Prelude to Foundation

Book Details

71.4% complete

Author(s):

Isaac Asimov

First Pub:

1988

Genre(s):

Science Fiction

First Read:

1993

Times Read:

1 time

Rating:

Chapters:

See 19

1 - Mathemetician

2 - Flight

3 - University

4 - Library

5 - Upperside

6 - Rescue

7 - Mycogen

8 - Sunmaster

9 - Microfarm

10 - Book

11 - Sacratorium

12 - Aerie

13 - Heatsink

14 - Billibotton

15 - Undercover

16 - Officers

17 - Wye

18 - Overthrow

19 - Dors

Internal ID:

123

Series:

<- Foundation and Earth - Forward the Foundation ->

Foundation*

#6 of 7

Foundation*

A series of science fiction books written by Isaac Asimov. They also tie in with the Robot series.

View this series in the book list

1) Foundation
2) Foundation and Empire
3) Second Foundation
4) Foundation's Edge
5) Foundation and Earth
6) Prelude to Foundation
7) Forward the Foundation

Copyright:

Dedication:

To Jennifer "Green Pencil" Brehl,
the best and hardest-working editor in the world.

First Sentence:

Suppressing a small yawn, Cleon said, "Demerzel, have you by any chance ever heard of a man named Hari Seldon?"

Last Sentence:

May contain spoilers

- Please."

Comments:

No comments on file

Synopsis not on file
Extract not on file

Added: 29-Dec-2002

Last Updated: 04-Mar-2023

Publications

01-Apr-1989

Bantam Spectra Books

Mass Market Paperback

Date Issued:

Cir 01-Apr-1989

Format:

Mass Market Paperback

Cover Price:

$4.95

Pages*:

434

Read:

Once

Cover Link(s):

Internet Speculative Fiction Database

amazon.com

Internal ID:

650

Publisher:

Bantam Spectra Books

ISBN:

0-553-27839-8

ISBN-13:

978-0-553-27839-2

Printing:

Country:

United States

Language:

English

Credits:

Will Cormier - Cover Artist

FOUNDATION - THE BEGINNING

Wisdom, wit, and an uncanny sense of wonder have become the trademarks of grand master Isaac Asimov. Now, in an eagerly awaited publishing event, Asimov once again fashions the future of science fiction by going back to the beginning - presenting the overture to the greatest SF series of all time....

PRELUDE TO FOUNDATION

Is is the year 12,020 G.E. and Emperor Cleon I sits uneasily on the Imperial throne of Trantor. Here in the great multidomed capitol of the Galactic Empire, forty billion people have created a civilization of unimaginable technology and cultural complexity. Yet Cleon knowns there are those who would see him fall - those whom he would destroy if only he could read the future.

Hari Seldon has come to Trantor to deliver his paper on psychohistory, his remarkable theory of prediction. Little does the young Outworld mathematician know that he has already sealed his fate and the fate of humanity. For Hari possesses the prophetic power that makes him the most wanted man in the Empire... the man who holds the key to the future - an apocalyptic power to be known forever after as the Foundation.

Cover:

Notes and Comments:

Doubleday edition published November 1988
Bantam Spectra edition / April 1989
First printing based on the number line
Canada: $5.95

Bought this book at the Book Nook after discovering the whole Foundation and Robot series continuations and merge.

Author(s)

Isaac Asimov
Birth: 02 Jan 1920 Petrovichi, Russia
Death: 06 Apr 1992 New York, USA

Notes:

Contracted AIDS from a blood transfusion during a triple bypass heart surgery.

Awards

1989

Locus Magazine

Best SF Novel

Nominee

I try to maintain page numbers for audiobooks even though obviously there aren't any. I do this to keep track of pages read and I try to use the Kindle version page numbers for this.
Synopses marked with an asterisk (*) were generated by an AI. There aren't a lot since this is an iffy way to do it - AI seems to make stuff up.
When specific publication dates are unknown (ie prefixed with a "Cir"), I try to get the publication date that is closest to the specific printing that I can.
When listing chapters, I only list chapters relevant to the story. I will usually leave off Author Notes, Indices, Acknowledgements, etc unless they are relevant to the story or the book is non-fiction.
Page numbers on this site are for the end of the main story. I normally do not include appendices, extra material, and other miscellaneous stuff at the end of the book in the page count.