Foundation and Empire

By Isaac Asimov
Illustrated by Gregory Manchess

The Galactic Empire was falling. It was a colossal Empire, stretching across millions of worlds from arm-end to arm-end of the mighty double-spiral that was the Milky Way. Its fall was colossal, too–and a long one, for it had a long way to go.

Conversation Tree Press is proud to present Foundation and Empire, the second book in Isaac Asimov’s seminal science fiction trilogy. Set in a far future where humanity is spread across the galaxy under the rule of the Galactic Empire, it introduces the theory of “psychohistory”—a method of predicting the future of large populations using a combination of statistics, history, and sociology.

Acclaimed for its imaginative scope and exploration of themes like determinism, free will, and the cyclical nature of history, the trilogy has been highly influential in both literature and popular culture, winning the one-time Hugo Award for “Best All-Time Series” in 1966 and recently coming to life in spectacular fashion as an Apple TV series.

Foundation and Empire

In Foundation and Empire, the fragile young Foundation faces two of its greatest trials. First comes the last, desperate thrust of the crumbling Galactic Empire. General Bel Riose, seeking glory and loyalty to the throne, launches a campaign to crush the distant outpost on Terminus—only to be undone by the very political decay that is destroying the Empire itself.

A century later, as the Empire’s remnants collapse into barbarism and the complacent Foundation rules much of the galaxy, a new and unforeseen danger arises: the Mule, a mutant warlord whose power to sway emotions threatens to upend Hari Seldon’s psychohistorical plan. His sudden conquest exposes the limits of Seldon’s predictions and shatters the Foundation’s long-assumed path to a Second Empire.

Through these two linked stories, Foundation and Empire charts the clash between the old order, the new power on Terminus, and an unexpected force that defies all calculations—altering the future of humanity in ways Seldon could not foresee.

Just as Asimov drew inspiration from Gibbon’s Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, we too have explored the contrasting forces of creation and destruction, weaving these themes throughout all three volumes of the series.

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As always, the interiors have been thoughtfully designed with typefaces that were carefully selected specifically for this project, while the artwork was directed with the structure and nature of the story in mind.

All three states across the trilogy have been designed to offer a cohesive appearance on the shelf, with variations in colour, artwork, and other details to provide a distinct appearance for each book.

Together, the volumes of The Foundation Trilogy form a beautifully unified design, both inside and out, creating a landmark edition that is sure to stand the test of time. 

Edition Information

Our edition of Foundation and Empire by Isaac Asimov is limited to 726 copies and is published in three states: Collector’s Edition, Deluxe Edition, and Lettered Edition.

Gregory Manchess has contributed 13 pieces of artwork—6 interior paintings and 7 pen-and-ink illustrations . All volumes are printed by Hand and Eye Letterpress and hand bound by Ludlow Bookbinders in England.

The books have a trim size of 170mm by 240mm (6.7in by 9.5in) and 265 pages. All copies include a ribbon marker and head and tail bands. I’ve set the text in Klim Type Foundry’s Martina Plantijn, The Future, and The Future Mono.

As with every Conversation Tree Press book, you can expect:
- All colour artwork reproduced in full colour across all editions.
- All artwork included in every state.
- A limited edition that will never be reprinted.
- A custom, handmade slipcase or other enclosure made of thick, sturdy boards with the insides lined in Suedel for maximum protection, at no additional cost.

Title Page Design

In Book 1, Foundation, the word FOUNDATION is scattered and fragmented — a visual echo of the Galactic Empire’s long decline and the fragile beginnings of the Foundation as only an idea at the edge of a crumbling civilisation.

In Book 2, Foundation and Empire, the pieces of the word FOUNDATION begin to draw together, reflecting how the Foundation starts to take shape and assert itself as the Empire weakens further.

In the third book, we’ll continue to see the idea of the Foundation develop and solidify as it grows into a more cohesive and enduring force.

The progression draws on the historical rhythm that inspired Asimov—the fall of Rome chronicled by Gibbon—with the disintegration of one order clearing the way for the slow, determined rise of another.

Collector’s Edition:

Availability:
1. Monday, October 6th at 10am ET: Private pre-order period begins for everyone who pre-ordered a copy of the Collector’s Edition of Foundation directly from Conversation Tree Press, or who had rights transferred to them.
2. Monday October 13th at 12pm ET: Unclaimed copies become available to the public.

The Collector’s Edition is limited to 450 unnumbered copies hand bound by Ludlow Bookbinders in Shropshire, England.

Gregory Manchess’s epic panoramic painting, divided into four panels and partially revealed last year, allows the narrative to unfold seamlessly across all three books in the trilogy.

