The author himself, Isaac Asimov, wrote in the Author's Note of the Prelude to Foundation that he is providing a guide for those readers that might appreciate it since the books "were not written in the order in which (perhaps) they should be read." Therein, he offers the following chronological order:

1. The Complete Robot (1982) Collection of 31 Short Stories about robots.
2. The Caves of Steel (1954) His first Robot novel.
3. The Naked Sun (1957) The second Robot novel.
4. The Robots of Dawn (1983) The third Robot novel.
5. Robots and Empire (1985) The fourth (final) Robot novel.
6. The Currents of Space (1952) The first Empire novel.
7. The Stars, Like Dust-- (1951) The second Empire novel.
8. Pebble in the Sky (1950) The third and final Empire novel.
9. Prelude to Foundation (1988) The first Foundation novel.
10. Forward the Foundation (1992) The second Foundation novel. (Not in Asimov's list as it had not been written yet.)
11. Foundation (1951) The third Foundation novel, comprised of 5 stories originally published between 1942-1949.
12. Foundation and Empire (1952) The fourth Foundation novel, comprised of 2 stories originally published in 1945.
13. Second Foundation (1953) The fifth Foundation novel, comprised of 2 stories originally published in 1948 and 1949.
14. Foundation's Edge (1982) The sixth Foundation novel.
15. Foundation and Earth (1983) The seventh Foundation novel.

The author himself, Isaac Asimov, wrote in the Author's Note of the Prelude to Foundation that he is providing a guide for those readers that might appreciate it since the books "were not written in the order in which (perhaps) they should be read." Therein, he offers the following chronological order:

1. The Complete Robot (1982) Collection of 31 Short Stories about robots.
2. The Caves of Steel (1954) His first Robot novel.
3. The Naked Sun (1957) The second Robot novel.
4. The Robots of Dawn (1983) The third Robot novel.
5. Robots and Empire (1985) The fourth (final) Robot novel.
6. The Currents of Space (1952) The first Empire novel.
7. The Stars, Like Dust-- (1951) The second Empire novel.
8. Pebble in the Sky (1950) The third and final Empire novel.
9. Prelude to Foundation (1988) The first Foundation novel.
10. Forward the Foundation (1992) The second Foundation novel. (Not in Asimov's list as it had not been written yet.)
11. Foundation (1951) The third Foundation novel, comprised of 5 stories originally published between 1942-1949.
12. Foundation and Empire (1952) The fourth Foundation novel, comprised of 2 stories originally published in 1945.
13. Second Foundation (1953) The fifth Foundation novel, comprised of 2 stories originally published in 1948 and 1949.
14. Foundation's Edge (1982) The sixth Foundation novel.
15. Foundation and Earth (1983) The seventh Foundation novel.

This list from Prelude to Foundation (1988) is also reproduced online here.

The author himself, Isaac Asimov, wrote in the Author's Note of the Prelude to Foundation that he is providing a guide for those readers that might appreciate it since the books "were not written in the order in which (perhaps) they should be read." Therein, he offers the following chronological order:

1. The Complete Robot (1982) Collection of 31 Short Stories about robots.
2. The Caves of Steel (1954) His first Robot novel.
3. The Naked Sun (1957) The second Robot novel.
4. The Robots of Dawn (1983) The third Robot novel.
5. Robots and Empire (1985) The fourth (final) Robot novel.
6. *The Currents of Space (1952) The first Empire novel.
7. *The Stars, Like Dust-- (1951) The second Empire novel.
8. *Pebble in the Sky (1950) The third and final Empire novel.
9. Prelude to Foundation (1988) The first Foundation novel.
10. Forward the Foundation (1992) The second Foundation novel. (Not in Asimov's list as it had not been written yet.)
11. Foundation (1951) The third Foundation novel, comprised of 5 stories originally published between 1942-1949.
12. Foundation and Empire (1952) The fourth Foundation novel, comprised of 2 stories originally published in 1945.
13. Second Foundation (1953) The fifth Foundation novel, comprised of 2 stories originally published in 1948 and 1949.
14. Foundation's Edge (1982) The sixth Foundation novel.
15. Foundation and Earth (1983) The seventh Foundation novel.

The author himself, Isaac Asimov, wrote in the Author's Note of the Prelude to Foundation that he is providing a guide for those readers that might appreciate it since the books "were not written in the order in which (perhaps) they should be read." Therein, he offers the following chronological order:

1. The Complete Robot (1982) Collection of 31 Short Stories about robots.
2. The Caves of Steel (1954) His first Robot novel.
3. The Naked Sun (1957) The second Robot novel.
4. The Robots of Dawn (1983) The third Robot novel.
5. Robots and Empire (1985) The fourth (final) Robot novel.
6. The Currents of Space (1952) The first Empire novel.
7. The Stars, Like Dust-- (1951) The second Empire novel.
8. Pebble in the Sky (1950) The third and final Empire novel.
9. Prelude to Foundation (1988) The first Foundation novel.
10. Forward the Foundation (1992) The second Foundation novel. (Not in Asimov's list as it had not been written yet.)
11. Foundation (1951) The third Foundation novel, comprised of 5 stories originally published between 1942-1949.
12. Foundation and Empire (1952) The fourth Foundation novel, comprised of 2 stories originally published in 1945.
13. Second Foundation (1953) The fifth Foundation novel, comprised of 2 stories originally published in 1948 and 1949.
14. Foundation's Edge (1982) The sixth Foundation novel.
15. Foundation and Earth (1983) The seventh Foundation novel.