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Isaac Asimov

Critique • Works • Views and quotes

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ISAAC ASIMOV, 1981
(RIT, Public domain)
Biographical details ▽ Biographical details △

Born
Petrovichi, Russia, 1920

Died
New York City, United States, 1992

Places lived
Russia; Brooklyn, New York, United States; West Philadelphia; Boston; New York City

Nationality
Russian; Soviet; American

Publications
Novels, stories, essays, poetry, textbooks, memoirs

Genres
Science fiction, mystery, popular science, history, criticism, poetry

Writing language
English

Greatest lists ▽ Greatest lists △
Literature

I, Robot (1950)

The Foundation Trilogy (1951–1953)

Novels

Foundation (1951)

The Gods Themselves (1972)

Stories

"Nightfall" (1941)

Story Collections

I, Robot (1950)

Science Fiction

I, Robot (1950)

The Foundation Trilogy (1951–1953)

The Martian Way (1952)

The Caves of Steel(1954)

The Gods Themselves (1972)

Science Fiction Stories

• "Robbie (1940)"

"Nightfall" (1941)

• "The Bicentennial Man (1976)"

Crime and Mystery

The Caves of Steel (1954)

American Literature

I, Robot (1950)

The Foundation Trilogy (1951–1953)

First appearance of works in book form

1950

Pebble in the Sky Novel

I, Robot Nine stories

First book appearance of "Robbie", "Runaround", "Reason", "Catch that Rabbit", "Liar!", "Little Lost Robot", "Escape!", "Evidence", "The Evitable Conflict"

1951

The Stars, Like Dust Novel

Foundation Novel

1952

The Currents of Space Novel

Foundation and Empire Novel

David Starr, Space Ranger Juvenile novel

1953

Lucky Starr and the Pirates of the Asteroids Juvenile novel

Second Foundation Novel

1954

The Caves of Steel Novel

Lucky Starr and the Oceans of Venus Juvenile novel

1955

The End of Eternity Novel

The Martian Way and Other Stories Four novellas

First book appearance of The Martian Way, Youth, The Deep, Sucker Bait

1956

Lucky Starr and the Big Sun of Mercury Juvenile novel

1957

The Naked Sun Novel

Lucky Starr and the Moons of Jupiter Juvenile novel

Earth Is Room Enough Fifteen stories, two poems/songs

First book appearance of stories "The Dead Past", "Franchise", "Gimmicks Three", "Kid Stuff", "The Watery Place", "Living Space", "The Message", "Satisfaction Guaranteed", "Hell-Fire", "The Last Trump", "The Fun They Had", "Jokester", "The Immortal Bard", "Someday", "Dreaming Is a Private Thing"; poems/songs "The Foundation of S.F. Success", "The Author's Ordeal"

1958

Lucky Starr and the Rings of Saturn Juvenile novel

The Death Dealers Novel, also published as A Whiff of Death

1959

Nine Tomorrows Nine stories, two poems

First book appearance of stories "Profession", "The Feeling of Power", "The Dying Night", "I'm in Marsport Without Hilda", "The Gentle Vultures", "All the Troubles of the World", "Spell My Name with an S", "The Last Question", "The Ugly Little Boy"; poems "I Just Make Them Up, See!", "Rejection Slips"

1960

The Intelligent Man's Guide to Science Science

1961

Words From the Myths Criticism

1962

Fact and Fancy Essays

1963

View From a Height Essays

1964

The Rest of the Robots Eight stories, two novels

First book appearance of stories "Robot AL-76 Goes Astray", "Victory Unintentional", "First Law", "Let's Get Together", "Risk", "Lenny", "Galley Slave"

1965

The Greeks: A Great Adventure History

1966

Fantastic Voyage Novel

The Roman Republic History

1967

Through a Glass, Clearly Four stories

First book appearance of "It's Such a Beautiful Day", "Belief", "Breeds There a Man...?", "C-Chute"

Asimov's Guide to the Bible, Vol. I Criticism

The Roman Empire History

1968

Asimov's Mysteries Fourteen stories

First book appearance of "The Singing Bell", "The Talking Stone", "What's in a Name?", "Pâté de Foie Gras", "The Dust of Death", "A Loint of Paw", "I'm in Marsport Without Hilda" (original version), "Marooned Off Vesta", "Anniversary", "Obituary", "Star Light", "The Key", "The Billiard Ball"

The Dark Ages History

1969

Nightfall and Other Stories Twenty stories

First book appearance of "Nightfall", "Green Patches", "Hostess", "In a Good Cause—", "What If—", "Sally", "Flies", "Nobody Here But—", "Strikebreaker", "Insert Knob A in Hole B", "The Up-To-Date Sorcerer", "Unto the Fourth Generation", "What is This Thing Called Love?", "The Machine that Won the War", "My Son, the Physicist", "Eyes Do More Than See", "Segregationist"

