The 10 Best Isaac Asimov Books To Read Today
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Isaac Asimov is a highly acclaimed science fiction author, often compared to greats such as Arthur C Clarke, Phillip K Dick, and Ursula K Le Guin. Whilst it's his Foundation and Robot series that are most renowned, Isaac Asimov was a hugely prolific writer and has an extensive catalogue of fiction and nonfiction works that include some 500+ books and over 90,000 letters and postcards.
Asimov however, wasn't just a science fiction writer, he was also a biochemist, science writer, humanist, rationalist, and advocate for freedom of thought and expression. His work is characterized by a relentless curiosity exploring the depth of possibilities that come with artificial intelligence and colonization of the stars.
In this article, we explore some of my favourite and possibly the best Isaac Asimov books for science fiction lovers (though of course with such a huge number of works under his belt it'd be nearly impossible to read them all).
Best Isaac Asimov books
1. "Foundation" (1951)
"Foundation" is the first book in Asimov's Foundation series and a great place for any new Asimov fan to start. It tells the story of a group of scientists and engineers who establish a colony at the edge of the galaxy to preserve human knowledge and culture after the collapse of a vast interstellar empire.
Rated 4.4 Stars. Buy on Amazon.
2. "I, Robot" (1950)
"I, Robot" is a collection of short stories featuring Asimov's famous "Three Laws of Robotics" and the earliest robots in his fictional universe. This book was the basis for the popular film adaptation of the same name featuring Will Smith which introduced Asimov’s worlds and imagination to popular culture.
Rated 4.5 Stars. Buy on Amazon.
3. "Foundation and Empire" (1952)
"Foundation and Empire" is the second book in Asimov's Foundation series. It continues the story of the colony established in "Foundation" and introduces new characters and conflicts, including a powerful mutant with the ability to predict the future.
4. "The Caves of Steel" (1954)
"The Caves of Steel" is at its heart a murder mystery with Asimov’s science fiction flair. The novel is set in a future where Earth is ruled by an authoritarian government and the majority of humanity lives in sprawling underground cities. It follows a murder investigation by a human detective who is paired with a robot partner. It shares many of the same themes as I, Robot, and if you enjoyed the former you’ll no doubt enjoy this one too.
Rated 4.5 Stars. Buy on Amazon.
5. "The End of Eternity" (1955)
"The End of Eternity" is definitely one of Isaac Asimov’s best books. It is a standalone novel about time travel and the consequences of changing the past. It is one of the few time travel books that I’ve read that successfully avoids undoing itself with time paradox-induced plot holes. The protagonist is a member of an organization called "Eternity," which exists outside of time. Over the millennia they have been manipulating history to ensure humanity’s survival as a species. But, who really has the right to play god like this? And do even the mysterious members of eternity truly understand the damage that comes with changing the past.
Rated 4.6 Stars. Buy on Amazon.
6. "The Naked Sun" (1957)
"The Naked Sun" is another murder mystery style science fiction novel. It is set in the same universe as "The Caves of Steel" and it continues the story of the same human detective and his robot partner as they investigate a murder on a distant planet where robots are banned.
Rated 4.6 Stars. Buy on Amazon.
7. "Foundation's Edge" (1982)
"Foundation's Edge" is the fourth book in the Foundation series and it tells the story of a group of scientists and politicians as they search for the mysterious "Second Foundation," which is said to control the future of humanity.
Rated 4.6 Stars. Buy on Amazon.
8. "Robots and Empire" (1985)
"Robots and Empire" is another science fiction story set in the same universe as the Robot series. It is set later than the others and explores the decline of human civilization and the emergence of robots as dominant life forms on Earth. The story takes place in a galaxy-spanning empire where humanity relies on robots for labor and protection. It closely explores the relationship between the robots and their creators and how that shapes the future of the galaxy.
Rated 4.7 Stars. Buy on Amazon.
9. "Nightfall" (1990)
"Nightfall" is a science fiction novella by Isaac Asimov and Robert Silverberg, published in 1941. The story is set on a planet called Lagash, which has six suns, and as such, the citizens have never seen darkness. However, the planet's orbit brings it into a rare alignment where all six suns set at the same time, causing a total eclipse, or "nightfall." The story follows a group of scientists and politicians as they struggle to come to terms with the concept of darkness and the psychological effects it has on their society.
Rated 4.2 Stars. Buy on Amazon.
10. "The Gods Themselves" (1972)
"The Gods Themselves" is another brilliant standalone science fiction novel by Isaac Asimov, first published in 1972. The story takes place in a parallel universe where the inhabitants, called "Eternals," possess a unique ability to tap into an alternate dimension of energy called "the energy sea." A small group of humans discover this and must navigate the politics and conflicts of both their world and the Eternal's, as they race against time to prevent a catastrophic event that could destroy both universes. The novel deals with themes of science and technology, as well as political and personal power struggles.
Rated 4.3 Stars. Buy on Amazon.
Final Words: The Best Books by Isaac Asimov
With an author who’s written as much as Isaac Asimov, it’s impossible to write a definitive list, but these are a few of my favourites. For more science fiction check out my recently published collection of sci-fi short stories titled ‘Sunset In The East’ - which is available on Amazon here.
