"Fundación" engloba una serie de libros escritos por el científico y escritor Isaac Asimov que alcanzó el Premio Hugo a la mejor serie de ciencia-ficción de la historia.
Tiene como protagonista principal del primer libro a un psicohistoriador llamado Hari Seldon, quien prevé la caída del Imperio y el regreso a una época de barbarie hasta la llegada de un Segundo Imperio. Para remediar esta predicción, Seldon recomienda la creación de una Fundación de científicos en un planeta llamado Términus, el germen del Segundo Imperio.
El enorme pozo de sabiduría que era Isaac Asimov al servicio de la creación de una absorbente novela en la cual diatriba, desde una narrativa fluida y un enfoque filosófico y científico sin perder sentido del entretenimiento, sobre las cuitas sociopolíticas que definen nuestra naturaleza como especie al margen del contexto temporal.
Leamos un fragmento en versión original:
Gaal was not certain whether the sun shone, or, for that matter, whether it was day or night. He was ashamed to ask. All the planet seemed to live beneath metal. The meal of which he had just partaken had been labelled luncheon, but there were many planets which lived a standard timescale that took no account of the perhaps inconvenient alternation of day and night. The rate of planetary turnings differed, and he did not know that of Trantor.
At first, he had eagerly followed the signs to the "Sun Room" and found it but a chamber for basking in artificial radiation. He lingered a moment or two, then returned to the Luxor's main lobby.
He said to the room clerk, "Where can I buy a ticket for a planetary tour?"
"Right here."
"When will it start?"
"You just missed it. Another one tomorrow. Buy a ticket now and we'll reserve a place for you."
"Oh." Tomorrow would be too late. He would have to be at the University tomorrow.
He said, "There wouldn't be an observation tower-or something? I mean, in the open air."
"Sure! Sell you a ticket for that, if you want. Better let me check if it's raining or not."...............
