ideas, and comprehensive world-building.
The Foundation has withstood the avarice and brutality of its neighboring warrior-planets thanks to its founding father, the renowned psychohistorian Hari Seldon, and superior science and technology. But now it must battle the Empire, which, even in its final throes, is the most powerful force in the galaxy. When an ambitious commander aiming to restore the Empire's glory directs the enormous Imperial fleet against the Foundation, Hari Seldon's predictions become the sole chance for the little world of intellectuals and scientists.
But not even Hari Seldon could have imagined the advent of The Mule, a mutant intellect with a power larger than a dozen combat fleets... a power capable of turning even the most defiant human into an obedient slave.
