Robot series Books in Order

Isaac Asimov's Robot series spans his Three Laws of Robotics short fiction and four detective novels following Earth investigator Elijah Baley and the humaniform robot R. Daneel Olivaw. The books later tie into Asimov's broader Foundation universe.

Publication order

In the order the books were originally released.

  1. I, Robot

    1950 · Isaac Asimov

    Through a series of linked stories framed as the recollections of robopsychologist Susan Calvin, this collection traces the early decades of…

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  2. Cover of The Caves of Steel

    The Caves of Steel

    1954 · Isaac Asimov

    In a far-future Earth where billions live in domed underground cities, detective Elijah Baley is assigned to investigate the murder of a prominent…

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  3. Cover of The Naked Sun

    The Naked Sun

    1957 · Isaac Asimov

    Earth detective Elijah Baley is sent off-world to Solaria, a sparsely populated planet where a handful of humans live in vast isolation, served by…

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  4. Cover of The Robots of Dawn

    The Robots of Dawn

    1983 · Isaac Asimov

    Detective Elijah Baley travels to Aurora, the oldest and most influential of the Spacer worlds, to investigate the apparent destruction of a…

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  5. Cover of Robots and Empire

    Robots and Empire

    1985 · Isaac Asimov

    Generations after Elijah Baley's death, the robot R. Daneel Olivaw and his telepathic companion R. Giskard find themselves caught in a deepening…

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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 Robot series books in?

Publication order — Recommended by Isaac Asimov himself, who laid out a chronological-by-publication sequence for his Robot and Foundation books in the Author's Note to Prelude to Foundation (1988); also the order used by Book Series in Order. Start with “I, Robot.”

How many books are in the Robot series series?

We list 5 books by Isaac Asimov , published between 1950–1985.

Where can I buy the Robot series 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.