The first two panels were used for Foundation, the second and third are being used for Foundation and Empire, and the third and fourth will be used for Second Foundation, as illustrated below:

The fourth panel, partially hidden using Greg’s initial concept sketch, will be fully revealed when the third book in the trilogy—Second Foundation—is published in 2026.

The painting has been reproduced via UV printing on premium linen book cloth with the author’s and artist’s names, title, and Galactic Empire emblem foil-stamped in silver on the spine (the silver is difficult to photograph well):

The book is letterpress-printed on Munken Pure Rough Cream 120gsm (80lb) paper manufactured at the Munkedal Mill in Sweden. The endpapers are gunmetal coloured paper with a smooth, metallic look from GF Smith.

As with the first book in the trilogy, Foundation and Empire is enclosed in a slipcase hand made of sturdy boards wrapped in a coated linen fabric that has an elegant feel and a captivatingly beautiful glitter effect. The insides are lined in soft Suedel for maximum protection.

A look at the first two books of the trilogy together (again note that the foil stamping on the spine is silver and difficult to capture):

Collector’s Edition are unnumbered and come with rights to Second Foundation.

US$285. Shipping is expected in Q3 2026.

Deluxe Edition

Availability:
1. Monday, October 6th at 10am ET: Private pre-order period begins for everyone who pre-ordered a copy of the Deluxe Edition of Foundation directly from Conversation Tree Press, or who had rights transferred to them. Numbers will be automatically matched.
2. Monday October 13th at 12pm ET: Unclaimed copies become available to the public.

The Deluxe Edition, limited to 250 hand-numbered copies and hand bound by Ludlow Bookbinders, features treatments typically reserved for our Lettered-tier editions.

The book is Bradel bound with a metallic cloth spine and hand marbled paper boards by Jemma Lewis, continuing to evoke the beauty and chaos of space as we move towards an orange pallet for the second book in the series. 

 

 

The author, artist, title and Galactic Empire emblem are foil stamped in gold on the spine, along with two dots indicating the second book in the series.

The book is housed in a custom solander box lined in Suedel and wrapped in the same material as the spine while the tray is covered in black linen cloth. The spine of the solander has the same treatment as the book, with a 100% brass medallion of the Galactic Empire emblem inset instead of stamped.

The materials and binding style remain consistent with the first volume of the series, while the hand-marbled paper, echoing yet distinct from the earlier design, draws on the orange palette of the second book.

The edition is letterpress-printed on upgraded 100% cotton Magnani Pescia 130gsm (88lb) mould made paper. The endpapers are a dark red/orange coloured paper with an embossed texture and a metallic sheen, from GF Smith, and the top edge is gilded.

A look at the first two books:

All copies of the Deluxe Edition offer rights to Second Foundation when it is published, and these rights are transferable. 

US$785. Shipping is expected in Q3 2026.

Lettered

Availability: We will be making the Lettered Edition of Foundation and Empire available to collectors after all copies of Foundation have been received. We'll have additional photos of the book and enclosure at that point, including photos of the first two books together to better showcase how they will look on the shelf together.

The Lettered edition is limited to 26 copies inscribed A to Z. It is hand bound by Ludlow Bookbinders in a custom, handmade Cave Paper from Zoë Goehring and the finest vellum from William Cowely in the UK, who have been making vellum since 1870 using time-honoured methods largely unchanged for centuries.

In the The Foundation Trilogy, atomic energy represents the peak of scientific achievement and serves as a barometer for civilization’s rise and fall.

The Galactic Empire’s decline is marked by its failure to maintain and advance atomic technology, symbolizing a loss of knowledge and authority. In contrast, the Foundation’s ability to preserve and innovate with atomic energy underscores its role as a beacon of progress.

This contrast between the Empire’s decline and the Foundation’s advancement reflects the central theme of progress versus decline that runs throughout the trilogy.

The bindings of the Lettered Editions in the series embody that tension by featuring a half-life decay curve, which illustrates the exponential decay of radioactive matter produced during the generation of atomic energy.

One side represents the chaos of the Empire’s decline, symbolized by orange, textured Cave Paper, while the other embodies order and progress, represented by pristine vellum. The line between them, foil stamped in gold, not only charts the Empire’s downfall in one direction and the Foundation’s ascent in the other, it also serves as a literal divider between those two opposing forces.

The top edge has been carefully hand coloured in two separate passes with orange and black acrylic inks, before being lightly hand sprinkled using a fine brush with a silver acrylic ink.

The edition is letterpress-printed on thick, upgraded mould made Liber Charta 170gsm (115lb) paper and the endpapers are hand marbled paper by Jemma Lewis.

The book is housed in a fold-out enclosure, the most complex that we’ve made thus far for any book, and wrapped in blue and ivory coloured cloths with the front sections mirroring the Cave Paper and vellum areas of the book. A gutter between the flaps on the front reveals a gold line that mirrors the gold foil stamping on the book below while the insides are lined in Suedel.