Asimov's Guide to the Bible, Vol. II Criticism

Opus 100 Stories, essays, excerpts from previous books

First book appearance of story "The Holmes-Ginsbook Device"

The Shaping of England History

1970

Asimov's Guide to the Shakespeare, Vols. I and II Criticism

Constantinople, the Forgotten Empire History

1971

The Best New Thing Children's story

Isaac Asimov's Treasury of Humor Humour

The Sensuous Dirty Old Man Humour

1972

The Gods Themselves Novel

The Early Asimov Twenty-seven stories

First book appearance of "The Callistan Menace", "Ring Around the Sun", "The Magnificent Possession", "Trends", "The Weapon Too Dreadful to Use", "Black Friar of the Flame", "Half-Breed", "The Secret Sense", "Homo Sol", "Half-Breeds on Venus", "The Imaginary", "Heredity", "History", "Christmas on Ganymede", "The Little Man on the Subway", "The Hazing", "Super-Neutron", "Not Final!", "Legal Rites", "Time Pussy", "Author! Author!", "Death Sentence", "Blind Alley", "No Connection", "The Endochronic Properties of Resublimated Thiotimoline", "The Red Queen's Race", "Mother Earth"

The Shaping of France History

1973

The Best of Isaac Asimov Twelve stories

"Mirror Image"

The Shaping of North America History

1974

Tales of the Black Widowers Twelve stories

First book appearance of "The Acquisitive Chuckle", "Ph As in Phony", "Truth to Tell", "Go, Little Book!", "Early Sunday Morning", "The Obvious Factor", "The Pointing Finger", "Miss What?", "The Lullaby of Broadway", "Yankee Doodle Went to Town", "The Curious Omission", "Out of Sight"

1975

Buy Jupiter and Other Stories Twenty-four stories

First book appearance of "Darwinian Pool Room", "Day of the Hunters", "Shah Guido G.", "Button, Button", "The Monkey's Finger", "Everest", "The Pause", "Let's Not", "Each an Explorer", "Blank!", "Does a Bee Care?", "Silly Asses", "Buy Jupiter", "A Statue for Father", "Rain, Rain, Go Away", "Founding Father", ""Exile to Hell", "Key Item", "The Proper Study", "2430 A.D.", "The Greatest Asset", "Take a Match", "Thiotimoline to the Stars", "Light Verse"

Lecherous Limericks Humour

1976

Murder at the ABA Novel, also published as Authorized Murder

The Bicentennial Man and Other Stories Eleven stories, poem

First book appearance of stories "Feminine Intuition", "Waterclap", "...That Thou Art Mindful of Him", "Stranger in Paradise", "The Life and Times of Multivac", "The Winnowing", "The Bicentennial Man", "Marching In", "Old-fashioned", "The Tercentenary Incident", "Birth of a Notion"; poem "The Prime of Life"

More Tales of the Black Widowers Thirteen stories

First book appearance of "When No Man Pursueth", "Quicker Than the Eye", "The Iron Gem", "The Three Numbers", "Nothing Like Murder", "No Smoking", "Season's Greetings!", "The One and Only East", "Earthset and Evening Star", "Friday the Thirteenth", "The Unabridged", "The Ultimate Crime", "Afterword"

More Lecherous Limericks Humour

1977

The Key Word and Other Mysteries Six juvenile stories, one added in 1982

First book appearance of "The Key Word", "Santa Claus Gets a Coin", "Sarah Tops", "The Thirteenth Day of Christmas", "A Case of Need", "The Disappearing Man"

Still More Lecherous Limericks Humour

1978

Asimov's Sherlockian Limericks Humour

Limericks Too Gross Humour

1979

In Memory Yet Green: The Autobiography of Isaac Asimov, 1920–1954 Autobiography

Extraterrestrial Civilizations Science

1980

Casebook of the Black Widowers Twelve stories

First book appearance of "The Cross of Lorraine", "The Family Man", "The Sports Page", "Second Best", "The Missing Item", "The Next Day", "Irrelevance!", "None So Blind", "The Backward Look", "What Time Is It?", "Middle Name", "To the Barest"

In Joy Still Felt: The Autobiography of Isaac Asimov, 1954–1978 Autobiography

1981

Asimov on Science Fiction Essays

In the Beginning... Criticism

A Grossery of Limericks Humour

1982

Foundation's Edge Novel

The Complete Robot Thirty-one stories

First book appearance of "A Boy's Best Friend", "Point of View", "Think!", "True Love"

1983

The Robots of Dawn Novel

The Winds of Change and Other Stories Twenty-one stories

First book appearance of "About Nothing", "A Perfect Fit", "Death of a Foy", "Fair Exchange?", "For the Birds", "Found!", "Good Taste", "How It Happened", "Ideas Die Hard", "Ignition Point!", "It Is Coming", "The Last Answer", "The Last Shuttle", "Lest We Remember", "Nothing for Nothing", "One Night of Song", "The Smile That Loses", "Sure Thing", "To Tell at a Glance", "The Winds of Change"

