What do you think?
Rate this book
Foundation (Publication Order) #1-7
银河帝国（1-7）：基地七部曲（套装共7册）
“银河帝国”百万册全新纪念版。人类历史上 看的系列小说（Best All-Time Novel Series）。十年来，数万次修订，成就中文世界 译本！地球人公认的“科幻圣经”，文艺青年和技术宅的共同挚爱！《银河帝国》系列小说，一直被认为是人类想象力的极限，人类历史上最有趣迷人的故事，讲述人类未来两万年的历史。
《银河帝国：基地》
《银河帝国2：基地与帝国》
《银河帝国3：第二基地》
《银河帝国4：基地前奏》
《银河帝国5：迈向基地》
《银河帝国6：基地边缘》
《银河帝国7：基地与地球》
《银河帝国：基地》
《银河帝国2：基地与帝国》
《银河帝国3：第二基地》
《银河帝国4：基地前奏》
《银河帝国5：迈向基地》
《银河帝国6：基地边缘》
《银河帝国7：基地与地球》
Kindle Edition
Published December 1, 2012
About the author
Isaac Asimov
4,399 books28.7k followersWorks of prolific Russian-American writer Isaac Asimov include popular explanations of scientific principles,
The Foundation Trilogy
(1951-1953), and other volumes of fiction.
Isaac Asimov, a professor of biochemistry, wrote as a highly successful author, best known for his books.
Asimov, professor, generally considered of all time, edited more than five hundred books and ninety thousand letters and postcards. He published in nine of the ten major categories of the Dewey decimal classification but lacked only an entry in the category of philosophy (100).
People widely considered Asimov, a master of the genre alongside Robert Anson Heinlein and Arthur Charles Clarke as the "big three" during his lifetime. He later tied Galactic Empire and the Robot into the same universe as his most famous series to create a unified "future history" for his stories much like those that Heinlein pioneered and Cordwainer Smith and Poul Anderson previously produced. He penned "Nightfall," voted in 1964 as the best short story of all time; many persons still honor this title. He also produced well mysteries, fantasy, and a great quantity of nonfiction. Asimov used Paul French, the pen name, for the Lucky Starr, series of juvenile novels.
Most books of Asimov in a historical way go as far back to a time with possible question or concept at its simplest stage. He often provides and mentions well nationalities, birth, and death dates for persons and etymologies and pronunciation guides for technical terms. Guide to Science, the tripartite set Understanding Physics, and Chronology of Science and Discovery exemplify these books.
Asimov, a long-time member, reluctantly served as vice president of Mensa international and described some members of that organization as "brain-proud and aggressive about their IQs." He took more pleasure as president of the humanist association. The asteroid 5020 Asimov, the magazine Asimov's Science Fiction, an elementary school in Brooklyn in New York, and two different awards honor his name.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac_As...
Isaac Asimov, a professor of biochemistry, wrote as a highly successful author, best known for his books.
Asimov, professor, generally considered of all time, edited more than five hundred books and ninety thousand letters and postcards. He published in nine of the ten major categories of the Dewey decimal classification but lacked only an entry in the category of philosophy (100).
People widely considered Asimov, a master of the genre alongside Robert Anson Heinlein and Arthur Charles Clarke as the "big three" during his lifetime. He later tied Galactic Empire and the Robot into the same universe as his most famous series to create a unified "future history" for his stories much like those that Heinlein pioneered and Cordwainer Smith and Poul Anderson previously produced. He penned "Nightfall," voted in 1964 as the best short story of all time; many persons still honor this title. He also produced well mysteries, fantasy, and a great quantity of nonfiction. Asimov used Paul French, the pen name, for the Lucky Starr, series of juvenile novels.
Most books of Asimov in a historical way go as far back to a time with possible question or concept at its simplest stage. He often provides and mentions well nationalities, birth, and death dates for persons and etymologies and pronunciation guides for technical terms. Guide to Science, the tripartite set Understanding Physics, and Chronology of Science and Discovery exemplify these books.
