Fine Printed Books & Manuscripts, Including Americana

Together 3 volumes, 8vo. Original cloth [Foundation and Foundation and Empire binding A; Second Foundation binding B]: blue cloth [Foundation], red cloth [Foundation and Empire], and mint-green cloth [Second Foundation] (minor rubbing to some extremities, spine slightly leaning); dust jackets (Foundation and Empire price-clipped, minor sunning to spines, light wear to spine ends).

FIRST EDITIONS, IN FIRST STATE DUST JACKETS. According to Asimov the inspiration for the Foundation trilogy was Edward Gibbon's The History and Decline of the Roman Empire, with a Galactic Empire on the verge of collapse standing in for the Roman Empire. From May 1942 to January 1950 Asimov published a series of eight short stories and novellas in Astounding Science-Fiction which were then collected and published by the Gnome Press over two years as Foundation, Foundation and Empire, and Second Foundation. Over a decade after its publication the series won the 1966 Hugo Award for Best All-Time Series, and its influence has been felt in later iconic works of science fiction and non-fiction alike including Dune and A Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Currey, pp.17, 19.