Seven novels and forty years of Asimov's life were devoted to his groundbreaking work on the Foundation series, which altered the course of science fiction forever. It may be a bit tricky to determine which sequence to read the Foundation volumes in, however, since they traverse galaxies and advance in time.
The Foundation Series should be read in the correct order
As with any list, however, there are varying views on the best sequence to tackle the Foundation series, so take that into consideration before making your decision. I do, however, consider myself knowledgeable about the cosmos since I have read all of them, often more than once. This is the approach I believe you should take, along with my further research tangent.#1 Base
I suggest beginning from the beginning and discarding the Foundation's internal chronological sequence in favor of starting where Asimov did. The #1 Foundation is a collection of short tales that spans a very long period of time, yet it serves as the basis for all that follows.Although this is a good place to start, its structure tends to turn off a lot of people. But persevere through it and get ready for the next; it's required reading for the Foundation series.#2 Empire and Foundation
#2 The narrative of Foundation and Empire is divided into two halves, the second of which picks up a century after the first. It added greater depth to the Foundation world and expanded on the concepts Asimov had begun to formulate.When Hari Seldon's prophecies come true in a world where everything functions largely according to his expectations, the empire becomes terrified. The people of the Empire are lost without the Seldon Plan to fall back on. In order to bring peace again, they set out to locate the Second Foundation.#3 The Second Basis
#3 The Second Foundation builds upon the First Foundation by addressing the concerns brought up in the Second Foundation series in both a publication-by-publication and chronological sense. We discover more about the Seldon Plan, and the shadowy Second Foundation tries to bring things back to normal.
#4 Series of Robots
There is a debate among fans of the Isaac Asimov Foundation series on the proper sequence in which to read them. While many would place #4 Robots Series at the start, I believe it is strategically advantageous to place them within the massive 29-year lapse between Second Foundation and Foundation's Edge for a few reasons.Asimov's work shifts in tone and style as a result of the void in his output. Reading his Robot series gives me the impression that the shift is well-defined and has developed along with him as a writer. A great series of novels that will provide much more information on the history of the universe formed by the Foundation books is the Robot series. I like to read them here even though they are technically earlier in the timeline than the Foundation series.#5 Edge of the Foundation
Because #5 Foundation's Edge ends on a cliffhanger that makes you want to take up Foundation and Earth right away, I've positioned it after the Robot series. As I assume Asimov didn't want readers to forget too much of one book before the next, this is, in my opinion, the proper sequence in which to read the Foundation series.Not to give too much away, but the Foundation is not alone as usual. The Seldon Plan is under attack, and important choices must be made that will affect humanity's destiny.#6 Earth and the Foundation
As the last book in the sequence chronologically, #6 Foundation and Earth gathers many of the abilities and concepts realized in the first four novels. In summary, it is gratifying and has the weight necessary to wrap up the cosmos. It's not the final book in the series, even if it's the last one chronologically.Never worry if you sense the void left by a science fiction story that has come to an end. Some claim that the prolific author Isaac Asimov authored 500 volumes. He wasn't done with the Foundation series, of course. Similar to Frank Herbert, he was unable to put down his pen.
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