Asimov, a long-time member, reluctantly served as vice president of Mensa international and described some members of that organization as "brain-proud and aggressive about their IQs." He took more pleasure as president of the humanist association. The asteroid 5020 Asimov, the magazine Asimov's Science Fiction, an elementary school in Brooklyn in New York, and two different awards honor his name.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac_As...
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
Read
August 20, 2026Isaac Asimov's Foundation series is one of the most influential works in science fiction. I's generally considered the most important trilogy in the history of the literary genre. Together with the Robot series and the Galactic Empire novels, they comprise, perhaps, the most ambitious sci-fi literary project ever, about the rise and fall of civilisation.
Asimov was, and is, at the very top of significant sci-fi writers. His Robot series alone would justify that place. His Laws of Robotics are considered obligatory to follow for anything involving robots (let's NOT talk about Terminator, shall we?).
Foundation is founded (pun intended) in the History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. The only really important scientific element here is what Asimov called Psychohistory, a mathematical study of mass psychology and the cycles of civilisations, which would allow one to predict the course of History in order to prevent the complete destruction of civilisation and mankind from falling into barbaric times. All the hints to spaceships, nuclear weapons (it was written in the 50's) are just literary cosmetic accessories. This is about politics and sociology, and not about fancy gadgets or sexy intergalactic astronauts civilising the barbarians, American cultural colonisation style, like: Don't fight them! Sell them hamburgers, cheap sex, chewing gum, and snickers. Make them addicted and have a nice profit. The moral of this? F*k moral...
There’s also quite a lot of societal manipulation, such as using religion as a tool for control, restricting scientific understanding to maintain an advantage over less-advanced groups, and dishonest trade practices, all of which look like advocating colonisation to me.
Apple’s latest adaptation may have carried Asimov’s name into the bright noise of the present age, but for those who have walked long with Foundation in the darkest past, it feels less like a tribute and more like a misreading. By binding the story to a handful of faces, the show tries to give shape to what was always meant to be shapeless — a saga that moves like a constellation, not a caravan.
In the books, no single life is large enough to cast a shadow. The true protagonists are the vast forces that churn beneath civilisation: the slow grind of politics, the cold arithmetic of economics, the invisible tides of collective destiny. Psychohistory is not a spell cast by a wizard; it is a prophecy written in the bones of humanity itself. It speaks in centuries, not seasons. It is myth in the oldest sense — a story too large for any one voice to carry.
No cascade of visual splendour, however lavish, can replace that intellectual gravity. The show dazzles, yes, but it dazzles in the way fireworks do: briefly, brightly, and without consequence. The books endure like starlight — patient, remote, and still astonishing after all these years.
So let the show blaze and fade like a comet. The true Foundation remains where it always was — in the quiet, inexorable pages Asimov left behind, still murmuring across the centuries, still reminding us that the fate of civilisations is the greatest story ever told.
In reading Foundation today, one feels the old winds stirring — the same winds that once swept through dying empires and hollowed-out kingdoms. The questions raised are not modern; they are ancient. They echo across eras as a warning bell struck in the dark.
For we, too, live in a time when the great currents shift. The world contracts. Populations thin. The bonds between nations fray. And as in Asimov’s tale, there are rulers who mistake the glitter of their own palaces for the strength of the realm, leaders who find it easier to summon division than to summon wisdom. Authoritarian shortcuts are offered like charms, promising to banish complexity with a single gesture. History shows that such charms always carry a hidden cost.
In moments like these, the myth of Foundation speaks with a voice older than fiction.
It tells us that civilisations do not fall in a single night. They fall in the slow dimming of memory. They fall when people forget how to read the signs written in the rise and fall of generations. They fall when fear becomes more persuasive than reason.
And so the question becomes: what can one person do? The answer is deceptively simple and impossibly difficult.
Learn from History!
