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| '''Isaac Asimov''' (], 1920, Petrovichi, Russia - ], 1992, New York) - an American author and biochemist, a highly successful and prolific writer of ] and of science books for the layperson. He published about 500 volumes. | '''Isaac Asimov''' (], ], Petrovichi, Russia - ], ], New York) - an American author and biochemist, a highly successful and extraordinarily prolific writer of ] and of ] books for the layperson. He published about 500 volumes. | ||
| Asimov |
Asimov's family emigrated to the ] when he was three years old. He grew up in Brooklyn, N.Y., graduating from ] in 1939 and taking a Ph.D. there in 1948. He then joined the faculty of ], with which he remained associated thereafter. | ||
| thereafter. | |||
| Asimov began contributing stories to ] magazines in 1939 and in 1950 published his first book, ]. His trilogy of novels, <i>Foundation</i>, <i>Foundation and Empire</i>, and <i>Second Foundation</i> (1951-53), which recounts the collapse and rebirth of a vast interstellar empire in the universe of the future, is his most famous work of science fiction. | |||
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| In the short-story collection ] (1950), he developed a set of ethics for robots (''see'' ]) and intelligent machines that greatly influenced other writers' treatment of the subject. | |||
| ⚫ | His other novels and collections of stories included ] (1951), ] (1952), ] (1954), ] (1957), ] (1957), ] (1982), and ] (1983). The short story, ] was made into a movie starring Robin Williams. His ] (1941) is thought by many to be the finest ] short story ever written. | ||
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Revision as of 02:22, 6 October 2001
Isaac Asimov (January 2, 1920, Petrovichi, Russia - April 6, 1992, New York) - an American author and biochemist, a highly successful and extraordinarily prolific writer of science fiction and of science books for the layperson. He published about 500 volumes.
Asimov's family emigrated to the United States when he was three years old. He grew up in Brooklyn, N.Y., graduating from Columbia University in 1939 and taking a Ph.D. there in 1948. He then joined the faculty of Boston University, with which he remained associated thereafter.
Asimov began contributing stories to science fiction magazines in 1939 and in 1950 published his first book, /Pebble in the Sky. His trilogy of novels, Foundation, Foundation and Empire, and Second Foundation (1951-53), which recounts the collapse and rebirth of a vast interstellar empire in the universe of the future, is his most famous work of science fiction.
In the short-story collection I, Robot (1950), he developed a set of ethics for robots (see Three Laws Of Robotics) and intelligent machines that greatly influenced other writers' treatment of the subject.
His other novels and collections of stories included /The Stars Like Dust (1951), /The Currents Of Space (1952), /The Caves Of Steel (1954), /The Naked Sun (1957), /Earth Is Room Enough (1957), /Foundations Edge (1982), and /The Robots Of Dawn (1983). The short story, /The Bicentennial Man was made into a movie starring Robin Williams. His /Nightfall (1941) is thought by many to be the finest science fiction short story ever written.
Among Asimov's books on various topics in science, written with lucidity and humour, are /The Chemicals of Life (1954), /Inside the Atom (1956), /The World of Nitrogen (1958), /Life and Energy (1962), /The Human Brain (1964), /The Neutrino (1966), /Science, Numbers and I (1968), /Our World in Space (1974), and /Views of the Universe (1981). He also published two volumes of autobiography.
Please note that the book /Prelude To Foundation contains Asimov's suggested reading order/chronology for his science fiction books.