Isaac Asimov (1920-1992) was a prolific writer, writing on all sorts of subjects. He is best known for his science fiction and popular science.
His best known science fiction books are the Foundation series and the Robot series. In later years he tied these separate series (along with the Galactic Empire books) into a continuous “future history” series.
I have written synopses of the books in this series, in addition to other stories which do not fit into this continuity.
Other authors have also written stories in Asimov’s universe. I have also included synopses of these.
Stories in the Robot/Empire/Foundation Chronology
Note that my aim is to review the stories rather than to construct a complete chronology. I have therefore tried to avoid telling the ends of stories. However I think the reader can gain enjoyment from understanding where the stories fit within the Robot/Empire/Foundation chronology, so I am attempting to place them in the order of that chronology. I am making use of Johnny Pez’s chronology – refer Johnny Pez’s Insanely Complete Fiction List. [updated version February 2012]
Some of Asimov’s robot stories are considered not in fit into the Robot/Empire/Foundation chronology, either because the robots do not follow the Laws of Robotics, or the story is inconsistent with the chronology for some other reason. These are therefore not listed in Johnny Pez’s chronology, and so he hasn’t assigned dates for these stories. I have listed them separately under Other Stories.
The Robot short stories
The Robot Novels
The Galactic Empire stories
The Foundation series
Other Stories
Robot short stories – Non-chronology (Robot short stories that do not fit into the Robots/Empire/Foundation chronology]
“Nemesis”
Foundation’s Friends [Most of the stories within this collection fit within the Robot/Empire/Foundation Chronology. Where they do, the synopsis is included in the relevant page of the Chronology.]
Links to websites related to the Asimov Universe
- Encyclopedia Galactica
… According to the homepage, the Encyclopedia Galactica is supposed to be moving to a new site, but it does not seem to have done so yet. In the meantime, the individual pages are still at the old site: see for example Encyclopedia Galactica – Timeline – Contents, which links to the other pages.
- Isaac Asimov Home Page
- Isaac Asimov FAQ
- The History of the Positronic Robot and Foundation Stories
- A list of worlds mentioned in the Foundation series.
- Johnny Pez’s Insanely Complete Fiction List. [updated version February 2012]
(A chronology of events in Asimov’s robot and Foundation stories) - TimeLine for the Robots & Foundations Universe (A chronology of the Robot-Empire-Foundation Universe by Attila Torkos, in tabular layout)
- Psychohistory: Was Hari Seldon pulling our leg?
- Jenkins’ Spoiler-Laden Guide to Isaac Asimov (Beware, there really are spoilers.)
Alan J Chick's pages 