Listen free for 30 days

  • Foundation and Empire

  • By: Isaac Asimov
  • Narrated by: William Hope
  • Length: 9 hrs and 33 mins
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (939 ratings)

Thousands of incredible audiobooks and podcasts to take wherever you go.
Immerse yourself in a world of storytelling with the Plus Catalogue - unlimited listening to thousands of select audiobooks, podcasts and Audible Originals.
£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.
Foundation and Empire cover art

Foundation and Empire

By: Isaac Asimov
Narrated by: William Hope
Try for £0.00

£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £14.49

Buy Now for £14.49

Pay using card ending in
By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and authorise Audible to charge your designated card or any other card on file. Please see our Privacy Notice, Cookies Notice and Interest-based Ads Notice.

Summary

Winner of the Hugo Award for Best All-Time Series

The Foundation series is Isaac Asimov’s iconic masterpiece. Unfolding against the backdrop of a crumbling Galactic Empire, the story of Hari Seldon’s two Foundations is a lasting testament to an extraordinary imagination, one whose unprecedented scale shaped science fiction as we know it today.

The First Foundation survived two centuries of barbarism as the once-mighty Galactic Empire descended into chaos. Now it must prepare for war against the remnants of the Empire as the Imperial fleet advances on their planet, Terminus.

Hari Seldon predicted this war; he even prepared his Foundation for it. But he couldn’t foresee the birth of the mutant Mule. In possession of a power which reduces fearsome opposition to devoted slaves, the Mule poses a terrible threat to Seldon’s Foundation.

©2019 Isaac Asimov (P)2019 HarperCollins Publishers Limited

Critic reviews

"One of the most staggering achievements in modern SF." (The Times)

"Isaac Asimov was one of the great explainers of the age. It will never be known how many practising scientists today, in how many countries, owe their initial inspiration to a book, article, or short story by Isaac Asimov." (Carl Sagan)

"Asimov displayed one of the most dynamic imaginations in science fiction." (Daily Telegraph

What listeners say about Foundation and Empire

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    660
  • 4 Stars
    215
  • 3 Stars
    52
  • 2 Stars
    12
  • 1 Stars
    0
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    602
  • 4 Stars
    174
  • 3 Stars
    29
  • 2 Stars
    4
  • 1 Stars
    0
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    549
  • 4 Stars
    192
  • 3 Stars
    54
  • 2 Stars
    12
  • 1 Stars
    2

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Enter the Mule

Asimov's grand narrative continues ever onward towards its seemingly inevitable conclusion. The decline and final fall of an Empire that has stood for thousands of years is truly a sight to behold. The living will of the last of the Imperials clashes with the dead hand of Raven Seldon and with the weight and logic of history itself. And somewhere in the shadows, a new variable, unknown and unaccounted for, stirs ominously. The Mule has come, and the Foundation does not seem to have a fighting chance!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Amazing

It’s rare that a sequel would out do the original in such a way, adds to the universe in a great way and takes a hard left turn which I didn’t see coming but greatly improved the story! 10/10

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

not as good as first installment

I tired of narrators style this time round, I was okay with it during Foundation.

will listen to third installment though

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Amazing story!

Not the most avid listener/reader, but I do enjoy sci-fi stories and this one here along with the first book have been probably the best I’ve heard/read ever!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

outstanding

this second book in the foundation series is pure class just as enthralling and captivating as the first book with surprises and suspense throughout. Asimov was a master of his craft and the performance of William hope through the series is impeccable. I highly recommend this series to any sci fi or political thriller fan

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Classic Sci-Fi epic Surprisingly Enjoyable

second in the original trilogy of books by Asimov, this book was an improvement on the first (which I enjoyed the immediacy of). It comprises of two novellas linked by the continuing story arc of the Foundation, and the predictions of Hari Selden from the first book. Of the two novellas I found the second more interesting, with the amusing twist at the end and the set-up (I hope) for book three. Asimov's writing is surprisingly fresh and engaging for a book written when my father was but a boy. The underlying themes are interesting yet not overly heavy, and so much sci-fi that was to follow took inspiration from this book I can see why it earned its status.
for the Audio book, the narration was great. definitely one of the better narrators I've listened to.

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

brilliant

a brilliant book from 1952 which feels like it could have been written in 2020

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Very nice story and great narrator!

I loved the character of Magnifico! excited for the next book
the story went by quite fast to me, definitely didn't feel like that many hours

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Stronger than the original

While Foundation holds the crown for worldbuilding, I felt it relied on a lot of coincidence and convenient intellectualising to solve every problem. It never felt like a crisis was beyond the Foundation's ability to resolve. Indeed, Hari Seldon's predictions had already anticipated the resolution ahead of time, so it always felt like 'going through the motions' to feel like an actual thriller.

Foundation and Empire both plays up to and then massively subverts this formula in a much stronger style than the original and the series is all the more stronger for having introduced conflict that cannot simply be debated or resolved with outthinking the opponent.

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Absolutely Brilliant

I don't usually listen or read science fiction but the reading and the content are top notch.