Foundation series in hardcover? (lemmy.world)

submitted 1 year ago by TheGiantKorean@lemmy.world to c/books@lemmy.world

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Two questions:

I'd like to start reading the Foundation series. What order should I read them in? I've seen a recommended reading order by Asimov himself posted in /c/Foundation, which is in order based on when the events take place, but I've seen it suggested to instead read them in publication history order to avoid spoilers and so that things make sense. Which order would you recommend?

Also, where's the best place to pick up hardcover editions? I'd love to add them to my library. Is the Robot series sold as a hardcover collection anywhere?

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[-] jordanlund@lemmy.one 3 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

To get the most out of both series, it would probably look like this:

Mother Earth (1949)
I, Robot (1950)
Foundation (1951)
Foundation and Empire (1952)
Second Foundation (1953)
The Caves of Steel (1954)
The Naked Sun (1957)
Mirror Image (1972)
Bicentennial Man (1976)
Foundation's Edge (1982)
Robots of Dawn (1983)
Robots and Empire (1985)
Foundation and Earth (1986)
Prelude to Foundation (1988)
Forward the Foundation (1993)

Those final two, chronologically, would be inserted prior to Foundation (#3), but because they were written SO MUCH later, you should save them for last.