Jim Davis answers “How should I read this series.... start...”

Orico asked this question about Foundation (Foundation, #1):

How should I read this series.... start from Foundation #1 or read the later preludes first?

Jim Davis My feeling is too read them in the order published. I have a slightly different reason for this. The original trilogy was made up of stories written i…moreMy feeling is too read them in the order published. I have a slightly different reason for this. The original trilogy was made up of stories written in the early to late 1940's. Technology was a lot different then and even trying to project 1940's technology 50,000 years into the future gives a much different feel than when you do it from the 1980's.

Although it appears that Asimov is being careful not to make the original trilogy look too dated there is a slightly different feel to the later novels, both technologically and socially. It's seems to me it would be a little jarring if you read the prequels first and then read the original trilogy which was written 40 years earlier. Also, the original trilogy doesn't need the prequels to build on since they weren't even being considered at the time.

If you really want to immersh yourself into Asimov's universe I would recommend reading all the stories related to Foundation in published order. This would include the Foundation series, the Robot series and the Galactic Empire series. In the 1950's you have the Foundation Trilogy based on stories from the 40's, I, Robot a collection of robot stories written in the 1940's,the three Galactic Empire stories beginning with Pebble in the Sky, which were written as novel in the early '50's and then the two Robot novels featuring Elijah Bailey in the mid 1950's. Then you have to wait until 1964 for another collection of Robot stories. In 1982 there comes another collection that includes almost all the Robot short stories up until 1977.

Then it's not until 1982 that Asimov is coaxed into writing Foundations Edge. As I mentioned earlier I'm sure that the concept of the planet Gaia would never have sprang to mind to Asimov in 1950 and was definitely a product of the times. Next is the Robots of Dawn which is a continuation of the Robot novels featuring Elijah Bailey.

In 1985 Asimov writes Robots and Empire followed by Foundation and Earth to begin consolidating the Foundation universe, the Robot universe and the Galactic Empire universe. I think he did a pretty good job considering that the 3 series were written as stand alone series although they did have a common overview of the future universe. Obviously there will be some discrepancies with dates and a small number of events but not enough to be a problem.

Then we finally have the two prequels in 1988 and 1993. I was born in 1947 and read the Foundation series in high school in the early 60's Read a lot of other Asimov over the years but it wasn't until recently that I made an effort to read the books and stories I had missed and attempted to read the major works in the order published even though it meant rereading some stuff that I had read 40 or 50 years ago. It was fun and enjoyable. As you realize by now I'm a big Asimov fan. I can't totally rely on a 50 year old memory but I think I thought of Asimov's Foundation series as specific sort of anti-space opera approach to SF that I liked. I also liked Simak and Sturgeon although their anti-space opera was much different than Asimov's. (less)

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