The so-called “Second Foundation Trilogy” is a significant development in the world of Asimov’s fiction. Inasmuch as Asimov wasn’t personally involved in (or even aware of) this work, I really can’t in good conscience count them as official books—I’ve stretched things badly enough by counting Harlan Ellison’s I, Robot: The Illustrated Screenplay.

(I cannot help but think of the analogy to the works of the late Dr. Seuss. A huge body of subsidiary Seuss literature has appeared since Geisel’s death. This material is presumably authorized by his estate but definitely not up to the usual Seuss standard of quality, thereby cheapening the name. There are legitimate concerns regarding this scenario playing out with Asimov.)

But the books were requested by Janet Asimov and Ralph Vicinanza, whom Benford calls “the Asimov estate’s representative,” and they are written by three top-flight science fiction authors whose work I enjoy and respect, so I have reviewed them.

The three books in the “second trilogy” are:

3 spaceships-and-suns2 spaceships-and-sunsFoundation’s Fear (1997) by Gregory Benford

Three spaceships-and-sunsThree spaceships-and-sunsFoundation and Chaos (1998) by Greg Bear

Three spaceships-and-sunsThree spaceships-and-sunsFoundation’s Triumph (1999) by David Brin

Similarly, I have reviewed the festschrift edited by Martin Greenberg honoring Asimov on the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of his first sale, namely:

Three spaceships-and-sunsThree spaceships-and-sunsFoundation’s Friends: In Honor of Isaac Asimov (1989)

There are also a number of books which have been written about Asimov or his works over the years which I have reviewed. Some of them are:

Three spaceships-and-sunsThree spaceships-and-sunsTrillion Year Spree: The History of Science Fiction (1986) by Brian W. Aldiss and David Wingrove

Three spaceships-and-sunsThree spaceships-and-sunsAsimov’s Foundation Trilogy and Other Works: Notes (1977) by L. David Allen

Three spaceships-and-sunsThree spaceships-and-sunsIsaac Asimov: The Foundations of Science Fiction (1982) by James Gunn

Three spaceships-and-sunsThree spaceships-and-sunsIsaac Asimov (1982) by Jean Fiedler and Jim Mele

Three spaceships-and-sunsThree spaceships-and-sunsIsaac Asimov (1974) edited by Joseph D. Olander and Martin Harry Greenberg

Three spaceships-and-sunsThree spaceships-and-sunsThe Science Fiction of Isaac Asimov (1977) by Joseph F. Patrouch, Jr.

Three spaceships-and-sunsThree spaceships-and-sunsIsaac Asimov (1991) by William F. Touponce

Three spaceships-and-sunsThree spaceships-and-sunsAsimov: The Unauthorized Life (1994) by Michael White

Other non-Asimov titles will be added as I read them.