First Foundation
Limiting a 30,000-year dark age to just one thousand years through the science of psychohistory.
The Foundation series chronicles the future of a Galactic Empire encompassing the entire Milky Way during its waning days. Mathematician Hari Seldon devises psychohistory, a mathematical sociology using statistical laws to predict large-scale human behavior. He foresees an imminent fall of the Empire followed by a dark age lasting 30,000 years. To limit this interregnum to just one thousand years, Seldon creates two Foundations. The First Foundation is established on Terminus to preserve knowledge and eventually become the seed of a new empire, acting as the physical anchor deflected by the 'onrushing mass of events' just enough to alter history's course.
- Founder
- Hari Seldon (via the Seldon Plan)
- Capital
- Terminus
- Primary Resource
- Advanced Nuclear Technology and Economic Leverage
- Key Conflict
- The Four Kingdoms Crisis, The Mule Invasion, The Second Foundation's Hidden Inte
- Status
- Dominant Galactic Power (Post-Seldon Era)
Verified Timeline
Lore & Background
The original trilogy collects eight short stories and novellas published in Astounding Science-Fiction between May 1942 and January 1950. The premise, invented spontaneously by Isaac Asimov while walking to meet editor John W. Campbell, draws on Edward Gibbon's History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. Set around 47,000 CE with Hari Seldon born in that year, the timeline begins when Emperor Cleon I is born 78 years before the Foundation Era (FE). The narrative focuses on the growth of the Foundation against the backdrop of the Empire's decline. Key turning points include the 'Seldon Crises,' where specific resolutions are required for the Plan's success. The series introduces the unpredicted mutant known as the Mule, who defeats the Foundation using abilities that bypass psychohistory. This crisis is eventually averted by the hidden Second Foundation. Asimov notes his dating is approximate and inconsistent, admitting cross-references were made 'ad hoc' rather than from a systemized history.
In Their Own Story
The novels describe dramatic events shaped by Seldon's Plan, beginning with the original trilogy: Foundation (1951), Foundation and Empire (1952), and Second Foundation (1953). The story follows the momentum of the Empire's fall, which is too great to stop entirely. Instead, the Plan ensures the 'onrushing mass of events must be deflected just a little.' In the original trilogy, the First Foundation faces the threat of surrounding warlord kingdoms and later the mutant Mule. Decades later, fans pressured Asimov to continue; in 1982, after a 30-year hiatus, he wrote Foundation's Edge, set 500 years after the first novel. This was followed by Foundation and Earth (1986), which takes place some 500 years after Seldon and ties up loose ends while introducing Galaxia, a galaxy inhabited by a single collective mind.
Reader's Guide
The First Foundation operates on the principles of psychohistory, utilizing statistical laws of mass action to predict societal trends. Its strategy relies on 'deflecting' events rather than stopping them outright. The series was originally published as short stories and novellas before being collected into three novels by Gnome Press in 1951–1953. For nearly thirty years, it was known strictly as the Foundation Trilogy. Asimov later expanded the universe with two sequels (Foundation's Edge, 1982; Foundation and Earth, 1986) and two prequels (Prelude to Foundation, 1988; Forward the Foundation, 1993). The prequels explore the nascent idea of psychohistory and the life of Hari Seldon leading up to his exile on Terminus. The series won the one-time Hugo Award for 'Best All-Time Series' in 1966.
Did You Know?
- The series won the one-time Hugo Award for 'Best All-Time Series' in 1966.
- Asimov admitted his internal history dating was 'actually made up ad hoc' and inconsistent upon careful checking.
- The original trilogy consists of eight short stories and novellas published in Astounding Science-Fiction between May 1942 and January 1950.
- Foundation and Earth introduces the concept of Galaxia, a galaxy inhabited by a single collective mind.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the First Foundation?
It is a scientific society established on Terminus by Hari Seldon to preserve knowledge and eventually restore civilization after the Galactic Empire falls. Originally disguised as an encyclopedia project, it grows into a powerful state based on technology.
Where is the First Foundation located?
Its capital planet is Terminus, situated at the extreme edge of the galaxy in the Trantor sector. This isolation was chosen to protect its development during the predicted thirty-thousand-year dark age.
How does the First Foundation differ from the Second Foundation?
While the Second Foundation manipulates minds secretly, the First Foundation relies on advanced nuclear technology and economic leverage to dominate openly. They represent the physical might of the Seldon Plan compared to the psychological control of their counterparts.
Who founded the First Foundation and what was its purpose?
Hari Seldon created it through psychohistory as a safeguard against the inevitable collapse of the Galactic Empire. The goal was to shorten the coming period of barbarism from thirty thousand years down to just one thousand.
What were the biggest challenges for the First Foundation?
They survived conflicts with the Four Kingdoms and a devastating invasion by the mutant known as the Mule. Ultimately, they became the dominant galactic power after the Second Foundation intervened to correct deviations in the Plan.
More in Empires & Organizations
Related in Foundation
Links follow this subject's own source article.
Elsewhere in the Foundation universe
Spotted an error? Know more?
This is a living reference — every entry is fact-audited, and reader corrections feed straight into our audit queue. Suggest an edit · See this site's audit record