Forward the Foundation
by Isaac Asimov
★ Top 25 book of 1993 · #18 on Best Books of 1993
Isaac Asimov's 1993 Foundation novel follows about forty years in the life of Hari Seldon and his work developing psychohistory. Fans of the series get a deep look at the man behind the galaxy's fate.
Best for: Foundation series readers who want to know Hari Seldon's story
Forward the Foundation is #18 on BookWard's Best Books of 1993, out of 36 1993 books that cleared our data bar.
What Forward the Foundation is about
Hari Seldon has shaped the galaxy throughout the Foundation series, yet earlier books only hinted at him or visited him for historical background. Here he finally takes the centre of the story. The novel follows roughly forty years of his life as he works to develop psychohistory, a pseudo-mathematical science that might one day save the galaxy.
The tone is reflective and measured, more interested in ideas than in action. Questions of legacy and mortality run underneath, and the description suggests it was likely the last book Asimov wrote before his death. The closing pages give Seldon's final moments, said to mirror Asimov's own. A good fit for readers who love the series and want to meet its founding figure up close.
Forward the Foundation on the Best Books of 1993
Forward the Foundation came out in 1993. Of the 36 books first published in 1993 that met BookWard's data bar, it ranks #18 on our Best Books of 1993 list.
Why it made the list: 202 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.1 out of 5 (50 ratings). The list ranks each year’s books on how many readers have picked them up, how highly readers rate them, and how many are reading them right now.
Nearby on the 1993 list
- Mieko and the Fifth Treasure Eleanor Coerr, #16
- A Different Mirror Ronald Takaki, #17
- The Celestine Prophecy - an Adventure James Redfield, #19
- A Lesson Before Dying Ernest J. Gaines, #20
See all Best Books of 1993 Best books by year
More years: Best Books of 1992 Best Books of 1994.
The numbers behind it
- Readers: 109 want to read it, 4 are reading it now and 89 have read it, according to Open Library.
- Ratings: 4.1 out of 5 from 50 Open Library ratings.
| Signal | This book (0 to 100) | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Reach | 50 | 55% |
| Reader love | 81 | 25% |
| Being read right now | 8 | 20% |
Questions about Forward the Foundation
When was Forward the Foundation published?
Forward the Foundation by Isaac Asimov was first published in 1993.
Was Forward the Foundation one of the best books of 1993?
Forward the Foundation is #18 on BookWard's Best Books of 1993, out of 36 1993 books that cleared our data bar. 202 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.1 out of 5 (50 ratings).
Why is Forward the Foundation on the Best Books of 1993 list?
202 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.1 out of 5 (50 ratings).
More of the best books of 1993
- The Giver Lois Lowry, #1
- The Scam Debashis Basu, #2
- Along Came a Spider James Patterson, #3
- A Suitable Boy Vikram Seth, #4
- Girl, Interrupted Susanna Kaysen, #5
- Understanding Comics Scott McCloud, #6
See the full Best Books of 1993, the Top 100, or new books on Rising.
How we know
This page uses public data: Open Library reader counts and ratings, and Wikipedia page views for recent years. The description is paraphrased from real source text. Rankings reflect reading interest, not quality or sales, and can be affected by data gaps. Lists update monthly.
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