Order of ROBOT/EMPIRE/FOUNDATION

[davekyn]

Hi guys,
I've read a "few" sience fiction stories in my time... but now wish to join the ranks, of the hard core fans and give Asimov's Robot/Empire & foundations series a good going over.

I note there seems to be two seperate opinions. Either go the DATE system or Order of Published. I think I will go with Order of Published myself...BUT:

1. Here's my 1st question's........Did some of you go Order of Published for each individual series, say starting with Robots, but finishing that whole series before moving onto the next series? Or Did you find reading the "REF" Series side by side in published order a good way to go?
2. I've seen the order of series listed as "Robot/Empire/Foundation" or even abreviated as "REF"...is this correct?
3. The Empire Series seems to get bagged out a lot...It's still worth reading is'nt it?

Thanks guys...It means a lot to me, to get started off on the right track. I am not a very fast reader, but am getting much better thanks to these greate writters. Even my comprehension is getting better and possibly my spelling...(which I beg your pardon on)......

Cheers
Dave

 

[chrispenycate]

I read them as and when I found them, which gave me the foundation trilogy in order, but Naked Sun before Caves of Steel (and Pebble in the sky before both of them)
I do not recall any particular problem with this, but will admit it was a long time ago.

 

[davekyn]

Thanks, I have decided to start at the beginning of the Robot series with the short stories...........irobot. From there I will most likely just follow on with the rest of the short stories and lap up the novels. I,ll do it all in order of pulished dates and go onto the Galatic empire when that series is finished. I'll save the famed foundation series till last & see

I totally understand reading whatever & whenever as it fell into your hands. It just seems with the availability (I have) I have a choice to pick and choose..............Wikapedia states a few inconsistancies with the whole Date thingy as Hpyer drive was discoverd at two different times ect.......

 

[HanaBi]

I myself when first reading his books was a little confused with the correct chronological order I should be be reading. (This was going back to 1991 before things like Google and Wikipedia were around to assist). I think the first related book I bought was "Pebbles In The Sky"; closely followed by "The Stars Like Dust", which I believe now to be part of the Empire series. But at the time I still had no idea there was a correlation between this, the Robot series and Foundation.

As a consequence I then bought "Robots and Empire", which felt a little out of step with the previous two books I read. Thankfully a friend pointed me in the right direction telling me there was more than a tenuous link between all three tomes. Therefore my understanding of the chronology is thus:-

1. EMPIRE
2. Pebbles,
3. Dust,
4. Currents of Space

1. ROBOT
2. Caves Of Steel
3. Naked Sun
4. Robots of Dawn Robots
5. Empire

1. FOUNDATION
2. Prelude,
3. Forward,
4. Foundation,
5. ...Empire,
6. Second Foundation,
7. ...Edge,
8. ..Earth

At least that's my interpretation on things, although perhaps someone else could have a slightly different variation

 

[chrispenycate]

Have you noticed that, while the majority of featured authors have their bibliography, no-one has dared do it for Asimov?

What me? Noway, I'm a devout coward.

 

[Joel007]

these?

Bibliography of Isaac Asimov - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[Connavar]

Foundation i would recommend reading by publish order. Dont read the ones written later earlier than the original triology just cause they are prequals.

 

[davekyn]

HanaBi,
Yes, I agree that without google & Wikipedia, it would be a lot harder to get off on the right track with so many books & series to choose from. I would often read on the book somewhere that the book I was reading was part of a series and somtimes just put it back down, as I did not have the other books.

I only ever read the 1st of a series @ the town library, as they never seem to have the hole lot. Then again I have DARED to do it differently and ready one in the middle. It was ok, but I know for a fact, (IMO) that having read others in order, that I enjoyed and understood much better, what was going on, by reading from the start of the series.

For this reason, I totally agree with "Conavar"... that just because prequals will have a story before the original triology that it's going to help you understand what it's all about......I believe you would miss out more on what the prequals where about, if you did such a thing. Obviously I understand that others will think differently on this...........but that's cool

 

[davekyn]

Agrees, not to read the prequal before the original Triology. I'd never fully comprehend the prequals that way. Thanks HanaBi, yes it would of been hard without google & wikipedia...that's for sure...so many books to choose from

LOL Chris........

 

[steve12553]

I read them as I found them as Chris did,also. Probably for the same reason. He had written a lot when I became old enough to be a serious reader but he was still going. I read either I, Robot or the Foundation trilogy first, then later the other because at that time Asimov had not tied everything together into a single universe. He seemed to use certain concepts in many of his works (Positronic Brains, et al.) which helped when he did tie them together. I hit a period in the 80's and 90's when I was trying to figure out what books were left to read and what else might belong but unfortunately he died in the early 90's and made that a finite quest. Really, either I, Robot or the original Foundation trilogy or even the Empire novels are a good place to start. It's not til his later novels that there's a specific order where the novels depend on the previous ones at all.

 

[davekyn]

Thanks Steve,
you have explained that very well.......Sounds like the plan

 

[Fried Egg]

I think it doesn't matter which order you read the early novels/stories in. The foundation trilogy of course should be read in order. Caves of steel should be read before Naked sun. But the Galactic empire novels are each standalone and can be read in any order.

The order with which you read his later novels becomes a more interesting question. In particular, do you read Robots and Empire before Foundation and Earth or vise versa?

I think there are pros and cons for each approach. I happened to read F&E first but there are spoilers either way around.

 

[HanaBi]

Either way, I'm just so glad (and honoured really), to be able to read such absorbing and totally arresting books. I never tire of them (although personally I prefer the Foundation books over Robot). Thank you, Isaac

 

[Connavar]

I see you are new weclome and its great to see another Foundation fan


Foundation specially the original triology is an all time fav of mine.

I have only read Foundation series and a couple of short stories so far but if the rest is half as good as Foundation i will enjoy Asimov for many many more years.

 

[davekyn]

Thanks Connavar

 

[HanaBi]

I must admit to not doing full justice to Asimov's published works: I've only really read his most popular stuff such as Robots, Empire and Foundation .. oh and Nemisis. But I haven't read anything else of his, including his short stories other than I,Robot.

I must try harder

 

[Eleniel]

If you have the choice, I'd definitely recomend reading the robot series in order. That is:
1. Caves of Steel
2. Naked Sun
3. Robots and Dawn
4. Robots and Empire

If you care to, reading I, Robot and The Rest of the Robots first might be the best way to go, but it's not necessary. The Robot novels, though, should be read in order. Don't follow my example. I had Naked Sun and Robots and Empire, so I read Empire first.
And you should read the Foundation trilogy in order, of course. It's really confusing otherwise, believe me.

 

[adrianpatrick]

What about the 3 Foundation novels written by other writers? I think they're set somewhere in the middle of "Forward the Foundation". I might be wrong as I haven't started reading that one yet. And aside from these there are a few short stories by other authors set in the same universe.... though I'm not sure where to find them.

I read the origianal trilogy first. Then Edge. Then I read Prelude and realised I didn't know anything about robots so went back and read Caves and the other 3 robot novels. Then Foundation and Earth.... basically it was all a bit muddled, but I think in terms of dramatic impact of various revelations it probably is best to read in Published order.

 

[kythe]

I read the Foundation trilogy, then was so excited about it that I went on to read "Foundation's Edge". I enjoyed it too, but there were references to robots. So I figured if I want to keep reading the newer published books, I should catch up on the robot stories.

So now I've read "I, Robot", "Caves of Steel", and "The Naked Sun". From here on out I will read the rest of the Foundation and Robot books in publication order.

But I hadn't heard of the Empire books. Now that is going to throw me for a loop!