The Union Club Mysteries Thirty stories

First book appearance of "No Refuge Could Save", "The Telephone Number", "The Men Who Wouldn't Talk", "A Clear Shot", "Irresistible to Women", "He Wasn't There", "The Thin Line", "Mystery Tune", "Hide and Seek", "Gift", "Hot or Cold", "The Thirteenth Page", "1 to 999", "Twelve Years Old", "Testing, Testing!", "The Appleby Story", "Dollars and Cents", "Friends and Allies", "Which is Which?", "The Sign", "Catching the Fox", "Getting the Combination", "The Library Book", "The Three Goblets"", "Spell It!", "Two Women", "Sending a Signal", "The Favorite Piece", "Half a Ghost", "There Was a Young Lady"

Norby, the Mixed-Up Robot First of ten juvenile novels written mainly by Janet Asimov

1984

Banquets of the Black Widowers Twelve stories

First book appearance of "Sixty Million Trillion Combinations", "The Woman in the Bar", "The Driver", "The Good Samaritan", "The Year of the Action", "Can You Prove It?", "The Phoenician Bauble", "A Monday in April", "Neither Brute Nor Human", "The Redhead", "The Wrong House", "The Intrusion"

Asimov's New Guide to Science Science

1985

Robots and Empire Novel

The Edge of Tomorrow Eleven stories and essays

The Disappearing Man and Other Mysteries Five juvenile stories, one added in 1982

First book appearance of "Lucky Seven", "Christmas Solution, The", "The Twins", "The Man in the Park"

1986

Robot Dreams Twenty-one stories

First book appearance of "Robot Dreams"

Foundation and Earth Novel

The Alternate Asimovs Novel, novella, story

First book appearance of novel Grow Old With Me (original version of Pebble in the Sky), novella The End of Eternity (original version of novel), story "Belief" (two earlier versions)

The Best Science Fiction of Isaac Asimov Twenty-six stories, two poems

The Best Mysteries of Isaac Asimov Thirty-one stories

First book appearance of stories "The Magic Umbrella", "Never Out of Sight", "Speck", "A Problem of Numbers", "The Little Things", "Halloween", "Nothing Might Happen"

1987

Fantastic Voyage II: Destination Brain Novel

1988

Prelude to Foundation Novel

Azazal Eighteen stories

First book appearance of "The Two-Centimeter Demon", "One Night of Song", "The Smile That Loses", "To the Victor", "The Dim Rumble", "Saving Humanity", "A Matter of Principle", "The Evil Drink Does", "Writing Time", "Dashing Through the Snow", "Logic Is Logic", "He Travels the Fastest", "The Eye of the Beholder", "More Things in Heaven and Earth", "The Mind's Construction", "The Fights of Spring", "Galatea", "Flight of Fancy"

1989

Nemesis Novel

Asimov on Science Essays

1990

Nightfall Novel, with Robert Silverberg

Robot Visions Eighteen stories, sixteen essays

First book appearance of tories "Robot Visions", "Too Bad!", "Christmas Without Rodney"

Puzzles of the Black Widowers Twelve stories

First book appearance of "The Fourth Homonym", "Unique Is Where You Find It", "The Lucky Piece", "Triple Devil", "Sunset on the Water", "Where Is He?", "The Old Purse", "The Quiet Place", "The Four-Leaf Clover", "The Envelope", "The Alibi", "The Recipe"

1991

Asimov's Chronology of the World Science and history

Our Angry Earth: A Ticking Ecological Bomb Ecology, with Frederik Pohl

1992

The Ugly Little Boy Novel, with Robert Silverberg, also published as Child of Time

Asimov Laughs Again Humour

1993

Forward the Foundation Novel

The Positronic Man Novel, with Robert Silverberg

1994

I. Asimov: A Memoir Memoir

1995

Gold Fifteen stories, thirty-six essays

First book appearance of tories "Cal", "Left to Right", "Frustration", "Hallucination", "The Instability", "Alexander the God", "In the Canyon", "Good-bye to Earth", "Battle-Hymn", "Feghoot and the Courts", "Fault-Intolerant", "Kid Brother", "The Nations in Space", "The Smile of the Chipper", "Gold"

1996

Magic Eleven stories, essays

First book appearance of tories "To Your Health", "The Critic on the Hearth", "It's a Job", "Baby, It's Cold Outside", "The Time Traveller", "Wine Is a Mocker", "The Mad Scientist", "The Fable of the Three Princes", "March Against the Foe", "Northwestward", "Prince Delightful and the Flameless Dragon"

2003

The Return of the Black Widowers Sixteen stories by Asimov

First book appearance of "Northwestward", "Yes, But Why", "Lost In a Space Warp", "Police at the Door", "The Haunted Cabin", "The Guest's Guest"

 

CRIOTIQUE • Works • Views and quotes