Foundation and Empire is a novel written by Isaac Asimov in 1952. It is the second book in the Foundation Series. It takes place in two halves, originally published as separate novellas.

The General

The first half of the book, titled The General, is all about how the Galactic Empire, now well into its collapse, launches an attack against the Foundation. They are led by General Bel Riose. The Empire, despite its decay, far outclasses the Foundation. Lathan Devers, a Foundation agent, goes on a mission to Trantor to attempt to see the Emperor. He fails and is nearly killed. However, the Emperor does recall and execute Riose, for being too successful and therefore too much of a threat. The war ends with the General's death.

The Mule

The second half of the book, titled The Mule, is all about the rise of a mysterious man called the Mule. He is a man who has the ability to sense and manipulate the emotions of others. He uses this ability to take over one of the sovereignties bordering the Foundation, and has them wage a war against the Foundation.

While his sovereignty is waging the war, he travels under the guise of a refugee clown with Foundation citizens Toran and Bayta Darrell to different worlds of the Foundation. He uses his abilities to undermine the Foundation's war effort by destroying morale. In the end, the Foundation falls without much of a fight.

Still under the guise of a refugee clown, he travels with the Darrells, along with psychologist Ebling Mis, to the Great Library of Trantor. They seek to contact the Second Foundation to help defeat the Mule. The Mule, on the other hand, wishes to know the location of the Second Foundation so he can use the First Foundation to destroy it.

The Mule surreptitiously stimulates Ebling's mind, allowing him to make powerful insights while using the library as a resource. As Mis lies dying, the insights having come at the cost of his health, and just before revealing the location of the Second Foundation, Bayta shoots him. She had shortly before realized the true identity of the Mule and killed Mis to prevent him from revealing the location. The Mule, defeated, leaves them to go reign over the Foundation and the rest of his new empire.

The Sequels

This novel is very closely tied into Second Foundation, which tells the rest of the Mule's story.

We learn in Foundation's Edge that the Mule was a rogue member of the planet/society Gaia.

it:Fondazione e Impero