How many words are in Foundation?
by Isaac Asimov · 1951 · Science Fiction
67,551
Word count
4 hr 44 min
Reading time
271
Est. pages
1951
Published
Foundation by Isaac Asimov is approximately 67,551 wordslong. At an average reading speed of 238 words per minute, that's about 4 hr 44 min of reading spread across several sittings. First published in 1951, it sits in the Science Fiction category.
Typical science fiction novels run 90,000–125,000 words, with a sweet spot around 100,000–115,000. At 67,551 words, Foundation comes in below the typical range — closer to a novella in length.
Science Fiction novels of similar length
| Title | Author | Word count |
|---|---|---|
| Brave New World | Aldous Huxley | 63,766 |
| Frankenstein | Mary Shelley | 74,861 |
| The War of the Worlds | H.G. Wells | 59,796 |
| Neuromancer | William Gibson | 79,000 |
| The Left Hand of Darkness | Ursula K. Le Guin | 85,592 |
| 1984 | George Orwell | 88,942 |