Books

First editions, first printings, with all first issue points, of this monumental work of science fiction, which won the special Hugo Award for Best All-Time Series in 1966, beating Heinlein's Future History series and Tolkien's Lord of the Rings. The Foundation trilogy first appeared as a series of short stories and novellas in Astounding Science-Fiction magazine between May 1942 and January 1950. It remained a trilogy for nearly 30 years until Asimov's publishers persuaded him to return to the story. He wrote two sequels and two prequels, but it is this core trilogy that stands alongside I, Robot (1950) as Asimov's crowning achievement. The first issue points are as follows: Foundation is bound in cloth (sheets measuring 20.3 x 13.5 x 1.9 cm bulk); Foundation and Empire is bound in red boards lettered in black with the publisher's imprint on the spine measuring 2.2 cm across (not 2.8 cm) and the sheets measuring 1.8 cm across (not 2.3 cm) with the dust jacket printed in four colours rather than only blue and black; Second Foundation is bound in blue boards lettered in brown. Three works, octavo, in Currey's A bindings and jackets. Foundation: original blue cloth, spine lettered in red, galaxy motif on front cover in red; Foundation and Empire: original red boards, spine lettered in black, galaxy motif on front cover in black; Second Foundation: original light blue boards, spine lettered in brown. With dust jackets. F spine cocked, unclipped jacket with a few closed tears, three tape repairs to verso; F&E spine panel of unclipped jacket sunned; SF spine slightly cocked, tape residue to front free endpaper, jacket price-clipped, closed tears at edges, tape repairs to recto and verso. Overall, presenting well, spine ends and corners slightly bumped, extremities lightly rubbed, jackets a little nicked and creased with a few tiny chips: a very good set in like jackets. Anatomy of Wonder II-47; Currey, p. 17.

Second Foundation is a science fiction novel written by Isaac Asimov. It is the third book in the Foundation Series. The story takes place on two opposing planets at opposite ends of the galaxy: the planet Terminus and the planet Trantor. It focuses on the attempts of the mysterious Second Foundation to control the outcome of the Seldon Plan, facing threats from within and outside.