Isaac Asimov’s seminal work on the Foundation series spans 40 years of his life and seven books, changing the face of science fiction forever. However, the Foundation books move forward and backward in time, not to mention spanning galaxies, so knowing which order to read them can be a little confusing.
The right order to read The Foundation Series
Now, like any list, this is subjective, and there are many differing opinions on which is the correct order to tackle the Foundation series. However, I have read them all, some of them a few times, and I consider myself familiar with the universe. This is how I think you should go about it, combined with my further rabbit hole of research.
#1 Foundation
Start at the beginning I say, doing away with the internal chronological order of Foundation and instead starting where Asimov did. The first book is a series of short stories spanning huge areas of time, but it is the, ahem, foundation for everything that is to come.
This is a worthy starting point, but due to its format, it often loses many readers. However, it is essential reading for the Foundation series, so stick it out and get ready for the next.
#2 Foundation and Empire
Foundation and Empire is a story in two parts, one leading on from the other a century after the first. It further fleshed out the Foundation universe, giving more content to the ideas Asimov has already started to develop.
In a universe where Hari Seldon’s predictions essentially rule the way everything works, witnessing it fail pulls the empire into panic. Without the Seldon Plan to rely on, the people of the Empire are lost. They set out to find the location of the Second Foundation to restore peace.
#3 Second Foundation
This book leads directly on from the first, addressing the issues raised in the second of the Foundation series both chronologically and by publication. More is learned about the Seldon Plan, and efforts are made by the elusive Second Foundation to restore order.
#4 Robots Series
Now, this is a point of contention between fans of the Isaac Asimov Foundation series and what order they should be read. Many will put this series of books at the beginning, but I feel that placing them in the enormous 29-year gap between Second Foundation and Foundation’s Edge is tactical for a few reasons.
The gap in Asimov’s writing leads to both a change in style and tone. By reading his Robot series I feel that the change can be traced nicely, growing with him as a writer. The Robot series is a fantastic collection of books and will explain much more about the history of the universe created by the Foundation books. Although chronologically they come before the Foundation series, I like to read them here.
#5 Foundation’s Edge
The reason I place Foundation’s Edge after the Robot series is due to the cliffhanger it finishes on, prompting you to pick up Foundation and Earth immediately after. This, for me, is the correct order to read the Foundation series, as I expect Asimov didn’t want people to forget too much of this book before the next.
Without giving too much away, the Foundation is, as usual, not alone. There are threats to the Seldon Plan, and huge decisions need to be made to determine the future of humanity.
#6 Foundation and Earth
Foundation and Earth is, chronologically, the final book in the order, bringing together many of the powers and ideas brought to fruition in the previous four books. As a conclusion, it is satisfying and carries the gravitas it needs to round the universe up. Although it is the last book chronologically, it isn’t the last one in the series.
If you’re feeling the empty space of a finished science fiction saga, never fear. Isaac Asimov was a prolific writer who published, according to some, 500 books. Of course, he wasn’t finished with the Foundation series. Like Frank Herbert, he couldn’t put his pen down.
#7 Prelude to Foundation
These next two books are set chronologically before the events of The Foundation. It follows the steps of Seldon himself as he proposes his paper on the Seldon Plan. This principle allows him to accurately predict the future for generations to come, laying out the framework for everything the future of humanity is based on.
#8 Forward the Foundation
This final book sees the execution of the Seldon Plan in practice, setting up the previous novels. However, Seldon is disenfranchised with the way things are being run using his calculations, and so decides to do something about it.
Although these books are chronologically first in order, I feel that they are the perfect ending to the science fiction saga Asimov made with the Foundation series. There are callbacks to characters from the previous books and references to the principles and organisations that we have gotten to know so well. Finally, understanding the origins of so many of the elements in the Foundation series fleshes the books out and leaves a completed feeling to the whole saga.
