Recommendations based on Forward the Foundationby Isaac Asimov

* statistically, based on millions of data-points provided by fellow humans

  1. Prelude to Foundation

    by Isaac Asimov
    A powerful ruler's journey to save his crumbling empire, and protect humanity from a mysterious force.

    Prelude to Foundation is set in the year 12,020 G.E. (Galactic Era), during the rocky reign of the Emperor Cleon I. It starts with Seldon's presentation of a paper at a mathematics convention ... (Wikipedia)

  2. Foundation

    by Isaac Asimov
    Exploring the possibilities of a galactic empire in a future driven by science and technology.

    For twelve thousand years the Galactic Empire has ruled supreme. Now it is dying. But only Hari Seldon, creator of the revolutionary science of psychohistory, can see into the future – to a dark age ... (Goodreads)

  3. Foundation's Edge

    by Isaac Asimov
    A quest to discover the truth behind the mysterious origins of the galactic empire.

    Five hundred years after the establishment of the Foundation, the Mayor of Terminus , Harla Branno , is basking in a political glow, her policies having been vindicated by the recent successful ... (Wikipedia)

  4. Foundation and Chaos

    by Greg Bear
    A thrilling sci-fi saga set in a distant future, exploring the fate of humanity.

    The novel is the second part of The Second Foundation Trilogy and takes place almost entirely in the same time frame as " The Psychohistorians ," which is the first part of the novel, Foundation, . ... (Wikipedia)

  5. Childhood's End

    by Arthur C. Clarke
    Human race is transformed by an alien presence, leading to the dawn of a new age.

    The novel is divided into three parts, following a third-person omniscient narrative with no main character. , In some editions, the short first chapter is a separate prologue rather than the ... (Wikipedia)

  6. Rendezvous with Rama

    by Arthur C. Clarke
    A mysterious alien spacecraft discovered in the Solar System, explored by a human team.

    After an asteroid falls in Northeast Italy in 2077, creating a major disaster, the government of Earth sets up the Spaceguard system as an early warning of arrivals from deep space. The "Rama" of the ... (Wikipedia)

  7. Stranger in a Strange Land

    by Robert A. Heinlein
    A human raised by Martians must find his place in a hostile Earth society.

    The story focuses on a human raised on Mars and his adaptation to and understanding of humans and their culture. It is set in a post- Third World War United States, where organized religions are ... (Wikipedia)

  8. 2001: A Space Odyssey

    by Arthur C. Clarke
    An interstellar journey of exploration, confronting humanity's place in the universe.

    A mysterious alien civilization uses a tool with the appearance of a large crystalline monolith to investigate worlds across the galaxy and, if possible, to encourage the development of intelligent ... (Wikipedia)

  9. The War of the Worlds

    by H.G. Wells
    A Martian invasion of Earth, exploring the limits of human resilience.

    The narrative opens by stating that as humans on Earth busied themselves with their own endeavours during the mid-1890s, aliens on Mars began plotting an invasion of Earth because their own resources ... (Wikipedia)

  10. Starship Troopers

    by Robert A. Heinlein
    A futuristic military drama, exploring the consequences of war and human nature.

    The novel opens with Rico aboard the corvette transport Rodger Young (named after Medal of Honor recipient Rodger Wilton Young ), , serving with the platoon known as "Rasczak's Roughnecks". The ... (Wikipedia)

  11. Animal Farm / 1984

    by George Orwell
    Two classic dystopian novels that explore the dangers of totalitarianism and the corrupting influence of power.

    The poorly-run Manor Farm near Willingdon , England , is ripened for rebellion from its animal populace by neglect at the hands of the irresponsible and alcoholic farmer, Mr. Jones . One night, the ... (Wikipedia)

  12. Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency

    by Douglas Adams
    An eccentric detective's surreal journey through time and space to solve a mysterious case.

    Richard MacDuff attends the Coleridge dinner at his old college St Cedd's , where he witnesses his former tutor, Professor Urban "Reg" Chronotis , perform an inexplicable magic trick in which he ... (Wikipedia)

  13. The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress

    by Robert A. Heinlein
    Revolutionary group fight for freedom from an oppressive lunar colony.

    In 2075, the Moon (Luna) is used as a penal colony by Earth's government, with three million inhabitants (called "Loonies") living in underground cities. Most Loonies are criminals, political exiles, ... (Wikipedia)

  14. Speaker for the Dead

    by Orson Scott Card
    A search for the truth about an alien species, uncovering secrets of the past.

    Now available in mass market, the revised, definitive edition of the Hugo and Nebula Award-winning classic. In this second book in the saga set 3,000 years after the terrible war, Ender Wiggin is ... (Goodreads)

  15. Neverwhere

    by Neil Gaiman
    A mysterious journey through a hidden realm of London, filled with danger and unexpected allies.

    Neverwhere is the story of Richard Mayhew and his trials and tribulations in London. At the start of the story, he is a young businessman, recently moved from Scotland and with a normal life ahead. ... (Wikipedia)

  16. The Wise Man's Fear

    by Patrick Rothfuss
    Epic fantasy adventure of a young man's quest for knowledge, power and love.

