Foundation Books in Order

Isaac Asimov's epic of psychohistory follows the Foundation, a colony established to preserve civilization and shorten a coming dark age after the fall of the Galactic Empire. Spanning the original 1950s trilogy plus later sequels and prequels, it is one of science fiction's most influential future-history sagas.

Publication order

In the order the books were originally released.

  1. Cover of Foundation

    Foundation

    1951 · Isaac Asimov

    As the vast Galactic Empire begins its slow collapse, mathematician Hari Seldon uses his science of psychohistory to predict thirty millennia of…

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  2. Cover of Foundation and Empire

    Foundation and Empire

    1952 · Isaac Asimov

    Generations after its founding, the small Foundation has grown into a formidable power, but the dying Galactic Empire makes one last bid to crush it.…

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  3. Cover of Second Foundation

    Second Foundation

    1953 · Isaac Asimov

    With the Mule's power threatening to unravel Seldon's plan, the search begins for the elusive Second Foundation, a secret order of mental scientists…

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  4. Cover of Foundation's Edge

    Foundation's Edge

    1982 · Isaac Asimov

    Centuries on, a young councilman named Golan Trevize insists the Second Foundation still secretly steers humanity's course, a heresy that gets him…

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  5. Cover of Foundation and Earth

    Foundation and Earth

    1986 · Isaac Asimov

    Following his fateful decision, Golan Trevize sets out to understand why he chose as he did, convinced the answer lies on the long-forgotten…

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  6. Cover of Prelude to Foundation

    Prelude to Foundation

    1988 · Isaac Asimov

    A young Hari Seldon arrives on the imperial capital world of Trantor and presents a paper suggesting the future might, in theory, be predicted.…

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  7. Cover of Forward the Foundation

    Forward the Foundation

    1993 · Isaac Asimov

    Now an aging man, Hari Seldon races to complete psychohistory and lay the groundwork for the two Foundations as the Galactic Empire decays around…

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Companion & related books

Short-story collections and companion titles in this series.

Frequently asked questions

What order should I read the Foundation books in?

Publication order — Publication order — the order in which the books were first published. This is the standard, most widely recommended way to read the series. Start with “Foundation.”

How many books are in the Foundation series?

We list 7 books by Isaac Asimov , published between 1951–1993.

Where can I buy the Foundation books?

Each title above links to Amazon. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you.

Reading order compiled from author/publisher guidance and verified bibliographic data. Spotted an error? We continuously correct the catalog.