Foundation course: Your guide to Asimov’s books and backstory

The books, the legend, the legacy, the series, and why the origin story of Isaac Asimov’s Foundation sounds so much like how JK Rowling first dreamed up Harry Potter. Born in Soviet Russia in 1920 and three when his family moved to New York City, he grew up reading voraciously — locals recall he had a book under one arm and his nose in another even as he walked down the street; came from a family that ran a store that sold candy and sci-fi works; and contributed regularly to the pulp magazine Astounding Science Fiction. Foundation was born during a subway ride in 1941, when Asimov was on his way to meet the magazine’s editor, another sci-fi giant, John W Campbell. Born in Soviet Russia and three when his family moved to New York City, Asimov grew up reading voraciously; came from a family that ran a store that sold sci-fi works; and contributed regularly to the pulp magazine Astounding Science Fiction.