Foundation's Edge vs Prelude to Foundation: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: Psychohistory, Long Now Manual for Civilization, Life on other planets, Science Fiction, Fiction
Foundation's Edge
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After the defeat of the Mule by the Second Foundation, Terminus enjoys a period of prosperity and stability which is publicly attributed to the Seldon Plan, but which some feel is the work of the Second Foundation. A…
Prelude to Foundation
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Voici une occasion tant pour ceux qui ont lu les cinq volumes du cycle ##Fondation## d'en constater la prȟistoire, que pour ceux qui ne les ont pas lus d'inaugurer la lecture d'un des chefs-d'oeuvre de la…
Side by side
The verdict
- Ratings are close across the board — any is a safe pick by score.
- Foundation's Edge has the widest readership — 101379 ratings behind its score.
- Prelude to Foundation reaches further in scholarship and criticism — cited 23 times.
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Scores by source
| Foundation's Edge | Prelude to Foundation | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 4.2 (101379) | 4.2 (98961) |
| Hardcover | 4.1 (613) | 5.0 (1) |
| Google Books | — | 4.0 (42) |
| Apple Books | 4.5 (582) | 4.5 (747) |
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Reception
| Foundation's Edge | Prelude to Foundation | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 101379 | 98961 |
| Editions | 60 | 43 |
| Citations | 13 | 23 |
| Film adaptations | 1 | 1 |
| Want to read | 44261 | 58107 |
| Reading it now | 2863 | 4391 |
| Written reviews | 2782 | 3117 |
| Wikipedia attention | 4351 | 2405 |
| Pages | 451 | 470 |
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Questions readers ask
Which is rated higher: Foundation's Edge or Prelude to Foundation?
Foundation's Edge has the higher combined reader rating across sources (Foundation's Edge 4.2/5, Prelude to Foundation 4.2/5).
Which is shorter to read: Foundation's Edge or Prelude to Foundation?
Foundation's Edge is the quickest read. Estimated at 225 words per minute: Foundation's Edge (451 pages, ≈ 8 h 21 m); Prelude to Foundation (470 pages, ≈ 8 h 42 m).
Which is harder to read: Foundation's Edge or Prelude to Foundation?
Estimated difficulty, based on era, reader shelves and length — Foundation's Edge: Moderate; Prelude to Foundation: Moderate.