Asimov, Isaac (1951-53) ‘Foundation’ trilogy, US first edition first state set with an original association letter signed by Asimov

Isaac Asimov (1951-53) ‘Foundation‘ trilogy, US first editions, first printings, all first state, published by Gnome Press. The set is comprised of:

• ‘Foundation‘ (1951), CURREY (A) Dark blue cloth with red lettering on spine. Galaxy on front cover. Words on spine horizontal. Boards are 21 cm high. Sheets measure 20.3 x 13.5 cm and are 1.9 cm across the top. Spaceships colored blue on front cover. Rear flaps feature Journey to Infinity and Typewriter in the Sky and Fear. Back cover: 3 titles plus forthcoming Fantasy Calendar for 1952. Gnome Press address given as 80 East 11th Street, N. Y. 3                       Condition: a near fine book with no bookplates, no previous owners’ scribbles, no stamps. Internally absolutely clean. Light shelf wear only which includes rubbing to the bottom board edges from sliding in and out of shelf. The dust jacket is very good with some rubbing to folds and a small chip to the spine.
• ‘Foundation and Empire‘ (1952), Currey (A) Red boards with black lettering lettering on spine. Released 1952. Galaxy symbol on front boards. “Gnome Press” on spine measures 2.2 cm across, sheets bulk 1.8 cm. Four-color cover with “A new science fiction novel by ISAAC ASIMOV” across front cover. Front flap says GNOME PRESS/NEW YORK. Back cover: Rear flap has DON’T MISS THE FIRST BOOK! printed in red. Gnome Press address given as 80 East 11th Street, N. Y. 3                         Condition: a near fine book in a very good dust jacket. The book is spotless with just a little rubbing to the bottom edges of the boards from sliding in and out of the shelf. The dust jacket is very good with the spine faded to orange. Light edge wear to top of spine folds
• ‘Second Foundation‘ (1953), CURREY (A) blue boards with black lettering on spine. First state dust jacket with 25 titles on the back panel. Gnome Press address given as 80 East 11th Street, N. Y. 3.                                                                 Condition: a near fine book, internally spotless with the usual light rubbing to the boards’ bottom edges. Light spotting to the front board, none to the rear. Fine dust jacket with nothing major to report.
• Also, an original typed letter signed by Isaac Asimov. One page, 4to, New York, 15th January 1949, to Erle Korshak of Shasta Publishers. Asimov acknowledges receipt of his correspondent’s letter, which he has read carefully, and remarks ‘The notion of an annual anthology of the best of science fiction is a good one, and the continuing and growing market for hard-cover science-fiction is something that cannot help but be pleasant for an author’, further adding ‘Three of my stories have already been anthologized, and $25 establishes a record low as far as money returns are concerned – rather easily, I might add – so that I cannot help but hope that the larger publishing houses go on to express even more than mere interest’ and also discussing the structure of fees in the release form that Korshak had sent him, ‘I notice that if Shasta publishes the story, then I get $25 for each reprint – i.e. 10 reprints, $250. If, however, someone other than Shasta, (say Simon & Schuster or Macmillan) publishes the story, then I get $25 altogether, i.e. 10 reprints, $25. This seems to follow the principle of ”Them ez hez most money; pays least”. Is that constitutional? Furthermore, the second paragraph says that an outside publisher will pay as much as Shasta can squeeze out of them, but in no case less than $25. The third paragraph, however, seems to commit me to accept $25 flat with no qualifying statement that it might conceivably be more. – Being the world’s poorest contract lawyer, these are probably silly points I am trying to make, but I would enjoy enlightenment’. Annotated in initialled by Korshak to the upper left corner, indicating that he replied to Asimov on 17th January 1949. Some light age wear and a few small, minor tears to the edges, not affecting the text or signature. A very nice letter written around the time when the Foundation and I, Robot stories were written. The Foundation short stories were published originally by Astounding Science-Fiction Magazine between May 1942 and January 1950. A nice association letter with Asimov’s old signature from the late 1940s.

A landmark science fiction series for which Asimov is best remembered alongside I, Robot (1950). The ‘Foundation’ trilogy won the special 1966 Hugo as best series of all-time beating Tolkien’s ‘Lord of the Rings’ trilogy to Asimov’s own astonishment. Basis of the 2021 and ongoing Apple TV-series.