Reading order
Galactic Empire reading order
1
2
3- 3 volumes
- Volumes
- 1950–1952
- Published
- about 12 h
- Reading time
- Completed
- Status
- Classics#32
- Genre
Quick answer
Affiliate link: buying through it supports BookRank at no extra cost to you.
Publication order
3 volumes1950–1952Completed
- Three independent novels set in the same empire, with no shared characters — publication order and internal chronology differ, and neither is required.
- Chronologically: The Stars, Like Dust; The Currents of Space; Pebble in the Sky.
- The cycle bridges Asimov's Robot novels and Foundation.
A plan for the whole series
3 volumes, 675 pages, about 12 hours. At 45 min a day that is 17 days.
Share of volume 1’s readers who reach the last volume. Chance of reaching the last volume: high
- Readers scored volume 2, “The Stars, Like Dust”, below its predecessor (7.2 after 7.6). If you slow down there, that is on the book, not on you.
Stages
This series fits in one stage. You finish around November 15, 2026.
- Stage 112 h17 daysby November 15, 2026
- The end of the series
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: uneven. Scores jump by 0.3 points with no clear direction.
Best volume: Pebble in the Sky (7.6, 229 ratings). Weakest: The Stars, Like Dust (7.2). The series is complete; you can read it start to finish with no waiting. The last volume (7.4) scores close to the series average or above it.
How this plan is calculated
The plan comes from the pages and ratings of each volume: we split the series into stages of about three weeks’ reading, size each break to the stage before it, and read the chance of finishing from how many readers rate the last volume compared with the first. How we work out the plan →
Every volume in order
Order checked by hand · Order and years: Wikidata (CC0). Spotted an error? Tell us. · Data updated October 29, 2026
Galactic Empire in chronological order
The order the story happens in — not the order the books came out.
- The Stars, Like Dust (1951)
- The Currents of Space (1952)
- Pebble in the Sky (1950)
Galactic Empire books ranked, best to worst
- 1.Pebble in the SkyBook 1 · 19507.6
- 2.The Currents of SpaceBook 3 · 19527.4
- 3.The Stars, Like DustBook 2 · 19517.2
Frequently asked questions
Which Galactic Empire book is the best?
By reader score, Pebble in the Sky (7.6/10). The lowest-rated is The Stars, Like Dust (7.2/10).
Which Galactic Empire book is the longest?
“The Stars, Like Dust” is the longest at 231 pages; the shortest is “The Currents of Space” with 221 pages.
What should I read after Galactic Empire?
Other series by Isaac Asimov: Black Widowers, Lucky Starr series, Robot series.
