Dr. Isaac Asimov is considered a master of the science-fiction genre. He is famous for his works Foundation Series, Galactic Empire Series and Robot Series, the last two series he tied into the same fictional universe as the Foundation series.
Early Life of Isaac Asimov
Isaac Asimov (January 2, 1920 – April 6, 1992) was a Russian-born American author and professor of biochemistry, a highly successful and exceptionally prolific writer best known for his works of science fiction and for his popular science books.
As a child Asimov read literature and science avidly. In 1929 he persuaded his father to let him read a new magazine called Science Wonder Stories because it had the word 'science' in the title. At 17, he wrote a short science fiction story, which his father suggested he send to a prestigious magazine Astounding Stories. Although it was not published, he got to meet the editor who guided him through his early years as a writer.
His great interests included the comic operas of Gilbert and Sullivan (G&S) and Nero Wolfe mysteries written by Rex Stout.
Books, Letters and Postcards
Asimov wrote and edited numerous books and thousands of letters and postcards. He worked in practically every major areas of discipline except philosophy. He wrote many short stories, including "Nightfall", which was voted by the Science Fiction Writers of America the best of its kind up to 1964. Asimov wrote the Lucky Starr series of juvenile science-fiction novels using the pen name Paul French.
Asimov's popularized science books mostly explain scientific concepts in a historical way, going as far back as possible to a time when the science in question was at its simplest stage. Therefore, he often provides nationalities, birth and death dates for the scientists he mentions, etymologies and pronunciation guides for technical terms.
Asimov's Career
Asimov's career was dominated by science fiction. It began with short stories in 1939 and novels in 1950. This lasted until about 1958, all but ending after publication of The Naked Sun. He began publishing nonfiction in 1952, and co-authored a college textbook called Biochemistry and Human Metabolism.
Following the brief orbit of the first man-made satellite Sputnik I by the USSR in 1957, his production of popular science books greatly increased. Over the next quarter century, he wrote four science fiction novels. From 1982, he began the publication of Foundation's Edge, and until his death, he published several more sequels.
Asimov Contribution and Legacy to Science Fiction
Asimov believed that his lasting contributions would be his "Three Laws of Robotics" and the Foundation Series. The Oxford English Dictionary credits his science fiction for introducing the words "positronic" (an entirely fictional technology), "psychohistory" (frequently used in a different sense than the imaginary one Asimov employed) and "robotics" into the English language.
He coined the term "robotics" without suspecting that it might be an original word. He believed it was the natural analogue of mechanics, hydraulics, and so forth. The original word robot derives from the Czech word for "forced labor", robotovat, robota and was first employed by the playwright Karel Capek in Rossum's Universal Robots. The word "robotics" continues in mainstream technical use with Asimov's original definition. Star Trek: The Next Generation featured androids with "positronic brains", namely Data and Lore, giving Asimov full credit for inventing this fictional technology.
Dr. Isaac Asimov was a long-time member and vice-president of Mensa International, and president of the American Humanist Association (AHA.) He was a good friend of Kurt Vonnegut, a fellow humanist who succeeded him as AHA's president. The asteroid 5020 Asimov, the magazine Asimov's Science Fiction, and two different Isaac Asimov Awards are named in his honor.
Works by Isaac Asimov
- Pebble in the Sky, 1950
- I, Robot, 1950
- The Stars, Like Dust, 1951
- Foundation (3 volumes), 1951-1953
- The Caves of Steel, 1954
- The Naked Sun, 1957
- Nightfall and Other Stories, 1969
- The Gods Themselves, 1972
- The Bicentennial Man, 1976
- Foundation and Earth, 1986
Sources:
Goring, Rosemary, editor. Larousse Dicitonary of Writers. New York: Larousse, 1994
Payne, Tom. The A-Z of Great Writers. Carlton Books Ltd, 1997
McGovern, Una, editor. Chambers Biographical Dictionary. Edinburgh. Chambers Harrap, 2002
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