One of my all time favorites and a classic in the sci-fi genre. Foundation tells the story of Hari Seldon, a "psycho-historian" who predicts the imminent collapse of the galactic empire and presents a plan to help humanity bridge the gap to a stronger second galactic empire. The novel contains five separate stories spread over hundreds of years beginning with the establishment of a colony whose mission is to publish the "Encyclopedia Galactica". Foundation is the first in the trilogy, later expanded to include four additional books, two following the events of the original trilogy, and two prequels.