In celebration of a colleague receiving his mail ordered Folio Society editions, as well as the upcoming AppleTV adaptation, I thought I’d share a few images from my collection of Isaac Asimov’s Foundation series. Beginning with the original trilogy published in the early 1950s, the Foundation universe grew to include seven novels in the series and another eleven within the same fictional timeline, plus additional books by other authors set in the same universe.

This series and author were a huge part of my early induction into the worlds of science fiction, with the cover art by Micheal Whelan playing a big part in that attraction as well. The 1980s edition pictured above is how I was first introduced to Foundation.

This same artwork then finds its way onto other editions, such as this hardcover omnibus edition from 2012.

The copyright page from this edition also speaks to the books’ long publication history.

As I’ve continued to collect different copies of my favourites works, and been fascinated by the nuances of the different “performances” of them, the different styles of cover art have been a particular focus of my curiosity. To see the different interpretations of the written work into visual art adds a whole other level of appreciation to the overall book.

This 1960s cover sets an entirely different mood and state of mind from which to approach the written work within, but fits just as well as the more realistic Whelan painting from the 1980s.

And like the Whelan image, this style too comes back in future editions, adapted and remixed.

This 1983 Del Rey / Ballantine Books edition takes yet another approach to summing up three whole novels in a single image, this time with artwork by Don Dixon.

But yet again, the image fits, providing an apt complement to the writing, albeit again completely different from the two earlier examples.

The evolution of the covers, if that’s even the right term, says more about the book buying audience over time than the books themselves, the manuscript within being unchanged throughout.

I’ve never really subscribed to the idea that you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. That is often your first impression of the book, and it can set you up for pleasure or disappointment, not so much based on the quality of the image alone but more from how much the cover aligns with and complements the story within.

It very much contributes to the performance overall.

And the result of this fascination is, among other things, this…

As I await the coming AppleTV series with a mix of anticipation and dread – and I am one who subscribes to the idea that the adaptation is never as good as the book – I am taking the opportunity and excuse to revisit my universe of print editions.

And while I’m at it, also a chance to focus on just the covers a bit, pulling out this lovely volume to flip through as well…

Happy Reading and Happy Art Appreciating!

– Winston