by Isaac Asimov is the second book in the Foundation series, continuing the epic story of the rise and fall of civilizations in a far-future galactic empire. The novel follows two primary narratives that chronicle the struggles of the Foundation, an organization established by psychohistorian Hari Seldon to preserve knowledge and guide the galaxy through a dark age. Foundation and Empire explores themes of fate, free will, and the limits of predictive science, raising questions about the balance between individual agency and historical inevitability.