The Lettered Edition of book three will also incorporate the same half life decay curve, but offset in such a way that when the spines of all three books are placed beside each other, the curve is continuous. While vellum will be used on one side of the curve for all three books, a different coloured Cave Paper is planned for the third book.

Each copy is signed by Gregory Manchess, the illustrator; Phil Abel and Robert Hetherington, the printers; and Phil Parkins, Production Director at Ludlow Bookbinders.

All copies of the Lettered Edition offer rights to Foundation and Empire, which are transferable.

US$2,945. Shipping is expected in Q3 2026.

Artwork

All copies include five landscape, fold-out paintings by Gregory Manchess along with one portrait.

There are also seven full page character portraits in pen and ink that are printed letterpress.

The cover artwork for the Collector’s Edition will be included as tipped in artwork for the Deluxe and Lettered.

Typography

I’ve typeset the The Foundation Trilogy in three typefaces from the renowned Klim Type Foundry in New Zealand.

The main body text is set in Martina Plantijn, a modern reinterpretation of the classic Plantin typeface that preserves the essence and utility of the original while improving and rebalancing it for enchanced readability.

The Future is a tribute to Paul Renner’s iconic Futura, carefully crafted from the original design sketches. It faithfully captures Futura’s geometric structure and avant-garde elements and is used for headings throughout.

The Future Mono, which reimagines Futura as a typewriter font with a retro-futuristic look, is the “eccentric cousin” to The Future and has been used for all Encyclopedia Galactica entries.

Together, these typefaces create a harmonious blend of past and future. Martina Plantijn brings a refined sense of tradition to the body text, while The Future adds a modern, avant-garde flair to the headings. The Future Mono, with its retro-futuristic style, adds a hint of nostalgia to the Encyclopedia Galactica entries. The combination of classic and contemporary styles reflects the timeless themes of Foundation, bridging the gap between history and the future.

Printing

We are proud to be collaborating once more with Phil Abel and the team at Hand and Eye Letterpress, who previously printed our edition of Flowers for Algernon and The House on the Borderland & Others. Hand and Eye has a distinguished history of not only letterpress-printing their own editions, but collaborating with Folio Society, No Reply Press, Lyra’s Books, and, of course, with Marcelo Anciano on their very own Areté Editions.

Frequently Asked Questions

When will the third book be published?
Second Foundation will be published in fall 2026.

Are all the books in the trilogy printed letterpress?
Yes, all three books will be printed letterpress.

Are the Collector’s Editions books numbered?
No, the Collector’s Editions are not numbered. The Deluxe books are numbered and the 26 Lettered books are inscribed A-Z.

How many Lettered books will there be?
There are going to be 26 Lettered books and this number will not change.

Will there be second printings?
No, there will be no second printings of any state of any of the three books.

Can limitations increase for a particular state after pre-orders open?
No, the limitation for the Collector’s and Deluxe Editions are set and will not be increased. The limitation for the Lettered state is already set to 26 copies and will also not be increased.

Do the different states—Collector’s, Deluxe and Lettered—include different artwork?
Every state includes all of Gregory’s line artwork printed letterpress and oil paintings reproduced in full colour.

Are slipcases or enclosures included with the book or will they need to be purchased separately?
Slipcases and other enclosures are included at no additional cost.

Will these editions be signed?
Gregory Manchess will be signing all copies. 

What are ‘rights’?
Having ‘rights’ means that you will have the first right of refusal to purchase the next title published by the Press during a private pre-order window that is only available to rights-holders. Rights-holders who purchase the next published book will have their number or letter matched with the previous book.

For example: if you own the Deluxe #110 of Foundation, you will receive an email with a private link to order Foundation and Empire when it is open for pre-order, and we will ensure your number matches. Likewise, if you order any numbered copy of Foundation and Empire, you will receive an email next year to order a matching copy of Second Foundation.

Which books will have rights?
All copies of Foundation—Collector’s, Deluxe, and Lettered—will have rights to purchase a copy of Foundation and Empire during a private pre-order period when the second volume in the trilogy is ready, with numbers and letters matched. Likewise, every collector who purchases any copy of Foundation and Empire will have rights to purchase a copy of Second Foundation when it is ready.

Note: Rights are transferable for all three States. 

Are rights transferable?
Because this is a trilogy, we will facilitate the transfer of rights for all books.

Will I have to buy the books published between Foundation and Empire and Second Foundation to keep my rights?
No, because it is a trilogy, if you buy Foundation and Empire and skip the subsequent books published by the Press, you will still have rights to a matching copy of Second Foundation when it opens for pre-order.

Will you be publishing the other Foundation books?
We only have plans to publish the original Foundation Trilogy at this time.