Greater Foundation Books In Order

Publication Order of Robot Books

Publication Order of Galactic Empire Books

Chronological Order of Galactic Empire Books

Publication Order of Original Foundation Books

Publication Order of Foundation Books

Chronological Order of Foundation Books

Isaac Asimov’s “Greater Foundation” series is science fiction; the first three books of which is made up of eight stories that were published in “Astounding Magazine” from 1942 until 1950. The first four stories, with a fifth story that is set before the first four make up book one, released as “Foundation” in the year 1951. The last four were published in pairs, and make up the sequels in the original trilogy. Some of the ideas used for the book were based around the Roman Empire’s crumbling.

He got these ideas from a book by Edward Gibbons documenting fall of the Roman Empire. He was able to put some story ideas together on the way to his meeting with John W. Campbell, who is an editor. Together, the pair would develop the Galactic Empire’s collapse, and other concepts important to the series.

While he worked at the Naval Yard in West Philadelphia, he lived in an apartment and would work on these stories that would later be published in what would come to be known as the “Foundation” trilogy.

Until the eighties, there were only three books in the series. Due to fans and his publishers wanting more stories, he decided to write more. He wrote a total of four more books, the first two serving as sequels to book three (“Second Foundation”). The two after that, were prequels to the first novel in the series.

He wrote the prequel novels because he was unsure how to continue the story, after book five. The new books in the series he wrote mentioned both his “Robot” series and “Empire” series, making all three series set in the same world. This series is part of a fifteen book series, in total, between the three series.

The series is also set in the same universe as “Pebble in the Sky”, the first novel that Asimov published, although this series is set about ten thousand years after.

The series was named the Best Series of All Time by Hugo, in the year 1966.

“Foundation’s Edge” book four in the “Greater Foundation” series and was released in the year 1982. Finally that long drawn out war between both Foundations is over, it was an expensive and bitter affair. First Foundation’s scientists have won, and now they go back to Seldon’s well thought out plan to put together a brand new Empire, now that Second Foundation is not destroyed. The still defiant survivors are planning on their revenge.

A rogue Councilman and the historian, both exiles of Foundation, go off in search of a fabled planet called Earth, as well as any evidence that Second Foundation is still around. Some force, outside of either Foundation, is trying to putting things together to suit itself.

Representatives from both Foundations are racing off toward Gaia, a mysterious world, not to mention a shocking and final destiny located at the universe’s end.

The things that Asimov does well (plot, world building, and epic ideas) are on full display here and are better than ever in the book. Fans of the novel found this to be quite the gripping page turner of a read. Asimov does a terrific job moving the story through dialogue, rather than description. The story is very rarely dull, making his method quite effective. The conclusion of this book leads right into the next book very nicely. Some wish that they had gotten into these later books of the series sooner, they are well worth the read.

“Foundation and Earth” book five in the “Greater Foundation” series and was released in the year 1986. Councilman Golan Trevize is having second thoughts. He is no longer sure if it was the right call to pick a collective mind for humanity’s best possible future. It was either that or pick anarchy of contentious nations, planets, and individuals.

In order to test this conclusion, he figures that he must find out about the past, going off in search for Earth. All of the references to this legendary planet have been wiped from the galactic libraries. Any societies encountered on the journey just become points to be argued in a book long colloquy that concerns the fate of man, which was orchestrated by Trevize and his companion Bliss. Bliss is part of the very first world and mind Gaia.

The novel is so vivid for some that they feel that they are also on the journey to get to Earth. They also felt excited that there was a conclusion full of meaning and the answers the readers wanted to have. Fans of the novel found this to be worth the ride, as it makes you think but does not offer up many answers as a result. This is another brilliant work from an incredibly brilliant mind.

“Prelude to Foundation” book six in the “Greater Foundation” series and was released in the year 1988. The year is 12,020 G. E. Emperor Cleon I is on Trantor’s Imperial throne, and he sits on it uneasily. The Galactic Empire’s mighty multidomed capital, there are forty billion people who have worked to make a civilization that has cultural and technological complexity. Cleon knows that there are people out there that would like to see him fall and those that he would like to destroy if he was able to read the future.

Hari Seldon has journeyed to Trantor so that he can give his paper on the subject of psychohistory, which is his incredible theory of prediction. He does not yet know that he has sealed both his own fate and humanity’s fate already. Hari has the prophetic power, which makes him the most wanted man in the entire Empire. He holds the key to the future, which is an apocalyptic power that is forever known as the Foundation.

After reading such a great book, some wonder what took them so long to read any of the eighties books from this series before now. Fans of the novel find Asimov’s work to be simply good yarns that fill readers with a bunch of Star Trek style optimism for what the future holds. He does what he does best (plot, big ideas, and building fictional worlds) in ways that no one can touch, something that makes him one of the best authors to ever write science fiction. Some found this to be top shelf science fiction with questions about humanity, possibilities for the future thrown to the reader.