Second Foundation — Isaac Asimov

It happened this way:

In the distant future, Man spread to a million worlds circling the blazing suns of the Milky Way --

Earthmen and aliens formed vast units, seething with old lusts and new passions...and the pattern of history repeated itself--

The mighty culture of this First Galactic Empire was now crumbling into anarchy and decay!

For this Eon of Crisis, HARI SELDON, famous psycho-historian, having forgseen the 30,000 years of interstellar barbarism that would follow, established The Second Foundation --a secret society of scientists.

THEIR AIM: TO SAVE THE UNIVERSE--IF NEED BE AT THE COST OF THEIR OWN LIVES!