Asimov was, and is, at the very top of significant sci-fi writers. His Robot series alone would justify that place. His Laws of Robotics are considered obligatory to follow for anything involving robots (let's NOT talk about Terminator, shall we?).
Foundation is founded (pun intended) in the History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. The only really important scientific element here is what Asimov called Psychohistory, a mathematical study of mass psychology and the cycles of civilisations, which would allow one to predict the course of History in order to prevent the complete destruction of civilisation and mankind from falling into barbaric times. All the hints to spaceships, nuclear weapons (it was written in the 50's) are just literary cosmetic accessories. This is about politics and sociology, and not about fancy gadgets or sexy intergalactic astronauts civilising the barbarians, American cultural colonisation style, like: Don't fight them! Sell them hamburgers, cheap sex, chewing gum, and snickers. Make them addicted and have a nice profit. The moral of this? F*k moral...
There’s also quite a lot of societal manipulation, such as using religion as a tool for control, restricting scientific understanding to maintain an advantage over less-advanced groups, and dishonest trade practices, all of which look like advocating colonisation to me.
Apple’s latest adaptation may have carried Asimov’s name into the bright noise of the present age, but for those who have walked long with Foundation in the darkest past, it feels less like a tribute and more like a misreading. By binding the story to a handful of faces, the show tries to give shape to what was always meant to be shapeless — a saga that moves like a constellation, not a caravan.
In the books, no single life is large enough to cast a shadow. The true protagonists are the vast forces that churn beneath civilisation: the slow grind of politics, the cold arithmetic of economics, the invisible tides of collective destiny. Psychohistory is not a spell cast by a wizard; it is a prophecy written in the bones of humanity itself. It speaks in centuries, not seasons. It is myth in the oldest sense — a story too large for any one voice to carry.
No cascade of visual splendour, however lavish, can replace that intellectual gravity. The show dazzles, yes, but it dazzles in the way fireworks do: briefly, brightly, and without consequence. The books endure like starlight — patient, remote, and still astonishing after all these years.
So let the show blaze and fade like a comet. The true Foundation remains where it always was — in the quiet, inexorable pages Asimov left behind, still murmuring across the centuries, still reminding us that the fate of civilisations is the greatest story ever told.
In reading Foundation today, one feels the old winds stirring — the same winds that once swept through dying empires and hollowed-out kingdoms. The questions raised are not modern; they are ancient. They echo across eras as a warning bell struck in the dark.
For we, too, live in a time when the great currents shift. The world contracts. Populations thin. The bonds between nations fray. And as in Asimov’s tale, there are rulers who mistake the glitter of their own palaces for the strength of the realm, leaders who find it easier to summon division than to summon wisdom. Authoritarian shortcuts are offered like charms, promising to banish complexity with a single gesture. History shows that such charms always carry a hidden cost.
In moments like these, the myth of Foundation speaks with a voice older than fiction.
It tells us that civilisations do not fall in a single night. They fall in the slow dimming of memory. They fall when people forget how to read the signs written in the rise and fall of generations. They fall when fear becomes more persuasive than reason.
And so the question becomes: what can one person do? The answer is deceptively simple and impossibly difficult.
Learn from History!
October 27, 2016
The first 3 books are classic and certainly merit 5 stars. I have read at least three times already since I first read them I think in junior or high school. The subsequent books are a bit even but still good. I did enjoy the last book as it describes the final years of Hari Seldon. That was also just before Asimov also died and I believe the last book he wrote before dying. The sense of finality and the loneliness of growing older as all others around him leave him feel real and perhaps influenced by Asimov's own similar final years. I would rate his first 3 books 5 stars his next 3 books between 3 and 4 stars and his final book a 4 star. Truly satisfying but it does takes a bit long to finish all. If in a rush I'd recommend reading just the trilogy.
September 11, 2016
Honestly. Just read the original 3. The two sequels were just painful, and the prequels were fun but tedious.
September 15, 2019
This collection has 7 novels, so I will review each one individually.
November 3, 2025
Finally finished this classic opus.
