Prelude to Foundation book cover by Isaac Asimov

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The store links use this book's US print edition, ISBN 9780593159972.

Where Prelude to Foundation sits

Series
Book 6 of Foundation (Isaac Asimov). See all Foundation (Isaac Asimov) books in order
The book before
Foundation and Earth
Order checked
Last checked: September 24, 2026, against penguinrandomhouse.com

Checked facts about Prelude to Foundation

Under each line: where it was read, and when.

Publication
First published in May 1988. (Wikidata; read November 6, 2026)
This edition
The edition checked here is a 409-page edition from Del Rey. (Library of Congress; read November 6, 2026)

What Prelude to Foundation is about

The setup only, with no spoilers. Each line names the record it rests on.

  • Young Hari Seldon comes to Trantor knowing nothing of the dangerous politics taking shape there. (Library of Congress; read November 6, 2026) young Hari Seldon arrives on Trantor, he is unaware of the perilous politics
  • Once he gives a talk setting out his idea of psychohistory, he is the man the whole Empire wants to find. (Library of Congress; read November 6, 2026) After he presents his paper on psychohistory

Topics in this book

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Topics

Reading ages

  • Adult

Other books in Foundation (Isaac Asimov)

7 books listed so far

  1. Book 1: Foundation
  2. Book 2: Foundation and Empire
  3. Book 3: Second Foundation
  4. Book 4: Foundation's Edge
  5. Book 5: Foundation and Earth
  6. Book 7: Forward the Foundation

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