Foundation's Friends - Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Title Author Notes
Preface Ray Bradbury A brief overview and praise of Asimov's work
The Nonmetallic Isaac or It’s a Wonderful Life Ben Bova A look at what the world would be like if Asimov never wrote science fiction
Strip-Runner Pamela Sargent Set between The Naked Sun and The Robots of Dawn; Elijah Baley makes a brief appearance and Ben Baley is mentioned
The Asenion Solution Robert Silverberg A collection of in-jokes; uses Asimov's fictional thiotimoline substance and ties into The Gods Themselves
Murder in the Urth Degree Edward Wellen A Wendell Urth story
Trantor Falls Harry Turtledove Set between the two halves of Foundation and Empire; details the Great Sack of Trantor
Dilemma Connie Willis Story about an old Asimov in the 21st century meeting robots modeled after his characters
Maureen Birnbaum After Dark George Alec Effinger A retelling of Nightfall from the view of his Maureen Birnbaum character; also collected in Maureen Birnbaum, Barbarian Swordsperson
Balance Mike Resnick A brief story about Susan Calvin
The Present Eternal Barry N. Malzberg A sequel to The Dead Past
PAPPI Sheila Finch An anti-robotics industrialist attempts to assassinate Mayor Stephen Byerly; Susan Calvin also appears
The Reunion at the Mile-High Frederik Pohl An alternate history where Asimov was drafted into a biological weapons program during World War II and never became an author
Plato's Cave Poul Anderson Set between Runaround and Stephen Byerly's election to World Coordinator; Susan Calvin, Alfred Lanning, Greg Powell and Mike Donovan appear; Byerly and Speedy are mentioned
Foundation's Conscience George Zebrowski Set in 1056 FE after the creation of the Second Empire (may conflict with Foundation's Edge/Foundation and Earth, as Gaia is not apparent)
Carhunters of the Concrete Prairie Robert Sheckley Concerns intelligent robots and the Three Laws of Robotics, but appears to be independent of the Robot/Empire/Foundation universe
The Overheard Conversation Edward D. Hoch A Black Widowers story
Blot Hal Clement Plot includes positronic robots, the Three Laws of Robotics, and U.S. Robots and Mechanical Men, but also includes the discovery of alien life, which contradicts all but one of Asimov's robot stories
The Fourth Law of Robotics Harry Harrison A story about an older Mike Donovan and Susan Calvin's grandniece solving a crime with the help of the Stainless Steel Rat
The Originist Orson Scott Card Set just after the first part of Foundation, deals with Hari Seldon's establishment of the Second Foundation
A Word or Two from Janet Janet Asimov Janet Asimov describes what it's like to be Isaac's wife
Fifty Years Isaac Asimov Isaac Asimov compares his life and career to the greats of science and literature

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