Thankful to have this 7-volume collection all in one.
Technically, I had read the first three volumes in 1970 when I borrowed them and read them over a weekend. But that was kind of a speed read and I didn't retain a whole lot. The last 4 sequels and prequels had not been written then. Glad to have them. They kind of fill in a lot of loose ends, at the possible expense of a little retconning.
The beginning 3 books, particularly the first, suffer from the usual problem of covering a multigenerational period of time: it's hard to get involved with any characters because they're quickly gone and you're onto a later generation. Not as bad as Olaf Stapleton, but you get the idea.
It's clear that Asimov is a much better writer three decades later reading the last 4-volumes. He does a much better job with characterization and follow a story arc for a small set of characters. But his writing style is, at best, good workmanlike story telling. Not immortal prose. Some of the tropes, in fact, verging on juvenile.
Still the series, mainly for its scope and concept, has been immensely influential in the science fiction genre.
It's interesting to compare it with some other recent reading.
It pales beside Frank Herbert's Dune series The Dune Complete Series,6 Books Collection Set,Dune (Anniversary),Dune Messiah,Children of Dune,God Emperor of Dune ,Heretics of Dune,Chapterhouse: Dune by Frank Herbert. The writing, world building, characterization, and imagination in Dune is far superior. But it is obvious that Herbert was influenced at least a little by the first Foundation trilogy.
The other recent read I can't help comparing it with is a nonfiction book Goliath's Curse: The History and Future of Societal Collapse. It questions the whole premise of bringing back a galactic empire being a good thing. At this point in time, 2025, one is inclined to doubt. Kemp's book has plenty of case studies in history to make us question.
Thankful to have this 7-volume collection all in one.
Technically, I had read the first three volumes in 1970 when I borrowed them and read them over a weekend. But that was kind of a speed read and I didn't retain a whole lot. The last 4 sequels and prequels had not been written then. Glad to have them. They kind of fill in a lot of loose ends, at the possible expense of a little retconning.
The beginning 3 books, particularly the first, suffer from the usual problem of covering a multigenerational period of time: it's hard to get involved with any characters because they're quickly gone and you're onto a later generation. Not as bad as Olaf Stapleton, but you get the idea.
It's clear that Asimov is a much better writer three decades later reading the last 4-volumes. He does a much better job with characterization and follow a story arc for a small set of characters. But his writing style is, at best, good workmanlike story telling. Not immortal prose. Some of the tropes, in fact, verging on juvenile.
Still the series, mainly for its scope and concept, has been immensely influential in the science fiction genre.
It's interesting to compare it with some other recent reading.
It pales beside Frank Herbert's Dune series The Dune Complete Series,6 Books Collection Set,Dune (Anniversary),Dune Messiah,Children of Dune,God Emperor of Dune ,Heretics of Dune,Chapterhouse: Dune by Frank Herbert. The writing, world building, characterization, and imagination in Dune is far superior. But it is obvious that Herbert was influenced at least a little by the first Foundation trilogy.
The other recent read I can't help comparing it with is a nonfiction book Goliath's Curse: The History and Future of Societal Collapse. It questions the whole premise of bringing back a galactic empire being a good thing. At this point in time, 2025, one is inclined to doubt. Kemp's book has plenty of case studies in history to make us question.
August 27, 2022
During the covid shutdown I decided to revisit old favorites and maybe discover new ones. I had already read the three original Foundation books as a teenager and loved them . I read one of the add-ons that Asimov wrote later.
It's fascinating to me how much my literary taste has changed, especially since I started writing professionally in 1996. Of course I devoured all the craft books I could, and even wrote one. The unfortunate aspect of this is that I now read old favorites with an extremely critical eye.
The original series is undoubtedly brilliant, vast in its scope and unpredictable in its plot twists. The add-ons, like most unplanned additions to series, are not very good. All seven books are marred by spectacularly clunky writing. In his add-ons, Asimov ambitiously attempted to add aspects of his other books and tie everything up with a neat little bow. The effort comes off as labored and clumsy.