    On the second day of his recounting the story of his life to Chronicler at the Waystone Inn, Kvothe continues the narrative commenced in, The Name of the Wind, , wherein a younger Kvothe pursues his ... (Wikipedia)

  17. The Martian Chronicles

    by Ray Bradbury
    Human colonists struggle for survival on Mars, facing the challenges of a new world.

    The strange and wonderful tale of man’s experiences on Mars, filled with intense images and astonishing visions. Now part of the Voyager Classics collection. The Martian Chronicles tells the story of ... (Goodreads)

  18. The Time Machine

    by H.G. Wells
    A scientist travels through time, discovering the future of mankind.

    The book's protagonist is a Victorian English scientist and gentleman inventor living in Richmond , Surrey , identified by a narrator simply as the Time Traveller . Similarly, with but one exception ... (Wikipedia)

  19. Foundation's Fear

    by Gregory Benford
    The first book in the Second Foundation Trilogy, exploring the origins of the Foundation and the mysterious Second Foundation.

    Emperor Cleon I wants to appoint Hari Seldon as the First Minister of the Galactic Empire. Powerful Trantor High Council member Betan Lamurk opposes the independent Seldon's appointment. Seldon ... (Wikipedia)

  20. The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

    by Douglas Adams
    An eccentric space adventure filled with comedic misadventures and cosmic revelations.

    At last in paperback in one complete volume, here are the five novels from Douglas Adams's Hitchhiker series. "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" Seconds before the Earth is demolished for a ... (Goodreads)

  21. Stardust

    by Neil Gaiman
    A fantastical journey of discovery, romance and adventure in a magical world.

    On the outskirts of Wall, a small town in rural England, the Faerie Market is held every nine years on the other side of the wall dividing Faerie — a mystical realm of magic — from our world and for ... (Wikipedia)

  22. Hyperion

    by Dan Simmons
    Epic science-fiction story of a journey to the distant planet Hyperion.

    In the 29th century, the Hegemony of Man comprises hundreds of planets connected by farcaster portals. The Hegemony maintains an uneasy alliance with the TechnoCore , a civilisation of AIs . Modified ... (Wikipedia)

  23. Batman: Year One

    by Frank Miller
    The origin story of Batman, tracing his journey to become Gotham City's greatest hero.

    Bruce Wayne returns home to Gotham City at the age of twenty-five from training abroad in martial arts, man-hunting, and science for the past 12 years. James Gordon moves to Gotham City with his ... (Wikipedia)

  24. Pyramids

    by Terry Pratchett
    A young pharaoh and his advisor navigate the absurdities of ancient Egypt, including camels, gods, and a pyramid-building competition.

    The main character of Pyramids is Pteppic , the crown prince of the tiny kingdom of Djelibeybi (a pun on the candy Jelly Baby ,) the Discworld counterpart to Ancient Egypt . Young Pteppic has been in ... (Wikipedia)

  25. Around the World in Eighty Days

    by Jules Verne
    An epic journey of adventure and exploration, pushing the boundaries of the known world.

    The story starts in London on Wednesday, 2 October 1872. Phileas Fogg is a rich British gentleman living a solitary life. Despite his wealth, Fogg lives a modest life with habits carried out with ... (Wikipedia)

  26. The Fall of Hyperion

    by Dan Simmons
    Epic space opera, exploring the consequences of a universe-shattering event.

    The Hegemony is an interstellar governmental entity formed by many planets, most of which are connected by instantaneous farcaster portals. Some worlds, like Hyperion, have no farcaster portals and ... (Wikipedia)

  27. The Bourne Supremacy

    by Robert Ludlum
    An ex-CIA agent must clear his name from charges of espionage and murder.

    In the first book,, The Bourne Identity, , the title character suffers amnesia . Over the course of the book, he regains his memory with the help of a Canadian economist, Marie St Jacques, and ... (Wikipedia)

  28. The Machine Crusade

    by Brian Herbert
    The second book in the Legends of Dune series, depicting the rise of the thinking machines and their war against humanity.

    Dune: The Machine Crusade moves forward into the center of the Butlerian Jihad, described in the first book of the trilogy,, Dune: The Butlerian Jihad, . Leading the movement is the ex-slave and ... (Wikipedia)

  29. The Andromeda Strain

    by Michael Crichton
    Scientists race against time to contain a deadly virus of extraterrestrial origin.

    A team from an Air Force base is deployed to recover a military satellite that has returned to Earth, but contact is lost abruptly. Aerial surveillance reveals that everyone in Piedmont, Arizona , ... (Wikipedia)

  30. The Waste Lands

    by Stephen King
    A post-apocalyptic adventure of survival and courage in a world of chaos.

    The story begins five weeks after the end of, The Drawing of the Three, . Roland , Susannah , and Eddie have moved east from the shore of the Western Sea, and into the woods of Out-World. After an ... (Wikipedia)