Foundation series reading order

A plan for the whole series

7 volumes, 2,576 pages, about 45 hours. At 45 min a day that is about 9 weeks.

• From volume 2 on, the number of ratings falls most before volume 6, “Foundation's Edge” (by 46%). Plan your break after volume 5, before the series plans it for you.
• Readers scored volume 7, “Foundation and Earth”, below its predecessor (7.8 after 8.2). If you slow down there, that is on the book, not on you.

Stages

4 stages, with 3 short books from outside the series between them. You finish around January 16, 2027, 16 days later than in one go.

1. 1
   Stage 113 h18 daysby November 16, 2026

   • 3. Foundation1951 · 240 pages · 4 h
   • 4. Foundation and Empire1952 · 253 pages · 5 h
   • 5. Second Foundation1953 · 235 pages · 4 h
2. BreakMaus · Art Spiegelman · 295 pp. · score 9.05 h, by November 25, 2026. A short book from another shelf, so you come back to the series hungry.
3. 2
   Stage 28 h11 daysby December 6, 2026

   • 6. Foundation's Edge1982 · 450 pages · 8 h
4. Short breakThe Fire Next Time · James Baldwin · 120 pp. · score 8.82 h, by December 10, 2026. A short book from another shelf, so you come back to the series hungry.
5. 3
   Stage 317 habout 3 weeksby January 2, 2027

   • 7. Foundation and Earth1986 · 506 pages · 9 h
   • 1. Prelude to Foundation1988 · 445 pages · 8 h
6. Short breakThe Emperor's Soul · Brandon Sanderson · 96 pp. · score 8.82 h, by January 6, 2027. A short book from another shelf, so you come back to the series hungry.
7. 4
   Stage 48 h11 daysby January 16, 2027

   • 2. Forward the Foundation1993 · 447 pages · 8 h
8. The end of the series

   January 16, 2027

We count 1.1 min per page, the pace of an average novel reader. Faster? Move the slider.

Does the series hold up

Shape of the series: best at the start. Readers scored the first volumes (8.2) above the last ones (7.9).

Best volume: Second Foundation (8.4, 1,303 ratings). Weakest: Foundation and Earth (7.8). From volume 2 on, the biggest drop in the number of ratings is between volume 5 and 6: 46%. The series is complete; you can read it start to finish with no waiting. The last volume (8.0) scores close to the series average or above it.