The Foundation is a Children's Fiction / Science Fiction series by Isaac Asimov, made up of 7 books published between 1951 and 1993. It begins with Foundation / The 1,000 Year Plan (1951), and is best read in publication order. The most recent entry is Forward the Foundation (1993), spanning 42 years of storytelling.
| # | Title | Year | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | |||
| 1 | Foundation / The 1,000 Year Plan | 1951 | Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia |
| 2 | Foundation and Empire / The Man Who Upset the Universe | 1952 | Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia |
| 3 | Second Foundation Hugo Award 2001Full award history → | 1953 | Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia |
| 1980s | |||
| 4 | Foundation's Edge ★ NYT 25w · peaked #3 🏆 Hugo Award 1983🏆 Locus Award 1983Nebula Award 1983Nebula Award 1982Full award history → | 1982 | Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia |
| 5 | Foundation and Earth ★ NYT 15w · peaked #7 Locus Award 1987Full award history → | 1986 | Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia |
| 6 | Prelude to Foundation ★ NYT 9w · peaked #10 | 1988 | Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia |
| 1990s | |||
| 7 | Forward the FoundationLatest ★ NYT 3w · peaked #7 | 1993 | Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia |
Foundation series: frequently asked questions
What order should I read the Foundation series?
Start with Foundation / The 1,000 Year Plan (1951), the first book in the Foundation series by Isaac Asimov. Follow the books in publication order for the best reading experience.
How many books are in the Foundation series?
There are 7 books in the Foundation series by Isaac Asimov, published between 1951 and 1993.
What is the first book in the Foundation series?
The first book in the Foundation series is Foundation / The 1,000 Year Plan, published in 1951 by Isaac Asimov.
What is the latest book in the Foundation series?
The most recent book in the Foundation series is Forward the Foundation (1993) by Isaac Asimov.
About the Foundation series
Isaac Asimov's Foundation is a cornerstone of science fiction — a sweeping saga of the fall and rebirth of a galactic empire. Mathematician Hari Seldon develops "psychohistory," a science that can predict the behaviour of vast populations, and uses it to shorten a coming thirty-thousand-year dark age to a single millennium.
The original stories are big-idea SF: politics, economics and the tides of history play out across centuries, with cleverness and manipulation, not battles, deciding the fate of civilisations. It's cerebral, optimistic, and hugely influential.
Start with "Foundation." The original trilogy is the essential core; Asimov later wrote sequels and prequels and tied Foundation to his Robot novels, but the classic three are where to begin.