Worst are the last two books, Foundation's Edge and Foundation and Earth. They star a spectacularly unlovable character, Golan Trevise, and Foundation and Earth especially is almost unbearable because of his rude, angry presence. I finished it only because I wanted to find out what was going to happen.
I guess this series is worth reading if you are deeply into science fiction and want to read the old masters, but if you are used to excellent writing, you will not find it here.
It's fascinating to me how much my literary taste has changed, especially since I started writing professionally in 1996. Of course I devoured all the craft books I could, and even wrote one. The unfortunate aspect of this is that I now read old favorites with an extremely critical eye.
The original series is undoubtedly brilliant, vast in its scope and unpredictable in its plot twists. The add-ons, like most unplanned additions to series, are not very good. All seven books are marred by spectacularly clunky writing. In his add-ons, Asimov ambitiously attempted to add aspects of his other books and tie everything up with a neat little bow. The effort comes off as labored and clumsy.
Worst are the last two books, Foundation's Edge and Foundation and Earth. They star a spectacularly unlovable character, Golan Trevise, and Foundation and Earth especially is almost unbearable because of his rude, angry presence. I finished it only because I wanted to find out what was going to happen.
I guess this series is worth reading if you are deeply into science fiction and want to read the old masters, but if you are used to excellent writing, you will not find it here.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 24, 2023
Foundation and Earth - the final novel in this 7 book series, set over 20,000 years into the future. We finally found the ancient and original planet, earth. We finally found the answer to Giskard’s dying request of Daneel - “find out where the Solarians went.” And wow, what a cliff hanger ending. It seems nicely wrapped up, with Daneel and the young Solarian girl planning to merge their brains to defend the galaxy from any future intruders, and also with Gaia moving forward to become Galaxia. Yet there’s that cliff hanger question in the final paragraph. Are the Solarians even human anymore? Are the aliens already here? (And I still have one remaining mystery. The last time that Hari Seldon saw Daneel, he “had one more important thing to tell Daneel, but he was gone”. I really wanted to know what that thing was …)
December 2, 2017
Guys, this is it! It is probably the "ultimate" fiction series. Read it in the chronological order, not publishing order and you will get the picture.
I am gonna post some very plausible questions for you:
What's gonna happen if humans will not be able to explore outer worlds?
What happens to us if our technology is so advanced than it requires almost no maintenance, it just works by itself?
Will the present facts be distorted by time? How they will look in ... say 500 years? or 5000 years? Will it be accurate?
What happens when an empire becomes too large, that only leading requires another mini-empire of clerks?
These, and many others like this were mind openers for me, after reading this monumental work.
I am gonna post some very plausible questions for you:
What's gonna happen if humans will not be able to explore outer worlds?
What happens to us if our technology is so advanced than it requires almost no maintenance, it just works by itself?
Will the present facts be distorted by time? How they will look in ... say 500 years? or 5000 years? Will it be accurate?
What happens when an empire becomes too large, that only leading requires another mini-empire of clerks?
These, and many others like this were mind openers for me, after reading this monumental work.
April 26, 2021
Chose to read these in order of publication, rather than narrative order. I figured I would not enjoy Asimov's earlier style as much after having read what he wrote later in his career. This book is ordered by publication date. Indeed, his style definitely improved later in his career. The series contains many seminal science fiction tropes, and is considered to be inspirational to many later writers. Asimov's style seems to me to be a bit dry and bombastic at times, and there are many original godfathers of Science Fiction that I consider to be superior writers. Nevertheless, I would consider it to be required reading for any Science Fiction fan.
Read
June 3, 2020Is the prophet always right? Sometimes it's not about its accuracy of future prediction, but how accurate the listeners and executors believe.
Is deception always leading to conflict? It's not on the potential of lying for peace, but the necessity to do it at the moment. Only history can judge.
Does lonely talented always become an autocrat? Sadly many talented we know had escaped the crowd to free from politics, only those who are lonely and willing to lead others' loneliness will become an autocrat.
