I am out of touch. I only read Dune. I am reading Foundation and I keep putting it down. Very readable, but I just have no clue where its going and the multi-generational character changes make me shift gears to often. So far, I really don’t understand why this book is so highly esteemed. If I can stick with it to the end, maybe I will understand why.
Foundation is part of a trilogy and the overarching story is why you read it.
Fun
Easy answer is that it is epic just like Heinlein's Future History series.
Prelude to Foundation (1988)
Forward the Foundation (1993)
Foundation (1951)
Foundation and Empire (1952)
Second Foundation (1953)
Foundation's Edge (1982)
Foundation and Earth (1986)
The series is set in the same universe as Asimov's first published novel, Pebble in the Sky, although Foundation takes place about 10,000 years later. Pebble in the Sky became the basis for the Empire series. Then, at some unknown date (prior to writing Foundation's Edge) Asimov decided to merge the Foundation/Empire series with his Robot series. Thus, all three series are set in the same universe, giving them a combined length of 15 novels, and a total of about 1,500,000 words. The merge also created a time-span of the series of around 20,000 years.
I, Robot (1950)
The Caves of Steel (1953)
The Naked Sun (1955)
The Robots of Dawn (1983)
Robots and Empire (1985)
I have read all of Heinlein and Asimov and in my opinion, nothing else comes close.
For escapist fun, I always liked Anne McCaffrey and Andre Norton. These ladies earned their Grand Master titles.
And, by the way, Janet Kagan died way to young.