Is deception always leading to conflict? It's not on the potential of lying for peace, but the necessity to do it at the moment. Only history can judge.
Does lonely talented always become an autocrat? Sadly many talented we know had escaped the crowd to free from politics, only those who are lonely and willing to lead others' loneliness will become an autocrat.
July 14, 2021
I re-read the Foundation series in chronological order because of the upcoming Apple TV series based on it. I have read the series at least once before, maybe twice. I enjoy reading the books because of the expansive scope of Asimov's universe. His work is foundational (heh!) to many other science fiction series. However, his misogyny and rigid gender ideas are troubling. Read with caution.
April 5, 2018
Epic in proportions and excellent thought process. Specially the 3 original ones
June 7, 2022
Get the bundle. Read them all. Best reading for all. Not just sci fi fans.
Read
January 31, 2023"He shames me for being what I am without fear of loss, when he is what he is without hope of gain." (166), Bliss on Pel
July 24, 2023
基地系列最出彩的主角还是哈里谢顿，虽然最后还是把他推下神坛了。。不得不说中间三部的谢顿历险记单独独立出来也是非常好看的故事，除此之外其他人物与故事都是以基地与谢顿预言为背景展开的，脱离不开。尤其最后两部的第一主角小崔，人物感好弱，完全就是一个推动情节的棋子而已，还不如裴大叔更有人格魅力。
November 5, 2025
前三本还行。阿西莫夫太啰嗦了。
June 6, 2023
The first three are one of my favorite trilogies of all time. The last three take a different turn, and it’s obvious that they were written in a different time period than the first three. They are still interesting, and if you are a big fan of Asimov, they are certainly worth reading in context of his other books.
The strength of the first three novels warrants a five star review in my mind.
The strength of the first three novels warrants a five star review in my mind.
September 14, 2025
Hands down one of the best Scientific novels ever. This was my first contact with Azimov and for me now I have the need to read anything that he ever wrote
June 15, 2026
Where to start, I love Asimov’s scientific fantasies, his no nonsense style, his logical constructs, his creativity and ability to make it all seem real. I read almost all his books and selected this bundle to represent his work. Many interesting concepts for all to contemplate in respect of AGI, robots and how to avoid robots/AGI taking over. The three laws (actually 4) are a good effort to protect humankind.
December 4, 2015
For the time, fascinating and forward-facing sci-fi of epic proportions. For today... many parts are more than a little dated, but overall I still found the Foundation series to be engaging, interesting, and entertaining.
June 27, 2016
These are classic for good reason. It had been 30 years since I read the first three books. What a delight to read the series altogether. They are a good read.
May 3, 2019
পুরনো অতীব প্রিয় সমগ্র, ধুলোয় মুড়িয়ে গেছে। ফিরে গেলে স্কুলের সেই বার্ষিক পরীক্ষা পরবর্তী পৌষের রোদমাখা দিনগুলো মেলে ধরে— গুঞ্জন ভেসে আসে, স্বপ্ন বুনতে শেখায়।
November 18, 2019
好看得我目瞪口呆，还要再仔细看看。
October 21, 2020
除了献上膝盖，还能说什么呢？七十年过去了，很多科幻设定仍不过时。机器人三大定律，还在被各种科幻作品沿用。不知道该说阿西莫夫太厉害了，还是现代人退化了。
October 18, 2021
七本书，断断续续看了近三个月，像是完成了某一重大任务，看完如释重负。总的来讲基地系列还是值得一读的，虽然部分内容略显拖沓，但每每总在我即将瞌睡之时，会有一些意想不到的翻转出现。在读基地时难免也会将其与三体进行比较，毫无疑问我个人会更喜欢三体，但又想到基地系列诞生的年代以及作者创作基地时横跨了49年这样的事实，便又觉得基地有其独特的魅力。
March 5, 2025
These are some of my favorite scifi books. I've read the series many times.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews